An Intro to LT

An Introduction to Liberation Theology.

Liberation Theology could be said to be as old as creation itself. In fact, liberation theologians often refer to the Exodus and creation as examples of liberation. However, modern day liberation theology arose in Latin America in the early 1960s. An awareness of the context (social, political, economic, religious etc.) in Latin America during the last century is vital if one is hoping to understand even the most basic premise of liberation theologians. Unlike the social gospel movement that preceded it liberation theology does not call for the reform of current socio-economic systems. Rather, liberation theologians are revolutionary in that they call the church and society to abandon the current oppressive socio-economic structures with the hope of creating a more just society.

The goal of liberation theology according to Gustavo Gutierrez is “to let ourselves be judged by the Word of the Lord, to think through our faith, to strengthen our love, and to give reason for our hope from within a commitment which seeks to become more radical, total, and efficacious.”1 In a sense it is difficult even to speak about liberation theology for it is not a theology that is thought through and developed in Northern academic circles. In fact, liberation theology is less of a mental exercise and more of a practice. As opposed to a new way of thinking about theology liberation theology is a new way of doing theology. It is birthed in the muck that is the premature and unjust death of countless numbers of oppressed Latin American people. It is a theology that is done in the midst of the poor and oppressed which first calls for an abandonment of power and privilege. The starting place for liberation theology “is not detached reflection on Scripture and tradition but the present life of the shanty towns and land struggles, the lack of basic amenities, the carelessness about the welfare of human persons, the death squads and the shattered lives of refugees.”2 Liberation theology can never be separated from this context. A central question of liberation theology as we will see is “how to proclaim God as Father in a world that is inhumane?”3 In short the liberation that we speak of is a liberation from sin, both personal and structural, through the salvific work of Christ and through the work of his people on earth. This certainly has political, social and economic repercussions.

The Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) is a gathering of the Roman Catholic bishops of Latin America which had its beginning in 1955 in Rio do Janeiro, Brazil. CELAM was influential in terms of the development of liberation theology because they pushed the Second Vatican Council towards a more progressive stance on socio-economic and political issues. Soon after Vatican II CELAM put together the Medellin Conference (1968) in Colombia which was extremely influential in bringing liberation theology to the mainstream public. The bishops at Medellin agreed that the church in Latin America ought to take a “preferential option for the poor” and officially gave their support of base ecclesiastic communities and liberation theology as proposed by Gustavo Gutierrez in his groundbreaking work, A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics and Salvation (1971). Medellin thus proved to be a catalyst for liberation theology as we know it.

It goes without saying that liberation is a central concept within liberation theology. Why though is there a need for liberation? From what and to what are the people of Latin America to be liberated. At this point it will be necessary to consider the context of liberation theology in and amongst the poor and oppressed of Latin America. In 1980 after a period of rapid economic growth and a decade or so after the birth of liberation theology 40% of the Latin American population was living in poverty and nearly half of those in extreme poverty. In 2008, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Latin America was the most unequal region in the world with nearly 25% of the population living on less than two-dollars a day.4 The extent of poverty in Latin America (and developing nations in general) is largely the result of two factors; 1) the average level of income in the country as a whole, and 2) the gap between the rich and poor in that country. The average level of income in a country is largely dependent on the level of industrialization and that particular countries relationship with richer countries (for Latin America this means Northern countries). This “reflects a long-term historical process, the consequence of both the colonial heritage and the style of development pursued since independence.”5 The gap between the rich and poor in a country usually depends on institutional factors such as patterns of ownership, asset yields, labour skills, unemployment, wage levels, taxation and social security provision all of which play a role in determining the distribution of income.6 It should be noted, and this is one of the major thrusts of liberation theologians, that this sort of poverty is not inevitable. Rather, it is largely the outcome of particular institutional structures. Therefore, it is something that can be overcome by the poor and the Church in solidarity with the poor as they seek to create a more just society

