Liberation Theology and Marx

Question 1

Oscar Romero was shot and killed and birthed what was called ‘Liberation Theology’, what was this?

Answer 1

• Contextual theology
• Believed that the the heart of Christian message is to bring spiritual and material justice and freedom to those who are oppressed

Question 2

Contextual Theology Definition

Answer 2

A type of theology by which theologians reflect on a specific situation in the light of experience and within a Christian tradition

Question 3

Why has liberation theology been deemed dangerous by the church and authorities?

Answer 3

• It places the needs of the poor and oppressed before that of the RCC
• This deemed it radical and subversive by the church and authorities

Question 4

Why is liberation theology called a ‘bottom up’ theology?

Answer 4

• It believes that the Church has rights to get involved with the material world
• It begins first with the poor conditions of the poor and then works up to imposing official Church teaching
• Despite being atheist Marx took this approach and his analysis of alienation and exploitation of the poor is used by liberation theologians

Question 5

What is Marx’s notion of Historical Materialism?

Answer 5

• The idea that the material and physical conditions of all processes in the world develop through conflict, to harmony and then conflict again

Question 6

When does Alienation occur?

Answer 6

When a person is treated as a thing or object rather than being valued as an individual

Question 7

Why does Marx believe that a belief in God is a major reason for alienation? (Two Reasons)

Answer 7

1. He rejects that God is the driving force of history, the belief that it is God in control and not the material forces leads to false hopes and illusions
2. Religion gives power to the state to assert that it is Gods natural order that some are born to be rulers, some servants and it will be settled in the afterlife

As a result he believes abolition of religion is the first step to overcoming exploitation and alienation

Question 8

How does Marx argue capitalism leads to alienation and exploitation?

Answer 8

• A capitalist society is where few have access to the means of production and it is the production of goods that matters
• The worker has no control over the means of production and is an ‘appendage of the machine’
• Even when he receives his paycheck he spends it at shops and the bourgeoisie exploit him more
• This leads to him being alienated and exploited further

Question 9

What has happened when the exploited realise their position is not ordained by God?

Answer 9

• The proletariat have attempted to rise up
• This has been put down with oppression by the bourgeoisie

Question 10

What is Praxis? And how does Marx use this to shit on philosophers?

Answer 10

• The idea that history is constantly changing and humans have the ability to understand the material conditions of any situation and change them
• “the point is to change it”
• Liberal Theologians have agreed that philosophy and theology has become too abstract and the point is to change the world

Question 11

Why do Liberation theologians find Marx’s analysis useful?

Answer 11

• It has brought back words like ‘sin’ to a refocus on the world rather than abstract notions that are traditionally used in theology

Question 12

How do Christians embrace Marx’s ‘bottom up’ approach with the Kingdom of God? (Quote Matthew)

Answer 12

• Allows theology to begin with the actual suffering of people and their alienation
• This allows them to see that the Kingdom of God is not heaven but rather a revision of life on earth along the lines of Christian values
  “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”

Question 13

What is the view of liberation theologian Jose Miranda?

Answer 13

• Agrees with Marx that private ownership leads to exploitation and alienation as it allows the person to exploit the people on their land as objects
• However he argues that a similar idea is at the very heart of the bible

Question 14

What two things does Jose Miranda about the bible being more radical Marx?

Answer 14

• Human Nature; Marxism underestimated the insight of biblical writers that capitalism is a result of human sin, the fallen explanation is a much fuller reason as to why humans exploit each other
• Idolatry; 2nd of Gods 10 commandments warns against idolatry which is against treating God as an object, ignorance of this has led to the worship of capitalism + private ownership, something Marx has not considered

Question 15

What did the meeting of latin American catholic bishops at Puebla implement to move forward liberation theology?

Answer 15

Integral Liberation
- The idea that promoting liberation is vital to the Church’s role to deal with the external social structures of sin and injustice
- They did this through the ‘Peoples Church’ which included ordinary people in the decision making processes of the Church
- This showed the suspicion in the Church that the institutions gave power to the few over the many

Question 16

How do liberation theologians consider the idea of sin?

Answer 16

• Instead of the original notion of sin they consider it in terms of social and economic structures of society (structural sin)
• This is when humans are alienated from each other because at a deep level there is no recognition of people as humans
• Social alienation where every member of society is dehumanised
• This collective sin of alienation is already contained in the Christian doctrine of the original sin

Question 17

What is an example of hermeneutic of suspicion that liberation theologians exercise in the example of the encounter with the rich ruler in Lukes Gospel?

Answer 17

• The story is that he is rich, a good man, but can’t give away his money due to personal sin
• The institutional Church teaching is that he was not wrong to have wealth but its what he does with it
• Liberation theologians challenge this, asking how he gained his wealth? If he has land he is in control of the means of production for the poor? He does not honour Gods covenant by protecting the poor

Question 18

Why does Gustavo Gutiérrez believe that Marx and Christianity should not be combined?

