In Miguel A. De La Torre’s Liberation Theology for Armchair Theologians the subject of liberation theology was explored. De La Torre biblically expressed Liberation theology by using the main point of the poor being followers of God and God himself is the leader of the poor, who will not let them down. Besides De La Torre, using the underrepresented society as an example of how Liberation Theology works, he uses a world view which taps into different theologies such as Black Theology, U.S. Feminist Theologies, Hispanic Theologies and many more. Although De La Torre lists different theologies from different groups they all tie in together melting into the pot of Liberation Theology.
When writing a book, every author needs a target audience and De La Torre has focused his audience on two targets. The first target audience is for the readers who do not know about Liberation theology or theology period. The second target audience is for readers who are already aware of Liberation theology. It is understood why De La Torre would want to introduce liberation theology to readers who have not heard of it. But it is also intriguing to know that he wanted to enlighten people who have heard of or even studied liberation theology before the book was published.
Liberation Theology for Armchair Theologians overall can be included in the genre of Theology. The fact that the genre is in fact Theology transpires into the argument of this book. In order to convey his argument De La Torre, gave a historical background in the beginning of the book to help all readers understand exactly what liberation theology is. From the roots of the Spanish converting the Indians into “civilized” people in order to gain power, economic wealth and to be able to ex...
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...La Torre however the illustrations keep the readers from totally making their own assumptions and opinions about liberation theology.
Overall, Miguel A. De Le Torre effectively relayed his point of view of liberation theology to both of his target groups. His examples of historical events allow the reader to get a glimpse of what he is trying to convey because he made it relatable for everyone. Along with his creative examples, De Le Torre ended Liberation Theology for Armchair Theologians with a challenge by advising anyone who read the book to not be an armchair theologian, he expressed in putting a plan into action to help the oppressed through theology. It seems as if his history lesson throughout the book was a setup for the readers to not only obtain an understanding of liberation theology but to also come up with a plan to positively contribute to the world.
In doing so, she became relatable to the reader while still remaining professional and maintaining her credibility. She also included countless statistics and facts, showing the reader that the problem isn’t just an individual issue, but a real social problem. Next, Alexander triggered an emotional response in the reader, making them feel for the persecuted individuals, and driving the reader to promote change. She finished the article off with a call to action, inspiring all individuals to be a part of a “broad based social movement” (Alexander, 25), so we can someday “acknowledge the humanity and dignity of all humans.” (Alexander, 26) In doing so, she tied together an eye-opening article, and gave the audience a glimmer of hope for our nation’s
Castillo first shows the reader her distrust of patriarchy and its vertical structures through La Loca Santa’s death. The first structure under scrutiny here is the Catholic Church. After La Loca awakens she throws herself into the air and lands on the top of the Church, saying that those below her carry the same scent that she had smelled while in hell. With Loca high above the others she can be seen as a “substation” for a new Chicana Christ figure (Delgadillo 895). She tells those gathered below that she has been sent back to pray for them so that they would be able to see their Creator in heaven. Father Jerome pleads with her to come down so that the congregation could pray for her. She then reminds him that it is she that was sent to pray for them. With La Loca in the position of a Christ figure of the system, the structure of the system, in this case religion,...
Beginning in the late 1970s Liberation Theology, Marxism, and U.S. Cold War policy collided in El Salvador culminating in a civil war that lasted over a decade and ultimately produced democratic political institutions that persist into the 21st century. Despite the prejudices against the church on behalf of government and media organizations in the U.S. and El Salvador, religious actors fought for human rights and the implementation of democratic institutions throughout the period of conflict. The Salvadoran Civil War, which occurred in the context of the Cold War, was one of the bloodiest and longest events in the history of Latin America after the Guatemalan Civil War. The conflict lasted from 1979 to 1992, left approximately 75,000 people dead, and a country in ashes. The conflict started after the fraudulent elections of the Coronel Arturo Armando Molina (1972), who focused his term on repressing the communist political parties that wanted to work for a social reform. This aroused the anger of the popular sectors, which started to organize groups and demonstrations demanding fair election and improvement of social conditions. The government responded to their demands with savage violence, focusing primarily on the oppression of campesinos because they were the ones who supported the revolutionary leftist forces. These actions alienated the Salvadoran population even more and caused many people in the Catholic Church to start denouncing the government’s actions. Thus, as the Civil War started to rise, the church started to radicalize and to and spoke up against the government’s actions. One of its most fervent advocates was Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero, who during his short time as the Archbishop of San Salvador manifested hi...
Books are more than simple stories, they have a message to send, whether it be in a direct or indirect way. Books can also tell us about the author’s life, beliefs, inner ambitions and fears; Moreover, they often project the writer’s vision about their environment, reflecting their society in which they lived. Writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernesto Guevara were capable, not only of portraying the society in which they are immerse, but also to convey them in an exquisite social critique. Such literary pieces of art do not criticize in a direct way, nor to specific people or events. They, however, present the vision of the author’s concern with social issues of injustice, misguided values and loss of direction.
Although the term black liberation theology is fairly new, becoming popular in the early 1960’s with Black Theology and Black Power, a book written by James H. Cone, its ideas are pretty old, which can be clearly seen in spirituals sang by Africans during the time of slavery nearly 400 years ago. # It was through these hymns that black liberation spawned. Although Cone is given credit for “the discovery of black liberation theology,” it’s beliefs can quite clearly be seen in the efforts of men like preacher Nat Turner and his rebellion against slavery in the mid 1800’s or Marcus Garvey, one of the first men to “see God through black spectacles” in the early 1900’s. More recently, black theology emerged as a formal discipline. Beginning with the "black power" movement in 1966, black clergy in many major denominations began to reassess the relationship of the Christian church to the black community.
