Gustavo Gutierrez was born June 8, 1928 in Lima, Peru. In his youth he was afflicted with osteolyelitis, which left him bed-ridden for most of his adolescence and forced him to use a wheel chair from the ages of 12 to 18. In the environment in which he was raised he frequently experienced and observed a world of injustice and inequality, a systematic oppression of the poor. Partly because of his physical condition Gutierrez became an avid reader and excelled in school. He studied medicine and humanities in Peru, went on to Leuven to study philosophy and psychology, and received his doctorate in Lyon. In 1959 he was ordained a priest in the Catholic Church.Gutierrez is known as the father of liberation theology – the most influential form of theology in Latin America in the late 20th century. The late 1960s and early 70s was a time of incredible upheaval throughout Latin America. With his publication of A Theology of Liberation in 1971 (arguably the most influential theological work of the 70s and 80s), Gutierrez ushered in a new theological movement, namely Liberation Theology, and became the predominant voice for this new branch of theology. Gutierrez’s theology has led the way for other liberation theologians, and much to his credit advocacy for the poor and providing a voice for the voiceless has become commonplace.
Gustavo Gutierrez’s theology is founded on two specific beliefs: (1) God loves all persons equally and gratuitously; (2) God loves the poor preferentially. At first these two ideas appear contradictory; however, an honest look at the world and the pervasive poverty that abounds therein quickly reveals that for God to refuse to “take sides” would actually benefit the wealthy minority. History is filled with examples of social conflict where a majority of human beings are systematically exploited and denied dignity by a powerful minority. Therefore, a neutral God in this situation who refuses to “take sides” would actually be serving the interests of the privileged. If God’s love does not actively work to transform the unjust status quo, then God’s “neutrality” (disguised as “equal love for all people”) can only legitimize the injustice. A neutral position then becomes impossible; “equal love” gets manipulated into a passive stance that benefits the powerful minority. Gutierrez’s primary starting place in his liberation theology is that Christians ought to have a preferential option for the poor.
Gutierrez’s theology goes on to explain three distinct, yet connected forms of poverty: (1) material poverty, (2) spiritual poverty, and (3) voluntary poverty as protest. Spiritual poverty is typified in the first beatitude of being blessed when “one is poor (Lk)” or “poor in Spirit (Mt).” It is recognizing our humble dependence on God. In the affluent west, we typically interpret “spiritual poverty” to be an emotional ‘detachment’ from one’s material wealth. However, this division between the spiritual and the material, Gutierrez believes, is impossible. Further it then allows us to rationalize our wealth. Gutierrez’s argument is that when we recognize the inherent connection of the spiritual and the material, we move towards having a preference for the poor by protesting the unjust systems at work with our lifestyles – we voluntarily live in simplicity and poverty. We imitate Christ who emptied himself and enter into solidarity with the poor.
Important to his theology, Gutierrez also goes on to describe three types of liberation: (1) political liberation, (2) psychological, or anthropolitical liberation, and (3) liberation from sin. Upon returning to Peru after his studies in Europe he realized that rather than being the effect of laziness or misfortune, he came to see poverty to be largely a structural phenomenon. Political liberation therefore is the transformation of unjust social structures, elimination of immediate causes of poverty and injustice. To change a society’s makeup requires empowerment of the common person and a resilient hope for change. Therefore, the question of how we empower, how we foster hope quickly becomes of paramount importance. Second, liberation encompasses freeing the individual from “those things that limit the capacity to develop themselves freely and in dignity.” Third, liberation for Gutierrez is the freedom we have in Christ, freedom from sin and selfishness which comes from a renewed relationship with God and other people.
A primary critique of liberation theology is its tendency towards violence. Gutierrez, its greatest exponent, has said, “The theology of liberation is rooted in a revolutionary militancy.”[1] However, we also have courageous examples of self-sacrificing love as seen through Archbishop Oscar Romero. Therefore, as in all movements, there exists a diversity of opinions. Gutierrez remains a key voice in liberation theology, which has come to include feminist and black theology. His contribution to theology and the church’s vocation and responsibility to the poor, marginalized, and disenfranchised is unparalleled and will have a lasting impact into the future.
[1] Gustavo Gutierrez, The Power of the Poor in History. trans. Robert R Barr. (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1983), 205.
August 3, 2011 at 4:19 pm |
Very good basic description of this book. Two questions:
1) From your perspective what are strengths and limitations of Gastavo Gutierrez’s theology of liberation?
2) How might/is this theology shaping who you are and how you minister?
Gailyn