In Christian Theology - University Of Notre Dame
Groody 000.FM1/15/077:08 PMPage iiipti ooTheOptionenhtfor thePoorinChri stian Theologyedited byDaniel G. GroodyUniversity of Notre Dame PressNotre Dame, Indiana 2007 University of Notre Dame Press
Groody 000.FM1/15/077:08 PMPage ivCopyright 2007 by University of Notre DameNotre Dame, Indiana 46556www.undpress.nd.eduAll Rights ReservedManufactured in the United States of AmericaLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataThe option for the poor in Christian theology / edited by Daniel G. Groody.p. cm.Includes index.ISBN-13: 978-0-268-02971-5 (pbk. : alk. paper)ISBN-10: 0-268-02971-7 (pbk. : alk. paper)1. Poverty—Religious aspects—Catholic Church—Congresses.2. Liberation theology—Congresses. I. Groody, Daniel G., 1964 –BX2347.8.P66O77 2007261.8'325—dc222006039789 The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanenceand durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity ofthe Council on Library Resources. 2007 University of Notre Dame Press
Groody 00.Intro1/15/077:08 PMPage 1IntroductionDANIEL G. GROODYIn the spring of 2000, Virgilio Elizondo and I attended a meeting in Paris,France. While we were there, he asked me if I wanted to get together witha good friend of his named Gustavo Gutiérrez. I was grateful for the invitation because for many years I had been greatly influenced by Gutiérrez’swritings and welcomed the chance to meet him in person. The three of uswent out to lunch together and spent hours talking about many things,not the least of which was the option for the poor in Christian theologyand where it stood as an issue within the church and the academy today.This lunch in Paris was particularly timely. It was becoming less clearwhere this topic of the poor fit within the discipline of academic theology.Undoubtedly, many today recognize how Gutiérrez has pioneered a newarea in the discipline and has put this whole notion of the preferential option for the poor on the theological map. But as I looked at the current stateof the question, I wondered if, at least in theology, the theme was recedinginto the background.There were various reasons why the preferential option for the poorseemed at low ebb. One was the inevitable development of the themeand its transformation into new expressions, accelerated in particular by1 2007 University of Notre Dame Press
Groody 00.Intro1/15/077:08 PM2Page 2Daniel G. Groodychanges brought about by globalization. While Gustavo’s groundbreakingwork A Theology of Liberation in 1973 reflected on the preferential optionfrom the perspective of those who faced dire economic poverty, in theyears that followed it became evident that this option had to include notjust those who were marginalized economically but also those who werepoor because of gender, race, culture, and other reasons.1 As the idea developed, this central notion of God’s preference for the poor extended toall who are vulnerable. The notion has not disappeared; whereas in previous generations most areas did not show even a trace of reflection on thesubject, today almost every area of theology shows its influence.At the same time I realized that the notion of the option for the poorcould be understood so broadly as to lose much of its meaning. Saying “Weare all poor” takes the edge off the challenge of the option and makes thenotion so commonplace that it is hollow and empty. Such a perspectivealso preempts the conversion process that is inevitably a part of this option.Further, it can reduce the task of theology to an abstract exercise rootedin peripheral questions rather than a concrete exercise of faith seeking understanding within the particular social challenges of our contemporarycontext. Partially because our understanding of poverty has become moreand more complex, and also partially because the option for the poor hasbecome so watered down that it can apply to everyone and mean little,many theologians now believe that the liberation theology of the late 1960sthrough the 1990s has made its contribution and run its course. Some mighteven say the river has dried up. Given that fewer people seem to be interested in the topic, it looks almost as if this topic has been somewhat of atheological fad that has come and gone. The fire that ignited such passiona few decades ago has burned low, and as the coals of liberation begin tolose their heat some wonder whether it will simply die out all together orbe just an occasional spark here and there. As Gutiérrez, Elizondo, and I atelunch, I thought much about these questions, so it seemed particularly urgent to throw some more socioeconomic wood on the theological fire.AP OVERTY: A N A NCIENT P ROBLEM ,C ONTEMPORARY T HEOLOGICAL C HALLENGESince Elizondo, Gutiérrez, and others began writing about poverty andliberation in the 1960s, in many respects the situation of the poor today 2007 University of Notre Dame Press
