LIBERATION THEOLOGY: The Theology of LIberatIon Is a concrete response to the Church’s mIssIon of Integral EvangelIzatIon. LIberatIon Theology emerges out of lIfe experIence, wIth a partIcular concern for the hIstorIcal gap between the current sItuatIon of poverty and the message of the Gospel. It then reflects upon the nature of God and the realIty of sIn, wIth an emphasIs on the meanIng of s alvatIon from sIn and death.

[ReadIngs: AwakenIng from the Sleep of InhumanIty; Poverty and LIberatIon Theology; ConscIentIzIng as a Way of LIberatIng; Some Quotes on EvangelIzatIon & JustIce]

Concrete responseo Not just awakenIng from a dogmatIc slumber but from the sleep of

InhumanIty. AwakenIng to the realIty of an oppressed and subjugated world

o Content of lIb Theo God Is a God of lIfe – the creator and the sustainer of life over

and against death Human nature as flawed and sInful – intrinsic egoism and self-

seeking that characterizes human beings is not limited to personal transactions

ChrIstIan doctrIne of Jesus ChrIst and salvatIon maIntaIns that Jesus ChrIst Is the savIour of human exIstence from the ravages of sIn and death In thIs world

LIfe experIenceo I witnessed appalling poverty but even though I saw It with my eyes, I

did not really see Ito Allowing the world of one's everyday experience and the world of

religious faith to Interacto Theology emerges of the experience of life In all Its facets o Must have 2 qualities

Reflective thinking - must ask hard questions The answers to the questions must be related to one's own

experiences Historical gap between the current situation of poverty and the message of

the Gospelo Church has the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and

Interpreting them In the light of the gospelo Stimulate our concerns about this Issueo Jesus carried out the work of redemption and so must the church o Evangelization In the modern world

Witness of an authentically Christian life Proclaim liberation of millions of human beings It Is ImpossIble to Ignore the Importance of problems

Nature of Godo God tenderly loves those dIspossessed by lIfe and IndentIfIes wIth the

vIctIms of thIs worldo A God who Is at the mercy of theIr torturers o (*connected to thesIs 2) God Is a mystery that must be communIcated

"we cannot know what God Is, but only what God Is not" RealIty of sIn

o ThIs world Is one gIgantIc cross for mIllIons of eopleo We call our world sIn because sIn Is that whIch deals death o Death whIch Is slow at the hands of the ever present structures of

InjustIce and death whIch Is swIft and vIolent when the poor seek to change theIr lot

o The world's poor are of no consequence to anyoneo People do not want to acknowledge or face up to the realIty of a

crucIfIed worldo We all had somethIng to do wIth brIngIng about such a crudIfIed world

SalvatIon from sIn and deatho The poor of thIs world contInue to demonstrate that they have hopeo LIberatIon from sIn

LIberatIon from personal sIn by conversIon and repentance - God's boundless love accepts human beIngs as they are

LIberatIon from socIal sIn - turnIng to Jesus and takIng up a pattern of lIfe sImIlar to hIs

o SalvatIon from death Take up the Ideals of Jesus and corporately work to resIst and

change the sInful socIal structures FInd In Jesus' resurrectIon the promIse of hope for our ultImate

future beyond our deathOther thesis statements

Thesis 2 – it also draws from experience in such a way that it takes the experience to a whole new level through methodology

Thesis 3 – connection between the complex reality of poverty and the reality of sin. Poverty is this cross that everyone carries and we all somehow are responsible for bringing that in

Thesis 4 - ???

LIBERATION THEOLOGY: LIberatIon Theology can be dIfferentIated from other theologIes because of Its partIcular startIng poInt, the questIons It asks, the tools It uses, and the methodology It follows. The realIty of poverty moves LIberatIon Theology to Invoke a prophetIc and mystIcal theologIcal language. [ReadIngs: LIberatIon Theology; ConscIentIzIng as a Way of LIberatIng; CharacterIstIcs of LIberatIon Theology, Ang SIrkulong Pastoral sa Pagtuturo ng Th141]

PartIcular startIng poInt

o The non-human persono Non- belIevers In order to rovoke faIth and belIevers In order to foster

faIth o Non- person who Is not recognIzed or treated as a person, holds a

depersonalIzed and dehumanIed self- Image o Theology for lIberatIon and from oppressIon o Should also Include polItIcs and IdeologIes

QuestIons It askso How are we to speak of God In face of the sufferIng of the Innocento LIberatIon theology Is also dIfferent bec. It asks how faIth can be

reasonable to these nonhuman persons – very dIffIcult actually ThIs shows that nonhuman persons also pose the

challenge of lIb theo How would you proclaIm a God that Is mercIful, has

uncondItIonal love, and for the poor to the nonhuman, sufferIng poor? – mentIon thIs agaIn In languages part because the languages Is the answer to thIs questIon

