...I stand in defense of Gustavo Gutierrez who has been judged against the orthodoxy of his theology in light of the documents “Instruction on Certain Aspects of the ‘Theology of Liberation’” and “Libertatis Conscientia.” It is important to understand that although these documents by cardinal Ratzinger raise various eyebrows towards some of the practices of modern liberation theology, these are in no way a condemnation of liberation theology, or of Gutierrez’ theology for that matter. The issues however that each of these documents discuss are the following; the tendency to act towards Marxist actions, the lack of prioritization of the ultimate purpose of liberation, the tendency to call about violence for change, and the failure to address the new forms of oppression that are created. Throughout his various books, Gustavo Gutierrez addresses these issues and leaves no way for misinterpretation against the orthodoxy of his theology; in reality, his teachings are deeply rooted in Christian doctrine, however they are misinterpreted if not analyzed thoroughly. One of the biggest issues that is compared to Gutierrez’s teachings is the idea that he promotes a Marxist and communist approach/analysis to life. What this implies is that we get rid of the class struggles that exist and that everyone work together through a single class (the working class). Specifically, the idea that we must act (praxis) in order to liberate others around us is one that stems from a similar idea of action...
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...historically quiet region, Latin America. The Latin America Theology, historically known as the “liberation theology,” was a popular notion because it proposed a relationship between religion and the exclusive struggles of citizens in Latin America. Unlike other critical perspectives of the bible, liberation theologists are actively determined to use their faith to support all of God’s children, specifically those...
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...Liberation theology grew out of the socio-economic context of Latin America in the 1960s and 1970s. As it was during the Cold War era, there was great sceptism towards capitalism and Marx’s teaching played an important role in the development of liberation theology, although liberation theologians were anxious to emphasise that Marx was only a useful ‘companion’ along the way, but there was only one teacher, Jesus (Boff). Alienation is important in liberation theology because it gives liberation theology a useful tool to critique capitalism, which many liberation theologians consider to be unjust. Marx teaches that the root cause of alienation is capitalism. Ownership of land gives individuals power over others; those without property and land are dispossessed and dehumanized. Those do not have control over the factors of production, i.e. the proletariat, have to work for those who have and sell their labour as a commodity and gives up his creative power. In this sense the worker is alienated from himself because the process of creation is a projection of his humanity and humans are designed to work and be productive, as Marx says, ‘In my production I would have objectified my individuality and so when I look at the object I would have the satisfaction of knowing my personality to be objective.’ Liberation theologians agree with this critique of capitalism because according to Genesis 1:28, men are created to work and be productive. When workers are alienated from themselves...
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...Violence has existed for as long as there were men on Earth to take notice of it. Killings in nature do not fit into the category of violence since predatory animals kill to sustain themselves and remains the only option available to them. In the history of human civilization, man has never needed to kill another man in order to keep himself alive such as in the animal kingdom. A man’s basic needs can easily be met without the loss of another’s life. However, as a result of war, genocide, and just random killings, billions of lives have been taken. Although it can be argued that some of these killings have been random, or as the result of an accident, the majority occur over one basic reason: when two opposing parties don’t see eye-to-eye on an issue, one side can’t live with the fact that someone the other party disagrees, and instead of living with it, they would rather make sure the person was no longer alive. This phenomenon has occurred through out history with varying severity. From large scale offenses committed by the likes of Hitler and Caesar to more minimal but equally violent cases at the hands of those like John Wilkes Booth or OJ Simpson. All planned murders and killings are a result of some sort of disagreement. Christianity finds its foundation rooted in this phenomenon. The character of Jesus is perhaps one of the most popular and tragic victims in all of written history. His life on Earth was short and was filled with a tremendous amount of ridicule...
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...crowns of Portugal and Spain, because of their maltreatment to the indigenous people of the New World. In this day and age, the poor still go through a systemic way of oppression; in which the poor stay being the poor and they receive no help from the government and the concept of imperialism is continuously suffocating the poor. Until the archbishops of Latin America got together to discuss what should be their primary focus; out of that meeting the idea that the archbishops of Latin America should direct their energy to the poor was formed. That idea soon evolved into an ideology that came to be called, Liberation Theology. Gustavo Gutiérrez, whom admired the work that Bartolome De Las Casas had done with the Indigenous people of the New World, first composed this ideology; this ideology will become a pivotal tool for mobilizing the poor. The concept of Liberation Theology is meant to socially mobilize the poor, becoming that hope that the people need in order to fight and regain their sovereignty. Using the Latin American Countries, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama, one can see how...