Groody 00.Intro1/15/077:08 PMPage 3Introduction3has gotten worse, not better. While there is good news that more thanhalf the world is experiencing economic progress because of globalization, the bad news is that the other half still does not have even one footon the development ladder.2 More than half of the planet still lives on lessthan two dollars a day, and the current course of globalization has onlyfurther widened the gap between the rich and the poor. The income disparities between the richest and the poorest have deteriorated at a ratenever before witnessed in human history.3 The economic difference between the richest and poorest countries was 3:1 in 1820, 11:1 in 1913,35:1 in 1950, 44:1 in 1973, and 72:1 in 1992.4 Research in the new millennium indicates that this gap continues to widen and worsen.5 The criticalcondition of the poor in our times makes the concept of the option forthe poor not less but more important than ever. And the task of thinkingcritically and academically in the face of the current, complex social realityof poverty is one of the great theological challenges, if not the central theological challenge, of our times. This volume seeks to address that challengeas well as examine the ways it is being reconceived and renegotiated inlight of today’s global realities.Gutiérrez, Elizondo, and others like them did not invent the notion ofthe preferential option for the poor but rather drew it out of the Christiantradition. They sought to read current social problems in light of the Gospel, as did the first Christians. From the earliest days of the church, the reality of poverty has made an explicit demand on Christian conscience.6The preferential option for the poor is in fact one of the oldest andmost central themes of Scripture. Amidst the doctrinal controversies ofthe early church, when many dimensions of the faith were being debatedby Paul and theological doctrine was still up for grabs, the one thing thatwas clear to all of them—whatever their doctrinal differences—was “tobe mindful of the poor” (Gal. 2:10). This is no less true today. Whateverdoctrinal and ecclesiastical controversies the church faces, the one centralissue of Christian faith that all can agree on is commitment to the poor.What does theology say to the countless people still subjected to high infant mortality, inadequate housing, health problems, starvation wages,unemployment and underemployment, malnutrition, job uncertainty,compulsory mass migration, and many other problems?While theologians have made many important contributions overthe last decades and liberationist themes have permeated various disciplines, the issue of the poor more and more appears to sit on the sidelines 2007 University of Notre Dame Press
Groody 00.Intro1/15/077:08 PM4Page 4Daniel G. Groodyof Christian theology rather than be one of the central players on the theological field. Whatever else theology says or wherever else it takes us, thepreferential option for the poor is at the heart of Christian theology. Without it, theology can become useless or irrelevant. But how does one makethis option and do Christian theology in a globalized world and evena theological discipline that has become more and more complex? To methis is one of the great challenges that lie ahead, and it has been one of thegreat moments to build a community of reflection where a team of theologians could work together to reflect on how our theological task couldbe enriched when done from the perspective of the least of our brothers and sisters.When Gutiérrez, Elizondo, and I came to the University of NotreDame in the fall of 2000, I believed that one of the important places tobegin this community of dialogue would be a conference on the preferential option for the poor. I believed such an event could bring togethera group of senior theologians and honor the foundational work of Gutiérrez and Elizondo but also bring together from around the world youngertheologians like myself who were interested in this same theme and couldbegin to advance the topic in the decades ahead. I also felt that the conference could bring together not only scholars but church leaders, activists, and other pastoral workers who work with the poor on the grassrootslevel. This gathering, I believed, could facilitate a rich dialogue on the option for the poor, engage a broad cross section of experience, and forgenew networks of relationships that could bear fruit in new projects thatwould advance some of the pioneering work Gutiérrez and Elizondo hadbegun.In the fall of 2002, this dream became a reality, and we sponsored aconference at Notre Dame entitled “The Option for the Poor in ChristianTheology.” We invited men and women from around the world to cometogether for three days to reflect on the reality of poverty, the biblical andpatristic foundations of the option for the poor, and specific themes relating to culture, gender, race, and other issues. These presentations werethe beginning of this edited volume. We also invited other scholars fromdifferent parts of the world to add essays to those we had from the conference, and the eventual result was this present collection. Through itsessays we came to see how the preferential option for the poor has nowextended to other areas like gender, race, and culture in a way that it hasenriched many different areas of theology. 2007 University of Notre Dame Press
