Gustavo Gutierrez. Spiritual Writings (review)

In 1968 the Peruvian theologian Gustavo Gutierrez broached the possiblity of a theology of liberation in a talk to priests. The setting was not accidental: his theology has been worked out primarily in dialogue with priests, sisters, and active lay people. As he said, theology is “second act”: engagement comes first. He developed the proposal to book length in A Theology of Liberation in 1973 (Spanish 1971). His work and that of his fellow Latin American theologians has provided a theological rationale for pastoral agents in Lima barrios, the Andes highlands, and elsewhere in the continent.

As a theologian, Gutierrez has been characteristically modest. Most of his books are collections of articles written in response to particular situations. He has not written a systematic theology: no Christology, no systematic ecclesiology, none of the traditional treatises. Academically, his most ambitious book is Las Casas: In Search of the Poor of Jesus Christ, which demonstrates the theological importance of the sixteenth-century Dominican.

Several of his books are in the genre of spirituality, notably We Drink from Our Own Wells, and On Job. It is therefore not surprising to see Gutierrez chosen to appear in the Modern Spiritual Masters series. The editor, Daniel Groody, has organized the selections, generally of one or two pages, in such a way that normally those in a section are from a single book, rather than being picked here and there from his whole corpus. Scripture typically serves as the starting point. The emphasis is on themes that recur in Gutierrez’s work, such as the unmerited nature of God’s love, the unity of human history and salvation history, and the centrality of the poor. I particularly appreciated one of the final sections devoted to individuals: St. John of the Cross, Archbishop Helder Camara, Archbishop Oscar Romero, and lesser known figures like Peruvian Sister Maria Agustina and Honduran layman Vicente Hondarza, both of whom were murdered because of their work and witness. Throughout the book one senses Gutierrez’s loyalty to the church. Although he has been harassed by church authorities, he has managed to avoid ecclesiastical censure, and enjoys the friendship and esteem of a number of bishops.

Over a decade ago, he joined the Dominicans and also began to teach regularly at Notre Dame, his first academic teaching post in many years. He is reported to be completing a book that will perhaps crown his theological career. His work has already transcended Latin America and is part of the DNA of the global church. This book is a distillation, suitable for reflection and meditation.