Liberation theology is religious phenomenon which bursts on the scene in the 1960’s. A consciousness for injustice was always prevalent in the Church, but the “theologies of liberation, particularly the classical Latin American variety, evolved in protest against the inability in Western church and missionary circles, both Catholic and Protestant, to grapple with the problems of systemic injustice.” (Boch 443) To truly understand the critiques of missiology which have been articulated by Latin American liberation theologies and Asian theologies, one must first understand liberation. What is liberation and what place does it have in the Christian mission? Liberation theology attempts to put a face on the poor, it is no longer just a generalized indictor implying we are all poor in spirit, but it truly illustrates poor. Liberation theology interprets the poor as being the “marginalized, those who lack every active or even passive participation in society.” (Boch 447) Poor are categorized as people who are left with the sense of helplessness and hopelessness because they have been subjected to “subhuman conditions” of life. In mission work there must be a cry for justice and not just a cry of conformity. Trying to simply confirm the religious sectors to look like the Western world is not liberation. There are many who believe if Third World countries had access to the technology of the West that would help to remedy the problem. Until the mindset of the masses is transformed this would only be putting a band aid on a broken bone; nothing would be done to try to set the bone back into place. The system of equality must be put back into place. Leveling the playing field and no longer subjecting persons to the degradation an...
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...t for a lifetime you teach him how to fish. Missionaries have to begin breaking the chains of social injustices by first breaking the silence. No longer can Christians sit idly by proclaiming the good news without first invoking a sense of justice in the land.
Works Cited
Bosch, David J. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1991.
Phan, Peter C. "World Christianity and Christian Mission: Are They Compatible? Insights from the Asian Churches. (Cover story)." International Bulletin Of Missionary Research 32, no. 4 (October 2008): 193-200. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed November 14, 2013).
Romero, Oscar. “The Political Dimesnion of the Fiath from the Perspective of the Option for the Poor,” Voice of the Voiceless: the Four Pastoral Letters and Other Statements. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1985
Russell, Susan. "CHRISTIANITY IN THE PHILIPPINES." CHRISTIANITY IN THE PHILIPPINES. (accessed February 17, 2014). http://www.seasite.niu.edu/crossroads/russell/christianity.htm
Wuthnow, R. (2009). Boundless Faith: The Global Outreach of American Churches. California: University of California Press.
...overall I find this theology refreshing; it is always good to help the less fortunate as Jesus did many times. Gustavo Gutierrez had such a passion for helping the poor in Latin America, witnessing first hand of their lack of hope and helplessness. One interesting thing that stood out to me was when Gustavo talked about the different kinds of poor people. I never realized how cultures and different societies are forgotten through history. Generation after generation they remain poor never able to get out of poverty. People sometimes have this pre-conceived idea about the poor, how they are dirty and different and almost not even human. This is where so many are wrong and we should be helping them not just by donating money, clothes, food, but give them the tools and resources needed to get out of poverty and start a better life, or this endless cycle will continue.
Mead, Loren B. The Once and Future Church Reinventing the Congregation for a New Mission Frontier . The Alban Institute, Inc., 1991. Kindle eBook file.
Bergunder, Michael, Anderson, Allan, Droogers, Andre, and Van Der Laan, Cornelis. Studying Global Pentecostalism: Theories and Methods. California: University of California Press, 2010. Print.
Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 19(1), 69-84. Heim, D. (1996). The 'Standard'. Phil Jackson, Seeker in Sneakers. Christian Century, 133(20), 654-656.
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.
Oxbrow, Mark. "Anglicans And Reconciling Mission: An Assessment Of Two Anglican International Gatherings." International Bulletin Of Missionary Research 33.1 (2009): 8-10. Religion and Philosophy Collection. Web. 2 Nov. 2013.
Goheen, Michael, and Craig Bartholomew. Living at the Crossroads: An Introduction to Christian Worldview. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008. Print.
Pogge, Thomas Winfried Menko, and Keith Horton. "Famine, Affluence and Poverty." In Global ethics: seminal essays. St. Paul, MN: Paragon House, 2008. 1-14.
Missionaries were a contradiction, one that is not easily sorted. The goals and objectives of the missionary themselves were often purest of heart. Missionaries’ goals were to spread of the gospel, the convert heathens to Christianity and enrich the communities they work in by providing education and medical assistance. On the contrary missionaries were also often “agents of cultural change.” (Stipe p.1) They carried with them American ideals, democracy, individual rights, free enterprise, universal education, and delayed gratification. (Clifford Putney p.7)
In Matthew 28:19-20, Matthew records Jesus’ last words to His disciples these verses have become known as “The Great Commission.”Since, the giving of the Great Commission followers of Christ has left their own culture in order to engage another with the saving message of the Gospel. Numerous books, articles and blogs have been written on the subject of World Evangelization or Missions. One such book on missions is called, “The Changing Face of World Missions: Engaging Contemporary Issues and Trends” this book was written by Michael Pocock, Gailyn Van Rheenen, and Douglas McConnell. All three men are experts in the field of missions; the writers have served overseas and are now currently engaged in equipping the next generation through teaching at Dallas and Fuller Theological Seminary. The authors bring a wealth of personal and academic excellence to their particular chapters as well as a passion to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth. The balance between academia and real world application make “The Changing Face of World Missions”, an informative and exciting read.
Jones, Marge, and E. Grant Jones. Psychology of Missionary Adjustment. Springfield, Missouri: Logion Press, 1994.
Calvinism is the theological system of John Calvin who exerted international influence on the development of the doctrine of the Protestant Reformation (Warfield, 2004). Calvin and his followers marked by strong emphasis on the sovereignty of God, the depravity of mankind, and the doctrine of predestination. This system was developed as a biblical Christianity. It has stirred countries such as Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, England and America. Calvinist theology spread rapidly, and became the basis for many protestant denominations. These included the Swiss Reformed Church, The Dutch Reformed Church, The English Puritans, The French Huguenots, The Presbyterian and Congregational Churches, The Baptist Churches, and through them the Pentecostal Churches and Assemblies of God. Jansenism, a Catholic form of Calvinism, was condemned as heretical in 1653.
One of the most basic teachings in the Catholic Church is to ?Love one another as I have loved you.? This can be implied towards people living in poverty as we can follow the steps that Jesus had undertaken to love other people even if they are your enemies. By showing love and compassion we can create a world that is aware of poverty issues and help the declination of poverty. Countless organisations are heavily involved in carrying missions to help ultimately eradicate poverty. These charities and organisations include CARITAS, World Vision, Oxfam, St Vincent de Paul and many other non profitable organisations which help carry out work to help those who are in need.