liberation theology

Question 1

Oscar Romero quote.

Answer 1

“As a Christian, I do not believe in death without ressurection. If they kill me, i will rise again in the Salvadorian people.”

Question 2

Oscar Romero.

Answer 2

Salvadorian Archbishop who was assassinated by the government during mass after a radio broadcast which resulted in his branding as a communist rebel.

Question 3

Contextual theology.

Answer 3

When theologians reflect on specific situations in the light of experience within Christian tradition.

Question 4

‘Bottom up’ theology.

Answer 4

Deals with material conditions of the poor first, before spiritual teaching.

Question 5

Historical materialism.

Answer 5

describes the material condition of all processes in the world which develop through conflict, and then cycle through conflict and peace constantly.

Question 6

Alienation.

Answer 6

Occurs when someone is treated as an object or as means to an end, rather than an individual human of value.

Question 7

Marx on God.

Answer 7

• 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.

Question 8

Praxis.

Answer 8

As history is constantly changing, humans have ability to understand and change material conditions of any situation.

Question 9

Marx on philosophers.

Answer 9

“Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.”

Question 10

How to implement praxis.

Answer 10

Analysis of a situation involving oppression, working out what has caused it and how to change it.

Question 11

Leonardo and Clodovis on Marx and theology.

Answer 11

A useful “companion on the way”.

Question 12

Matthew 5:5.

Answer 12

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Question 13

Christian historic materialists on the Kingdom of God.

Answer 13

Isnt heaven, but is a transformation of material society based on Christian values.

Question 14

Jesus on the Kingdom of God in Luke 17.

Answer 14

“The Kingdom of God is among you.”

Question 15

Jose Porfirio Miranda’s criticism of Marx.

Answer 15

• 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.

Question 16

Integral liberation.

Answer 16

Promoting liberation is an essential and fundamental part of the role of the Church.

Question 17

Puebla.

Answer 17

Latin American Catholic bishop meeting in 1979.

Question 18

Iglesia popular.

Answer 18

Recognised that the Church had caused much alienation and exploitation and called for the challenging of the essense of the Church’s authority.

Question 19

Structural sin.

Answer 19

Social and economic organisation of society which causes alienation among people and perpetuation of sins.

Question 20

Earthquake in Mexico city.

Answer 20

Many firm owners saved machinery before people.

Question 21

Jose Faus on structural sin.

Answer 21

Capitalism has led people to not view others as humans or of any worth, or as an enemy.

Question 22

Hermeneutic of suspicion.

Answer 22

Process of interpretation of a text of situation in which one questions the commonly accepted explanation.

Question 23

Gustavo Gutierrez on Marxism and Christianity.

Answer 23

Should not be combined, as Marxism is an overtly atheistic political system.

Question 24

Where is offical Latin American Catholic criticism of Marxism held.

Answer 24

‘Instruction on Certain Aspects of the ‘Theology of Liberation’’, Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith.

Question 25

'Instruction' affirmation of liberation theology.

Answer 25

Sympathetic to theologies using liberation as a term to mean justice should prevail in the defence of the weak.

Question 26

'Instruction' criticism of liberation theology.

Answer 26

- 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.

Question 27

Alistar Kee critcism of liberation theology.

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

Preferential option for the poor.

Answer 28

Christian duty of the privileged to side with the poor in solidarity and act against exploitation.

Question 29

'Final Document', Puebla, on preferential option for the poor.

Answer 29

"We affirm the need for conversion on the part of the whole church to a preferntial option for the poor."

Question 30

The Boff Brother's book.

Answer 30

'Introducing Liberation Theology.'

Question 31

The Boff Brother's justifications for the preferntial option for the poor.

Answer 31

- 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.

Question 32

Camilo Torres Restrepo.

Answer 32

A preist in Colombia who joined the guerillas and claimed Jesus would to.

Question 33

Othodoxy.

Answer 33

Offical teaching of the Catholic Church.

Question 34

Orthopraxy.

Answer 34

Right action needed to bring justice.

Question 35

First act Praxis.

Answer 35

Pre-theological, in which Christians act in solidarity with the poor and helping them.

Question 36

Second act praxis.

Answer 36

The three meditations following the first act: socioanalystical meditation, hermeneutical meditation and practical meditation.

Question 37

Guiterrez on pastoral activity.

Answer 37

"Theology does not produce pastoral activity but rather reflects on it."

Question 38

Socio-analytic meditation.

Answer 38

Phase of praxis in which the socio-economic reasons for oppression are analysed and discerned.

Question 39

Empirical poverty.

Answer 39

View poverty is the result of laziness and ignorance, resulting in charity work which doesnt work as it treats people as objects of pity.

Question 40

Functional poverty.

Answer 40

View poverty results from backwardness, which results in loans and development aid which creates a situation of dependency.

Question 41

Dialectical poverty.

Answer 41

View poverty is the result of oppression and requires radical confrontation.

Question 42

Hermeneutical meditation.

Answer 42

reflection on a situation of oppression from a Christian perspective through studying the Bible.

Question 43

Practical meditation.

Answer 43

Leads to action by empowering the poor to bring about social, economic and spiritual change.

Question 44

Critiques of the meditations.

Answer 44

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.