Groody 00.Intro1/15/077:08 PMPage 5IntroductionT HE O PTIONFOR THEP OORAS A5T HEOLOGICAL C ONCEPTSince the publication of Gutiérrez’s groundbreaking work A Theologyof Liberation in 1973, much has been written on the preferential optionfor the poor and liberation theology. Arguably, it has been one of the mostimportant theological developments of the twentieth century. It has alsobeen one of the most controversial. The option for the poor in Christiantheology seeks to respond to the question: How can one live a Christianlife in a world of destitution?7 The starting point for Gutiérrez’s work andfor many theologians since then has always been the reality of poverty.That is, theological reflection begins from the perspective of those whoare poor, those who are marginalized from mainstream society, who haveno influence or voice in the socioeconomic and political processes that soprofoundly shape their lives and condemn them to dehumanizing misery.Though an accurate grasp of social reality is an important foundation to this book, we are concerned here with the option for the poor notsimply as a socioeconomic problem or even a compassionate gesture butmost of all as a theological concept. The option for the poor finds its meaning and purpose not simply in logical reasoning and humanitarian virtue—although it includes these—but in the very life of God.8 One can speakabout a preferential option for the poor because the Judeo-Christian Scriptures reveal first of all a God of life who opted for the poor in the past andcontinues to opt for the poor in the present. The whole ethical foundation for Israel rests not in an arbitrary commandment from God but in thememory of how God acted on behalf of Israel in her insignificance: “For,remember, you were once slaves in Egypt, and the LORD, your God, ransomed you from there; that is why I command you to observe this rule”(Deut. 24:18). In other words, the heart of Yahweh reveals a God who says,“Because you were poor and I had mercy on you, you too must also havemercy on those who are poor in your midst.” In this sense, Israel’s liberation from Egypt —a paradigm for all people oppressed in bondage in anyform and called to live in the freedom of the Children of God—is both agift and a demand. Because of God’s option for Israel in her insignificance,Israel is called in faith to respond to others in the same way, especially tothe widow, the orphan, and the stranger (Deut. 24).While liberation theology has always begun with the reality of poverty, in recent decades much more has been written about how to understand the complex reality of poverty and its many dimensions. This volume 2007 University of Notre Dame Press
Groody 00.Intro1/15/077:08 PM6Page 6Daniel G. Groodybegins, then, not with doctrine or Scripture or the experience of the earlychurch but with the experience of poor people today. Gutiérrez’s essaygives us a social and theological framework for understanding the multidimensionality of poverty. Elsewhere he notes that in some ways povertyis like Noah’s ark: when we look inside, we see a poverty animal of everykind—spiritual poverty, racial poverty, gender poverty, and many otherspecies. As Gutiérrez notes, “To be poor means to be insignificant.” It doesnot mean only that one does not have money, although this is certainlya big part of it and one of the primary roots of the problem. To be poormeans that one does not have options, that one does not have opportunities, that one dies before one’s time. The poor undergo death on many different levels— sickness, fatigue, hunger, the violation of human rights—and they suffer dehumanization and the negation of life in many otherways. Though this volume looks at many different kinds of poverty, itsessays are unified around the theme that poverty is contrary to the willof the God of life.But this book is not just another work on the complexity of povertyand its many dimensions. Fundamentally, as noted above, it is about howto understand this reality from a faith perspective. Moreover, it is abouthow to do a faith reading of reality. If one may even put this forth modestly but directly, it is an attempt to ask, What does God say about this reality? What demands does this reality make on human conscience? How,in the face of the reality of poverty, can one live out an authentic responseof discipleship? These are some of the fundamental questions that The Option for the Poor in Christian Theology seeks to address.Following Gutiérrez’s initial essay on the multidimensionality of poverty, we look at some of the foundational sources that shape our reflectionon this topic. Among these, the principal sources are the Judeo-ChristianScriptures, as the essays by Elsa Tamez and by Hugh R. Page Jr. give usample opportunity to realize. Tamez brings out how this option for thepoor is not only the option of the God of Israel or the option of JesusChrist but the option to which all Christians are called. In this respect, theword option can easily distort the theological meaning of the concept. Option does not mean that those who profess Christian faith can choose towork for the liberation of the poor or not, as if it were a matter of buyinga red car or blue car. From the perspective of fidelity to the Gospel, theoption for the poor is not “optional,” as if one can say “no” to the optionand still call oneself a Christian. Rather, option here means that there is a 2007 University of Notre Dame Press
