Development workers and mediators, amongst others, tend to want to cool down the flames, to lighten the mood, to diffuse loudness and verbal aggression, to “resolve conflict” and “restore beauty.” Yet without conflict, tension, and anger, we make very little progress, except for a short time at the surface. Anger is authentic when experienced as […]
Category Archives: Theology Posts
Tips for Being a Faithful Clergyman from a Peruvian Priest
Some pointers from Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez (paraphrased from A Theology of Liberation): 1) Your duty is to denounce social sin – the systems that oppress and alienate people. 2) Don’t make general statements. Take positions on specific events. 3) Practice kenotic love. Being a true human being requires denying yourself some luxuries as a demonstration […]
Hardcore Music, Effective Fundraising, & the Widow’s Coin
What do noisy music, raising money, and land theft have in common? Nothing, it seems. That was my first thought when a friend recently invited me on a brief tour with his band (based in New England), offering the space to sell some jewelry and reach out to music lovers on behalf of Solidarity Uganda. […]
Kingdom of God understood in Mathematical Figures
Although not rejecting all aspects of the above models, Gutierrez considers them insufficient, having dichotomized the activity of the faith community. He instead suggests that “the building of a just society…the process of liberation is…a salvific work.”
The Spiritual Dimensions of Liberation
These relationships and dimensions of liberation are all spiritual insofar as “to know God is to do justice,” a prominent understanding of the Hebrew prophets and Jesus of Nazareth.