A theology of liberation: History, politics, and salvation

SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS Liberation Theologies Fall 2012 Discipline: RELG 3559: Division: Faculty Name: Religious Studies New Course in Religion: Liberation Theologies Upper Barry Penn Hollar Pre-requisites: A course in Christian Theology, New Testament, or, the Christian Bible, or at the approval of the instructor/registrar. COURSE DESCRIPTION This course explores Christian Liberation Theologies and their critics. After an initial consideration of the common characteristics of various liberation theologies and their European and North American precursors, the course will give sustained attention to liberation theologies in Africa and Latin America, and, in particular, their relationship to revolutionary political struggles in those contexts. Throughout, the focus will be on careful attention to classic liberationists texts and reflection on them nourished by field experiences in Ghana, South Africa, Argentina, and Brazil. COURSE OBJECTIVES - Students will be able to identify and explain in writing the general characteristics of liberation theologies. -Students will be able to identify and explain in writing the primary precursors to and historical moments in the development of Liberation Theology. -Students will display critical familiarity with five major texts in Latin American and African liberation theologies. -Students will be able to identify and explain in writing distinctive liberationist approaches to theological method, Christology, and political ethics. -Students will be able to identify and explain in writing the standard criticisms of liberation theology. -Students will be able to write critical reviews of theological texts identifying their primary theses and patterns of reasoning, identifying strengths and weaknesses in the texts. REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AUTHOR: TITLE: PUBLISHER: ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: COST: Gustavo Guitierrez A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation Orbis Books 978-0800616977 Revised Edition, 1988 $15.93 1 AUTHOR: TITLE: PUBLISHER: ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: COST: Mercy Amba Oduyoye Daughters of Anowa: African Women and Patriarchy Orbis Books 978-0883449998 1995 $18.25 AUTHOR: TITLE: PUBLISHER: ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: COST: Desmond Tutu The Rainbow People of God Doubleday 0-385-47546 1994 $12.35 AUTHOR: TITLE: PUBLISHER: ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: COST: Miguez, Rigoer, and Sung Beyond the Spirit of Empire SCM Press 978-0334043225 2009 $24.04 AUTHOR: TITLE: PUBLISHER: ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: COST: Leonardo Boff Passion of Christ, Passion of the World Fortress Press 978-1570759093 1983 $17.16 AUTHOR: TITLE: PUBLISHER: ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: COST: Arthur McGovern Liberation Theology and Its Critics: Toward an Assessment Wipf and Stock 978-1606088937 2005 $26.64 COURSE REQUIREMENTS 1) Attendance: Regular attendance is expected. One absence is allowed. After one absence, other unexcused absences will be penalized, reducing the final grade 2.5 points per absence. Tardiness to three classes counts as an absence. 2) Readings: Readings are to be completed before the class session to which they are related. The class will be conducted primarily in a seminar/discussion format. Careful attention to assigned 2 readings prior to class is essential to the students’ learning experience. There may be occasional “reading quizzes” at the beginning of class which will constitute part of students’ class participation grade. 3) Critical Reviews: Students will write two critical reviews, one on the assigned reading for a single day in the course and another on one of the five primary texts used in the course. The first will be due on the day of the assigned reading. The critical book review will be due on the next-tolast day of class. 4) Fieldwork Journals: Each student will keep a journal for reflective relating of experiences in Faculty-Led Trips and S@S trips to course material. On the basis of those journals, students will write an essay (750-1000 words in length) that address specific themes and questions related to course material. These papers will be evaluated based on their demonstration of key concepts from liberation theologies relevant to the field experience, and, critical engagement with the beliefs, attitudes, and practices being observed from the perspective of liberation theologies. 4) Field Lab experience: Students will participate in a seminar experience through the Instituto Superior de Educacion Teologica in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After the seminar, students will be required to write an essay of 3-5 pages describing the ways in which the experienced deepened and made more concrete their understanding of liberation theology. Put differently, having already learned about some of the broad themes of liberation theology, they will be asked to reflect how they saw those themes embodied or made concrete in the life of the Christian community in Argentina. 