Those of us living in the context of North American wealth sometimes find it difficult to understand the perspectives of those living in other parts of the world. Because of our relative isolation from poverty, it is easier to pretend that the everyday realities we face are the same for everyone else in the world. The context in which we live our lives effects the questions we ask when we think about God and our role in the world He created. Perhaps this accounts for the uneasy cramps I feel in the pit of my stomach after reading A Theology of Liberation, by Gustavo Gutiérrez.
I think part of my difficulty lies in the fact that I both agree and disagree so strongly with Gutiérrez. For example, maybe it’s my capitalist upbringing, but whenever someone starts quoting Marx, and shaping his ideology (and theology!) based on Marxist ideals I want to scream! People are both selfish and corrupt and Marxism doesn’t adequately address either of those two problems…
Beyond that however, what exactly does Gutiérrez mean by social justice? He describes the situation in the Third World as being unjust due to the fact that “developed world” countries have caused the “developing world” countries to be in a position of dependence. This he sees as oppressive to these countries. I’m not a macro-economist, but I don’t really understand what Gutiérrez would suggest the Church do to remedy this situation. In a global economy, how do you give “equality” to everyone? Where does individual talent and ability fit in? Where does ingenuity fit in? Why shouldn’t someone be rewarded for his successes? And if this is taken away, what motivation remains for someone to take risk or to compete? Are these inherently bad things?
Gutiérrez advocates praxis before theological reflection, but in a world filled with fallen and sinful people, what is the motivation to do good to others?
Gutiérrez advocates for the Vatican II position of God’s “universal salvific will.” This places the question of someone’s eternal soul on the backburner in favor of his focus on their salvation in this world. The here and now.
On the other hand I agree so strongly with Gutiérrez that how we relate to our fellow man is directly linked to how we relate to God. Many of us have missed the boat in our desire to pursue a “vertical” relationship with God, by neglecting the horizontal relationships with those around us. God has surrounded us with people who bear His image, yet we often neglect community in favor of a private relationship with a God whom we’ve constructed in our minds. Jesus tells us “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” God has chosen to reveal himself to us through man. This is true of the incarnation of Christ, and the inspiration of the Scriptures. He does not often speak directly and audibly to us.
Similarly, I agree wholeheartedly with Gutiérrez in his recognition of the problem of poverty and oppression in the world. However, while he sees revolution as the solution, I am forced to disagree that this is the Christian solution to the problem. I don’t know what should be done to alleviate the poverty around the world…it seems, however, that all too often, at the root of an impoverished nation is an oppressive government. One thing is for certain: the Church in North America must take a greater interest in our brothers and sisters around the world. In our context of capitalism, profitability cannot be exalted above all else. For example, Dr. Gene Green recently discussed an instance in which a series of Hispanic Christian commentaries was cancelled in order to increase the production of Benny Hinn’s books, which were selling better in Latin America. How can this be! Examples like this make me want to cry out against the bastardization of the message of Jesus. Then again, why are these the books that are selling in Latin America? What is going on?
Lord, guide your Church! Show us what we must do to build your Kingdom…show us what we must do to bring justice to the world…show us how to live out the gospel in this world…break, shape, and mold our hearts…grant us wisdom…
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1 comment:
J-train-
You win the prize for the longest comment! Seriously though, I think you should pare down your manifesto and post it on your blog. I do have a few comments in response.
I think it's good that you've recognized certain parts of Christianity that have been severely neglected by some of our "fundy" friends, and I can empathize with your frustration. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not SOLELY concerned with the question of whether or not someone will go to heaven when they die. Like you, I believe that God wants to "save us" in the here and now as well. Questions of systemic evil, poverty, etc. are near to God's heart and need to be near to the heart of the Church. I think part of the reason for this has been an under-emphasis of both the Gospels and the Old Testament, in favor of the Pauline letters. With that said, however, I also think we need to be careful not to "throw the baby out with the bath water." Just because some of the theology that is more apparent in the Pauline letters has been overemphasized in some of our churches, this does not mean that it should now be neglected! They are not somehow further from the essence of Christianity. They were not written as a corruption to that which is found in the Gospel narratives. In fact, many of Paul's letters pre-date the Gospels. All that to say, I believe we need to affirm both!
As you probably know, you are not the first to suggest the Exodus as a theme running through the Bible. I think there is merit to this possibility. Allusions and parallels to the Exodus are abundant in the New Testament. These are very difficult to fully understand without first understanding what God has done in Israel through the Exodus. However, I'm not yet convinced that this is the PRIMARY theme in the canon of Scripture. I'll try to lay out more fully some of my thoughts on this at a later time, but I'm becoming more and more convinced that a (the?) major unifying theme throughout the Bible, is that of God revealing himself to mankind through PEOPLE who bear His image. This image is distorted by the condition of sin. Therefore the battle with sin is deeply intertwined with the purpose of God's revleation of Himself. I see this theme emerging in the context of each of God's Covenants in the Old Testament, as well as in the mission of Jesus in the New Testament, and followed through to the mission of the Church today as we carry on the message of Jesus as his ambassadors, living as the body of Christ.
One final comment, try not to become too disillusioned with "systematic theology" as a whole. Understanding the meta-narrative, or overarching story of God's work in history, is not mutually exclusive with systematic theology. We are not the first people in the Church to deal with the questions you are asking! The dispensationalist systematic theology you are most familliar with is NOT the only game in town! In fact, its a much more recent development. And while we want to be careful about putting God in any sort of systematic box, we must also be wary of the temptation to think that we must totally re-invent ways of understanding Christianity. There are certain affirmations that the Church has made from the beginning that must be upheld. Systematic theology is ultimately important because it seeks to understand who God is, and who He is not...
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