Liberation Theology and Liberation Christianity continue to inspire social movements across Latin America. Following Michel Lowy's analytical and historical distinction between Liberation Christianity (emerging in the 1950s) and Liberation Theology (emerging in the 1970s), this paper seeks to problematize the historical projects of democracy and human rights, particularly in relation to the praxis of Liberation Christianity and the reflection of Liberation Theology. Liberation Theology emerged across Latin America during a period of dictatorship and called for liberation. It had neither democracy nor human rights as its central historical project, but rather liberation. Furthermore, Liberation Christianity, which includes the legacy of Camilo Torres, now seeks to 'defend democracy' and 'uphold human rights' in its ongoing struggles despite the fact that the democratic project has clearly failed the majority of Latin Americans. Both redemocratization and 'pink tide' governments were not driven by liberation. At the beginning of the first Workers' Party government in Brazil, Frei Betto – a leading liberation theologian – famously quipped 'we have won an election, not made a revolution'. In dialogue with Ivan Petrella, this article suggests that Liberation Theology needs to 'go beyond' broad narratives of democracy and human rights to re-establish a historical project of liberation linked to what the Brazilian philosopher, Roberto Mangabeira Unger, calls institutional imagination.
Liberation Theology and Liberation Christianity continue to inspire social movements across Latin America. Following Michel Lowy's analytical and historical distinction between Liberation Christianity (emerging in the 1950s) and Liberation Theology (emerging in the 1970s), this paper seeks to problematize the historical projects of democracy and human rights, particularly in relation to the praxis of Liberation Christianity and the reflection of Liberation Theology. Liberation Theology emerged across Latin America during a period of dictatorship and called for liberation. It had neither democracy nor human rights as its central historical project, but rather liberation. Furthermore, Liberation Christianity, which includes the legacy of Camilo Torres, now seeks to 'defend democracy' and 'uphold human rights' in its ongoing struggles despite the fact that the democratic project has clearly failed the majority of Latin Americans. Both redemocratization and 'pink tide' governments were not driven by liberation. At the beginning of the first Workers' Party government in Brazil, Frei Betto – a leading liberation theologian – famously quipped 'we have won an election, not made a revolution'. In dialogue with Ivan Petrella, this article suggests that Liberation Theology needs to 'go beyond' broad narratives of democracy and human rights to re-establish a historical project of liberation linked to what the Brazilian philosopher, Roberto Mangabeira Unger, calls institutional imagination. ; La teología de la liberación y el cristianismo de la liberación aún inspiran movimientos sociales en América Latina. Siguiendo la distinción analítica e histórica de Michael Lowy entre el cristianismo de liberación (emergente en 1950) y la teología de la liberación (que surgió en la década de 1970), este artículo busca problematizar los proyectos históricos de democracia y derechos humanos en relación con la praxis de la liberación del cristianismo y la reflexión de la liberación. La teología de la liberación surgió en América Latina durante la dictadura y clamaba por liberación. Ni la democracia ni los derechos humanos fueron su proyecto histórico central, sino la liberación. Además, el cristianismo de liberación, que incluye el legado de Camilo Torres, ahora busca 'defender la democracia' y 'apoyar los derechos humanos' en sus luchas contemporáneas a pesar de que el proyecto democrático claramente ha decepcionado la mayoría de los latinoamericanos. Tanto la redemocratización como los 'gobiernos rosados' no fueron impulsados por la liberación. Al comienzo del primer gobierno del Partido de los Trabajadores en Brasil, Frei Betto, un influyente teólogo de la liberación, dijo "ganamos una elección, no hicimos una revolución". En diálogo con Ivan Petrella, este artículo sugiere que la teología de la liberación necesita 'ir más allá' de las grandes narrativas de democracia y derechos humanos para restablecer un proyecto de liberación histórico vinculado a la idea de 'imaginación institucional' del filósofo brasileño Roberto Mangabeira Unger. ; A teologia da libertação e o cristianismo de libertação continuam a inspirar movimentos sociais na América Latina. Seguindo a distinção analítica e histórica de Michael Lowy entre cristianismo de libertação (surgido na década de 1950) e a teologia da libertação (surgida na década de 1970), este artigo busca problematizar os projetos históricos de democracia e direitos humanos em relação à práxis do cristianismo de libertação e à reflexão da teologia da libertação. A teologia da libertação emergiu na América Latina durante o período das ditaduras e clamou por libertação. Nem a democracia, nem os direitos humanos foram seu projeto histórico central, mas sim a libertação. Ademais, o cristianismo de libertação, que inclui o legado de Camilo Torres, agora busca 'defender a democracia' e 'apoiar direitos humanos' nas suas lutas contemporâneas, apesar do fato de o projeto democrático claramente ter decepcionado a maioria dos latino-americanos. Tanto a redemocratização como as "ondas de governos rosas" não foram direcionadas para a libertação. No início do primeiro governo do Partido dos Trabalhadores no Brasil, Frei Betto – um influente teólogo da libertação – disse 'ganhamos uma eleição, não fizemos uma revolução'. Em diálogo com Ivan Petrella, este artigo sugere que a teologia da libertação precisa 'ir além' das grandes narrativas de democracia e direitos humanos para restabelecer um projeto histórico de libertação ligado à ideia de 'imaginação institucional' do filósofo brasileiro, Roberto Mangabeira Unger.
Inspired by Paulo's Freire's popular education for adults and liberation theology's 'option for the poor', Leitura Popular da Bíblia (LPB) was pioneered among poor urban and rural communities throughout Latin America. It emphasised participatory methodologies, critical thinking and community solutions to problems interpreted as political. Importantly, in its early phase, it accompanied and was inserted into revolutionary political and social movements. This article addresses the methodology of LPB and asks critical questions about the notion of 'popular' deployed by some liberation theologies. It problematises the community-based presentation of popular in LPB and asks how LPB can transgress its traditional spaces – favelas, factories, student unions – into newly politicised territories that root emancipatory practices in gender, race and (inter-)religious experiences. The article draws on insights from the experiences of LPB currently used in popular movements in Brazil and Latin America, and considers the wider implications for LPB in light of changing popular experiences and changing practices in revolutionary political and social movements.
"This volume showcases the intersection of religion and ecology, as approached by scholars of religious studies and theology in the Global South and the Global North. It points to what can be generated by these bodies of scholarship, engaged as dialogue partners to investigate new patterns of religious environmentalism"--
Sergii Bulgakov (1871–1944) is one of the preeminent theologians of the 20th century whose work is still being discovered and explored in and for the 21st century. The famous rival of Lenin in the field of economics, was, according to Wassily Kandinsky, "one of the deepest experts on religious life" in early twentieth-century Russian art and culture. As economist, publicist, politician, and later Orthodox theologian and priest, he became a significant "global player" in both the Orthodox diaspora and the Ecumenical movement in the interwar period. This anthology gathers the papers delivered at the international conference on the occasion of Bulgakov's 150th birthday at the University of Fribourg in September 2021. The chapters, written by established Bulgakov specialists, including Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury (2002–2012), as well as young researchers from different theological disciplines and ecclesial traditions, explore Bulgakov's way of meeting the challenges in the modern world and of building bridges between East and West. The authors bring forth a wide range of new creative ways to constructively engage with Bulgakov's theological worldview and cover topics such as personhood, ecology, political theology and Trinitarian ontology.
