Gustavo Gutierrez: Essential Writings

This volume on the works of Gustavo Gutierrez is part of a series by Fortress Press entitled 'the Making of Modern Theology: Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Texts'. Each of the volumes in the series focuses upon one particular theologian of note. These volumes are of use to students, seminarians, ministers and other readers interested in the development of theological ideas in the modern and postmodern world. Each volume is a reader of key texts from the theologian highlighted - the text entries are annotated a bit by the editors, and the editor of each volume provides an introduction setting the general stage for context and understanding.Editor James Nickoloff describes Gutierrez as being a theologian of liberation -- indeed, the advent of liberation theology in the twentieth century is one of the most dynamic and pervasive (and, at times, controversial) movements in theology in generations. Gutierrez is at the forefront of this movement. Gutierrez's theology of liberation rests on faith, hope and love, the traditional Pauline triad, but with radically different conclusions. Gutierrez is a priest of the Roman Catholic church in Peru -- many of the early leaders in liberation theology came from the Latin American countries, and many from the Roman Catholic faith. In the poverty and oppression of the people in these countries, both by foreign and domestic corporations and by the governmental/military authorities, the need for liberation was born. In the lack of appropriate response from the wealthy and powerful church hierarchy (Roman Catholicism is by far the dominant religious institution in Latin America), the call for a pastoral and theological response grew from the base communities.Gutierrez takes full advantage of the history of theology, including major works by twentieth-century theologians. In Gutierrez one hears echoes (directly and indirectly) of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Karl Rahner, Paul Tillich and others -- however, he looks for concrete action in the social sphere that impacts communities rather than concentrating on individuals. Gutierrez also embraces a concept that makes many in the established church and theological strands uneasy -- the preferential option for the poor. Nickoloff includes a text in which Gutierrez discusses this in each part -- what is meant by 'preference', what is meant by 'option', and what is meant by 'poor'. Gutierrez does not see liberation theology as just a political or social movement; in discussing St. John of the Cross, he states that without prayer, contemplation, meditation and study, one cannot have an authentic Christian life. However, this same holds true for the action in the world, and in community -- without this, there is no authentic Christian expression. Gutierrez addresses this new framework of the preferential option for the poor and the call for action toward liberation in the classic systematic theological topics -- ecclesiology, soteriology, eschatology, etc. Nickoloff