Theology in the Americas: Letter of Avery Dulles to Sergio Torres

Continuing the thread of preparation for the Theology in the Americas Conference in Detroit in 1975, I now focus on a letter written by Avery Dulles to Sergio Torres. 

At the time of the writing of his letter, Dulles was a teacher and writer working at the Woodstock Theological Center in Washington, D.C.  The purpose of his letter was to decide on what the major focus of the conference should be.  As he saw it, it could be:

1.  An expose and critique of recent Latin American theology as developed in the Latin American context, by sympathetic but discriminating North American observers. 

2.  An exploration of something like an indigenous liberation theology growing out of the North American situation (Dulles in Eagleson and Torres, p. 93).

Dulles saw the difficulty in attempting to combine these in a conference that would last a week or less.  There would be limitations of both space and time.

Dulles gives room to the possibility that the conference could bring together African American, Hispanic American, and Native American theologians to expand on what is in their traditions. But he believes that the brunt of the conference should be to address the confusions and tensions felt by all  participants in the conference, and not simply with the so-called "minority" groups (Dulles, p. 94).

A question for consideration that Dulles raises is whether the conference should attempt to carry out a theological critique of the present socio-political and economic structures of U.S. society. He believes that the task would prove to be too immense , even with strenuous preparation (Dulles, p.94).

As a Puerto Rican minister and theologian operating in a North American context, I do not believe that Latin American theology can or should be exported to the U.S.A.  Theology (God-talk) has to be contextualized.  Therefore, our God-talk has to emerge from and develop within the existential reality that we are living in and facing every day.  While some of the elements of Latin American theology might be useful, our theology has to address our socio-economic and political realities. Our God-talk in this context, addresses issues of social class as God-talk in Latin America does, but it also addresses issues of gender, race, and sexual preference.  The question for us living in the U.S.A is then, what is God doing and saying in our context?  How do we in the North American context understand the Word and actions of God where we are?  How is God's liberating action understood by those in this context who are suffering from discrimination and mistreatment on the basis of class, gender, race, and sexual preference?

Please share with us your thoughts on how God-talk can take place within the confines of our reality here in the U.S.A.  Tell us if you think that it is different or the same, and how is it different or the same. Your input is important.

Grace and peace,
Dr. Juan A. Carmona