4F Religious identity through responses to poverty and injustice

Question 1

What is liberation theology?

Answer 1

• A synthesis of Christian theology and Marxist socio-economic analyses that emphasises social concern for the poor and the political liberation for oppressed peoples

Question 2

Where and when did liberation theology develop?

Answer 2

• Latin America

* 1960s

Question 3

Which two thinkers does the spec associate with liberation theology?

Answer 3

• Gustavo Gutiérrez

* Leonardo Boff

Question 4

What is Gutiérrez’s book called, and when did he publish it? What did he state?

Answer 4

• ‘A Theology of Liberation’
• 1971
• Theology should start w/ human suffering rather than w/ intellectual/rational reflection

Question 5

What does Gutiérrez contrast liberation theology with?

Answer 5

• European theology
• The context of Euro. theo. = sci. + technical progress
• The context of l.t = ppl dying; springs from work of priests observing suffering in shadow of sci. + tech. progress

Question 6

What do Leonardo and Clodovis Boff state that liberation theology is the result of?

Answer 6

• “faith confronted by oppression”

Question 7

Give a quote from Gutiérrez about the Kingdom of God and social injustice.

Answer 7

• “The Kingdom [of God] and social injustice are incompatible”

Question 8

What does Gutiérrez say that we need to abolish?

Answer 8

• The status quo that has led to suffering
• Need to replace it w/ diff. set of r.ships w/ production + economy ∴ l.t has a pol. edge (criticised by gov.s opposed to socialism/communism

Question 9

What did Reagan’s advisors tell him in 1982 relating to liberation theology?

Answer 9

• “American foreign policy must begin to counterattack liberation theology.”

Question 10

Explain the political basis of Latin American theology.

Answer 10

• Latin America has faced eco. exploitation for 500 years + during this time, the C.ch = ass. w/ ruling classes
• 1950s: hope that eco. dev. would result as L.A. countries became less dependent on imports and instead produced more of own goods
- However, capitalism demanded that goods/labour = cheap ∴ no dev. of middle-class in LA + continued impoverishment
• 1954 CIA takeover of gov. of Guatemala = seen as motivated only by US wanting to protect US-owned United Fruit Company
- Played into the socialist movements of Fidel Castro + Che Guevara
• 1970s: inspired by l.t., priests in Nicaragua launched a rebellion which influenced other rebellions in Mexico + Columbia (executions of members of c.ch)
• Lib. theo.s e.g. Gut., have not promoted violence, but have been sympathetic to socialist + comm. movements
• 1968: LA Bishops met in Medellín + issued a statement in accordance w/ Vat. II; denounced "institutionalised injustice" and "institutionalised violence."

Question 11

Liberation theologians are inspired by many B passages which reveal that G desires all ppl to be liberated from structures that cause oppression. Give three examples of these Bible passages.

Answer 11

• Gut. described l.t as a “critical reflection on Christian praxis in light of the word of God.”

• Exodus 1-14 - G leads his oppressed ppl from Egypt to a “promised land”
• Matthew 25:31-46 - J announces that the future judgement of humanity will be based on whether those in need were helped in practical ways
• Acts 2:43-47 - a liberating C.ch practising a form of communism: “they would sell their possessions […] and distribute the proceeds to all.”

Question 12

How do liberation theologians argue that the church has reinforced a passive attitude to human suffering?

Answer 12

• Christology has emphasised images of J which place him outside of history and reinforce a passive attitude to human suffering
- E.g. helpless baby J, suffering of J

Question 13

According to liberation theologians, what three aspects of Jesus’ life stand out?

Answer 13

1) Complex r. ships w/ Zealots
2) Critical attitudes towards r. leaders esp. when they burdened ppl w/ excessive demands
3) J’s death at hands of pol. authority
• These three reveal that there was a pol. dimension to J’s ministry

Question 14

Why does Gutiérrez say that we should not spiritualise Jesus?

Answer 14

• J was perceived as a threat to Roman authorities ∴ should not spiritualise
• Though J fought for liberation, he did not organise his movement for the long-term application of love + justice
- Gut. says the reason for this is ∵ J was affected by his culture’s belief in apocalypticism
- As this did not happen, we should apply J’s attitude and teaching to the task of building a less oppressive society
- In B, eschatology = viewed as transforming our attitudes/actions in the present, rather than presenting a future reality

Question 15

Explain Gutiérrez’s views on orthodoxy and orthopraxy.

