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Liberation Theology and Its Critics

Author: Arthur F. McGovern

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2009-08-01

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 1606088939

From its beginnings, liberation theology has provoked a wide and diverse range of responses from a multitude of critics-theological, methodological, political, ecclesiastical. Liberation Theology and Its Critics is a comprehensive and systematic explication of these diverse criticisms, as well as a reasoned and rigorous defense of liberation theology. McGovern states his aim thus: to understand better the world of Latin America and the culture and conditions which prompt a liberation theology, while at the same time giving expression to some of the misgivings that many US Americans experience when reading about liberation theology. Liberation Theology and Its Critics begins by discussing the place of theology itself in liberation theology. The book offers an historical overview, shows us what liberation theologians see as most distinctive in their work, addresses the biblical interpretations and major areas of theology stressed by liberation theologians, and discusses other theologians' critiques. Next, McGovern explicates the use of social and political analysis in liberation theology, which has been one of the areas of particular controversy. He focuses on such issues as dependency theory, Marxism, class struggle, socialism, and the Nicaraguan revolution, addressing throughout the concerns raised by a range of critics, from the Vatican to Michael Novak. Finally, McGovern explores the role of the church and how liberation theology is lived out in practice. He examines base communities, ecclesiology, current political trends in Latin America, the varying status of liberation theology as well as its most recent developments. McGovern demonstrates that liberation theology encompasses a wide spectrum of theologians with different styles and emphases. It requires careful study, non-polemical debate, and an honest effort to present the views of both liberation theologians and their critics fairly. McGovern's book will be the benchmark against which subsequent work is measured.

Gustavo Gutierrez

Author: Robert McAfee Brown

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2013-03-01

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 1620329026

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Here is a definitive introduction to liberation theology through the life and work of its most significant proponent, Gustavo Gutierrez. Robert McAfee Brown draws extensively on Gutierrez's own writings (some never published in English) and on personal conversations with him. Brown clearly and compellingly presents the basics of liberation theology and the differences between North American and Latin American theologies. The form of Gustavo Gutierrez is that of a drama. Brown's initial "program notes" introduce and situate the "author," the "actors," the "critics." He sets the stage with a history of church and state in Latin America and introduces its definitive figures, themes, and milestones. A collective biography of Gutierrez's spiritual predecessors is followed by a biography of Gutierrez himself, which takes critical account of his works. Then we are ready, dramatically and theologically, to move to the first act: that of commitment to the poor. The second act, in two scenes, explores first liberation theology's method of critical reflection on praxis and also its content: nothing less than the Word of God. Brown delves next into the controversies and criticisms Gutierrez faces, especially the challenges from authorities in Rome. Finally, in act three, readers discover that in this particular drama, they too are "on stage" and must take part by reflecting on what this drama really means for them.

Liberation theology and its critics : toward an assessment

Author: Arthur F. MacGovern

Publisher:

Published: 1991

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 9789715014304

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Catholic Social Thought and Liberal Institutions

Author: Michael Novak

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-07-12

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 1351529838

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Increasingly, the religious leaders of the world are addressing problems of political economy, expressing concern about the poor. But will their efforts actually help the poor? Or harm them? Much depends, Michael Novak asserts, upon what kind of institutions are constructed, that is, upon realism and practicality. His thesis may be simply stated: Although the Catholic Church during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries set itself against liberalism as an ideology, it has slowly come to admire liberal institutions such as democracy and free markets. Between the Catholic vision of social justice and liberal institutions, Novak argues, there is a profound consonance (but not identity). Both celebrate realism, respect for institutions, and prudence or practical wisdom. The Catholic tradition adds to liberal individualism a strong communitarian sense. This book was first published in 1984 as Freedom with Justice. This new edition adds both a lengthy introduction carrying forward the original argument and a long concluding chapter on Pope John Paul IPs controversial new encyclical of early 1988, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis.

A Theology of Liberation

Author: Gustavo Gutierrez

Publisher: Orbis Books

Published: 1988-01-01

Total Pages: 495

ISBN-13: 0883445425

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This is the credo and seminal text of the movement which was later characterized as liberation theology. The book burst upon the scene in the early seventies, and was swiftly acknowledged as a pioneering and prophetic approach to theology which famously made an option for the poor, placing the exploited, the alienated, and the economically wretched at the centre of a programme where "the oppressed and maimed and blind and lame" were prioritized at the expense of those who either maintained the status quo or who abused the structures of power for their own ends. This powerful, compassionate and radical book attracted criticism for daring to mix politics and religion in so explicit a manner, but was also welcomed by those who had the capacity to see that its agenda was nothing more nor less than to give "good news to the poor", and redeem God's people from bondage.

Liberation Theology

Author: Phillip Berryman

Publisher: Pantheon

Published: 2013-02-20

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 0307831604

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Liberation theology has become an essential component of almost every major debate over Latin America today. It has changed the face of political life in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Haiti; contributed to the rise of “people power” in the Philippines; even played a role in the growing discontent of debt-plagued Brazil. Now, using the plainspoken approach that made his Inside Central America the indispensable book on current affairs in the region, Phillip Berryman traces the origins, spread, and impact of liberation theology. He shows how its proponents have radically reinterpreted basic Biblical themes (such as the Creation and the Exodus) from the perspective of the poor and isenfranchised. By not asking “What must I believe?” but rather “What is to be done?” they make a direct connection between religious beliefs and political life.

The Future of Liberation Theology

Author: Ivan Petrella

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-03-02

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 1351889125

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The Future of Liberation Theology envisions a radical new direction for Latin American liberation theology. One of a new generation of Latin American theologians, Ivan Petrella shows that despite the current dominance of 'end of history' ideology, liberation theologians need not abandon their belief that the theological rereading of Christianity must be linked to the development of 'historical projects' - models of political and economic organization that would replace an unjust status quo. In the absence of historical projects, liberation theology currently finds itself unable to move beyond merely talking about liberation toward actually enacting it in society. Providing a bold new interpretation of the current state and potential future of liberation theology, Ivan Petrella brings together original research on the movement, with developments in political theory, critical legal theory and political economy to reconstruct liberation theology's understanding of theology, democracy and capitalism. The result is the recovery of historical projects, thus allowing liberation theologians to once again place the reality of liberation, and not just the promise, at the forefront of their task.

An Introduction to Liberation Theology

Author: J. David Turner

Publisher: University Press of America

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 9780819191373

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An introduction to how liberation theologists have fought for democratic socialism; demanded radical economic structural change; attempted to raise the consciousness of the poor; and challenged traditional roles within the Catholic Church with the goal of giving the laity a stronger voice.

Liberation Theology in the Philippines

Author: Kathleen Nadeau

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2001-10-30

Total Pages: 157

ISBN-13: 0313075301

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Liberation Theology in the Philippines: Faith in a Revolution studies the interrelationship of international development policies and local social and economic structures in the Philippines. This ethnography demonstrates that the application of conventional development paradigms to the situation overlooks the human suffering and displacement experienced by the people for whom the policies are supposed to help. By contrast, the Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) movement offers an alternative strategy for development that aims to build a more just and community-oriented society, while promoting sustainable development. The study begins with an historical analysis of the relationship between liberation theology, the Catholic Church, and the nationalist struggle. The remaining chapters look at the real experiences of people living and working in the BECs, as they struggle against some of the negative impacts of traditional approaches to development. In addition, the author illustrates how BECs can fail when environmental and social factors clash with a community's attempts at development, and highlights the theology and religious aspects of the BEC movement. This unique contribution to the study of liberation theology and development will be of interest to scholars, students, and professionals working with development agencies and religious organizations.