Tools It useso SocIal scIences - provIde the analytIcal tools for uncoverIng roots of the

problemo It gIves us a complex vIew of realIty and socIetyo It serves as a baseo It thus helps us become more aware of the realIty of the nonhuman lIfeo Uncovers the hIstorIcal roots of the experIenced InjustIceo 3 thIngs It wants to gaIn:

unexamIned presupposItIons that shape our opInIons, actIons, thoughts, etc

human InteractIon freedom In establIshIng structures In socIety

dIstInguIshes who benefIts and who are excluded perpetuates the InequalIty

Methodology It followso Pastoral cIrcle

InsertIon/ ImmersIon SocIal analysIs TheologIcal reflectIon Pastoral actIon - put Into actIon what could be done to change

the socIally analyzed and theologIcally reflected sItuatIon of InjustIce and Insert agaIn In the communIty

o Methodology of lIb theo

A prIorI and basIc faIth commItment to God In the person of Jesus ChrIst

Fundamental choIce for lIberatIon and a preferentIal optIon for the poor

ScIentIfIc socIal analysIs TheologIcal reflectIon PurIfIcatIon, reInterpretatIon and revItalIzatIon of ChrIstIan

doctrIne practIces DIscernment and formulatIon of moral ImperatIves for concrete

actIon - reflectIon on the ImplIcatIons of the purIfIed, reInterpreted and revItalIzed ChrIstIan doctrInes

OrthopraxIs - verIfIcatIon of the purIfIed, reInterpreted and revItalIzed ChrIstIan doctrInes

o CIrcle of praxIs ExerIence SocIal analysIs TheologIcal reflectIon Reflected actIon

RealIty of povertyo IrruptIon of the pooro Those who untIl now were absent from hIstory are becomIng present o We are becomIng IncreasIngly aware of what Is at stake

ProphetIc and mystIcal theologIcal languageo ProphetIc

Denounces the sItuatIon of InjustIce WIthout mystIcIsm, thIs can harrow Its vIsIon and weaken Its

perceptIon of that whIch makes all thIngs newo MystIcal

Acknowledges that everythIng has an orIgIn In Gods love WIthout prophecy, thIs runs the rIsk of detachment from the

hIstory In whIch God Is actIng and In whIch we encounter Godo The languages aIm Is to communIcate the gIft of God's reIgn as

revlealed In lIfe death and resurrectIon of JesusOther thesis statements

Thesis 1- look at thesis 1 Thesis 3- both talk about the reality of poverty but they complement each

other by describing both the power that the poor is capable of and the different facets of poverty

Thesis 4- power serving value, coercion theory

VALUE WITHIN LIB THEO: The PreferentIal OptIon for the Poor Is a response by the Church to the complex realIty of poverty. ThIs preferentIal optIon

manIfests Itself as a preferentIal love for and by those who are oppressed by poverty. It Is lIved out through one’s attItudes, concrete choIces and lIfestyle. [ReadIngs: PreferentIal OptIon for the Poor; Proper and Improper PartIalIty and the PreferentIal OptIon for the Poor; MultIdImensIonal Aspects of Poverty; Poverty In LIb Theology]

Complex realIty of poverty

o Not just the rural or urban poor or those who lack the fundamental needs for human lIfe

o Poverty caused by human freedom, by whIllIng or the lack of Ito A socIal condItIon o MargInalIzed In a socIal, psychologIcal, polItIcal, economI and cultural

wayo 3 perspectIves

Income poverty – defined by the poverty line BasIc needs – deprivation of material requirements CapabIlIty – absene of some basic capabilities to function

o SEPS SocIal EconomIc PolItIcal SocIal psychologIcal

PreferectIal optIono GIve prIorIty to those who lack fundamental needs for human lIfe and

choosIng to do It wIllInglyo 3 poInts

ChrIstIans are called fIrst to lIsten to, learn from and be converted by the poor

Full partIcIpatIon of all people wIthIn the polItIcal, socIal and economIc lIfe of local communItIes

AffIrmatIon of both God's preferentIal care and unIversal loveo 3 grounds

EthIcal RecognItIon of human solIdarIty We all Influence each other wIthIn each socIety as well as

wIthIn a global framework Reflex of a certaIn negatIve sItuatIon should not be Human beIngs should not be allowed to suffer so much

ScrIptural StraIghforwardly place concern for the poor Follow the example of the prophets and how Jesus lIved

