Liberation Theology and Justice

Does God care about injustice?

Liberation Theology and Justice

• Liberation theology looks at justice from the point of view of the oppressed in light of standards of love and justice envisioned in Christianity.

• The Gospel of Jesus Christ is interpreted in light of the condition of the poor and oppressed.

Liberation Theology

• God is God of the oppressed.

• It affirms the cultural contributions made by the oppressed in music, sermons, folk tales and stories as valid ways of talking about God.

More than this . . .

• Liberation theology seeks to address the needs of the poor by helping them liberate from oppression. It moves beyond aid and beyond reforming a system; it seeks to have the poor understand their strength and power in self-liberation.

• To be a Christian is to help the poor by working out the gospel of liberation.

• Liberation theology is faith confronted with oppression.

Traditional Liberation Theology Theology

• God– God is triune, omnipotent,

omnipresent, omniscient, just, immutable, sovereign and loving

• Jesus Christ– Is very God and fully

human, he gave his life for others and was resurrected.

• Bible– The infallible word of God.

• God– although all powerful,

works in behalf of the oppressed.

• Jesus– demonstrated God’s

concern for the poor with his life. Jesus is liberator.

• Bible– Is interpreted in light of

God’s dealing with the oppressed. Passages such as Matt. 25:31-46 are important.

Traditional Liberation Theology Theology

• Sin– Transgression against

God’s laws, decrees, to do wrong, to rebel which leads to a broken relationship between God and humans,

• Church– Is the body of Christ whose

goal is to carry out God’s will on earth.

• Salvation– “is the application of the

work of Christ to the life of the individual.”

• Sin– It is a social and historical

fact . . . It is breached relationship with God and others and therefore affects personal life.

• Church– Denounces injustices, raises

the conscience of the poor about injustice and their power to change it. It, along with the clergy seek to develop programs that meet the needs of the poor..

• Salvation– One demonstrates one’s

salvation by ministering to the downtrodden.

Partners in Liberation Theology• Gustavo Gutierrez

• James Cone

• Mary Daily

early proponents of Liberation Theology.

Liberation Theologies

Black TheologyFeminist Theology

Womanist Theology

Hispanic/Latino Theology

Black Theology

God’s concern for God’s people

                                                                           

Black Theology & Black Power

• Black Power “ . . . mean(s) complete emancipation of black people from white oppression by whatever means black people deem necessary.”

• It could mean economic boycotts, protests or rebellion.

• A protest might draw worldwide attention to the cause. For example, Mexico City 1968

Black Theology

• “Black theology is an attempt to analyze the nature of that reality [reality of God], asking what we can say about the nature of God in view of God’s self-disclosure in biblical history and the oppressed condition of black Americans.”– James Cone

Feminist Theology

Must God Be Male?

Feminist Theology• Feminist theology, as a theology of liberation, is

concerned about exposing this false universalism [the idea that the masculine experience applies to everyone] and reinterpreting the experiences of women.

• Valerie Saiving Goldstein from Jacquelyn Grant

• "Feminism is a social vision, rooted in women's experience of sexually based discrimination and oppression, a movement seeking the liberation of women from all forms of sexism, and an academic method of analysis being used in virtually every discipline."

• Anne M. Clifford

Types of Feminist Theology

• There are three basic types of feminist theologies:– Revolutionary Feminist Theology– Reformist Feminist Theology– Reconstructionist Feminist Theology

Feminist Theologies Explained• Revolutionary Feminist Theology

• Wants to totally revolutionize Christian theology; it advocates worship of Goddess and woman centered culture among other things. A male centered God is problematic and Christianity is irredeemable.

• Reformist Feminist Theology• Advocates modest changes in the current church structure,

usually believes in the more traditional aspects of Christian theology but oppose gender bias and unequal power.

• Reconstructionist Feminist Theology• Recognizes that the church must undergo a thorough change

beyond merely sharing power with men and at the same time maintain Christian traditions.

Christian Feminist Reconstructionists

Main Points

The Self

• 1. Conscientization – This term is used especially in mujerista or "latina." In

feminist theology one validates ones experiences. The experiences of women have been negated or downplayed by the patriarchal structure. To this end one is also sensitive to the experiences of others that are different from one's own. is. Patriarchy and androcentrism (male centered description) are sins. When people suffer because of their race, ethnicity, gender, class, age, status, sexual orientation it is sin. Therefore, social location is very important.

The Interpretation

• 2. Hermeneutics – The Bible is interpreted in light of whether or not it

liberates women and men. If the text does not liberate then "it either must not be true or has been misinterpreted." The hermeneutics (interpretation) of the Bible and church practices are "detecting" patriarchal and androgynous tendencies. Therefore, one looks at language, depictions of women and men, parables, etc. in light of women's liberation from oppression and to the end of empowering women.

The Practice

• 3. Praxis– This theology is rooted in praxis. One needs to

work at liberating women. One must take concrete steps to eradicate the oppressive structures. One works in the church and in society. " . . . Christian feminist theologies take up the love command of Jesus, recognizing that actively loving one's neighbors, especially those most in need, cannot separate them from the love of God . . . "

Womanist Theology

• A womanist is sometimes referred to as a Black feminist. Womanist theology is rooted in the experience of Black women who have had triple oppression (race, gender, class).

• The term “womanist” was coined by Alice Walker in her book In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens

Latino/Hispanic Theology

The Faces of Jesus

                                           

         

                                     

Latino/Hispanic Theology

• Latino/Hispanic theology is concerned with removing the bonds of oppression from Latinos/Hispanics by reinterpreting the message of the Bible through the eyes of the oppressed.

The Status of Women in Religion

A Universal Concern?

Fill in the blanks

• When a kid goes to school, _________ often feels excited on the first day.

• As _________ walked into the coed dorm the clock struck twelve.

• Most people are concerned about with appearance. Each person knows when _________ appearance is unattractive.

Views of Women

• Traditional– Women are below men.– Property

• Women are viewed as property and are valued as much as any property is valued.

– Single Sex domination• Men and women have spheres within in which they

have major influences however, the spheres which men control are the major spheres.

More positions

• Hierarchical– Although women are just as valuable as men, a

women’s place is at home with her family, assisting her husband.

– In public, as in the home, she submits to male authority.

• Egalitarian– Women have as much right and should be

accorded as much authority as men in any field.

Peace and Justice

Can these two co-exist?

Ethical Justification for Coercion

Is it ever right to use coercion or “force” to obtain justice?

Some Perspectives

• Nonviolence or satyagraha - Hindu, Buddhist– obtain peace through nonviolent means

• Pacifists– total rejection of force or wars

• Jihad - Crusades - Holy War– Some wars are justified with Divine sanction

• Just War– wars are taken up when circumstances meet a certain

criteria.

Just War Requirements

• War must be authorized an waged under the authority of a legitimately established government.

• War can only be undertaken only if there is a just cause, a grave and unjustifiable injury done to the people of a country by the government or citizens of another country.

• War must be waged with right intentions.

Just War

• War must be waged with proper means.

• War must be undertaken as a last resort.

• War can only be undertaken when there is a reasonable expectation that the just side will prevail.

• War can only be undertaken when the good that will result will be greater than the destruction.