Grace and Liberation: An Interpretation of History

GRACE AND LIBERATION: AN INTERPRETATION OF HISTORY THE OCCASION OF this essay is the liberationist interpretation of Christianity as it is being proposed by the theology of liberation. While the soundest and most coherent and vigorous version of liberation theology stems from Latin America, still this theological movement has touched fundamental human drives and modern exigencies, and liberation themes are being proposed on all continents. Butnot always with the same success. For liberation theology interprets Christianity as intrinsically and fundamentally related to this world, and life in it, with particular emphasis on the political and social structures of human existence. And, as a matter of fact, either this idea or the manner in which it is proposed has certainly not gained a general acceptance. Right at the outset we wish to enter a distinction between the theology of liberation, or the many theologies of liberation of particular authors, and the liberationist interpretation of Christianity. Every particular understanding of Christianity is and should be deeply incarnated or inculturated in the particular situation of the people out of which it emerges and which it seeks to address. This is particularly true of the liberation theologies which have integrated into theirmethod of understanding of Christianity social, economic, political and cultural analyses of the world in which they arise. But precisely to the degree in which a theology of liberation is bound to a situation that is peculiar or unique, that theology is not exportable to an area where the social and cultural conditions are different.1 For this 1 The principle of ineulturation involves a tension between the universal and its particular manifestations and requires a nuanced interpretation of what is essential and normativ.e in Christian faith experience as distinguishable from its explicit expression in cultural forms. Just as Christians of former mission areas were asked 539 540 ROGER HAIGHT reason we speak of the liberationist interpretation of Christianity in an effort to look for that properly Christian component that lies beneath any particular liberation theology. The liberationist interpretation of Christianity attempts to deal with that which is distinctively Christian and therefore universal in Christian faith itself in whatever part of the world and in conjunction with whatever particular social analysis that may be used.2 While this distinction is helpful, there is still more to be said, and other questions to be answered. The liberationist interpretation of Christianity presents Christian salvation in such a way that it is seen as intrinsically and fundamentally, although not exclusively, related to and having bearing upon life in this world in all of its forms and activities. Even granting the distinction just mentioned, it is still not commonly agreed by general Christian consciousness that Christian salvation includes this inner worldly and historical dimension as an essential and constitutive one.3 The question that is raised, therefore, is whether or not this claim of liberation theoolgy is true, and in what sense? Is the liberationist interpretation really a theology at all, or, is it simply a movement which is more or less a product of culture, but supporting itself extrinsically with Christian idealism and rhetoric? Is the liberationist interpretation of Christianity really a social movement that has adapted Christian language and slogans in order to seek its particular goals? Or, on the contrary, is this really a theology and thereto inculturate western Christianity into their local situations, so now it seems western Christianity is beginning to be asked to receive back and adapt into western traditions insights gained in the third world. 2 " Distinction " does not mean " separation " ; there can be no expression of pure Christian faith outside of culturally relative human forms. 3 " Essential " and " constitutive " mean that if this dimension is lacking Christian faith life would be inauthentic as is implied by the famous sentence of 1971 Roman Catholic Bishops' Synod: "Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel, or, in other words, of the Church's mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation ." 1971 Synod of Bishops, Justice in the World, Introduction. GRACE AND LIBERATION 541...