Pastor in the Shadow of Violence: Gustavo Gutiérrez As a Public
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Studia Missionalia Svecana Olle Kristenson PASTOR IN THE SHADOW OF VIOLENCE Gustavo Gutiérrez as a Public Pastoral Theologian in Peru in the 1980s and 1990s Uppsala 2009 Dissertation presented at Uppsala University to be publicly examined in Sal IX, Universitetshuset, Uppsala, Friday, December 18, 2009 at 10:00 for the degree of Doctor of Theology. The examina- tion will be conducted in English. Abstract Kristenson, O. 2009. Pastor in the Shadow of Violence. Gustavo Gutiérrez as a Public Pastoral Theologian in Peru in the 1980s and 1990s. Teologiska institutionen. Studia Missionalia Svecana CVIII. 264 pp. Uppsala. ISBN 978-91-977128-2-8. This dissertation is a study of the role of Gustavo Gutiérrez as a public pastor in the 1980s and 1990s in Peru. His collaboration with the Lima newspaper La República from the early 1980s gave him a figurative pulpit from which he addressed the Peruvian public on specific occasions. The fundamental question in the dissertation is: How did Gutiérrez respond as pastor to the Peruvian public and how did he express his pastoral concern? The study analyses materials that has not been object for previous studies, such as theological essays and articles in newspapers and periodicals. With inspiration from discourse analysis four discourses have been identified in Gutiérrez’ texts. These discourses interact and through this interaction Gutiérrez formulates his pastoral message. For the socio-political analysis two political discourses are used, the radical and the liberal. The radical political discourse deals with justice for the poor and liberation from oppression as a condi- tion for peace and harmony in society, which are in focus for the liberal political discourse. With the Catholic theological discourse Gutiérrez sets the socio-political analysis in relation to Catholic doctrine and through the pastoral theological discourse he gives reason for hope and inspiration to action. As an advocate for a theology of life, Gutiérrez urges those who read and listen to him to break the pattern of death and opt for this theology of life. In his role as pastor, Gutiérrez speaks words of comfort and encouragement but also words of admonition and warning to those in power who have the capacity to transform society. Keywords: Bartolomé de Las Casas, CELAM, discourse analysis, Christian hope, God of life, Gustavo Gutiérrez, hermeneutic of hope, human rights, institutionalised violence, La República, liberation theology, pastoral theology, political theology, political violence, preferential option for the poor, reconciliation, resurrection, theology of life, Roman Catholicism in Peru, Sendero Lumi- noso, social movements, Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Olle Kristenson, Department of Theology, Box 511, Uppsala University, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden © Olle Kristenson 2009 ISSN 1404-9503 ISBN 978-91-977128-2-8 urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-109762 (http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-109762) The Scripture quotations contained herein are, if not quoted from English translations of Gutiérrez, from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright, 1989, by the Division of Christian Edu- cation of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Cover: Jens Pernander Printed in Sweden by Edita Västra Aros, Västerås 2009. Contents List of figures and tables................................................................................xi Acknowledgements..................................................................................... xiii Introduction.....................................................................................................1 The focus of the study: Gutiérrez’ appearances in political public debate... 3 Stating the problem ....................................................................................5 Gutiérrez – Pastor of the Nation.................................................................6 Pastoral theology ...................................................................................7 Gutiérrez as pastor .................................................................................9 Peru as category for Gutiérrez .............................................................12 Gutiérrez’ theology – a pastoral theology............................................13 Material ....................................................................................................14 The consistency in Gutiérrez’ writings................................................17 Previous research......................................................................................18 Nordic research on Liberation theology ..............................................19 Research with a focus on Peru and pastoral praxis..............................19 Specific Gutiérrez research..................................................................20 Theory ......................................................................................................30 Method .....................................................................................................33 Outline......................................................................................................37 Chapter 1 Socio-political and ecclesial context....................................39 Introduction ..............................................................................................39 1.1 Colonial heritage and its consequences..............................................40 1.1.1 Independence and the republic ...................................................41 1.1.2 José Carlos Mariátegui and Víctor Haya de la Torre..................43 1.1.3 The Catholic Church from colonial time to the 1950s................44 1.2 1956 – 1979........................................................................................45 1.2.1 Democracy and military regimes................................................45 1.2.2 Social movements and grassroots movements............................48 1.2.3 The Catholic Church...................................................................52 1.3 1980 – 2000........................................................................................59 1.3.1 Return to democracy...................................................................59 1.3.2 Sendero Luminoso and MRTA...................................................59 1.3.3 From Alan García to Alberto Fujimori.......................................61 1.3.4 Peru under Fujimori....................................................................62 1.3.5 Sendero Luminoso and the counterinsurgency response............67 1.3.6 Crisis and decline for movimiento popular.................................72 1.3.7 The fall of Fujimori ....................................................................75 1.3.8 Human rights movement in Peru ................................................77 1.3.9 The Catholic Church...................................................................80 1.3.10 Liberation theology and human rights......................................83 1.3.11 The Churches and the political violence...................................85 Chapter 2 Gustavo Gutiérrez – the theologian .....................................89 2.1 Gutiérrez in his ecclesial context........................................................89 2.1.1 Studies and ordination ................................................................89 2.1.2 Gutiérrez and the emergence of liberation theology...................92 2.1.3 Critique and support from the hierarchy.....................................94 2.1.4 In defence of life, the 1980s and 1990s ......................................97 2.1.5 The role of theology....................................................................97 2.1.6 Intelligence of faith...................................................................101 2.1.7 Theological reflection and social sciences in Gutiérrez ...........102 2.2 Gutiérrez in his societal context .......................................................105 Chapter 3 Gustavo Gutiérrez – a public pastor...................................109 Introduction ............................................................................................109 3.1 Pastoral theology and the socio-political context.............................113 Introduction .......................................................................................113 3.1.1 There is still time to respond and act (June 1986) ....................114 3.1.2 The necessity to break silence and speak (July 1992) ..............121 3.1.3 A moment of shame (June 1995)..............................................128 3.1.4 The Truth and Reconciliation Commission – a process to reveal the truth (October 2003)..........................................................137 3.1.5 Concluding remarks..................................................................149 3.2 Homilies on memorial services for victims of the political violence ... 150 3.2.1 The death of a union leader (December 1993) .........................150 3.2.2 The dead are not strangers (January 1994) ...............................156 3.3 Liturgical year and socio-political context.......................................165 3.3.1 To live with the indicative and the imperative (March 1991) ..166 3.3.2 Glow-worms that give hope (December 1992).........................173 3.3.3 Hope and vigilance (April 2001) ..............................................178 3.4 A theology of hope as