As far as liberation theologians are concerned capitalism need not be corrected or reformed it need be replaced. In most contexts this may seem like a lofty goal, however, this is where the unique context of Latin America comes into play. As Gutierrez has pointed out “the situation in Latin America, the only continent among the exploited and oppressed peoples where Christians are in the majority, is especially interesting.”7 Latin America is the only continent in the world where there are exploited and oppressed people and Christianity is the religion of the majority.8 This poses a great challenge to the faith of Christians in Latin America. Much of religion over the ages has held to a pessimistic approach to the world which encourages escapism. However, liberation theologians propose a more optimistic view “which seeks to reconcile faith and the world and to facilitate commitment…in underdeveloped countries one starts with a rejection of the existing situation, considered as fundamentally unjust and dehumanizing.”9 Most Latin American Christians would generally have held, like many Christians, to a faith that is focused on the age to come, a privately held spiritual belief of a hope in the life after this one. The problem is that this most often leads to an acceptance and even justification of the present order of things. However, liberation theologians call the poor and oppressed Christians of Latin America into a deeper understanding of their faith. A faith that is not detached from this present world but that understands that “an unjust situation does not happen by chance; it is not something branded by a fatal destiny: there is human responsibility behind it.”10 The liberation that is a gift from Christ is one that manifests itself on this earth in the form of liberation from both personal sin and structural/social sin. In this sense the poor and oppressed Christian majority of Latin America can and must rise up and work towards their own liberation from these unjust structures.

Liberation theologians recognize that at the root of liberation is liberation from sin which is “the breach of friendship with God and others.”11 Of course this includes the liberation from personal sin in the lives of people, however, it goes beyond that basic understanding of sin to a more structural/social understanding. The Medellin Conference of bishops refers to the entire state of things in Latin America as a “sinful situation” and a “rejection of the Lord.”12 This characterization of the Latin American situation criticizes not only individual abuses but the whole existing system to which the Church has for some time belonged. Whereas the view of sin as individual and private exists and is important to remember it only necessitates a ‘spiritual’ redemption. This affects the individual but not society. However, when sin is viewed as something historic and social then a deeper understanding of redemption is necessary, one which radically challenges unjust social structures. For liberation theologians sin then is not a “fleshless spiritualism” it is rather “a social, historical fact…evident in oppressive structures, in the exploitation of man by man, in the domination and slavery of peoples, races, and social classes.”13 Therefore, “sin appears as the fundamental alienation, the root of a situation of injustice and exploitation. It cannot be encountered in itself, but only in concrete instances, in particular alienations.”14 Sin, then, is evident not just in the lives of individual people but in the unjust and oppressive structures of society itself. In this sense sin is political and economic and, therefore, demands a radical liberation that necessarily includes a political liberation.

The Church then is called to join with the poor and oppressed in order to participate in this historical process of liberation from unjust structures that alienate people from each other. According to Gutierrez there are a few concrete ways in which the Church can abandon its place of power and enter into solidarity with the poor. 1) Prophetically denounce the terrible injustices that are so rampant throughout Latin America. The Church is called to denounce everything which, opposing justice, destroys peace. The solidarity of the Church with the poor must be “concretized in criticism of injustice and oppression, in the struggle against the intolerable situation which a poor person has to tolerate.”15 Therefore, “when a system ceases to promote the common good and favours special interests, the Church must not only denounce injustice but also break with the evil system.”16 2) The Church must participate in conscientious evangelization. The bishops at Medellin put it this way: “To us, the Pastors of the Church, belongs the duty to educate the Christian conscience, to inspire, stimulate, and help orient all of the initiatives that contribute to the formation of man.”17 3) The Church in Latin America needs to carry out its mission as Christ did “in poverty and under oppression” as was stated at Vatican II.18 At Medellin it was made clear that “instead of talking about the Church of the poor, we must be a poor Church. And we flaunt this commitment with our real estate, our rectories and other buildings, and our whole style of life.”19 Therefore, the Church in Latin America can only express their solidarity with the poor and oppressed by entering into poverty herself. 4) The structures of the Church are inadequate for the world in which it lives. The Church has unfortunately been the cause of scandal in her “interpersonal relations and her interpersonal structures.”20 Therefore, there is the need for the renewal of the present ecclesial structures in order to return to Christ. 5) There will need to be a change in the lifestyle of the clergy, especially in regards to their commitment to the poor and the creation of a new society. This may involve clergy finding secular jobs like the real people of Latin America as well as involving greater participation of lay people.

