The Sunday Interview: “We Are Not a Monolith”: Latino Evangelicals, Immigration Politics, and the Battle Over Representation
In this episode of the Straight White American Jesus Sunday Interview, host Leah Payne speaks with Jonathan Calvillo, sociologist of religion at Candler School of Theology at Emory University and author of The Saints of Santa Ana, about growing tensions within Latino evangelical and Pentecostal communities over immigration, political representation, and the public platforming of prominent evangelical leader Samuel Rodriguez.
The conversation centers on the recent “We Are Not a Monolith” statement issued by Latino pastors, scholars, and ministry leaders calling for greater nuance and accountability in how Latino Christians are represented in national media. Calvillo explains why many faith leaders believe Rodriguez has come to function less as an advocate for vulnerable immigrant communities and more as a defender of Trump-era immigration policies and conservative political networks.
Together, Payne and Calvillo explore how ICE raids and immigration enforcement are reshaping Latino churches across the United States, including the emergence of new theological language around persecution, sanctuary, solidarity, and resistance. They discuss the complex political diversity within Latino evangelicalism, the influence of white evangelical megachurch networks on Latino Pentecostal leaders, and the growing tensions between immigrant-majority congregations and prominent conservative evangelical institutions.
The episode also examines how Latino evangelical and Pentecostal churches are responding to fear, surveillance, and political polarization in this moment, including new collaborations between immigrant churches, ecumenical groups, and unexpected community allies. Throughout the conversation, Calvillo situates current debates within a longer history of migration, marginalization, religious activism, and public theology in the United States.
The “We Are Not a Monolith” statement and the debate over Latino evangelical representation
Samuel Rodriguez, the NHCLC, and conservative evangelical political influence
ICE raids, sanctuary politics, and immigrant church communities
Why some Latino pastors are increasingly using the language of persecution
Latino Pentecostalism, MAGA politics, and white evangelical influence
The role of megachurch culture, class mobility, and political power
Christian nationalism and competing visions of American Christianity
New ecumenical and interfaith collaborations emerging in immigrant communities
Theologies of protest, resistance, and accompaniment among Latino evangelicals
“We Are Not a Monolith” statement: WeAreNotAMonolith.com
Samuel Rodriguez, “ICE Is Devastating Some Latino Churches” (Christianity Today): Christianity Today article
Christianity Today response to the “We Are Not a Monolith” statement: CT response article
Religion News Service coverage: “Latino Christians release letter saying Trump advisor overexaggerated influence”
Robert Chao Romero, “We Refuse to Be Comforted: When Prophets Side with Pharaoh”: Theology and Migration article
Jonathan Calvillo faculty page: Candler School of Theology Faculty Profile
Jonathan Calvillo on Instagram/X: @yocalvillo
Jonathan Calvillo’s book, The Saints of Santa Ana: Faith and Ethnicity in a Mexican-Majority City: Oxford University Press
In This EpisodeLinks:Find Dr. Leah Payne at DrLeahPayne.com, subscribe on Substack, follow her on most social media platforms at @drleahpayne, listen along at Spirit & Power: Charismatics & Politics in American Life and Rock That Doesn’t Roll, and read along with God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music.
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