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The significance of politics in the liberation theology of Juan Luis Segundo and Gustavo Gutierrez
Abstract
The objective of this study has been to establish the level of significance that Gustavo Gutierrez and Juan Luis Segundo attribute to politics in their contributions to liberation theology and to extract the relevant consequences for political theory. A systematic analysis of the theory of history in the works of these two authors indicates a higher level of integration between Christianity and politics that is usual in Christian political thought. Liberation is equated with salvation and political liberation is seen as one of its components. This brings politics to a position of privilege. When at the service of justice it occupies, for our authors, a high rank among Christian concerns and when devoted to oppression it requires diligent response from every Christian. This understanding of politics is valuable in that it accentuates the political aspect of the Christian theory of history, an element frequently underestimated. Certain tensions remain, however, in the theory as a result of this emphasis: between the moral improvement expected from the involvement in political activities conducive to justice and the moral ambiguity of political structures emerging from such activity; and between the use of the concept of class struggle and notions of conversion and reconciliation. Finally, there is the danger of reducing the critical ability of Christians regarding a particular political project by identifying it with the concept of eschatology.
Subject Area
Political science|Philosophy of religion|Philosophy|Latin American history
Recommended Citation
Cotto-Serrano, Raul Luis, "The significance of politics in the liberation theology of Juan Luis Segundo and Gustavo Gutierrez" (1990). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9110119.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9110119