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THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA Theology of Context as the Theological Method of Virgilio Elizondo and Gustavo Gutiérrez A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Theology and Religious Studies Of The Catholic University of America In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree Doctor of Philosophy © Copyright All Rights Reserved By Simon C. Kim Washington, D.C. 2011 Theology of Context as the Theological Method of Virgilio Elizondo and Gustavo Gutiérrez Simon C. Kim, Ph.D. Director: John Ford, C.S.C., S.T.D. In many ways the theological reflections of Virgilio Elizondo and Gustavo Gutiérrez have been examples of the ecclesial fruitfulness of the second half of the twentieth century. Following the directives of Pope John XXIII and the Second Vatican Council, Elizondo and Gutiérrez have presented the Gospel message in relevant terms to their own people by engaging the world as the Church of the poor. Inspired by this moment in Church history, while at the same time recognizing the plight of their people in their poor and marginal existence, Elizondo and Gutiérrez discovered a new way of doing theology by asking a specific set of questions based on their local context. By investigating where God is present in the border-crossers of Southwestern United States and the poorest of the poor in Latin America, both theologians have uncovered a hermeneutical lens in re-reading scripture and deepening our understanding of ecclesial tradition. Their particular investigations have, in turn, benefitted the universal Church and overall society by prophetically reminding us of God‘s intent, the mestizo future of humanity through our encounters and the preferential option for the poor. Elizondo‘s mestizaje and Gutiérrez‘s preferential option for the poor arose out of a theology of context, a theological method that takes seriously the contextual circumstances of their locale. By utilizing the common loci theologici of scripture and tradition in conjunction with context, their own experience, Elizondo and Gutiérrez illustrate through their unique theologies how every group must embrace their own unique theological reflection. Examining their theological method and relating them to other situations such as my own has been the impetus for this dissertation. Through the monumental efforts of Virgilio Elizondo and Gustavo Gutiérrez, we are able to reflect in a similar theological manner locating the blessings of different worlds coming together in a mestizo manner while at the same time locating the poor and entering into solidarity with them to enjoy true communion with God and God‘s own. The moment we are able to accomplish this particular, yet universal task, the Kingdom is truly ours. This dissertation by Simon C. Kim fulfills the dissertation requirement for the doctoral degree in Historical and Systematic Theology approved by John Ford, C.S.C., S.T.D., as Director, and by Paul McPartlan, S.T.L., D.Phil., and Brian Johnstone, S.T.D., Ph.D. as Readers. ___________________________________ John Ford, C.S.C., S.T.D., Director ___________________________________ Paul McPartlan, S.T.L., D.Phil. ___________________________________ Brian Johnstone, S.T.D., Ph.D. ii This dissertation is dedicated to the mestizos and the poor of the world. Mestizos have helped me to better understand who I am as a child of God while the poor have allowed me to encounter Christ in my brothers and sisters. iii Table of Contents Acknowledgments.................................................................................................................. viii Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter One: Movement Towards A Theology of Context.................................................... 13 1.1 Introduction to Virgilio Elizondo.................................................................................. 13 1.2 Introduction to Gustavo Gutiérrez ................................................................................ 21 1.3 Impetus for a Theology of Context ............................................................................... 28 1.4 Pope John XXIII and The Second Vatican Council ..................................................... 30 1.4.1 Ad Gentes § 22: The Conciliar Foundation for Elizondo‘s Mestizo Theology ...... 40 1.4.2 Gaudium et spes § 39: The Conciliar Foundation for Liberation Theology .......... 44 1.5 CELAM: Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano ............................................................ 49 1.6 All Theology as a Theology of Context ........................................................................ 68 Chapter Two: Virgilio Elizondo and Mestizaje ...................................................................... 73 2.1 Virgilio Elizondo and Mestizo Theology ...................................................................... 73 2.1.1 Historical Developments for Mexican American Mestizaje .................................. 83 2.1.2 Theological Developments of Mexican American Mestizaje .............................. 102 2.1.3 The Mestizo Task ................................................................................................. 112 2.2 Mestizo Christology: The Galilean Journey ................................................................ 118 2.3 Mestizo Mariology: Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe .................................................... 130 2.4 Summary: Mestizo Theology ...................................................................................... 140 Chapter Three: Gustavo Gutiérrez and the Preferential Option for the Poor ....................... 143 iv 3.1 Gustavo Gutiérrez and the Option for the Poor .......................................................... 143 3.1.1 Who is My Neighbor?: The Starting Point of the Preferential Option for the Poor ....................................................................................................................................... 147 3.1.2 Real or Material Poverty: Historical Developments ............................................ 152 3.1.3 Theological Developments .................................................................................. 157 3.2 Gustavo Gutiérrez‘s Understanding of ....................................................................... 160 Real Poverty, Spiritual Poverty, and Poverty as Commitment ......................................... 160 3.2.1 Real Poverty and the Material Poor ..................................................................... 160 3.2.2 Spiritual Poverty: Our Method is Our Spirituality (Preferential) ........................ 165 3.2.3 Poverty as a Commitment .................................................................................... 174 3.3 Preferential Option for the Poor: the Book of Job ...................................................... 188 3.3.1 The Real or Material Poor in the Book of Job ..................................................... 191 3.3.2 Spiritual Poverty in the Book of Job .................................................................... 195 3.3.3 Poverty as Commitment in the Book of Job ........................................................ 199 3.3.4 Summary: the Preferential Option for the Poor in the Book of Job ..................... 202 3.4 Preferential Option for the Poor: Bartolomé de Las Casas ......................................... 204 3.4.1 Material or Real Poverty according to Bartolomé de Las Casas ......................... 207 3.4.2 Spirtual Poverty in Bartolomé de Las Casas........................................................ 209 3.4.3 Bartolomé de Las Casas: Poverty as Commitment .............................................. 213 3.4.4 Summary: the Preferential Option for the Poor in Bartolomé de Las Casas ....... 215 3.5 Summary of Preferential Option for the Poor ............................................................. 220 Chapter Four: Theology of Context as Theological Method ................................................ 223 v 4.1 Virgilio Elizondo and Gustavo Gutiérrez: Similarities ............................................... 223 4.1.1 Elizondo and Gutiérrez: Two Phases in their Theological Method ..................... 227 4.1.2 Culture of Context and Culture of Content .......................................................... 230 4.1.3 See, Judge, Act ..................................................................................................... 236 4.1.4 Ecumenism ........................................................................................................... 238 4.2 Virgilio Elizondo and Gustavo Gutiérrez: Differences in their Theological Method 245 4.2.1 Theology of Context in the United States ............................................................ 249 4.2.2 Theology of Context in Latin America ................................................................ 252 4.2.3 Denouncement, Announcement, and Fiesta......................................................... 255 4.2.4 New Pentecost and Communidades de base ........................................................ 257 4.3 Virgilio Elizondo: Characteristic Topics .................................................................... 260 4.3.1 The Sixteenth Century Spanish Conquest............................................................ 260 4.3.2 The Historical and Theological Implications of Galilee ...................................... 265 4.3.3 Our Lady of Guadalupe ......................................................................................