Gustavo Gutiérrez's Notion of “Liberation”

Gustavo Gutiérrez’s Notion of “Liberation” and Marx’s Legacy of “Ruthless Criticism” by Sarah Lynn Kleeb A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Religion University of Toronto © Copyright by Sarah Lynn Kleeb 2015 ii Gustavo Gutiérrez’s Notion of “Liberation” and Marx’s Legacy of “Ruthless Criticism” Sarah Lynn Kleeb Doctor of Philosophy Department of Religion University of Toronto 2015 Abstract This dissertation examines the content and meaning of Gustavo Gutiérrez’s notion of liberation in his pre- and post-1986 writings, framing the trajectory of this notion as a direct response to the 1984 and 1986 Vatican condemnations of liberation theology, composed by former-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now, former-Pope Benedict XVI). While Gutiérrez’s early theology was in part informed by Marxian social critique, charges of explicit “Marxism” resulted in a significant reordering of some central critical elements, in ways that complicate the fundamental liberationist assertion that theology is to be a “second act.” Following Ratzinger’s critique, Gutiérrez moves ever closer to a theology that talks about liberation, and away from a theology that is itself liberatory, particularly as bound to praxis and critique. Where Gutiérrez once questioned the very meaning of religious unity in a world characterized by (economic) division, for example, his later theology abandons such speculation, asking instead, “How are we to live evangelical charity in the midst of this situation?” The ramifications of this shift are such that the initial aims of Gutiérrez’s liberation theology have largely been re-assigned, with a focus on liberation as a question of faith rather than a question of human emancipation and agency. The recent rise of Pope Francis, who frequently uses liberationist language and economic critique in iii several recent interviews and encyclicals, has made such already murky waters even more complex. He has long distanced himself from liberation theology; now, as pope, Francis seemingly draws on the very same tradition from which he once sought to distinguish himself. What this means for Gutiérrez’s notion of liberation remains to be seen, but this work attempts to put Gutiérrez and Marxian thinkers back into conversation with one another, particularly with regard to Marx’s notion of “ruthless critique.” iv Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 1 Marx’s Legacy of “Ruthless Criticism” ................................................................................... 15 A Few Words on Approach, Terminology, and Key Concepts ............................................... 22 Gutiérrez’s “Liberation Theology” ...................................................................................... 22 Which Marx? Whose Marx? Why Marx? ............................................................................ 25 Chapter Outline ........................................................................................................................ 28 Chapter One: Gutiérrez’s Liberation Theology pre-1986 ................................................................... 32 Liberation as Class Struggle .................................................................................................... 36 Chapter Two: Gutiérrez’s Liberation Theology post-1986................................................................. 44 1989 – “The Meaning and Scope of Medellín,” and “Toward the Fifth Centenary ................ 52 1991: “New Things Today: A Rereading of Rerum Novarum” ............................................... 57 1994: “Theology: An Ecclesial Function” ............................................................................... 62 2009: “The Option for the Poor Arises from Faith in Christ” ................................................. 74 Chapter Three: Liberation and Orthodoxy ............................................................................................ 80 1961: “Mater et Magistra – Christianity and Social Progress” ................................................ 81 1963: “Pacem in Terris – Peace on Earth” ............................................................................... 87 1965: “Gaudium et Spes – Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World” ........ 91 1967: “Populorum Progressio – On the Development of Peoples” ....................................... 104 1971: “Octogesima Adveniens – A Call to Action” .............................................................. 110 Chapter Four: Liberating a “New Humanity”..................................................................................... 116 Liberation and Human Society .............................................................................................. 125 Friction and Fellowship ......................................................................................................... 132 Chapter Five: Uniting Theory and Praxis in Solidarity with the Poor ............................................ 140 Structural Inequality and the Meaning of ‘Authenticity’ ....................................................... 151 “Evangelii Gaudium” and Gutiérrez’s Notion of Liberation ................................................. 157 The “Idolatry of Money” .................................................................................................... 159 Violence and Unity ............................................................................................................. 162 Liberation as a Historical Project ....................................................................................... 166 Chapter Six: Conclusion – Yearning, Critique, and Liberation ....................................................... 173 v From Marx to Marxian: The Frankfurt School and Religious Yearning ............................... 176 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................ 177 Notes........................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1 Introduction At several times over the course of its composition, this work teetered on becoming a historical project, tracing the trajectory of a movement in a context which seemed relegated to the past, its author more historian than contemporary critical theorist. When the present project was still in its early stages, the liberation theology that began with Gustavo Gutiérrez and other like-minded Catholics in Central and South America seemed as far as it could be from mainstream, contemporary religious and theological discourse.A Since its infancy in the 1960s and 70s, this pioneering version of liberation theology has given rise to theologies of liberation that cross the boundaries of tradition and denomination, and which extend far beyond the initial borders of the Central and South American continents. Forms of religiosity dedicated primarily to a notion of material justice as a driving force in religious identity have blossomed within and outside of the Christian traditions, with the rise of Jewish liberation theologies, Islamic liberation theologies, and liberationist impulses weaving through multiple varieties of many of the world’s religious and social movements.1 It is impossible to deny the influence that this once remote form of theological inquiry has had in terms of discourse around faith and economic oppression, particularly within orthodox Catholicism. Key liberationist themes like the “preferential option for the poor” (a conscious decision to always put those who are oppressed in a position of primacy), and the “idolatry of money” (capital and private property being “worshiped” above, or A Because of the expansive spread of liberation theologies throughout the world since its inception in 1960s and 70s in Latin America, it is quite difficult, if not impossible, to speak of “Liberation Theology,” or even “liberation theology,” as such. While such theologies have multiple intersections and a common foundation in commitment to those who live in conditions of poverty and oppression, the idea of a singular, monolithic liberation theology is not adequate. Recognizing such constraints, in referring to “liberation theology,” I will primarily be speaking of and to the liberation theology of the movement’s founder, the “grand old man,” Gustavo Gutiérrez, unless otherwise noted. 2 instead of, “god”) have become common parlance in many Vatican documents. That said, as yet, no movement like liberation theology has ever been but a minority. Unlike some theologians, those such as Catholic liberation theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez operate under a large scale, hierarchical system of religious authority: the Vatican. While many Catholic clergy and laity have enjoyed a degree or two of separation from the official Church2 (e.g., American Catholicism and the rise of contraceptive use by some Catholic men and women), questions of theological interpretation and the very role of the religious institution itself have come under more rigorous scrutiny, with specific consequences for those who violate authoritative standards. From 1981-2005, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger operated as prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (nee Holy Office of Inquisition), and, working

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