Answer 15

• In trad. theo., one starts w/ B or w/ intellectual thought, and seeks to determine the truth (orthodoxy - ‘right-thinking’) and apply that to life
• Gut: from 12th C, theo. considered itself to be a sci. that presented faith in clear, rational categories - to become more religious meant devoting oneself to study/withdrawing to a monastery
• But, we must remember that for centuries, the C.ch did nothing to help the world: it was involved in creating/reinforcing itself as ‘Christendom’ - what is needed now is to see the c.ch as the place where theo. happens, not monasteries, academies, cathedrals
- It is in pastoral situations that the C.ch encounters human suffering, which calls forth a response ∴ orthopraxis (‘right practice’) must come before orthodoxy ∵ praxis = practice of faith applied to life
• Gut says that he has been impacted by the Marxist insight
- Marx: “The philosophers have only interpreted the world […] the point is to change it.”
- Theo. should not have an intellectual starting point, but rather a situation: we discover the truth through praxis

Question 16

The chief concern of liberation theologians is the suffering caused by poverty and economic exploitation. How is it also a vital concern for the Vatican?

Answer 16

• Pope John XXIII declared that the C.ch = to be called a Church of the Poor

• Reflected in Vat. II documents which urge C.ch to walk in poverty
• Pope Francis rejected papal apartment

Question 17

What three kinds of poverty does Gutiérrez say that it is important to distinguish between?

Answer 17

• Material
• Spiritual
• Voluntary

Question 18

According to Gutiérrez, what is material poverty?

Answer 18

• Lack of sufficient material means to meet basic needs, e.g. food, drinking water, shelter, clothing, or medicine.
• Consistently condemned in B as being outside of G’s plan for humanity
• Genesis: all = created equal

Question 19

According to Gutiérrez, what is spiritual poverty?

Answer 19

• Inner attitude of being completely ready + available to do G’s will
• However, sometimes mat. pov. has been confused w/ spi. pov., meaning that poor ppl = considered to be more spiritual (less distracted by material things ∴ closer to G)
• It is a popular interpretation of “Blessed are the poor”, but this interp. simply serves interests of a rich minority
• Gut: the true interp. = J saw his task as liberation + promotion of a community of justice; the poor had reason to be happy ∵ their pov. = about to end

Question 20

According to Gutiérrez, what is voluntary poverty?

Answer 20

• C.ch choosing to be poor so as to identify w/ the poor
• Kenosis: J self-emptied to become poor and relate to G’s love and justice for human race
• Phrase, ‘preferential option for the poor’ began to be used by l.t.s in 1970s - now viewed as an integral part of Catholic social teaching
- Does not mean that others are excluded, means that C.tians must make the free choice to prioritise needs of poor
- Gut: the poor = “lowest rung” + G’s wisdom is that “the last shall be first”

Question 21

According to liberation theologians, why are people poor?

Answer 21

• Political explanations to maintain capitalistic exploitation:
1) ∵ of vice, laziness, ignorance, wickedness
- Solution = offer eco. aid, but they cannot be trusted with that
2) Due to eco./soc. backwardness, reforms may help
• Poverty = logical outcome of cheap labour and goods required as part of the capitalistic enterprise - only a dramatic change in the system can lead to a better life

Question 22

What are base ecclesial communities?

Answer 22

• Groups of 15-20 families who meet to support each other, read B, apply insights to struggles against oppression
• base’ - refers to nature as basic building blocks of C.ch
• ‘ecclesial’ - link to wider c.ch (e/g when priests are available, they have Eucharist)
• ‘communities’ - sharing/mutual support

Question 23

The number of base ecclesial communities exploded through the 60s/70s. In the 80s, how many were there in Brazil alone?

Answer 23

• 1-2 million

Question 24

Why did base ecclesial communities develop in the 1960s?

Answer 24

• As a result of at least 2 factors:

• Movement in populist education across LA which brought together small communities for literacy + skill building
• Shortage of priests, making it necessary for the lay leadership of Cath. communities to form

Question 25

Base ecclesial communities have been accepted by the Vatican as valid expressions of the C.ch if they…:

Answer 25

• centre of the Word of G
• avoid a hyper-critical attitude towards larger c.ch
• maintain link w/ wider c.ch
• remain aware of benefits of their link to c.ch in Rome

Question 26

What is Boff’s view of base ecclesial communities?

Answer 26

• Even though they have sprung from lack of priests, they represent the most imp. building blocks of C.ch
• He asks if the entire C.ch should be transformed into b.e.c.s
- His answer: the C.ch needs both small comm.s and larger structures to support/serve them to keep them from utopian errors
- The larger C.ch needs these comm.s to renew its faith

Question 27

According to Boff, what are the two models of the Church?

Answer 27

1) As a grand institution with all its services/resources contained in cultural centres in affluent areas where it enjoys social power
2) Centred in the network of basic comm.s which are composed of the poor - the institutional C.ch sees its main task as serving those comm.s

Question 28

Liberation theologians go beyond merely extolling base ecclesial communities. How do they see them as highlighting the deep problems with the institutional church?

