Liberation Theology & Marx Flashcards
Key terms
alienation: process of becoming detachment
conscientisation: the process by which a person becomes conscious of the power structures in society
basic Christian communities: Christian groups that gather together to directly solve difficulties in their lives
structural sin: the idea that sin is not just a personal action but something that can be brought about through unjust organisation and social structures
preferential option for the poor: idea that Jesus stood with the poor and oppressed and that the Church should focus on the poor and oppressed and in solidarity with them
What is liberation theology?
- starts with action rather than belief
- a Christian response to poverty, alienation and exploitation
- the kingdom of God happens on earth, not just in Heaven
- also drew on the work of Paulo Freire who invented the term ‘conscientiasation’
- thought by educating people you didn’t just transfer information to the next generation but enable people to transform society
- Dom Helda Camera thought Christians need to reflect critically on their lives. Liberation theology is a theology of doing, and everyone can do it
- orthopraxy (right action) becomes before orthodoxy (right belief
- Christians must destroy the roots of exploitation and oppression by living a Christian life snd working for peace in the hope of creating the Kingdom of God on earth
- ”it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God” - Matthew 19:24
Marx, alienation and exploitation
- Marx thinks the more humans have the power to control the world (nuclear weapons etc), the more they feel they are not in control
- Marx’s theory of alienation states humans have caused this sense of powerlessness
- its not natural but it has happened as the means of production have been seized by the powerful
- for Marx, the peasants who work the land dont own it, so are alienated from it and are subservient to the land lords
- start of capitalism saw a change; workers no longer sold what they produced, labour became a commodity that could be bought or sold
- workers are being exploited as a means to an end
- Capitalism means everyone takes the produce of others in a dehumanised way, alienating them from their own labour
Liberation theology’s use of Marx to analyse social sin
structural sin: the idea that sin is not just a personal action but something that can be brought about through unjust organisation and social structures
- In 1960’s Latin America was at a crossroad; it was underdeveloped and many people were living in poverty. Would it stick with capitalism or choose socialism?
- liberation theology says human development should be about increasing human well being, not just wealth
- industrialisation might lead to growth but when the development does not benefit the workers it leads to alienation and exploitation
- the structures of sin that support industrialisation are the organisational structure of society that leads to this injustice (schools governments etc)
- Gutierrez felt the Church in Latin America has no choice but to speak out and take action
- believed surely the unity of the Church cannot tolerate class struggle
- link between liberation theology and Marx’s theology is both want the destruction of the system (that liberation theology sees as structural sin)
- Marxisms understanding of structural inequality gives us a better understanding of structural sin
- Marxist belief that we can change the world we are in is critical to liberation theology
Liberation theology’s teachings on the ‘preferential option for the poor’
preferential option for the poor: idea that Jesus stood with the poor and oppressed and that the Church should focus on the poor and oppressed and in solidarity with them
- Segundo resonated strongly with this idea
- for him, the idea that we are made in the image of God is crucial ‘imago dei’
- Liberation theology sees itself as carrying out Gods work as the defender and liberator of the poor
- Segundo thinks spiritual liberation from sin comes first, whereas Gutierrez thinks earthly liberation from poverty and injustice come first
- Pope John II took on this idea; he said helping the poor helps grow all of society and it includes the spiritually poor
- he said over reliance on material goods and consumerism is a form of spiritual poverty
The Catholic Church’s response to liberation theology
- Pope Benedict aw Cardinal Ratzinger warned against liberation theology
- taking Marxist theories is dangerous (not focusing on the individual and emphasis in class)
- Christian liberation is primarily liberation from sin
- only God can remove the suffering the humans experience
- Ratzinger said the Church will help the poor in its own way; said you can’t separate Marxism and take one part of the analysis without accepting the entire ideology
- **Kloppenburg argues against liberation theology:
1) practical opposition is above the Gospel
2) structural sin is seen above personal sin despite Jesus reaching into individuals hearts
3) it places too much emphasis on people securing liberation, it is Gods intervention that brings about liberation - says liberation theology pays to much attention to political action and non theology
