Showing posts with label liberation theology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label liberation theology. Show all posts

Gustavo Gutierrez: Spiritual Writings (Modern Spiritual Masters) Review

Gustavo Gutierrez: Spiritual Writings (Modern Spiritual Masters)
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Gustavo Gutierrez: Spiritual Writings (Modern Spiritual Masters) ReviewDaniel Groody, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, and colleague of Gutierrez, has managed, in this slim volume, to serve up a tasty buffet of the choicest morsels of Gustavo's writing. And choosing which dishes to include could have only been a daunting task as Gustavo, who turned 83 this year, has been in the kitchen working out these recipes for a long time.
Gustavo Gutierrez: Spiritual Writings is assembled from very recent works including a 2009 Theological Studies article and a forthcoming book, as well as selections from We Drink from Our Own Wells (1983), On Job (1987), The God of Life (1991), his work on Bartolome de Las Casas (1993), The Density of the Present (1996), and the early and formative volume, A Theology of Liberation (1971). The corpus of Gustavo's work represents a lifetime of practice, study, and reflection, from which he has developed a theology of how to be Christian and how to work out the gratuitous love of God which is both a gift and a demand on our lives. Groody's collection is a well done overview and synthesis of Gustavo's thought.
For me, Gutierrez shines brightest when he exegetes Scripture. This collection does not disappoint, including lengthy extracts of Gustavo's work on the Beatitudes, the book of Job, and several other portions of the gospels. His reflections offer a fresh and insightful reading of these passages, prodding the reader to scratch below surface impressions and stretch beyond traditional and usual interpretations to see what scripture might mean from the perspective of those in most need, those for whom the words might have been most intended. These glimpses are tantalizing and draw one back to the original sources to gain a fuller understanding of Gustavo's thought on these scriptures.
The collection contains a section in which Gutierrez commemorates, in brief sketches, the journeys of those who influenced and encouraged him such as Dom Helder Camara and Oscar Romero, and lesser known personalities Sr. Maria Agustina and Vicente Hondarza. Here we are treated to an inside look at the lives of both prominent and ordinary, and see how faithfulness and commitment quietly motivate and sustain through various kinds of suffering and injustice.
The volume concludes with some of Gutierrez' most recent thought on his classic idea of the preferential option for the poor. In part he says, "The preferential option for the poor, if it aims at the promotion of justice, equally implies friendship with the poor and among the poor. Without friendship there is neither authentic solidarity nor a true sharing."
For those familiar with the work of Gustavo Gutierrez, this collection will be a return to the feast of rich ideas and compelling reflection on discipleship and justice. For those new to this pastor and scholar, this volume of insight into the spirituality which has inspired Gustavo's theology will be a perfect introduction and will leave you wanting more.
Gustavo Gutierrez: Spiritual Writings (Modern Spiritual Masters) Overview

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The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance Review

The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance
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The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance ReviewDorothee Soelle's "The Silent Cry" appeared shortly before her death, and it's a fitting swansong for a theologian who spent her entire life exploring and living the intersections between action and contemplation. Her exploration of mysticism accomplishes three goals. In the first section of the book, Soelle works out a general definition of mysticism, arguing that it is a sensibility all of us possess even though it's rarely appreciated (much less cultivated) by either society or institutionalized religion. Her reflections (chapter 4) on mysticism's essentially uncommunicable insights into God and reality, and hence its search for a "new language," are particularly good. In the second section of the book, she explores five foci of mystical experience: nature, erotic love, suffering, community, and joy. Each of these contexts can birth awareness of the Beyond that is also Present. The chapter on eroticism is especially insightful. But it's in the third section that Soelle comes into her own and offers truly original and masterful work. Here she argues at great length for the thesis that mysticism isn't at all a private, individualistic mode of experience, but in fact is a mode of social resistance and liberation. Her position might be called "liberation mysticism." Of particular interest are her discussions of voluntary simplicity and nonviolence.
All in all, a fantastic book. It's a very nice complement indeed to Evelyn Underhill's classic study. Thanks, Dorothee!The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance Overview

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We Drink from Our Own Wells: The Spiritual Journey of a People Review

We Drink from Our Own Wells: The Spiritual Journey of a People
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We Drink from Our Own Wells: The Spiritual Journey of a People ReviewGutierrez has written about "liberation theology" in layman's language. Not only is the book informative, it is a guide to personal spirituality.
After completing the book, I find it difficult to understand why "liberation theology" has been such a controversial topic within the political and church establishments for the past 30 years. Why had a US government study claimed "liberation theology" a greater threat to Latin America than communism? And why had the authorities in Rome silenced both Gutierrez and Boff for their positions on liberation theology?
We Drink from Our Own Wells is formated into three sections. The first section contains two chapters that define "new" spirituality as practiced among the poor in Latin America.
The second section is comprised of three chapters that focus on scripture; particularly the gospels of the evangelists and the epistles of Paul. Much attention is given to the social gospel of Christ. The concepts of flesh, spirit, and body are extensively discussed, as are the terms "discipleship" and "community".
The five chapters in the final section are summarized in Henri Nouwen's superbly written Forward: "...filled with deeply moving texts written by Christian men and women who have experienced persecution and suffering but have been witnesses to the living and hope-giving God in the midst of their sufferings."
The 202 pages include 33 pages of notes, 4 pages of scripture references (over 200 entries), a 15 page Forward written by Henri Nouwen, and a 5 page Preface by Gutierrez for the 20th Anniversay Edition.We Drink from Our Own Wells: The Spiritual Journey of a People Overview

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Liberating Black Theology: The Bible and the Black Experience in America Review

Liberating Black Theology: The Bible and the Black Experience in America
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Liberating Black Theology: The Bible and the Black Experience in America ReviewThe Bible is about Jesus Christ. This is the historical, orthodox view. As Luke 24:27 tells us, it was also the view of Jesus, "Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he [Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." The Bible then, is to be read and understood through that lens - it is centrally about the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. This however is not the view of Black Liberation Theology.
According to Black Liberation Theology, the central interpretive lens through which the Bible is read and understood is... well, maybe you should just read the book and find out!
Because most readers will be unfamiliar with Black Liberation Theology, I would rate this book as an "Intermediate" level read.
Strengths:
A helpful introduction to Black Liberation Theology. Bradley's primary focus is on the work of James Cone and Cornel West. Bradley works hard at fairly, respectfully, and accurately representing their views. He is also sympathetic to the historical context that influenced their work, particularly that of Cone, even though in the end Bradley disagrees with the approach of Cone and West to God and Scripture. 5 stars in terms of a very helpful, respectful introduction, and critique of Black Liberation Theology from the perspective of an orthodox Christian scholar.
Weaknesses:
The book needed a better editor. Since many readers will be unfamiliar with Black Liberation Theology each page feels like you are taking in new information (which certainly makes for an enjoyable reading experience). However, it requires some effort and an editor with a better understanding of the potential audience could have served this work better. Minus 1 star for this reason.
I recommend the book.
And it doesn't hurt to read it in the current historical context of having a sitting President of the United States who for 20 years attended a church strongly influenced and centered around Black Liberation Theology. The reader can draw his or her own conclusions about that.Liberating Black Theology: The Bible and the Black Experience in America Overview

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