scholarly journals Culture, Religion, and Corruption/Prosperity (A), (B), (C), (1), (2)

2021 ◽  
pp. 133-183
Author(s):  
Jason García Portilla
Keyword(s):  
Liberation Theology ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Vatican Ii ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Roman Catholicism ◽  
Prosperity Gospel ◽  
Catholic Theology ◽  
New Thought ◽  
African American Religion ◽  
Protestant Denominations

AbstractThis chapter characterises the relations between culture, religion, and corruption/prosperity. It advances the explanations of the prosperity–religion nexus from the perspective of cultural attributes (e.g. trust, individualism, familialism) by comparing Roman Catholic and Protestant theologies.Protestant denominations have mostly relinquished their founding principles, while “Rome never changes” as per the Italian saying. Despite the progress after Vatican II, Roman Catholicism has not markedly altered its beliefs and practices or its institutional founding principles (i.e. Canon Law) since medieval times. The political repercussions of an ecumenism in “Rome terms” are beyond its theological or religious implications.Liberation theology urged the Latin American Roman Church to break away from its imperialist origins and favouritism for landlords, industrialists, and power elites. However, liberation theology never became the mainstream or hegemonic Catholic theology in Latin America.Distinct Protestant theologies and organisational forms have led to distinct outcomes. New forms of Protestantism (i.e. Pentecostalism) placing less emphasis on education are less likely to have a positive social impact than previous (historical) Protestant versions. Some Protestant denominations still adhere to intertextual historicist biblical interpretation and hold the belief that the papacy continues to be “Satan’s synagogue” today.The heavily criticised Prosperity Gospel (PG) movement has syncretic roots in Pentecostalism, New Thought, and African American religion, and is composed mainly of the middle classes and blacks.While syncretism has been a natural process in all religions, Jews and historical Protestants have tended to be more anti-syncretic given their Scriptural base of beliefs. In turn, the importance of traditions, in Roman Catholicism for instance, has led to include more non-orthodox rituals in its practice.

Theologies of Liberation

2015 ◽  
pp. 802-819
Author(s):  
Roberto Goizueta
Keyword(s):  
Liberation Theology ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Vatican Ii ◽  
Catholic Action ◽  
Gustavo Gutierrez ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Preferential Option ◽  
The Third World ◽  
Early Influences ◽  
Do So

The term ‘theologies of liberation’ refers to a global theological movement that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s among Christians working for justice among the poor of the Third World. Most systematically articulated, initially, by Latin American theologians such as the Peruvian priest Gustavo Gutiérrez, liberation theology is rooted in the Gospel claim that Jesus Christ is identified in a special way with the poor and marginalized of our world. Early influences on the emergence of liberation theology in Latin America included: the Catholic Action movement, base ecclesial communities, Vatican II (especially Gaudium et spes), and the Medellín Conference of 1968. The central insight of liberation theologies is that, because God makes a ‘preferential option for the poor’, we are called to do so as well; if Christ is identified with the marginalized, the lives of the poor is the privileged locus for practising Christian theological reflection.

scholarly journals Por uma transformação intercultural da teologia

2019 ◽  
Vol 78 (311) ◽  
pp. 695
Author(s):  
Sinivaldo Silva Tavares
Keyword(s):  
Liberation Theology ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Vatican Ii ◽  
Modern Culture ◽  
Strong Polarization ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Culture History ◽  
The World ◽  
Christian Message ◽  
Intercultural Dialog

O anúncio cristão tem se dado mediante um diálogo intercultural que, historicamente, caracterizou-se por uma cerrada polarização entre fé e cultura. Esta polarização foi desconstruída pelo Vaticano II, ao propor-nos a transparência da cultura em relação à fé. A Teologia da Libertação latinoamericana explicitou as contradições internas da cultura moderna, propondo-nos relacionar fé e culturas provenientes do “reverso” da história e do “mundo dos pobres”. Nos dias que correm, as teologias se sentem desafiadas a se submeterem a um processo de transformação intercultural, onde o intercultural seja assumido como perspectiva e método e não apenas como tema.Abstract: The Christian message has been proclaimed through an intercultural dialog that, historically, was characterized by a strong polarization between faith and culture. Vatican II deconstructed this polarization, by proposing to us the transparency of culture with regard to faith. The Latin American Liberation Theology made explicit the internal contradictions of modern culture, inviting us to relate faith and cultures from the “other side” of History and from the “world of the poor.” In our days, theologies feel challenged to undergo a process of intercultural transformation, where the intercultural is assumed as a perspective and method and not just as a topic.Keywords: Faith; Reason; Culture; History; Interculturality.

Can Liberation Theology Survive 1989?

