Teología de la liberación. Análisis de su método

Abstract

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The expression «Iiberation theology», means, if understood in a broad sense, a reflection over the Christian faith as a result of concern for justice and the compromise of liberation from misery and oppression. This general standpoint is susceptible to various interpretations and accentuations. Hence, the importance of a study of methodological character with the aim of pointing out the reach and the implications of the different attempts.

With this general consideration as a background, the author centres his writing in the analysis of the method in the liberation theology in the way it is conceived and practised by Gustavo Gutiérrez, Hugo Assmann, Juan Luis Segundo, Leonardo Boff. Jon Sobrino, etc. All of them understood the liberation theology as being a reflection over and parting from the liberation praxis. It is for this reason that the author begins his analysis by examining the notion of praxis which may be found in these authors and particularly, the place they give to the social sciences as «first word» which comes before the «second word» of theology. This permits, on the one hand, a demonstration of the relation between this movement and others which have preceded it -(namely the secularization theology)- and on the other, point out the position that the repercussion of the marxist interpretation of the historical future occupies in this liberation theology.

As a result, a fundamental conclusion is reached: this liberation theology implies more than anything, hermeneutics of history which are considered as a process which has its axis in the poor man who is identified with the oppressed. These hermeneutics of history, in turn, start off in hermeutics of the Gospel, inspired in party, by an understanding of the «hermeneutics circle» inherited from Bultmann although it is actually transferred to a collective context The Christian message is interpreted parting fram the social praxis which has a social compromise with the poor man in the above mentioned sense, and with the struggles and efforts aimed at his liberation. The question here is a political re-reading of the Gospel which, in fact, as pointed out by the Instruction of the Ho/y Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, leads to assertions which move away from the Christian faith.

The author finally goes on to analyse critically the concept of science and the vision of the relations between theory and praxis which characterize this liberation theology, as well as some of its metaphysical-theological presuppositions especially the distinction and relations between different levels of liberation already established by Gustavo Gutiérrez and his assertions about history's unity and about the centralness of the socio-political movement which are characteristics of the whole of this movement.

Going back to the first perspectives, the studies ends with sorne indications of a positive character about the context in which will be carried out all reflection, which, on receiving the impulse of privileged concern for justice, aspires to be authentic theology.