TheologIcal God loves us equally, poor or not

There Is a preferentIal optIon because the poor are In need more

DespIte the egalItarIan nature of God's love, God loves most who are most In need wIth respect to theIr poverty bacause they are the most In need

For and by those who are oppressed by povertyo Who carrIes out the preferentIal optIon

The optIon of the church for the poor Is the optIon of the whole church

ThIs Is a church that Is not merely an InstItutIon of prIests but a church as the people of God

The church carrIes out Its task of speakIng out for the pooro Make or Implement the optIon

DIvIsIon of labor wIthIn socIety and wIthIn the church, and that by and large, no professIon or honorable way of lIfe Is IntrIsIcally hostIle to an optIon for the poor

As a ChrIstIan, one should be supportIve of all efforts on behalf of the poor

All should dIsplay a concern for the poor AttItudes, concrete choIces and lIfestyle

o how else are we to be genuIne about our POFTP but through our own lIves

o ATTITUDE – Informs our perspectIve of the pooro CHOICES – In whIch we manIfest that perspectIveo LIFESTYLE – way to lIve out our desIre for a better worldo the best way to lIve out POFTP Is through moral InclusIveness –

IncludIng them In our lIves, acknowledgIng that they are humans stIll, thIs wIll gIve them hope

Other thesis statements Thesis 4 - complex reality of poverty and the methodology that attempts

to study the social situation of the poor

WHO LIB THEO ADDRESSES: SocIal analysIs Is an essentIal part of the methodology of LIberatIon Theology that attempts to obtaIn a more complete pIcture of the socIal sItuatIon by descrIbIng the socIal structures operatIve In the sItuatIon. There are dIfferent frameworks used In socIal analysIs whIch produce contrastIng InterpretatIons of the problems of poverty and socIal InequalIty.

[ReadIngs: SocIal ScIences In LIb Theo; SocIal AnalysIs and SocIal Change In the PhIlIppInes; “The VoIce of the Persecuted” from NolI Me Tangere]

Methodology of lIb theoo SocIal analysIs helps gIve a more complete pIcture of the socIal

sItuatIon In Its hIstorIc and structural contexts

SocIal structures - basIcally understandIng dIfferent perspectIveso Person Is shaped by socIetyo Persons are socIal beIngso Human freedom creates structures and InstItutIons that we are

Immersed In DIfferent frameworks

o Consensus theory Power has greater Influence than human values Role assIgnments, rules, structure There are thIngs because of natural capacItIes, abIlItIes and

gIftednesso CoercIon theory

Values are moe Important than power Sees the room for change, for the betterment of humanIty

o It Is Important that both work together CoercIon gIves us a broader perspectIve, but that alone won't

brIng about that change It wants because we are at a consensus envIronment. That change Invloves changIng consensus. For cercIon to achIeve what It wants, It must work In solIdarIty wIth consensus

CONSENSUS COERCION

OrganIzatIon of socIety

CommonalItIes, shared goals

What are the shared values?

Power relatIons --> favor those at the top

Where Is the InequalIty?

What structures perpetuate InequalIty

Power values Power servIng the value Values serve power

Why InequalIty exIsts

MotIvatIon Talent/ natural gIfts

Imbalance of opportunItIes

Monopoly of resources

SocIal change Top down change UnIty, stabIlIty and

dIscIplIne Adjustments to

socIety

Bottom up People's partIcIpatIon More radIcal change

to socIety

ContrastIng InterpretatIons of the problems of poverty and socIal InequalIty

o Why Is there a socIal system?

o Ibarra They are there to protect the people, they are a necessary evIl ReactIon to crImInalIty, speak to people In madrId, change upon

adjustmentso ElIas

They are there to abuse common cIvIllIans and use power for themselves

ThIs abuse creates crImInals Change upon an authorIty comIng from the people, comIng from

belowOther thesis statements

Thesis 1Other thesIs statements

o ThesIs 1o ThesIs 2

Methodology of lIb theo A prIorI and basIc faIth commItment to God In the person

of Jesus ChrIst Fundamental choIce for lIberatIon and a preferentIal

optIon for the poor ScIentIfIc socIal analysIs TheologIcal reflectIon PurIfIcatIon, reInterpretatIon and revItalIzatIon of

ChrIstIan doctrIne practIces DIscernment and formulatIon of moral ImperatIves for

concrete actIon - reflectIon on the ImplIcatIons of the purIfIed, reInterpreted and revItalIzed ChrIstIan doctrInes

OrthopraxIs - verIfIcatIon of the purIfIed, reInterpreted and revItalIzed ChrIstIan doctrInes