1994 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan B. Forrester
Keyword(s):  
Liberation Theology ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Vatican Ii ◽  
Pastoral Theology ◽  
Third World ◽  
Church And State ◽  
Biblical Studies ◽  
European Academy ◽  
Theological Debate ◽  
The Third World

There was a widespread assumption in the 1980s that liberation theology had come of age. The early passionate manifestos of those such as Hugo Assmann had been replaced by a deluge of substantial theological works which entered the theological debate bearing the wounds of oppression and injustice in Latin America, and also the clear marks of the European academy. Liberation theology remained highly controversial, but it had to be taken seriously. It suggested a new way of doing theology which was at one and the same time a recovery of older understandings of the nature of theology and rooted in Latin American reality. It plundered and turned on their original possessors the weapons of post-Enlightenment and post-Vatican II theologising, and it was viewed with deep suspicion by most of the authorities in church and state. The movement found resonances and allies in many countries of the Third World, and spread from systematics into biblical studies, ethics and pastoral theology.

The Catholic Lay Movement in Peru: 1867-1959

1983 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey L. Klaiber
Keyword(s):  
Liberation Theology ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Vatican Ii ◽  
Upper Class ◽  
Second Vatican Council ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Recent Scholarship ◽  
Vatican Council ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Church

The dramatic changes in the Latin American church since the Second Vatican Council have taken many observers by surprise. In search of an explanation for these changes, much recent scholarship has devoted itself to analyzing the changing political climate, the influx of foreign religious personnel, the creation of radical priests' groups, the impact of Vatican II itself and the episcopal assemblies of Medellín and Puebla and, of course, the varying currents of liberation theology. In contrast, the tendency has been to overlook pre-Vatican II history. The pre-conciliar Peruvian church in particular has been characterized as tradition-bound, obscurantist or subservient to the upper classes. One author writing in the early seventies stated:“The intimacy between the church and the Peruvian upper class has been an unvarying characteristic of colonial, post-independence and modern eras in Peru.”

scholarly journals Ecos do Congresso Continental de Teologia

2018 ◽  
Vol 73 (289) ◽  
pp. 69-101
Author(s):  
Afonso Murad ◽  
Élio Estanislau Gasda ◽  
Geraldo De Mori
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Liberation Theology ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Vatican Ii ◽  
50Th Anniversary ◽  
Continental Congress ◽  
Gustavo Gutierrez ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
America Latina ◽  
The Church

O Congresso Continental de Teologia, realizado na Unisinos, em São Leopoldo, RS, entre os dias 7-11 de outubro, por ocasião da celebração dos 50 anos do Concílio Vaticano II e dos 40 anos da publicação da obra de Gustavo Gutierres que inaugurou a Teologia da Libertação, foi sem dúvida um dos maiores eventos teológicos ocorridos nesta região. Momento de celebração e de memória do caminho feito, com seus avanços e recuos, mas também momento de olhar para o presente e o futuro da América Latina e do Caribe, perguntando-se sobre o futuro da Igreja e da reflexão teológica nesta região. O texto apresenta os principais momentos e conteúdos do Congresso, mostrando sua importância para a teologia latino-americana e caribenha, além de apontar para as novas tarefas que parecem emergir deste momento ímpar da teologia na contemporaneidade.Abstract: The Continental Congress of Theology, held at Unisinos in São Leopoldo, RS, between 7-11 October, on the occasion of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Vatican II and the 40th anniversary of the publication of Gustavo Gutierrez’ work that inaugurated the Liberation Theology, was undoubtedly one of the greatest theological events occurring in this region. A time of celebration and of remembering the path we covered with its advances and retreats, but also a time to look at the present and future of Latin America and the Caribbean, wondering about the future of the Church and the theological reflection in this region. The text presents the key moments and main contents of the Congress, showing its importance for the Latin American and Caribbean theology, as well as pointing to new tasks that seem to emerge from this unique moment in contemporary theology.Keywords: Latin America and the Caribbean. Continental Congress. Vatican II. Liberation Theology.

Liberation Theology in Latin America

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglass Sullivan-González
Keyword(s):  
Liberation Theology ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Vatican Ii ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Preferential Option ◽  
History Of ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Exodus Narrative ◽  
Theological Understanding

Liberation theology is a critical reflection on the workings of God in the history of humankind that emphasizes the active, divine redemption (liberation) of humans from the sinful bonds of political and economic oppression. The biblical Exodus narrative became the core metaphor for the theological understanding of liberation and freedom. The Latin American bishops, during their second meeting at Medellín, Colombia, in 1968, coined a signature tenet of liberation theology: “the preferential option for the poor.” Liberation theology emerged formally among theologians in South America in response to rising expectations produced by two key external factors: the successful Cuban revolution (1959) and the ecumenical zeitgeist associated with Vatican II (1962–1965). The movement spread quickly while increased literacy among the faithful inspired lay leaders, trained by sparse clergy and women religious, to organize Christian base communities (CEBs), to “read” their own reality in light of the Exodus story, and to campaign for social justice in alliance with secular political actors. The swift repression and assassination of clergy, nuns, and lay activists by security forces hostile to democratization of the political economy in the 1970s and early 1980s fueled international awareness of liberation theology. Heightened internal opposition within the Vatican in the 1980s to some of liberation theology’s fundamental tenets culminated with the ten-month silencing in 1985 of the Brazilian theologian and Franciscan priest Leonardo Boff. Liberation theology has since inspired other marginalized social actors to explore what liberation means for those forced to live on the periphery due to racial, ethnic, and/or gender-based discrimination; homophobia; and a rapidly deteriorating environment threatened by unsustainable development models.

