THEOLOGY FROM A THIRD WORLD PERSPECTIVE
DR. JUAN A. CARMONA
It has been assumed by many of us who have been exposed to Western theology (Euro-American) that it is the "norm," and the primary validator of what constitutes or does not constitute sound theology. It is my intention in this next series of essays to deconstruct that position.
Theology (God-talk) emerges out of the geographical context and existential realities that humanity lives in. One could argue that theology is a "heaven-sent" enterprise. When people treat theology in that matter, it then renders theology as a God-given legacy. It is treated as "the faith once delivered to the saints," i.e. divinely-rendered, therefore, inerrant, infallible, and not to be questioned or tampered with.
In this series of essays, I will deal with the theology which emerges out of the existential reality and experiences of people living in the so-called "Third World," i.e. those continents of the world which have been considered underdeveloped and dependent on Euro-America.
Because Third World Theology emerges from and deals with God-talk in an environment of colonialism and economic bondage, it is referred to as "Liberation Theology." The question is, "liberation from what?' Classical theology has tended to render the doctrine of liberation as something that is other-worldly. In other words, it deals with God's liberating and salvific acts as something that will take place in the after-life and not something which is historical, i.e. taking place in our time. Liberation Theology, in turn, focuses on God's liberating and salvific acts as something which takes place in the present, and which includes liberation from economic, political, and social bondage. Euro-American theology has tended to view liberation or salvation as something which is "spiritual," and not something physical or present.
NOTE:
If we include Liberal (not LiberationTheology) and Theology of Hope in this discourse, we can say that Euro-American theology at some points does deal with God's liberating and salvific acts in the present historical moment. In some respects, they may, indeed, serve as a precursor to Liberation Theology.
In order to have a better understanding of what Liberation Theology actually is, we must examine it in historical perspective. We must ask how did it begin, who were the key players, and what does Liberation Theology seek to address?
I will give a brief historical sketch of the origins of Liberation Theology and then talk briefly about its emphasis. This will aid the reader to have a better understanding of what Liberation Theology is or isn't.
For more than four centuries, the Catholic Church played a dominant role in Latin American history, playing a dominant role in that history, proclaiming a gospel of salvation transmitted through Spanish and Portuguese earthen vessels. The violent history of Latin American colonization, in which the Catholic Church figured prominently, is of central importance for for anyone attempting to grasp Third World theological reflections on liberation (Deane William Ferm, Third World Liberation Theologies: An Introductory Survey. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1986, p. 3).
Europe began its conquest of what is now called Latin America with Christopher Columbus's invasion of the West Indies in 1492. Two years later, Pope Alexander VI negotiated the Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided the New World between Spain and Portugal, and set the stage for "patronage"-royal control over the church in the mission lands the two European nations would colonize. Church and state worked hand in hand in the settlement of Latin America. Spain and Portugal imposed their own feudal structures on the newly acquired territory. The native Amerindians became Christians, usually under duress, but they never really rejected their own indigenous cultures and religions (Ibid.).
The sixteenth century saw the rapid expansion of Christian missions in Spain and Portugal conquered more and more Latin American soil. When the Aztecs of Mexico, the Incas of Peru, and their counterparts in other areas were subdued, Dominicans and Franciscans followed closely behind. Most of these early missionaries viewed the indigenes as ignorant children desperately in need of Christian instruction. They preferred to make converts by peaceful means, but would resort to force if necessary. The clerical conquerors were as ambitious as the military, one as violent as the other in their methods of conversion or control (Ibid., pp. 3-4).
From the moment Columbus set foot in the New World, cross and sword had been indistinguishable. Priests and conquistadors divided the plunder in people and land-it was a toss-up as to who was the greedier. And long before Latin America's military regimes installed their torture chambers, the Inquisition was at work with whip and rock. By the time of the wars of independence at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Church was the largest landowner in Latin America. It was also the most conservative political force on the continent ( Penny Lernoux, Cry of the People (New York: Penguin, 1982, p. 10).
Other scholars dispute this view. Renato Poblete claims that "in Latin America, the actual transition from paganism to Christianity was accompanied with a minimum of struggle." He also adds:
In all respects, this was a golden age for the Latin American church and its splendor, now dimmed, can still be glimpsed in the magnificent cathedrals of Mexico, Quito, and Lima (" The Church in Latin America: A Historical Survey," in Henry A. Landsberger, ed., The Church and Social Change in Latin America. University of Notre Dame Press, 1970, pp. 40,43).
The Spanish and Portuguese conquest of Latin America did not usher in a golden age in the treatment of the indigenous inhabitants, but it was not without its martyrs and prophets, whom the liberation theologians of today regard as their progenitors (Ferm, op. cit., p 5).
The latter half of the sixteenth century saw the church consolidating its strengths as bishops and priests began to meet in provincial councils to coordinate their evangelization programs. Fifteen such councils were held over the next two hundred years as church leaders developed catechetical instruction and rules of behavior for the converts-rule more often in keeping with Spanish customs and than native practices. By the beginning of the seventeenth century, 120,000 Spaniards faced 12 million Amerindians scattered over 12 million square mile. In some areas, Spanish cruelty continued unabated. Noel Erskine reports that native Jamaicans at the time of the arrival of Christopher Columbus totaled roughly 60 thousand. A century later, the population had diminished to 1,500, only 74 of whom were pureblood natives (Noel Erskine, Decolonizing Theology: A Caribbean Perspective. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1981, p. 16).
In recent decades, an increasing and significant minority of members of the Catholic Church have shown growing concern for the staggering problems of the social order. Catholic Action had its beginnings in Argentina in 1930, in Peru in 1935, and in Bolivia in 1938, spreading quickly to other countries. Lay persons, prompted by the lack of priests, assumed positions of leadership and sought to apply Catholic teachings to social problems (Ferm, op. cit., p.6).
I will begin the next essay by talking about the predawn of Liberation Theology beginning in 1930. This introduction has been given with the purpose of putting Liberation Theology in historical perspective so as to make Liberation Theology more understandable.
In the Name of the Creator, and of the Liberator, and of the Sustainer. Amen.
Rev. Dr. Juan A. Carmona
Past Professor of Theology
Tainan Theological College/Seminary