Groody 00.Intro1/15/077:08 PMPage 7Introduction7choice and that the choice entails making the poor central to one’s visionof life, as they were for Jesus: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, becausehe has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me toproclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let theoppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” (Luke4:18 –19). As Tamez says, “We can affirm that precisely because the loveof God is universal, God opts for the poor so that there may no longerbe excluded persons in society.”In a similar vein, Hugh Page explores what this option looks like fromthe vantage point of African Americans living in the United States. Hepresents the experience of the poor as the hermeneutical starting point forreading the Scriptures and shows how the Scriptures not only give us anaccount of the poor in Israel but offer marginalized groups like AfricanAmericans a new way of imagining one’s life before God and before thepowers that be. They subvert the existing power structure and offer hopeto all who are oppressed: in other words, they give us a new way of imagining one’s place in the world created by God.The second major theological foundation for the option for the pooris explored in the essays by Brian E. Daley and Jon Sobrino, which showhow, in addition to the Scriptures, the writings of the church fathers helpus understand the early church’s approach to issues of faith, poverty, andeven martyrdom. The power of reading these church fathers, and looking at them in light of the current social challenges, is that of hearingthem speak from their own generation an enduring and liberating truthfor all generations. The patristic foundation offers a way of reading thepresent, and attentiveness to the present reality gives a new way of understanding the church fathers and their times. Daley looks at some ofthe anthropological and moral issues raised by the Cappadocian fathers—Basil of Caesarea, his brother Gregory of Nyssa, and their friend Gregoryof Nazianzus—in the context of poverty of their own day and age, andhe brings out how one of their major contributions was their Christological understanding and the philosophical tradition that anchored it. Asmuch as these theologians dealt with formulating abstract theologicallanguage about the mystery of God as a Trinity, they “shared an urgentconcern to draw the attention of their contemporaries to the plight ofthe poor, the diseased, the marginalized, the ‘insignificant’ . . . preciselyas a challenge to faith in the transforming work of an incarnate, selfcommunicating God.” 2007 University of Notre Dame Press
Groody 00.Intro1/15/077:08 PM8Page 8Daniel G. GroodyJon Sobrino, who many know was a member of the house of the Jesuits in El Salvador who were murdered by death squads in 1989, speaksabout how martyrs are witnesses not only of the ancient church but alsoof the contemporary church. Grounding his reflections on “the crucifiedpeoples of today,” he speaks of those who have chosen to opt for the Godof life and challenge unjust structures—a varied group including peasants,workers, students, lawyers, doctors, teachers, intellectuals, journalists,catechists, priests, religious, bishops, and archbishops, only a few of whomare publicly recognized. He argues that the problem with the current stateof the world is not atheism but idolatry, not a matter of if one believes inGod but what God one believes in. His essay is a stark reflection on realityas it is defined by the poor, the defense of the poor as it reaches its maximum expression in the martyrs, and the martyrs as they bear witness tothe undying love of God. Sobrino notes that “without a willingness to getinvolved in the conflict of reality, to shoulder its weight, and to pay someprice, the church will not bring salvation. Nor will it have credibility.”While theological reflection on the option for the poor is thoroughlygrounded in social reality and thoroughly oriented toward creating a morejust and humane social order in this world, Christian hope also looks tothe future as it looks for the fulfillment of justice. David Tracy and J
The Option for the Poor in Christian Theology edited by Daniel G. Groody University of Notre Dame Press Notre Dame, Indiana
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