scholarly journals The Solved Conflict: Pope Francis and Liberation Theology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ole Jakob Løland
Keyword(s):  
Cold War ◽  
Liberation Theology ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Pope Francis ◽  
Post Cold War ◽  
The Public ◽  
Gustavo Gutierrez ◽  
Global Church

AbstractThe battle for meaning and influence between Latin American liberations theologians and the Vatican was one of the most significant conflicts in the global Catholic church of the twentieth century. With the election of the Argentinean Jorge Mario Bergoglio as head of the global church in 2013, the question about the legacy of liberation theology was actualized. The canonization of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the pope’s approximation to the public figure of Gustavo Gutiérrez signaled a new approach to the liberation theology movement in the Vatican. This article argues that Pope Francis shares some of the main theological concerns as pontiff with liberation theology. Although the pope remains an outsider to liberation theology, he has in a sense solved the conflict between the Vatican and the Latin American social movement. Through an analysis of ecclesial documents and theological literature, his can be discerned on three levels. First, Pope Francis’ use of certain theological ideas from liberation theology has been made possible and less controversial by post-cold war contexts. Second, Pope Francis has contributed to the solution of this conflict through significant symbolic gestures rather than through a shift of official positions. Third, as Pope Francis, the Argentinian Jorge Mario Bergoglio has appropriated certain elements that are specific to liberation theology without acknowledging his intellectual debt to it.

scholarly journals Han and/as Ressentiment: Lessons from Minjung Theology

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 72
Author(s):  
Sam Han
Keyword(s):  
Political Theory ◽  
Liberation Theology ◽  
Latin American ◽  
English Language ◽  
Minjung Theology ◽  
Korean People ◽  
American Counterpart ◽  
Theological Perspective ◽  
Cultural Concept ◽  
Lauren Berlant

Following calls in recent critical debates in English-language Korean studies to reevaluate the cultural concept of han (often translated as “resentment”), this article argues for its reconsideration from the vantage point of minjung theology, a theological perspective that emerged in South Korea in the 1970s, which has been dubbed the Korean version of “liberation theology”. Like its Latin American counterpart, minjung theology understood itself in explicitly political terms, seeking to reinvigorate debates around the question of theodicy—the problem of suffering vis-à-vis the existence of a divine being or order. Studying some of the ways in which minjung theologians connected the concept of han to matters of suffering, this article argues, offers an opening towards a redirection from han’s dominant understanding within academic discourse and public culture as a special and unique racial essence of Korean people. Moreover, by putting minjung theology in conversation with contemporary political theory, in particular the works of Wendy Brown and Lauren Berlant, this article hopes to bring minjung theology to the attention of critical theory.

Prosperity Gospel Latinos and Their American Dream

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony Tian-Ren Lin
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
American Dream ◽  
The United States ◽  
Political Resistance ◽  
Religious Experiences ◽  
Prosperity Gospel ◽  
White American ◽  
Material Goods ◽  
Latin American Immigrants ◽  
Insight Into

In this immersive ethnography, Tony Tian-Ren Lin explores the reasons that Latin American immigrants across the United States are increasingly drawn to Prosperity Gospel Pentecostalism, a strand of Protestantism gaining popularity around the world. Lin contends that Latinos embrace Prosperity Gospel, which teaches that believers may achieve both divine salvation and worldly success, because it helps them account for the contradictions of their lives as immigrants. Weaving together his informants’ firsthand accounts of their religious experiences and everyday lives, Lin offers poignant insight into how they see their faith transforming them both as individuals and as communities. The theology fuses salvation with material goods so that as these immigrants pursue spiritual rewards they are also, perhaps paradoxically, striving for the American dream. But after all, Lin observes, prosperity is the gospel of the American dream. In this way, while becoming better Prosperity Gospel Pentecostals they are also adopting traditional white American norms. Yet this is not a story of smooth assimilation as most of these immigrants must deal with the immensity of the broader cultural and political resistance to their actually becoming Americans. Rather, Prosperity Gospel Pentecostalism gives Latinos the logic and understanding of themselves as those who belong in this country yet remain perpetual outsiders.

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