Thursday, November 16, 2017

LIBERATION THEOLOGY REBUTTED

LIBERATION THEOLOGY REBUTTED

Liberation Theology is one of those exciting teachings that are quite modern which does not only have a belonging to Latin America, but its roots have reached many quarters of the globe and like wine, it’s time for sincere dialogue to be held without anyone keeping the cards under the tables, so that the challenge and controversial issues are clearly dealt with.

This has been provoked both negatively and positively raised mixed reactions, some though exaggerated and emotionally drained. This has been twinkled with sometimes political and ecclesial frontlines. This has keenly raised interests, and the suspicion, of the Sacred Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith[1]. Pope Paul VI, gave qualified approval to the major theme of Liberation Theology: The Liberation of men and women from all forms of oppression and exploitation, both in their individual and social lives[2]

The General Assemblies of the Society of African Mission, in revising and clarifying our missionary goals and methods, made a study of the tenets of Liberation Theology, and in their final documents, incorporated some of its distinctive emphases. “Some of our missionaries in the field, not too well acquainted with the works Liberation Theologians, may perhaps find the new language and the new emphases in our documents somewhat disconcerting.” This has to give a glimpse and background, against which to situate the Liberation thrust of the reality.

The true content of Liberation Theology, is a label depicting a theological movement which erupted in Latin America in the mid-sixties, and became a coherent movement with its own identity at the second General Conference of Latin America Episcopate (CELAM) in Medellín, Colombia, in 1968.
Gustavo Gutierrez says, “Liberation theology should be regarded as a movement only in the very broad sense”.  Liberation theology is born in the context of social injustice in which the people live in. Gutierrez describes how his book, A Theology of Liberation, came into being: It is a theological reflection born of the experience of shared efforts to abolish the current unjust situation and build a different society, freer and more human[3].

Liberation theology is, then a reflection on the meaning of faith more so Christian faith as it is lived in the context of a committed struggle to overcome an unjust and powerful economic and political system, a system which creates massive oppression and economic dependence. This is to further the liberation process already begun, and support the commitment of Christians to the struggle for a more just and humane economic and political order.  

Gutierrez insists “It’s to let ourselves be judged by the Word of the Lord, to think through our faith, to strength our love, and to give reason for our hope from within a commitment which seeks to be more radical, total, and efficacious both individual and societal. “Hermeneutic” means “having to do with interpretation. And the circular nature of this interpretation stems from the fact that each new reality obliges us to interpret the Word of God afresh, to change reality accordingly, and then go back and interpret the Word of God again, and so on.[4]

Man’s life never stands still. It is a dynamic, developing reality, and is subject to constant change. These changes come with constantly new perspectives on God’s Word, and calls for fresh interpretation of the Word. This Word enters the flesh of our lives, becomes an agent of change and transforms. Liberation theologians focus attention on man in his social relationships. Human beings have the capacity to subjugate and shape their environment, thus becoming subjects in a humanized world. Paulo Freire speaks of these people as living in the culture of silence where they are prohibited from creatively taking part in the transformation of their society and therefore prohibited from being[5].

The hopes of those suffering have to instil thrust towards the future in the context of a Liberation struggle to undo the chains of the present oppressive social order and build a new society, different from and qualitatively superior to, the one which exists at present. We now have to seriously embark on the SWOT ANALYSIS on Liberation Theology.




[1] The Instruction on Certain Aspects of the “Theology of Liberation”, Vatican City Rome, 1984.
[2] Evangelii Nuntiandi, nos. 29-39
[3] Gustavo Gutiérrez, A Theology of Liberation, the Magnum Opus, 1974, P.ix
[4] Gustavo Gutierrez, The Liberation of Theology, tr. John Drury, Orbis Books, Maryknoll NY, 1976, P.8
[5] Cultural Action for Freedom, Penguin books, Middlesex England, 1977, P.30

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