Maíz de Vida: Incarnating Creation Narratives through Play & Theology

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:: Livestream available

:: DePaul Student Center, Rm. 314AB (2nd floor)

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5:30pm ~ Dinner for in-person guests*
6:00pm ~ Livestream begins
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Part of this year's "Catolicismo, Cultura y Comida" series,* organized by DePaul University's CWCIT and Tepeyac/Catholic Campus Ministry, this event features sister and brother scholars Neomi De Anda (University of Dayton) and Michael De Anda (DePaul University). They discuss the role of corn through play, creation narratives, and catolicismo en América. This interactive evening will include learning about abundancia—the possibility of creating from little or nothing—through corn dolls like the Virgen de Guadalupe pictured above in the cover image.

*Limited seating; light dinner will be served, including pan dulce y cafe.

(c) Karen Elwell/Teyacapan ~ Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, fashioned from hojas de maíz (corn husks)

Neomi De Anda is the executive director of the International Marian Research Institute and also a tenured professor in the University of Dayton’s Department of Religious Studies. She teaches courses in religion, languages and cultures, Latinx & Latin American studies, race & ethnic studies, and women & gender studies. She is a Marianist Educational Associate, a Catholic Lay Marianist, and part of the Micah Theotokos Marianist Lay Community.

She holds a PhD in constructive theology from Loyola University Chicago. Her research interests include Mary and breast milk; ; LatinoXa Christology; and migrations in conjunction with the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative Immigrant Justice Team. Because of her roots in El Paso, TX, she maintains a commitment to a border theology at the intersections of the environment, migrations, labor, and women.

Michael De Anda is a senior professional lecturer of game development in DePaul University's College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM). He holds a PhD in technology and humanities from Illinois Institute of Technology and has published articles in The Journal of Popular Culture, Technical Communications Quarterly, and the Video Game Art Reader.
He researches the intersections of games, queerness, and culture, considering the intimacies between LGBTQ and Latinaxo lived experiences and games. Using game design as research praxis, he develops games that draw comment on privileged structures, using intersectionality, queerness, and feminism as critical lenses.

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