Answer 18

• He believes despite common ground they should not be combined
• This is because of the criticisms the Vatican raised because of its engagement with Marxism as an overly atheistic political system

Question 19

How did the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith argue against the engagement with Marxism?

Answer 19

• Argue that liberation is at the heart of Christianity, not economic conditions but from the slavery of sin
• Liberal theologians only express political liberation
• Liberation Theology are reductionist , by interpreting sin in terms of social structures it equates salvation with praxis/revolution and not with Gods grace

Question 20

How does Alistair Kee argue that Marxism and Christianity are more engaged with each other than some think?

Answer 20

• Despite Marx’s atheism historical materialism relies on the spiritual sense where each historical stage gives way to the next by an idea of a better world
• Marx tries to explain this in merely material terms but this does not work because historical materialism is an ideology in itself
• ## The Christian take away should be that each stage of history requires a radical re-assessment of its beliefs and ideas and tackle the mind of secular capitalism

Question 21

What is ‘preferential option for the poor’ also developed at Puebla?

Answer 21

• The Christian duty to side with the poor in solidarity against exploitation
• ‘preference’ refers to all the Christians and leaders who are not poor and have the power and means to place the poor first
• ‘Option’ refers to to the idea that solidarity is a free act where the privileged learn to be poor themselves by removing feelings of arrogance and superiority

Question 22

What five theological motivations did the Boff Brothers reveal for ‘preferential option for the poor’

Answer 22

• Theological Motivation; focuses on God as a living God who is immanent and hears the cry of his people (Exodus) and seeks justice
• Christological Motivation; Jesus sided with the poor and marginalised
• Eschatological Motivation; Moment God judges the world it will be based on who sided with the poor (parable of sheep and goat)

Question 23

How does ‘preferential option for the poor’ link Christianity and Marxism?

Answer 23

• Causes those in power to force the Church in a ‘class struggle’ against injustice
• This takes inspiration from Jesus the liberator and theologians point to his example of siding with teh marginalised in preparation for the Kingdom of God
• Boff refers to the kingdom of God as a ‘topia’ not utopia as it the preset existing social conditions that have been transformed (consistent with marx and how God’s kingdom is false consciousness)

Question 24

What did Camilo Torres Restrepo do as a part of preferential option for the poor?

Answer 24

• Argued words are empty and if revolution and violence are needed through the ‘despotic inroads’ then so be it
• His choice to join the Guerillas as a priest was mental
  “without timidity we should enter into this collaboration”

Question 25

What is the idea of orthopraxis and orthodoxy?

Answer 25

• Distinction between right action (orthopraxis) or right teaching of the Church (orthodoxy)
• Some argue ‘bread before theology’ and the idea that feeding the poor should come first
• Being a good Christian is not about Church attendance but by being a good human first through preferential option for the poor

Question 26

What is First Act Praxis?

Answer 26

• Pre-theological, no reliance on doctrine or teaching but rather the realisation that injustice and human exploitation are wrong
• Begins when Christians act in solidarity with the poor and understand what has led to their conditions
• ## This is a preliminary stage where Church workers and theologians may visit communities, alternate scholarly and pastoral work and live permanently alongside the poor

Question 27

First Act Praxis relation to the parable of the sheep and the goats

Answer 27

• Jesus praises those who acted spontaneously from faith and fed the hungry and visited those in prison

Question 28

What is Second Act praxis

Answer 28

• Three mediations, distinctive phases of theological praxis, and form the heart of liberation theology

Question 29

What is the Socio-analytical mediation (seeing)

Answer 29

• Analysing and understanding the socio-economic reasons for oppression in a particular situation, favouring a socialist and Marxist critique of the economic situation
• This is how Marxism provided a ‘companion along the way’

Question 30

What three causes of poverty and its solution did the Boff Brothers suggest (socio-analytical meditation)?

Answer 30

Empirical Poverty; poverty as a result of vice, ignorance and laziness - this is not good because the solution is to give through charity which treats the poor as objects of pity

Functional Poverty; poverty is a result of backwardness, liberal capitalists tackle this through loans and development aid - this can make the poor reliant on the rich and not tackle structural problems of poverty

Dialectical Poverty; view that poverty is a result of oppression, Marxists consider that poverty is the result of exploitation and exclusion from the ownership of production - needs radical and revolutionary confrontation with social structures

Question 31

What is Hermeneutical meditation (judging)

Answer 31

• Most theological element, considers the Christian perspective
• Reading the bible from the perspective of the poor leads to new interpretations
• This allows them to make them aware of their own spiritual and political situation
• Story of rich ruler in Luke - Jesus tells him to change his entire lifestyle, suggesting structural change and make the poor realise God is with them

Question 32

What is Practical Meditation (Acting)

Answer 32

• Action follows from the socio-economic and theological mediation
• Liberation theology is not to merely interpret but to act and change

Question 33

How may one critique the meditations?

Answer 33

• Only the first meditation is important
• If action is required to change a situation which is unjust economic analysis is more needed than the bible
• if the second meditation is removed them the process is not Christian and the spiritual values are irrelevant