SPECIFIC ISSUES FOR THE FUTURE OF LIBERATION THEOLOGY 

DR. JUAN A. CARMONA 

Like in other branches of theology, and like other theologies, Liberation Theology is an ongoing matter.  It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a "once and for all" type of movement or activity.  Neither is it a "finished product" that was once carved and handed down to posterity.  

In keeping with this series of essays, I reiterate that we need to be faithful to the message of  Liberation Theology.  Why do I say this?  It is because, for all intents and purposes, Liberation Theology is a contemporary restatement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is not the Gospel itself, nor can we put it on a par with Scripture in terms of a norm of or  standard of faith.  It takes the message of Scripture, especially the Gospel, and in fidelity to that message, applies it to the situation in which we are living today, i.e. situation in which society is divided into oppressed and oppressive social groups.

NEW HISTORICAL SITUATION: CHANGES IN LIBERATION THEOLOGY

The crisis of historical socialism in Eastern Europe and the advent of human-face perestroika in the Soviet Union ended the Cold War. The worldwide confrontation between East and West -the so-called socialist block and the so-called democratic block-ceased.  Now capitalism is being touted as the only alternative for all of humanity.  When capitalism was forced to compete with socialism, it was concerned with showing a human face, with carrying out development policies in the Third World so that poor nations would not opt for socialism.  Now that capitalism has no competitors, it no longer needs to keep up a humanitarian facade. Nor must it concern itself with Third World development. It can definitely impose itself as the only solution.  Now we have a totalitarian World Order.  The government of the United States, as international policeman, imposes its military and political hegemony upon the entire world in order to ensure the acceptance by all of one capitalist system.  The Third World has no alternative but to submit or perish (Pablo Richards, "Challenges to Liberation Theology" in New Face of the Church in Latin America. Guillermo Cooke ed, Maryknoll: Orbis Books. 1994, p. 246)

During the 1960's and 1970's, which saw the birth and maturation of Liberation Theology in Latin America, capitalism was promoting a development policy for poor nations that in the process made them more dependent.  The liberation concept was used, then, to construct a model for autonomous or non-dependent development, even substituting the term "liberation" for "development." A "theological break" took place as we moved from development theology to liberation theology.  Dependence theory made it possible and necessary to develop both a theory and a strategy for liberation and revolution in the Third World.  "Developmentalism" and "reformism" were radically critiqued as dependency models and the "ideological break" was expressed by the term "liberation.  This new all-embracing concept pointed to many new breaks.  It expressed a new theory and a new praxis.  It became the reference point that defined a new culture, new ethics, and a new spirituality, as well as a new theology (Ibid., p. 248).

These developments make us ask "Is Liberation Theology" a restating of the "faith once delivered to the saints, or is it pseudo-theology? Because of its emphasis on social revolution and transformation, there are many that take it to be a revolutionary movement wearing the garb of theology.  Because Liberation Theology does not support the "status quo," it is categorized as "theology stemming from demonic origins."

The challenge to Liberation Theology-all of these profound structural changes in the dominant system challenge us both theoretically and practically.  We need to develop new concepts to help us acquire a better grasp of the new historical reality, and the possibility of transformation.  With the so-called crisis of Marxism, attempts have been made to undermine the capacity to theorize-to destroy the theoretical space that is needed to resist and continue struggling.  The right to think alternatively is under threat as are the hopes and utopias.  Countering these realities, Liberation Theology must again engage in dialogue, both critically and creatively, with the social sciences-particularly with economics, ecology, and anthropology.  At this new juncture, we must repossess our historical rationale in order to think critically and systematically about our faith in the God of life (Ibid., p. 249).

TRANSFORMING LIBERATION PRACTICE: NEW ROLE FOR LIBERATION THEOLOGY

Liberation Theology, as mentioned before, is a critical and systematic reflection upon faith with a practice of liberation.  The concept of "practice" is therefore crucial to Liberation Theology.  The changes that have been previously described relative to the dominating system and in the situation of the poor, also modify liberation practice and the way we think about it.  This is, to be sure, a challenge for Liberation Theology.

The new world juncture demands new thinking about Liberation Theology. It challenges us with new concerns.  Liberation Theology has the maturity and the necessary strength to face up to this moment in history, with its concerns and challenges.  This is not the end of Liberation Theology, as some people may have hoped, but rather a historical opportunity for its rebirth.  The new juncture opens up unchartered paths for the growth of Liberation Theology.  But this will require that it be seriously reconceptualized and reformulated in response to the new historical situation (Ibid., p. 257).

Liberation Theology has a future.  This fact should be a source of hope for the poor and oppressed people of this world.  What ultimately matters is the future of liberation and the future of the poor.  Liberation Theology's future is a function of the vital future that we desire for our entire threatened planet and cosmos. The solidarity of all of the oppressed, as well as of that of all conscientious women and men is needed.  It is with hope and solidarity that Liberation Theology will be constructed for the twenty-first and subsequent centuries (Ibid.)

As pointed out in previous essays, Liberation Theology is not merely a "new school of thought," or even merely another school of theological thought.  Neither is Liberation Theology a new fad that will have its day and be gone.  Liberation Theology is not a fashion show, nor is it empty rhetorical regurgitation. Liberation Theology seeks to take seriously the message of the Gospel, and make it applicable to contemporary reality. As long as there is injustice and oppression in the world, there will always be a Liberation Theology.

This essay is submitted in the Name of the Creator, and of the Liberator, and of the Sustainer. Amen.

Dr. Juan A. Carmona

Past Professor of Theology

Tainan Theological College/Seminary