This is just another part of my previous paper, just to help ease myself into the topic again. It also helps re-examine my presuppositions for the Old Testament thematic study. Please feel free to share your thoughts or identify where you think there are weaknesses or the need for further exploration. Thanks for taking the time to be part of this...
What does the Bible say in regards to Gutierrez’ view?
Liberation and Oppression: It has been said that what defines, or divides us, as Christians are the verses we choose to ignore. This can indeed be said for the Church’s view on liberating the oppressed. It is worth taking a brief look at God’s heart for the oppressed throughout Scripture in order to see why Gutierrez clings so firmly to this core theme of a theology of liberation, “This theology must be verified...by active, effective participation in the struggle which the exploited social classes have undertaken against their oppressors” (Gutierrez, 307). Do we need a Marxist analysis to tell us this; or is it clear through the Bible?
“God hates injustice...it matters to God whether the evildoers are brought to justice.” (Haugen, 32)
| Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!
Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow... Isaiah 1:16-17 | The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence
his soul hates. For the LORD is righteous,
he loves justice...Psalm 11:5-7 |
| The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one,
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him... Isaiah 59: 15-16 | Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain...The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice...Ezekiel 22:25-30 |
| You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more...Psalm 10:17-18 | They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed...Amos 2:6-7 |
| I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor. Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD...Jeremiah 5:28-29 | [The king that pleases the Lord] will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight...Psalm 72:12-14 |
| This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth... 1 John 3:10, 16-18 | And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.' But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears... so the LORD Almighty was very angry...Zechariah 7:8-12 |
| He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'" Luke 10:27 | "Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.” Luke 11:42 |
Dialogue Partner: “... we need to recognise that often contemporary western evangelicalism has implicitly assumed the validity of the capitalist system, no doubt reinforced by the perceived enemy of communism. Is this legitimate?”
If the capitalist regime is guilty of oppression for gain, then no – not only is it not legitimate but it is also grossly sinful. Even the small collection of Biblical passages above show that the jealous and holy God of the Bible hates this injustice. He is appalled and angry. God is immutable, therefore the God that hated the oppression in the Old Testament is the God that still hates it today. Not only is this so, but He also expects, demands, positive action by His people to defend, uphold, plead for, administer justice for the victims of oppression. He expects radical action, not passive charity. Does it then follow that if, for example, the economic system itself is oppressive then, in the words of R Brown, the, “the system must go,” even if, “with the disappearance of the system would go our securities, our status, our luxuries, possibly our necessities, perhaps even our lives.” (8)
Dialogue Partner: Evangelicals are good at putting plasters [band aids] on the wounds of extreme capitalism. i.e. Fairtrade, soup kitchens.... but sometimes surgery is needed.
5 comments:
22 September 2009 at 02:23
What do you mean by capitalism? is there a difference between capitalism and extreme captitalism..... is capitalism always oppressive or is in fact capitalism helping to lift some countries out of extreme poverty.
22 September 2009 at 02:28
You say that God hates oppression. Is not the conquest narratives of the OT a form of oppression? does God sometimes use violence and injustice to move history towards eschatological shalom?
22 September 2009 at 02:47
(Sometimes I wish my brother wasn't so helpful...)
In regards to capitalism/economic regimes. Within the context of this post, I don't think there is a specific need to define exactly which economic regime is in question. The paper uses it as an example:
"If the capitalist regime is guilty of oppression for gain, then no – not only is it not legitimate but it is also grossly sinful."
"Does it then follow that if, for example, the economic system itself is oppressive..."
The use of 'if' is posing this as a question. Is the regime oppressive? If it is oppressive; should we let it continue? It stands to reason that there is a need for Christians to examine the systems in place and discern whether they are oppressive/guilty of injustice or not. Any other system could be used an example. Is the American system of government guilty of racialism, are the systems themselves promoting racialism? If this is so (which of course needs discerning) then how does Christ liberate people from this, and how do we then act on this in a Christ-like way. The paper uses economy as an example as it was raised by the dialogue partner (cough, cough) and is a significant part of Marxist philosophy. The paper is promoting the idea that the Liberation Theologian's emphasis on discerning and combatting injustice/oppression is Biblical and a key part of reflecting God's character to others. It uses economic regimes as an example of areas that need addressing by the Church.
As to the conquest narratives...I think this will obviously have to be a part of my thematic study. How does God promote liberation? Is his liberation as the expense of others? How are other nations invited into this liberation? How does this affect our dealings today with other nations seeking liberation, or with the migrants/refugees/asylum seekers waiting at Calais scuffling with riot police?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8268028.stm
Hmm, these are questions that are floating around in my head as I begin to look into this thematic study, and questions that I think are both highly relevant and personal.
Anyway, thanks for the comments/questions Jon!
22 September 2009 at 04:49
Comment form facebook reader:
"Might Dietrch Bonhoeffer's ethical writing and lifetime experience be a useful reference here?
Two quotes:-
"See the great events of world history from below, from the perspective of the outcast, the suspects, the maltreated, the powerless, the oppressed, the reviled – in short from the perspective of those who suffer."
or
"If I refuse to bear guilt for charity's sake, then my action is in contradiction to my responsibility which has its foundation in reality."
Engaged Buddhism, for instance Thich Naht Hahn of Joan Halifax Roshi, might also be worth a look."
23 September 2009 at 21:24
re: "plasters on the wounds of extreme capitalism" - I don't disagree that surgery is sometimes desperately needed, but it gets sticky when it hits reality. How do we perform this surgery? Do we kick over the whole applecart, and the orangecart of corrupt "democracy" while we're at it? What is surgery in this context anyhow?
Wilberforce et al is a particularly helpful example, as he was literally kicking stuff over with great economic and political repercussions. That's surgery, not plasters! But what mandate does the church today possess? Currently, I suggest that as the Western church has not shown ourselves to be faithful in small things, we will not be given the favour to deal with the big. That's part of our shame - even if we recognize the demands of justice that God's character has made, we have proven ourselves inexperienced, greedy and not to be trusted with the power needed to perform the surgery. Where then do we start? What small matters (not the plasters) have we been entrusted with, and how do we show ourselves faithful in them?
Not sure if this is the kind of feedback you're looking for, but it's what rolled around in my head in response to your post. Hope it's helpful somehow....
Post a Comment