INTRO:
- practical movement began in Latin America in 1964, exploring the Christian
message alongside poverty of Latin America
- part of faith is liberating the poor from oppression, Guiterrez argues there
must be liberation from sin and socio-economic conditions for true freedom
- ‘hope is the seed of liberation.’ Sobrino
Marx’s Teachings
Alienation
- humans contribute to the material world and are affected by them, if their
contribution is fulfilling then there is social harmony and cohesion
- Marx argued alienation is present in society due to a division of labour and
class, meaning humans are disconnected from their work and become
dehumanised
- greater social harmony can be caused if work is fulfilling
- Marx pointed to God as another cause of alienation as it caused illusion and
false belief and justifies the power of the state as fulfilling ‘natural order.’
This ensures the division of class and power remains in society. ‘religion is
the opium of the people.’
Exploitation
- primary cause of exploitation is ownership of the means of production as
there is an unequal ownership in capitalism between the proletariat and
bourgeoise
- the worker becomes an ‘appendage of the machine.’
- the worker is effectively controlled by the bourgeoise as they own things like
the businesses and homes in society
- the production of goods matters more than the worker in capitalism, meaning
workers are treated as means to an end
Can Christianity Use Secular Theories?
YES
- ‘a theology which is not up-to-date is a false theology.’ Gutierrez
- ‘liberation theology used Marxism purely as an instrument.’ Boff and
Boff
- Secular theories can point out issues/corruption in the church without the
influence of bias. ‘When I give food to the poor they call me a saint.
When I ask why the poor have no food they call me a communist.’
Camara
NO
- poverty is a secular issue and the notion that it’s caused by sin is unhelpful
and distracts from providing aid and attention to impoverished people
- Marxism ignores other struggles, particularly spiritual poverty as poverty is
‘not limited to material poverty.’ John Paul II
- practical movement began in Latin America in 1964, exploring the Christian
message alongside poverty of Latin America
- part of faith is liberating the poor from oppression, Guiterrez argues there
must be liberation from sin and socio-economic conditions for true freedom
- ‘hope is the seed of liberation.’ Sobrino
Marx’s Teachings
Alienation
- humans contribute to the material world and are affected by them, if their
contribution is fulfilling then there is social harmony and cohesion
- Marx argued alienation is present in society due to a division of labour and
class, meaning humans are disconnected from their work and become
dehumanised
- greater social harmony can be caused if work is fulfilling
- Marx pointed to God as another cause of alienation as it caused illusion and
false belief and justifies the power of the state as fulfilling ‘natural order.’
This ensures the division of class and power remains in society. ‘religion is
the opium of the people.’
Exploitation
- primary cause of exploitation is ownership of the means of production as
there is an unequal ownership in capitalism between the proletariat and
bourgeoise
- the worker becomes an ‘appendage of the machine.’
- the worker is effectively controlled by the bourgeoise as they own things like
the businesses and homes in society
- the production of goods matters more than the worker in capitalism, meaning
workers are treated as means to an end
Can Christianity Use Secular Theories?
YES
- ‘a theology which is not up-to-date is a false theology.’ Gutierrez
- ‘liberation theology used Marxism purely as an instrument.’ Boff and
Boff
- Secular theories can point out issues/corruption in the church without the
influence of bias. ‘When I give food to the poor they call me a saint.
When I ask why the poor have no food they call me a communist.’
Camara
NO
- poverty is a secular issue and the notion that it’s caused by sin is unhelpful
and distracts from providing aid and attention to impoverished people
- Marxism ignores other struggles, particularly spiritual poverty as poverty is
‘not limited to material poverty.’ John Paul II
