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A Theology of Liberation QUOTES

A Theology of Liberation QUOTES

1 " We take it for granted that Jesus was not interested in political life: his mission was purely religious. Indeed we have witnessed . . . the 'iconization' of the life of Jesus: 'This is a Jesus of hieratic, stereotyped gestures, all representing theological themes. In this way, the life of Jesus is no longer a human life, submerged in history, but a theological life -- an icon. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

2 " The unqualified affirmation of the univeral will of salvation has radically changed the way of conceiving the mission of the Church in the world. . . . The work of salvation is a reality which occurs in history. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

3 " Charity is today a 'political charity.'. . . it means the transformation of a society structured to benefit a few who appropriate to themselves the value of the work of others. This transformation ought to be directed toward a radical change in the foundation of society, that is, the private ownership of the means of production. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

4 " If there is no friendship with them [the poor] and no sharing of the life of the poor, then there is no authentic commitment to liberation, because love exists only among equals. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

5 " [Neighbor is] not he whom I find in my path, but rather he in whose path I place myself, he whom I approach and actively seek. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

6 " But there is one thing that is privileged to be a paradoxical sign of God, in relation to which men are able to manifest their deepest commitment -- our Neighbor. The sacrament of our Neighbor!' -- Congar "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

7 " Man is saved if he opens himself to God and to others, even if he is not clearly aware that he is doing so. This is valid for Christians and non-Christians alike -- for all people. . . . We can no longer speak properly of a profane world. A qualitative and intensive approach replaces a quantitative and extensive one. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

8 " To conceive of history as a process of the liberation of man is to consider as a historical conquest; it is to understand that the step from an abstract to a real freedom is not taken without a struggle against all the forces that oppress man, a struggle full of pitfalls, detours, and temptations to run away. Thw goal is not only better living conditions, a radical change of structures, a social revolution; it is much more: the continuous creation, never ending, of a new way to be a man, a _permanent_cultural revolution_. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

9 " To conceive of history as a process of the liberation of man is to consider as a historical conquest; it is to understand that the step from an abstract to a real freedom is not taken without a struggle against all the forces that oppress man, a struggle full of pitfalls, detours, and temptations to run away. The goal is not only better living conditions, a radical change of structures, a social revolution; it is much more: the continuous creation, never ending, of a new way to be a man, a _permanent_cultural revolution_. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

10 " In the final analysis, poverty means death: lack of food and housing, the inability to attend properly to health and education needs, the exploitation of workers, permanent unemployment, the lack of respect for one's human dignity, and unjust limitations placed on personal freedom in the areas of self-expression, politics, and religion. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

11 " History is no longer as it was for the Greeks, an anamnesis, a remembrance. It is rather a thrust into the future. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

12 " The Exodus from Egypt, the home of sacred monarchy, reinforces this idea [desacralization of creation]: it is the 'desacralization' of social praxis. . . . In Egypt, work is alienated and, far from building a just society, contributes rather to increasing injustice and to widening the gap between exploiters and exploited. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

13 " If there is no friendship with them and no sharing of the life of the poor, then there is no authentic commitment to liberation, because love exists only among equals. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

14 " The use of a variety of tools does not mean sacrificing depth of analysis; the point is only not to be simplistic but rather to insist on getting at the deepest causes of the situation, for this is what it means to be truly radical. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

15 " An essential clue to the understanding of poverty in liberation theology is the distinction, made in the Medellín document "Poverty of the Church," between three meanings of the term "poverty": real poverty as an evil—that is something that God does not want; spiritual poverty, in the sense of a readiness to do God's will; and solidarity with the poor, along with protest against the conditions under which they suffer. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

16 " The unqualified affirmation of the universal will of salvation has radically changed the way of conceiving the mission of the Church in the world. . . . The work of salvation is a reality which occurs in history. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

17 " Love of Enemies' does not ease tensions; rather it challenges the whole system and becomes a subversive formula.
Universal love comes down from the level of abstractions and becomes concrete and effective by becoming incarnate in the struggle for the liberation of the oppressed. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

18 "  The praxis on which liberation theology reflects is a praxis of solidarity in the interests of liberation and is inspired by the gospel. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

19 " although the privileged of this world can accept the existence of human poverty on a massive scale and not be overawed by it (after all, it is something that cannot be hidden away in our time), problems begin when the causes of this poverty are pointed out to them. Once causes are determined, then there is talk of "social injustice," and the privileged begin to resist. This is especially true when to structural analysis there is added a concrete historical perspective in which personal responsibilities come to light. But it is the conscientization and resultant organization of poor sectors that rouse the greatest fears and the strongest resistance. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation

20 " poverty is a complex human condition, and its causes must also be complex. The use of a variety of tools does not mean sacrificing depth of analysis; the point is only not to be simplistic but rather to insist on getting at the deepest causes of the situation, for this is what it means to be truly radical. "

― Gustavo Gutiérrez , A Theology of Liberation