liberation theology Flashcards
Oscar Romero quote.
“As a Christian, I do not believe in death without ressurection. If they kill me, i will rise again in the Salvadorian people.”
Oscar Romero.
Salvadorian Archbishop who was assassinated by the government during mass after a radio broadcast which resulted in his branding as a communist rebel.
Contextual theology.
When theologians reflect on specific situations in the light of experience within Christian tradition.
‘Bottom up’ theology.
Deals with material conditions of the poor first, before spiritual teaching.
Historical materialism.
describes the material condition of all processes in the world which develop through conflict, and then cycle through conflict and peace constantly.
Alienation.
Occurs when someone is treated as an object or as means to an end, rather than an individual human of value.
Marx on God.
- Claimed material was the driving force of history, not God.
- Teaches some people have rights over others.
- Stops people revolting or working for better conditions as they are promises an afterlife.
Praxis.
As history is constantly changing, humans have ability to understand and change material conditions of any situation.
Marx on philosophers.
“Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.”
How to implement praxis.
Analysis of a situation involving oppression, working out what has caused it and how to change it.
Leonardo and Clodovis on Marx and theology.
A useful “companion on the way”.
Matthew 5:5.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Christian historic materialists on the Kingdom of God.
Isnt heaven, but is a transformation of material society based on Christian values.
Jesus on the Kingdom of God in Luke 17.
“The Kingdom of God is among you.”
Jose Porfirio Miranda’s criticism of Marx.
- Marxism underestimates the biblical insight into capitalism as a result of human sin, how the fall leads to humans wanting to oppress and exploit one another.
- Marx doesnt explain causes of private ownership, which has come about because of western rejection to the commandment against idolarty resulting in humans worshipping capitalism rather than God.
Integral liberation.
Promoting liberation is an essential and fundamental part of the role of the Church.
Puebla.
Latin American Catholic bishop meeting in 1979.
Iglesia popular.
Recognised that the Church had caused much alienation and exploitation and called for the challenging of the essense of the Church’s authority.
Structural sin.
Social and economic organisation of society which causes alienation among people and perpetuation of sins.
Earthquake in Mexico city.
Many firm owners saved machinery before people.
Jose Faus on structural sin.
Capitalism has led people to not view others as humans or of any worth, or as an enemy.
Hermeneutic of suspicion.
Process of interpretation of a text of situation in which one questions the commonly accepted explanation.
Gustavo Gutierrez on Marxism and Christianity.
Should not be combined, as Marxism is an overtly atheistic political system.
Where is offical Latin American Catholic criticism of Marxism held.
‘Instruction on Certain Aspects of the ‘Theology of Liberation’’, Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith.
‘Instruction’ affirmation of liberation theology.
Sympathetic to theologies using liberation as a term to mean justice should prevail in the defence of the weak.
‘Instruction’ criticism of liberation theology.
- Christian liberation is spiritual and social, not economic.
- Liberation theologians only stress political freedom.
- Fails to look at human sin.
- Equates salvation with praxis and revolution rather than Gods grace.
Alistar Kee critcism of liberation theology.
Insufficiently uses Marxism. Marxism is spiritual in claiming each historical stage gives way to the next and anaysis is necessary for the next stage to be better; thus Christian theologians must analyze how this stage of secular capitalism can be changed to bring on a stage of spiritual socialism.
Preferential option for the poor.
Christian duty of the privileged to side with the poor in solidarity and act against exploitation.
‘Final Document’, Puebla, on preferential option for the poor.
“We affirm the need for conversion on the part of the whole church to a preferntial option for the poor.”
The Boff Brother’s book.
‘Introducing Liberation Theology.’
The Boff Brother’s justifications for the preferntial option for the poor.
- Theological motivation, as God is immanent and active in the world hearing the ‘cry’ of his people.
- Christological motivation.
- Eschatological motivation.
- Apostolic motivation.
- Ecclesiological motivation.
Camilo Torres Restrepo.
A preist in Colombia who joined the guerillas and claimed Jesus would to.
Othodoxy.
Offical teaching of the Catholic Church.
Orthopraxy.
Right action needed to bring justice.
First act Praxis.
Pre-theological, in which Christians act in solidarity with the poor and helping them.
Second act praxis.
The three meditations following the first act: socioanalystical meditation, hermeneutical meditation and practical meditation.
Guiterrez on pastoral activity.
“Theology does not produce pastoral activity but rather reflects on it.”
Socio-analytic meditation.
Phase of praxis in which the socio-economic reasons for oppression are analysed and discerned.
Empirical poverty.
View poverty is the result of laziness and ignorance, resulting in charity work which doesnt work as it treats people as objects of pity.
Functional poverty.
View poverty results from backwardness, which results in loans and development aid which creates a situation of dependency.
Dialectical poverty.
View poverty is the result of oppression and requires radical confrontation.
Hermeneutical meditation.
reflection on a situation of oppression from a Christian perspective through studying the Bible.
Practical meditation.
Leads to action by empowering the poor to bring about social, economic and spiritual change.
Critiques of the meditations.
The first socio-analytic meditation is the only important one and economic analysis is more helpful than Biblical analysis, but removal of the second hermeutical meditation means the process is not Christian.
