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Frontiers of Theology in Latin America
Christian book
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
3 people want to read
About the author
Rosino Gibellini
13 books2 followersROSINO GIBELLINI, doctor en teología por la Universidad Gregoriana de Roma y doctor en filosofía por la Universidad Católica de Milán, es director literario de la Editorial Queriniana (Brescia) y autor de numerosas publicaciones sobre las más diversas corrientes de la teología del siglo XX.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 15, 2019
Amy and I talk often about religious (Catholic) intersection with politics, particularly how the "Christian Right" and many well-meaning rural voters totally de-couple New Testament messages and their (a)political (in)action. To me this is most obviously seen currently in the horrific situation at the border, with such indifference in the face of indefinite detention centers, family separation, and lack of humanity for refugees. This has been unpalatable and I believe ample reason to distance myself from the capital-C church while attempting to live in some semblance of the pro-social teachings of my upbringing.
This book is a collection of essays regarding "liberation theology" which attempts to develop some cohesion in how to bridge traditional (powerful, western) theological rhetoric with the real work of promoting global social equality. The passages below have been helpful for my understanding of this disconnect i.e. "How is it that de facto Christian states like the US and Europe espouse these beliefs while simultaneously strategically underdeveloping and exercising hegemony over the global south?"
"Christ touched human history only tangentially. Precisely because it was never 'constructed' or 'built up', his power always ended up being identified with the established authorities. Because it never took on an active dynamism of countervailing power, of a power offering critical opposition, it always ended up serving as an auxiliary support for the 'thrones and powers' that be. That is what happens when one talks about power without asking how it might be effectively channeled and put to use. Those that are effective in exercising domination appropriate it for their own use.
Some Christologies claim to be apolitical. They offer us a Christ who 'has' power but does not exercise it, and who never takes sides. These are simply ways of concealing the fact that an option for one side has already been made. The newer political Christologies are ways of stripping the mask off these allegedly apolitical Christs and revealing their true countenance."
and
"Sin is nothing else but the domination of the 'other'. Political sinfulness is nothing else but the domination and alienation of one's fellow human being and brother, of the 'other' embodied in a colonized country, an oppressed class, an impoverished people. The political sin is fratricide. Salvation (or redemption) means liberation from that oppression. Its historical embodiment will be found in concrete socio-political systems...we will never be able to signify the kingdom in our missionary efforts if we do not offer a concrete, intelligible sign of it: i.e., our concrete involvement in the historical process designed to effect the liberation of the poor in this world."
Have to go with only 4 stars because sometimes the language is almost deliberately obtuse/jargon-heavy for a theology that purports to be "for and of the people", and because a few of the essays didn't seem to have much to say, especially the last.
This book is a collection of essays regarding "liberation theology" which attempts to develop some cohesion in how to bridge traditional (powerful, western) theological rhetoric with the real work of promoting global social equality. The passages below have been helpful for my understanding of this disconnect i.e. "How is it that de facto Christian states like the US and Europe espouse these beliefs while simultaneously strategically underdeveloping and exercising hegemony over the global south?"
"Christ touched human history only tangentially. Precisely because it was never 'constructed' or 'built up', his power always ended up being identified with the established authorities. Because it never took on an active dynamism of countervailing power, of a power offering critical opposition, it always ended up serving as an auxiliary support for the 'thrones and powers' that be. That is what happens when one talks about power without asking how it might be effectively channeled and put to use. Those that are effective in exercising domination appropriate it for their own use.
Some Christologies claim to be apolitical. They offer us a Christ who 'has' power but does not exercise it, and who never takes sides. These are simply ways of concealing the fact that an option for one side has already been made. The newer political Christologies are ways of stripping the mask off these allegedly apolitical Christs and revealing their true countenance."
and
"Sin is nothing else but the domination of the 'other'. Political sinfulness is nothing else but the domination and alienation of one's fellow human being and brother, of the 'other' embodied in a colonized country, an oppressed class, an impoverished people. The political sin is fratricide. Salvation (or redemption) means liberation from that oppression. Its historical embodiment will be found in concrete socio-political systems...we will never be able to signify the kingdom in our missionary efforts if we do not offer a concrete, intelligible sign of it: i.e., our concrete involvement in the historical process designed to effect the liberation of the poor in this world."
Have to go with only 4 stars because sometimes the language is almost deliberately obtuse/jargon-heavy for a theology that purports to be "for and of the people", and because a few of the essays didn't seem to have much to say, especially the last.
Displaying 1 of 1 review