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...prominent activists have made immense strides in making those words a reality. Such individuals like James H. Cone and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. James H. Cone, an advocate affectionately known for black liberation theology, a theology grounded in the experience of African Americans, and related to other Christian liberation theologies. James H. Cone approach provided a realistic snap shot of a new way to articulate the distinctiveness of theology in the Black Church. Frustrated and outraged at the White Church of playing a significant role in the oppression and racism of black people. Cone believed that the Black Church is a powerful force [in his life] and did not do enough in regard to racism among African Americans. Cone exploited scriptures, slave spirituals, blues, and other prominent African American thinkers such as David Walker, Henry McNeal Turner, and W.E.B. DuBois to help shape his theology. Malcolm X and the Black Power Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King also influenced his theology. Cone formulates a theology of liberation from within the context of the Black experience of oppression, interpreting the central kernel of the Gospels as Jesus' identification with the poor, oppressed, and the resurrection as the ultimate act of liberation. This theology cited as attempts to understand the meaning of faith, the meaning of God, in a world that is broken. Cone devoted his professional life to the study of religion from an African perspective. This groundbreaking...
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...Assess the view that religion was once mainly a conservative influence but today is more a force for social change (30 marks) In the past religions role as a conservative force was portrayed by the monarchy, ruling the divine rights in medieval Europe, and the Egyptian pharaohs were considered as almost God-like figures and so no one questioned their authority. Feminists and Marxists both agree that religion is a conditioning device that oppresses people, diluting the demand for social change to protect the interests of the men and the ruling class. This is partially supported by the Functionalist approach, Durkheim expressed the belief that religion provides social cement, reinforcing traditional beliefs chosen by religious moral code; such as the 10 commandments for Christianity, for the good of society. However there are numerous examples of ways where religion has acted as a force of change, such as the war in Palestine, the wars in former Yugoslavia and in a positive way, the actions of religious leaders, such as Ghandi and Martin Luther King. In today’s society religion has acted as both a conservative force and a force of social change, as shown by ‘Islamic Fundamentalists’ in Iran and Afghanistan, and Christian fundamentalism reintroducing the teachings of creationism in the US. Religion is also seen to be a conservative force because it functions to preserve things as they are, it stabilises society and maintains status quo. Most religions have conservative moral...
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...The creative and critical thinking involves the contributions of both the known and unknown thinkers. There are numerous contributors in various fields such as technology, philosophy, theology, mythology, science and art. The focus of this paper is on two creative thinkers in the fields of theology and art, James Hal Cane and Ai Weiwei. Both of them have made tremendous contributions to their specialized fields and have sort solutions to various problems in they identified. This paper covers their ideas/contributions, journey of creativity and how they impacted their fields of specialization. James Hal Cone is a theologian famously known for advocating for Black liberation theology. This kind of theology relates to the experience of African Americans, Black culture and history. It was to put Christianity in a context that would help African American people overcome oppression. He sought to deal with questions raised by African Americans in relation to the bible. He has also written a number of books including; Black Theology and Black Power (1969), and For My People: Black Theology and The Black Church. Currently, Hal is the Charter Augustus Briggs Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese activist and contemporary artist. He is famous for his architectural projects, sculptural installations and his open criticism of the Chinese government. Ai also uses videos and photographs to express his art...
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...Frank Van Der Veken Midterm Exam On this popular television show, the host announces comments that are very arguable. He states that bishops, priests, and nuns have no business talking about justice and that the, along with activists and theologians are turning the church into something like the Communist Party. The host does not agree with any relationship between faith and justice. He contends that faith is about trusting in God and God’s mercy and does not require promoting justice. Also, he insists that justice is a socialist idea, not a Christian one. Overall, making a bold observation that faith has nothing to do with justice. Although, this host has strong opinions, he needs consider more factors before making such bold points. Everyone has their own opinion and not all Christians understand faith in the same manner. According to one of Avery Dulles’s writings, The Assurance of Things Hoped For, faith has multiple understandings throughout both Testaments of the Bible. Faith can be defined as an acceptance of God’s promises and demands. “In the Old Testament faith is depicted as the appropriate response to God’s faithfulness to his covenant promises” (Dulles 17). Overall, faith is tested by obedience and fidelity. In the New Testament, it refers to faith as Pistic which is a Greek word that means faith and further, a truth in God. Moreover, faith means personal trust in Jesus as the bearer of the kingdom (Dulles 17). According to Dulles, faith can...
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...Marxism Within Black Theology of Liberation. This study seeks to expose the ways in which Black Theology of Liberation was shaped by Marxism through the writings of its founders, concentrating predominantly on the need to bring about the liberation of the poor African-Americans from their repressive white racist oppressors by any means necessary, and the redistribution of wealth to those deprived of it by their white capitalist oppressors. The theme of this researched remained embed in my mind during, and after the 2008-09 presidential campaign of former Sen. Barack Obama, when some of his political opponents thought it beneficial to disclose Obama’s connections to a Black Theology of Liberation. Through this research I seek not only to obtain a broader understanding of this particular theology of liberation, but also to understand the Marxist ideological concept within the Black Theology of Liberation. Towards the culmination of the decade which witnessed the peak of the Civil Rights movement, black churches throughout America in the 1960s began to search for avenues through which they could help their communities cope with racial discrimination. Caught between the contradicting preachings of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, a peculiar young theology student from Union Theological Seminary of New York City, James H. Cone, published his proposal for a Black Theology of Liberation titled Black Theology and Black Power (1969). This first scholarly work served...
