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Liberation theology

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Liberation theology is an important, sometimes controversial, school of theological thought. At its inception, it was predominantly found in the Roman Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council; although some suggest that it was first articulated by Dietrich Bonhoeffer during the late 1930s. It is often cited as a form of Christian socialism, and it has had particularly widespread influence in Latin America and among the Jesuits, although its influence has diminished within Catholicism in the past decade. Though most elements of liberation theology were rejected by the Vatican, and liberation theologians harshly admonished by Pope John Paul II, curtailing its growth, within Protestant circles it is recognized as an important school of thought, of equal standing with neo-Orthodoxy, Feminist Theology, Process Theology, and others.

The current Pope, Benedict XVI, has also been long known as a fierce opponent of liberation theology, since he headed the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Contents

Overview

In essence, liberation theology explores the relationship between Christian, specifically Roman Catholic, theology and political activism, particularly in areas of social justice, poverty, and human rights. The main methodological innovation of liberation theology is to do theology (i.e. speak of God) from the viewpoint of the economically poor and oppressed of the human community. According to Jon Sobrino, S.J., the poor are a privileged channel of God's grace. According to Phillip Berryman, liberation theology is "an interpretation of Christian faith through the poor's suffering, their struggle and hope, and a critique of society and the Catholic faith and Christianity through the eyes of the poor."

Liberation theology focuses on Jesus as not only Savior but also as Liberator. Emphasis is placed on those parts of the Bible where Jesus' mission is described in terms of liberation, and as a bringer of justice. This is interpreted as a call to arms to carry out this mission of justice -- literally by some. A number of liberation theologians, though not all, also add certain Marxist concepts such as the doctrine of perpetual class struggle.

Liberation theology also emphasizes individual self-actualization as part of God’s divine purpose for humankind. In other words, we are given life so that we may pursue it to its full potential. Obstacles, or oppressions, put in our path must therefore be resisted and abolished.

In addition to teaching at some Roman Catholic universities and seminaries, liberation theologians can often be found in Protestant-oriented schools. They tend to have much contact with the poor, and interpret sacred scripture partly based on their experiences in this context -- what they label praxis.

History: CELAM, Gutiérrez, and the Vatican

Created in 1955 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), the CELAM (Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano - Latin American Episcopal Conference) pushed the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) toward a more progressive stance. During the next four years, CELAM prepared 1968 Medellín Conference, in Colombia, officially supporting "ecclesial base communities" (CEBs) and the liberation theology founded by Gustavo Gutiérrez in his 1972 essay.

Gustavo Gutiérrez's essay, "A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics and Salvation", theorized for the first time this social-Catholic current in the Church, influenced by the Catholic Worker Movement and the French Christian youth worker organization "Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne". It was also influenced by Paul Gauthier's "The Poors, Jesus and the Church" (1963), which was the result of works preliminary to the Second Vatican Council.

CELAM support for liberation theology was frowned on by the Vatican, with Paul VI trying to slow the movement after the 1962-1965 Council. Cardinal Samore, in charge of relations between the Roman Curia and the CELAM as the leader of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, was ordered to put a stop to this orientation.

With Alfonso Cardinal López Trujillo's election in 1972 as general secretary of the CELAM, conservatives gained control of this organization as well as of the Roman Curia.

However, in August 1975, a theological congress in Mexico on the theme of "liberation and captivity" gathered more than 700 persons. The next year, Leonardo Boff published "Teologia do Cativeiro e da Libertação". At the 1979 CELAM's Conference of Puebla, conservative reorientation was met by strong opposition from the progressive part of the clergy, which defined the concept of a "preferential option for the poor".

Sebastian Kappen, an Indian theologian, published Jesus and Freedom in 1977, with an introduction by François Houtart. In 1980 the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith asked the General of the Society of Jesus (of which Kappen was a member) to censor this book. Kappen's response was a pamphlet entitled “Censorship and the Future of Asian Theology.” There was no further action taken by Vatican in this regard.