Although this calls for radical action on behalf of the people it should be noted that this radical liberation is the gift which Christ initiated through his life, death and resurrection and which he now offers us. By his death and resurrection Christ liberates humankind from sin and all of sins consequences. As it was stated at Medellin: “in the fullness of time, [God]sends his Son in the flesh, so that He might come to liberate all men from all slavery to which sin has subjected them: hunger, misery, oppression, and ignorance, in a word, that injustice and hatred which have their origin in human selfishness.”21

At this point let us turn towards a particular unjust and oppressive economic structure, that of consumer capitalism. As we have seen liberation theologians completely denounce capitalism: “considering that the problems are rooted in the structures of capitalist society which produce a situation of dependency, it is stated “that it is necessary to change the very bases of the system.”22 This is not a reformation, it is a revolution. In this sense liberation theology is a theology of conflict which is evident in the political sphere. The economic structure of capitalism which oppresses the poor and creation needs to be abandoned if we are to work towards the creation of a more just society. Economics itself relates to the production, distribution and consumption of wealth in human society. Liberation theologians, being that they are not economists, do not necessarily address the technical questions that make up modern economic theory, rather, they are more concerned with the way in which economic organization relates to the historical experience of humanity in general and to the infinite value of the poor to God in particular. As was noted earlier the sort of poverty in Latin America that results from oppressive institutional structures is not inevitable. It is the view of liberation theologians that a cause of this poverty is the profoundly unjust relationship between rich ‘Northern’ countries and the poorer countries of the ‘South’. Part of the problem in this relationship is that the historical progress of richer countries has all too often come at the cost of immense human and environmental destruction, in which case it is the poor who suffer. Liberation theologians view the modern world economy as one which inherently involves increased poverty and cultural domination “arising from unequal exchange in international trade and the dominance of multinational corporations over investment, employment and cultural decisions in poor countries.”23 Vatican II explicitly criticized this unequal relationship between the north and south but liberation theology takes this criticism further “to denounce ‘prophetically’ the dependency of poor on rich countries as a real obstacle to the Kingdom.”24 Therefore, it should be understood that central to liberation theology is the understanding that the economic system of capitalism is incapable of satisfying basic human needs in Latin America.

On the other hand, socialism in practice has not provided a satisfactory solution in Latin America either. However, according to liberation theologians the socialist ideal is more suitable than capitalism as an economic model in the global south. For Latin Americans this is a situation of life and death. ‘Life’ in this context is tangibly “expressed by work, land, house, food, health, education, family, participation, culture, environment, and even fiesta.”25 Therefore, if an economic structure is to be based on human dignity it must provide life for all people not just particular classes and this must be seen as a right and not as an act of charity. The institutionalized satisfaction of basic needs is one of the first stages of true liberation. In fact, these aspects of life are more than economic requirements, they are ethical imperatives. Death is immoral: “unemployment, hunger, and illiteracy are economic problems but also forms of death and thus a perverse ethical reality.”26 In Latin America the idea of the ‘logic of life’ is prevalent in both theological and radical political arenas. Essentially, that all people everywhere should have life is the most logical position. Human life, therefore, is an essential criterion for any economy. This ‘logic of life’ is opposed to the logic of any dominant economic system where rationality is based on maximizing corporate profits and private wealth: “life for all, especially for the poorest, can become illogical for the profit-maximizing system.”27 If God is the ‘God of life’ and life is human and tangible (Jn. 10:10) and Gods glory is made manifest in the abundant life of humanity then this glory is at stake in matters of life and death. For liberation theology “the economic dimension of life becomes the expression of the glory of God,” which means that “the glory of God is dimmed in every person who suffers hunger, misery and oppression.”28

Another central tenet of liberation theology is the idea that the poor and oppressed must rise up and work towards their own liberation. Liberation theology calls the Church to abandon her position of power with oppressive structures and to become a ‘poor Church’ that works towards liberation and the creation of a more just society in the midst of and with the poor and oppressed people of Latin America. One of the ways which this is made manifest is through base Christian communities. Here, commitment to the poor becomes the context for theological reflection and theology is done from the ground up, hence the term ‘base’ Christian community. The purpose here is that “the perspective of the poor and the marginalized offers another story, an alternative to that told by the wielders of economic power whose story becomes the ‘normal’ account.”29 In fact, some liberation theologians claim that the “vantage point of the poor is particularly, and especially, the vantage point of the crucified God and can act as a criterion for theological reflection, biblical exegesis, and the life of the Church.”30 Christian base communities are autonomous religious gatherings that are predominantly made up of the rural and urban Catholic poor. These communities were popularized and encouraged by the bishops at Medellin and became self-reliant worshiping communities often under the supervision of a priest or a local lay member. Since established parishes were often miles away and unreachable for the poor base communities were set up in their midst. They are stripped of much of the formality of established parishes and the focus is on reading and interpreting scripture in the midst of and with the poor.