...atin America, giving hope to those who are or were afraid to let go of the controlling grip of western dominance and showing that the opinions of the south will be more traditionalist and supernatural. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the changing face of Global Christianity. It is clear that a watershed event has occurred, and we are just now becoming aware of this change. Though at times this book was a bit dry and difficult to read but in the end it wasn’t a bad read. The first few chapters I felt overloaded you with information but as I kept reading it slowly dwindle down to analysis, narrative, and application of the information. For Christian readers, I think the value of this book prepares you for the “new world order” so to speak in Christianity as Africa and Latin American decide which direction the church will take.
Castro “[has] learned not to back down” (Castro 269) in the face of a differing opinion; this is unlike many other writers. It is for this reason that Castro’s writing inspires me to resist the idea that the type of writing that belongs in “the academy” is not for others to necessarily see, but for the people fortunate enough to read it themselves. The power of words and information is universally essential in all its forms, and this type of communication is vital for any sort of improvement or awareness. The passage about Castro’s feminist professor who writes about the Violence Against Women Act is a perfect example of what Castro depicts as one of the downsides of “the academy.” The essay her professor writes could potentially “help protect thousands of women,” but instead it is categorized as an “academic journal” (Castro 266) and most likely will not be accessed by those in need. Lastly, Castro inspires me by emphasizing the need to broaden the origins of authors that are read and interpreted to those who were actually affected by heavy issues. Writing that belongs in “the academy” should be eye-opening and not full of common
... constant struggle of oppression that human beings have faced throughout history and continue to face. These books are a testimony to the strength of those caught in the struggle and how good change and growth can evolve out of the bad. Struggle is a part of life and through it people can become stronger and learn more about themselves and the world. Power struggles offer opportunity for the oppressors to escape societies hold on them and to become truly aware of the suffering of those who they oppress, it offers the oppressed the opportunity to rise up and it offers society a chance to reform itself and its people. Events of oppression and the inevitable uprising of the underdog offer the perfect opportunity for important change to occur for the greater good of all.
How would you describe or position your peer's theology? Darryl theology if we must label it is “Liberation Theologian”. However, there are varying degrees of Liberation Theologians. Darryl stated his theology is not "in the vein of giants such as Gustavo Gutiérrez and James Cone". However, he however, he identifies with the Good News of Jesus Christ as a liberating at heart. Luke 4:18-19 the NIV version would give you window which to view Darryl's theology through.
Liberation theology was considered both a radical and political movement in Roman Catholic Theology. It proposes the fight of poverty and goes in depth into the relationship of Christian theology and political activism. It interpreted Jesus’ teachings in relation to liberation through economic, political and social conditions. Liberation Theology spoke on how the Christian church should act in order to bring social change as well as support itself with the working group. It also explains how the church should be a movement for people who were denied their rights which resulted in poverty and being stripped of human beings. Liberation theology also caused up rise in which many important people involved in Christianity did not approve of it.
Dr. De Le Torre makes a distinction between liberation theology and liberative theology. De Le Torre states in his Liberationist lecture when we refer to liberationist ethics we are referring to liberation theology. Liberation ethics refers to liberation theology a movement which developed during the 1960’s or early 1970’s in Latin America dealing with military dictatorship poverty etc.
"God of the Oppressed" is a history of the African American Struggle through the complex account of its author, James H. Cone. Written in 1975, "God of the Oppressed" is the continuation of Cone’s theological position, which was introduced in his earlier writings of, "Black Theology and Black Power," (1969) and "A Black Theology of Liberation" (1975). This final account was put together and published as a response to the continuous dismissal of Black Theology. This response shows Cone’s use of personal experiences, knowledge, and faith to explain the actual God of the oppressed found in Black Theology. The importance of the chosen title is maintained through all ten of Cone’s chapters because every detail leads the reader to a further understanding of the God of the oppressed. The 1975 publication date also proves of importance because it assisted in shaping Cone’s extreme religious position. This extremist position came from a time period when there was a universal dismissal of Black Theology and at the peak of Black Power movement.
Each Author has used their text to portray the violence and struggles that come with being Politically Oppressed, and how easy indifference and violence can follow on from it. After reading all four of the texts, the reader is left with a lasting impression, as the attitudes taken by the authors is that of great passion and strife. Each author has lived through a lifetime of indifference and violence, (in a country where extreme politics and or Dictatorship raged) and therefore has a purpose of showing the reader an insight into what they have had to live through. When we read these texts, we are left questioning ourselves and what we would do if we were ever put in a situation like what these four authors have had to live through, and also how so many people could just turn a blind eye to the indifference that clearly happens in this
Religion is an organized collection of beliefs and cultural systems that entail the worship of a supernatural and metaphysical being. “Religion just like other belief systems, when held onto so much, can stop one from making significant progress in life”. Together with religion come traditions that provide the people with ways to tackle life’s complexities. A subscription to the school of thought of great scholars
Moral Theology is a branch of theology, the science of God and Devine things. It is also considered as the study of the ‘beginning and the end of a man’s moral life’ and essentially the analysis of how one should act. As a Roman Catholic life is marked by interior devotion to God and following the Ten Commandments. Theology, is understood to mean supernatural theology that is the science of God and Devine things, in as far as it based on supernatural Revelation. The focusing theme contains not only God in his essence, but also his actions, and his works of salvation and the guidance, which are led to God whom will be our supernatural end. Through our knowledge of all these truths is necessary for every man to understand the broadest outlines, and is acquired by Christian faith. Theology demands the knowledge won through faith, and as it deepens it expands and strengthens so that our faith can be better understood and defined by the reasons. An example of this a house is built to live in, a clock made to keep time. But what of the “end” to which we as human beings aspire? Thinking of this “end” not as an end point, but as completion as fullness.