The Vatican's Reaction

Due to the controversial nature of these topics, the place of liberation theology within the Church and the extent to which Church officials should uphold it has been a matter of corresponding controversy. Although liberation theology is partially compatible with Catholic social teaching as expressed in official statements, it has been rejected by the Vatican because of the Marxist concepts that tend towards materialism; this aspect of liberation theology is the most objectionable to orthodox Catholic critics who regard it as "incitement to hate and violence (and) the exaltation of class struggle" [link]. However the former Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, has praised that aspect of the movement which rejects violence and instead "stresses the responsibility which Christians necessarily bear for the poor and oppressed" [link].

Pope John Paul II steered a conciliatory course during his opening speech at the January 1979 Puebla CELAM conference. For instance, he said, "this conception of Christ as a political figure, a revolutionary, as the subversive of Nazareth, does not tally with the Church's catechesis." However, he also expressed concern over, "the ever increasing wealth of the rich at the expense of the ever increasing poverty of the poor." He also affirmed that the principle of private property "must lead to a more just and equitable distribution of goods, ... and if the common good demands it, there is no need to hesitate at expropriation itself, done in the right way."

Despite the conservative takeover of CELAM at Sucre in 1972, liberation theology retained a high degree of support, especially among the laity and individual priests. However, the Puebla conference was far from definitive. Despite the rigid organization of the conservative delegation, a committed group of liberation theologians, operating out of a nearby seminary with the help of progressive bishops, managed to stymie the traditionalist effort to ensure that the Puebla documents were thoroughly conservative. Within four hours after the Pope's speech, Gutierrez and the others had a twenty-page refutation circulating on the floor. Twenty-five percent of the finalized Puebla documents were written by theologians that had not even been invited to the conference, and the outcome of Puebla was a draw for both sides. Considering the concerted effort to destroy liberation theology, however, the survival of the movement at Puebla was significant.

Former Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, systematically opposed Liberation theology. Through the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, led by Ratzinger, the Vatican condemned Liberation theology twice (in 1984 and 1986) accusing it of Marxist tendencies. Leonardo Boff, for example, was suspended, while others were reduced to silence. In 1980, San Salvador's prelate archbishop Óscar Romero, clashed with Pope John Paul II during his visit to Europe. Romero was later assassinated during Mass in San Salvador by members of right wing death squads associated with the government of El Salvador, which was in turn, supported by the US Government, diplomatically, financially and militarily. Close to Liberation theology and opposed to the death squads, Óscar Romero argued that El Salvador's government couldn't be supported because of its legitimation of terror and human rights violations. It should be noted, however, that at a dinner celebrating martyrs throughout the world, Pope John Paul II expressed outrage that a commemorative plaque had not been prepared for Romero. "He was a zealous pastor who died for his flock," the Pope said, and while John Paul II thought certain political groups had misused Romero's name, he never doubted that Romero had died for the Catholic faith.

In March 1983, Cardinal Ratzinger made "ten observations" on Gutiérrez's theology, including accusing Gutiérrez of politically interpreting the Bible and of supporting a temporal messianism. Ratzinger also declared that the influence of Marxism was proven by the predominance accorded to orthopraxis over orthodoxy. Finally, this document states that these conceptions necessarily uphold a similar class conflict inside the Church, which logically leads to a rejection of hierarchy. During the 1980-90s, Ratzinger continued his doctrinal condemnation of liberation theology, prohibiting some priests to teach, and going as far as excommunicating Tissa Balasuriya in Sri Lanka. Under his influence, theological formation schools were prohibited from teaching liberation theology.

In his travel in Managua, Nicaragua, Pope John Paul II harshly condemned what he dubbed the "popular Church" (a movement within the church, partly fueled by "ecclesial base communities," or CEBs, for greater democracy and local selection with regard to the magisterium) and, against Nicaraguan clergy tendencies to support the Sandinistas, and insisted on the Vatican's sole and only authority over the Church.

Liberation Theologians and Supporters of Liberation Theology

Bibliography

External links

Vatican

 

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