Answer 28

• Boff + Gut. see the C.ch as having been open/inclusive until 4th C when it became a part of the political establishment under Constantine

• At this point, ecclesio-centrism emerged: to be for/against Christ = intepreted as being for/against C.ch
• This started a process where the focus of C.ch life = placed on hierarchy, sacred powers, dogmas, rites, tradition, clericalism
• In this inst. C.ch, J = transformed from suffering servant to an emperor - Pope became thought of as G on earth as the C.ch became a conservative force attempting to protect its power rather than seeking to bring about real solutions to human liberation

Question 29

What does Boff regard as the solution to the problems of the institutional church?

Answer 29

• Solution = found by reflecting on the doctrine of the Trinity
- They live together in a perfect fellowship (koinonia) where each shares in the life of the others yet retains their uniqueness
- Humans = created in likeness of G ∴ are also a mystery ∴ should also have a koinonia which is marked by both individual uniqueness and perfect sharing
- However, this is not the case: the inst. c.ch denies participation and equality to many who remain oppressed
• The inst. c.ch = organised along a monotheistic line rather than along Trinitarian lines: there is “a single church body, a single head, a single Christ, a single God”
- Solution = abandon paternalistic attitude + subkit all strength + power to service of all ppl, then it will fulfil model of Trinity

Question 30

What is the relationship between Gutiérrez’s work and Marxism?

Answer 30

• In Gut.’s ‘A Theology of Liberation’, Marxism is seldom mentioned
• Gut focuses on how capitalist models of development exploit the poor in contrast to G’s will for society
• Notes that in LA, there are two classes: those dominating and those who are dominated
• Capitalism will not lead to a better life ∴ the answer = socialism
• “only by elimination of the private appropriation of wealth created by human toil, can we build the foundation of a more just society.”

Question 31

Boff states that Marxism is not a monolithic reality and notes that Pope Paul VI distinguished between four types of expression of Marxism. What are these four expressions and what is Boff’s opinion on them?

Answer 31

1) A historical practice of class struggle
- C.tians and Marxists share the dream of a society where there is neither rich nor poor
- Also share desire to fight against the kinds of class oppression that create an unjust society (though Marxists view this as a fight to the death, while C.tians = non-violent)
2) An economic and material analysis
- L.t.s = critical of Soviet forms of Marxism, esp. when it turns into a bureaucratic tyranny + suppresses individual liberties
3) An atheistic and material analysis
- C.tians simply reject that atheism accompanies the Marxist model
4) A form of social and material analysis
- Marxism examines social reality from viewpoint of hist. materialism
- C.tians view that all truth sci. reveals = G’s truth
- Marxism = to be valued for its criticism of capitalism and its proposal that a more socialistic society has the potential to be more humane

Question 32

Where do liberation theologians feel that the answer to poverty lies?

Answer 32

• In socialism

Question 33

What do liberation theologians claim that their views are?

Answer 33

• A logical extension of the G revealed in B + C.ch trad.s, esp. those articulated at Vat.II

Question 34

In Latin America, which two key conferences of Bishops strongly supported liberation theology?

Answer 34

• 1968 - Medellín

* Puebla

Question 35

Explain Pope John Paul II’s views on liberation theology.

Answer 35

• 1975: document, on theme of evangelisation (Evangelii Nuntiandi), highlighted the link btwn evangelism + human advancement - “how […] can one proclaim the new commandment w/o promoting justice?

• But, he was concerned about the potential of l.t to reduce evangelism to social justice and to ignore the spiritual and eschatological dimensions of salvation
• The primary thrust of evangelism = spiritual + preparation for future; these dimensions must not be lost by those in LA
• Condemned violence to bring about social change

Question 36

In what four ways did Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) expand on Pope John Paul II’s criticism?

Answer 36

1) L.t = deluded if it believes that a structural/eco. change can bring about salvation
- Sin = a larger issue than the challenges caused by eco. structures
- History teaches that those who fight for liberation often become oppressors ∴ spiritual solutions = needed
2) Marxism ≠ a sci., but an atheistic ideology ∴ “terrible contradictions”
3) Marxism makes everyone outside the fight of the oppressed an enemy ∴ enc. violence to bring change
4) B = given only a pol. interp. e.g. interpreting Exodus as only a pol. liberation misses importance of Israel’s r.ship w/ G
- The Exodus does not end suffering, G provides spiritual lib. + purification
- Psalms addresses suffering from a spiritual perspective

Question 37

Give a quote from Ratzinger.

Answer 37

• “the management of forces in the soul determines the fate of the community more than the management of economic means.”

Question 38

What is Pope Francis’ link to liberation theology?

Answer 38

• He has spoken out against the evils involved in capitalistic excess
• As a young priest, he was a harsh critic of l.t. + sought to prevent priests from involvement w/ pol. org.s; devoted himself to acts of charity instead
• His views softened later: 2015, invited Gutiérrez to Vat. as a guest of honour