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...Sarah Montalvo Latin American Liberation Theology 10/8/13 Initially when I read both parables The Camel-saying and The Last Will Be First I interpreted the text (out of context ) thinking to myself that the Bible was speaking of social reversals once in heaven. The verse goes "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Mk. 10-25). Before analyzing the euphemism behind the "eye of a needle", I misinterpreted the symbolism and understood the verse as if it was intentionally saying the rich are not allowed into the kingdom of heaven. Important facts about the verse that are not mentioned straight in the Bible are that the "eye of the needle" is a gate way in Jerusalem where travelers would have to walk through. In order for people to go through the "eye of the needle" with all their baggage, they would have to get rid of or take off their baggage to be able to walk through. Even now that the verse makes more sense, it is confusing to some why God would ask us to get rid of our wealth/belongings. The verse as a whole was originally not intended directly to the rich (as I later found out), but rather everyone who is too concerned with power. That could be anything from their ego, their wealth, or anything holding them back from living a life for Christ and not for this world. So the parable is showing that in order to be set apart from this world it is necessary for Christians (people who want to follow...
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...today’s society. What is overlooked, and should often be recapped is; without the endurance and dedication within the creative minds of these two creative thinkers, it’s possible that oppression and segregation would still remain a part of our society. Many Civil Rights leaders are responsible for the equality growth in our culture, and Hal Cone and Cornel West has been influential in ensuring Blacks continued to advance in America’s society. Both men contributed an important view to Civil Rights, and is known as leaders who changed the way the world worked personally, socially, and politically. James Hal Cone is a Black libertarian theologian who was born in the early 1930s. The Reverend Hal Cone has written several books about liberation theology. His core contribution to society has been bridging the social gap among Blacks and Whites, and providing clarity between the bible and African Americans. He used his education and...
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...Title: Subtitle Gustavo Gutierrez “involvement in the liberation process.” Gustavo was born in Lima, Peru, he was an educated man with a master’s degree from the Institute of Catholic in Lyon. He was also a Peruvian theologian priest regarded as one of the major initiators of liberation theology in Latin America. He embraces the John Cardinal O’Hara Professorship of theology at the University of Notre Dame. He has been Prof. at Catholic University of Peru, and lecturer at many chief institutions of higher education in North America and Europe. He is a member of the Peruvian academic of language in recent years, he was awarded the Legion of honor by the French government for his diligent effort. He has also published in many journals. Interestingly, he was a board of director of an international Journal. He no doubt was a very brilliant scholar, because he also studied medicine, literature, psychology, and philosophy. He also gained a doctorate at an Institute in Lyon. Gutierrez has undoubtedly shown great interest in those that were less fortunate. I gathered from reading about his involvement in the liberation process that he has placed great emphasis on political and...
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...Christian Education DR.JT. Roberson Final Examination December 7, 2011 Robin Johnson 1. How was Christian Education conducted for African Americans during slavery and while was operational? Christianity and Education was of utmost importance to the African culture. Africans came to America with a rich and dynamic heritage, which they tried to preserve. Black religion, like Black people, began in Africa. In trying to find a starting point of Christian Education, many scholars believe it may be found in the sacred text of the New Testament. Africa’s contribution to Black religion is well known and John Jackson is an advocate of this position. He has cited several legacies of Egypt to Christianity. Education was an experience that was required by each person in a tribe. The community to which one belonged defined what it meant to be human. To be human was to belong to a community and participate in beliefs, rituals, and ceremonies of that community. African Education was the oral instruction that emerged through their music, dance, folk tales, rituals, proverbs, poetry, and so on. These tools served as instruction. Slaves during the Antebellum Period formed new ideas and practices on their own that pronounced longing for freedom. These meetings were held in the brush harbors and praise houses, and were thus coined the “invisible church”. Story and song were the sources of education during this period of slavery. This oral communication was used as the education structure...
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...BLACK LIBERATION THEOLOGY: SO YOU THINK JESUS WAS WHITE? By Hosea Bennett OUTLINE I. Liberation Theology a. What is Liberation Theology? b. Its origins and roots II. Black Liberation Theology a. It‘s true meaning b. James Cone - It’s Founder c. Luke’s social message to all d. History of Black Catholics III. Black Spirituality & Culture. a. Black Spirituality b. What We Have Seen and Heard – Pastoral Letter on Evangelization c. Catholic Teaching on Racism IV. Conclusion INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader about the true meaning of Black Liberation Theology. I want to present this paper as an enlightening pit of information to all who read it. I hope that will be an enlightenment and appreciation of the culture and spirituality of Blacks by non Blacks. And for Blacks I hope to affirm that our culture and spirituality is a depiction of our past, present, and future relationship with God. “Black Liberation Theology and Black Theology” are terms that walk hand in hand. For both share it’s African and slave roots since the 1560s. Long before the landing of The Mayflower at Plymouth...
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