5) Midterm Test: There will be a midterm exam based on a study guide distributed at least 3 class sessions prior to the exam. It will involve short answer and essay questions. Day 13. 6) Final Exam: There will be a final exam based on a study guide distributed at least 3 class sessions prior to the exam. It will involve short answer and essay questions. Last Day of class. GRADE STRUCTURE Class participation Field Work Essay Field Lab Essay 1st Critical Review (Chapter) 2nd Critical Review (Book) Midterm Final Exam 10% 05% 15% 10% 15% 20% 25% The grade scale is: A 100-90; B 89-80; C 79-70; D 69-60; F 59 or lower. The course requirements and course schedule above are subject to adjustment as deemed necessary by the professor. Students will be notified well in advance of changes. TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE Liberation Theology: Introduction & History Day 1 Liberation Theologies: General Introduction 3 Introduce the course and its requirements. In lecture, offer a general description of the common characteristics of liberation theologies. Day 2 The “History” of Liberation Theologies The precursors to Liberation Theologies, the historical contexts in which liberation theologies emerged in Latin American, and the impact of the “demise” of Marxism, and the post-Marxist directions of liberation theologies. McGovern, Liberation Theology and Its Critics, Ch, 1 & 2 Hillar, “ Liberation Theology: Religious Response to Social Problems” (pdf.) Boffs, “Concise History of Liberation Theooogy,” (pdf) John Yu, “A Chronology of Liberation Theology 1512 – 1986” (pdf) “Justice in the World,” (pdf.) Gaudium et Spes (pdf.) The First Formulation: Gustavo Guitieerz Day 4 Gustavo Guitierrez Theology of Liberation Intro & Chs. 1- 5, xiii-46 Day 5 Gustavo Guitierrez Theology of Liberation Chs. 6-9, 47-105 Day 6 Gustavo Guitierrez Theology of Liberation Chs. 10-13, 106-175 Liberation Theology in Africa Day 7 Liberation Theology in Africa Mbiti, “The Encounter of Christian Faith and African Religion,” In Ferm, Third World Liberation Theologies: A Reader Maluleke, Black and African Theologies in the New World Order (pdf) Oduyoye, Daughters of Anowa, Intro and Chs. 1-3 Day 8 Liberation Theology in Africa Oduyoye, Daughters of Anowa, Chs. 4-6 Day 9 Liberation Theology in Africa Oduyoye, Daughters of Anowa, Chs. 7-10 Liberation Theology in the Struggle Against Apartheid 4 Day 10 Liberation Theology in the Struggle Against Apartheid Tutu, “Black Theology/African Theology—Soul Mates or Antagonists,” Boesak, “Liberation Theology in South Africa,” In Ferm, Third World Liberation Theologies: A Reader Walshe, “THE EVOLUTIONOF LIBERATIONTHEOLOGY …” Selections from The Rainbow People of God, Tutu 1-A Growing Nighmarish Fear 2-Oh God How Long Can This Go On? 3-We Drink Water to Fill Our Stomachs 6-The Divine Imperative Day 11 Liberation Theology in the Struggle Against Apartheid Selections from The Rainbow People of God, Tutu 11-Agents of Transformation 15-Your Politics are Unbiblical, Unchristian, Immoral and Evil 21-We Have Seen Some Extraordinary Things 22-Why I Believe This is Happening 23-I Am Not a Politician 27-Nuturing Our People 32-A Miracle Unfolding Day 12 Liberation Theology in the Struggle Against Apartheid The Kairos Document Goba, THE KAIROS DOCUMENT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS … Day 13 Midterm Exam Liberation Theology After the End of History Day 14 Liberation Theology After End of History Bell, After the End of History, pdf Miguez, Rieger, and Sung, Beyond the Spirit of Empire, Intro, Chs. 1 Day 15 Liberation Theology After the End of History Miguez, Rieger, and Sung, Beyond the Spirit of Empire, Chs. 2-4. 5 Day 16 Liberation Theology After the End of History Miguez, Rieger, and Sung, Beyond the Spirit of Empire, Chs. 5-6 Liberation Theology And Christology Day 17 Liberation Theology and Christology Boff, Passion of Christ, Passion of the World, Chs. 1-3 Day 18 Liberation Theology and Christology Boff, Passion of Christ, Passion of the World, Chs. 4-7 Day 19 Liberation Theology and Christology Boff, Passion of Christ, Passion of the World, Chs. 8-11 Liberation Theology: Criticism and Assessment Day 20 The Critics of Liberation Theology McGovern, Liberation Theology and Its Critics, Ch. 3 Ratzinger, Notes on Liberation Theology, pdf Day 21 The Critics of Liberation Theology McGovern, Liberation Theology and Its Critics, TBD “A Critique of Liberation Theology by a Cross-Cultured Calvinist,” Woudstra, pdf Day 22 The Critics of Liberation Theology McGovern, Liberation Theology and Its Critics, TBD Capitalism Rightly Understood, Novak, pdf Day 23 Catch-up and Review Day-24—Final Exam . 6