It is in the context of these sorts of communities that the poor and oppressed of Latin America were evangelized and were made conscious of the realities of class interests and economic oppression. As has been noted liberation theology understands salvation as concerned with this world. The kingdom of God is not just some ideal that we must patiently await, rather it is something that is beginning to be implemented in this old world that is dying away. While Christ is the ultimate liberator and worker of salvation the poor of Latin America can rise up and be workers of their own liberation thereby ushering in the kingdom. In fact, the process of liberation requires the active participation of the oppressed. It is no surprise that all of creation suffers from the consequences of sin. Why then would it not be possible for creation to suffer the consequences of redemption? The ‘work of man’ as it is referred to in liberation theology involves the transformation of nature and society and, therefore, it is possible to speak of temporal progress as a “continuation of the work of creation…with redemptive action.”31 This liberating role of man stems from humanities partnership with God as lord of creation and thus provides the means for humanity to participate in their own salvation. Any attempt then to build a more just society is a liberating act because all struggle against exploitation and alienation is a work that Christ the liberator has ultimately accomplished. These works are “salvific work, although it is not all of salvation.”32 In other words, while any work that leads towards a more just society is salvific in nature, salvation is not contained in any human work. Temporal progress, or the liberation of man, and the growth of the Kingdom are then both directed towards the same end, that being the “complete communion of men with God and of men among themselves.”33

Liberation theology only makes sense in the context of the poor and oppressed as it is a theology that is worked out from their perspective which is similar to the vantage point of the crucified God. The unique context of poverty in Latin America, a poverty that is largely the result of unjust socio-economic structures, is avoidable. Therefore, the Church in Latin America must abandon its place of power and authority and journey into solidarity with the poor. It is only then that the Church in solidarity with the poor and oppressed can work towards their own liberation from unjust sinful structures. Sin is not just personal and spiritual it is also communal and structural. Therefore, the work of Christ’ redemption touches not only individuals but also the social order in its very roots. As Gustavo Gutierrez has said, “to speak about a theology of liberation is to seek an answer to the following question: what relation is there between salvation and the historical process of the liberation of man?”34 As far as liberation theology is concerned at least part of the answer has to be an understanding that the historical process of the liberation of man is an outworking of the salvific gift that is Christ’ life, death and resurrection.

End notes:
1 Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology of Liberation (New York, Orbis Books, 1973), ix.

2 Christopher Rowland, Introduction: the theology of liberation, in The Cambridge Companion to Liberation Theology, 2nd ed., ed. Christopher Rowland (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2007), 2.

3 Gustavo Gutierrez, The Power of the Poor in History (London, SCM, 1983), 57.

4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America#Economy

5 Valpy Fitzgerald, The economics of liberation theology, in The Cambridge Companion to Liberation Theology, 2nd ed., ed. Christopher Rowland (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2007), 249.

6 Fitzgerald, 249.

7 Gutierrez, AToL, xi.

8 These statistics taken from the website of the CIA (cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html) show the numbers of Christians in Latin America (the numbers in brackets represent Roman Catholicism in particular): Argentina 94% (74%); Bolivia 100% (95%); Brazil 89% (74%); Colombia 100% (90%); Ecuador (95%); Peru (82%).

9 Gutierrez, AToL, 174.

10 Gutierrez, AToL, 175.

11 Gutierrez, AToL, 172.

12 Gutierrez, AToL, 175.

13 Gutierrez, AToL, 175.

14 Gutierrez, AToL, 175.

15 Gutierrez, AToL, 114.

16 Gutierrez, AToL, 115.

17 Gutierrez, AToL, 116.

18 Gutierrez, AToL, 117.

19 Gutierrez, AToL, 117.

20 Gutierrez, AToL, 118.

21 Gutierrez, AToL, 176.

22 Gutierrez, AToL, 110.

23 Fitzgerald, 250.

24 Fitzgerald, 250.

25 Fitzgerald, 252.

26 Fitzgerald, 253.

27 Fitzgerald, 253.

28 Fitzgerald, 254.

29 Rowland, 6.

30 Rowland, 7.

31 Gutierrez, AToL, 172.

32 Gutierrez, AToL, 177.

33 Gutierrez, AToL, 177.

34 Gutierrez, AToL, 45.

Bibliography:
Gutierrez, Gustavo. A Theology of Liberation. New York, Orbis Books, 1973.

——————The Power of the Poor in History. London, SCM, 1983.

Rowland, Christopher ed. The Cambridge Companion to Liberation Theology, 2nd ed. Cambridge, Cambridge     University Press, 2007.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America#Economy

cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html