Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Dissertations (2 year embargo) 5-25-2011 Haiti's Troubles: Perspectives From the Theology of Work and From Liberation Theology Lys Stéphane Florival Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss_2yr Part of the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Florival, Lys Stéphane, "Haiti's Troubles: Perspectives From the Theology of Work and From Liberation Theology" (2011). Dissertations (2 year embargo). 5. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss_2yr/5 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations (2 year embargo) by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 2011 Lys Stéphane Florival LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO HAITI‘S TROUBLES: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE THEOLOGY OF WORK AND FROM LIBERATION THEOLOGY A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM IN THEOLOGY BY LYS S. FLORIVAL CHICAGO, ILLINOIS MAY 2011 Copyright by Lys S. Florival, 2011 All rights reserved. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This opus has taken form and finally achieved completion through the contributions of so many people that mentioning all would require several pages. Most of them would nevertheless feel happy to be thanked in person. To all of those persons the author wishes to express his sincere gratitude. There are a few people, however, whose invaluable service ought to be acknowledged. I am particularly grateful to my dissertation director, Dr. William French, who developed the initial idea in my mind and, through his expertise, helpful suggestions and encouragement, guided me to the completion of this treatise. I would also like to express my gratitude to the other committee members of my dissertation Dr. Jon Nilson and Father Daniel J. Hartnett, S.J., whose incisive comments, critical feedback and firm support were paramount for my finishing this project successfully. I owe a special thank you to the Haitian impoverished workers, whose oral testimonies, lives, suffering, faith, friendship, struggles, hopes, and insertion in their world provided me the ministry, knowledge, and inspiration out of which this dissertation grew. My work has been facilitated through my accommodations at St. Gertrude Church and Resurrection Parish. I sincerely thank Rev. William Kennelly and the parishioners of St. Gertrude for their kindness and generosity. I am also indebted to Rev. Thomas Tivy, iii Rev. Paul Kalchik, and Rev. Fernando Zuleta for their hospitality, encouragement, and friendliness. I feel eternal gratitude to my adoptive mother, Nirva Brunty, whose hospitality and love were exceptionally helpful during the dissertation-writing process, not to mention the affection of her entire family. Obviously, this dissertation would not be written were it not for the assistantships received from Loyola Jesuit Community, St. Mary Magdalene Parish and St. Ambrose Church. I sincerely thank John Haughey, S.J., Daniel Hartnett, S.J., David Stagaman, S.J., and Rev. Freddy Washington, C.S.Sp. for their generosity. I have benefited greatly from the valuable time, penetrating comments, compelling suggestions, and unfailing support of colleagues and good friends like Dr. James B. Burke, Dr. John G. Steeken, Rev. James Beath, Rev. Thomas Pelton, Antoine Florestal, John Haughey, S.J., Anthony Homere, Rev. Daniel Coughlin, Dr. Hans Swebakken, Sherry L. Powley, Dr. Scott Kelly, Angelo Riley, Hoon Choi, Enoce Jeancelet, Rev. Emmett Gavin, O.Carm., Rev. Anthony O‘Connell, OSM, Rev. John R. Lynch, Joseph Latham, Dr. Timothy Sever, Dr. John Paul Salay and Rev. George Schopp. I thank you all for the confidence you gave me. In my toughest writing drought I felt invigorated by the loving memory of my father, Tertulien Florival, my spiritual guru David J. Hassel, S.J., and my former superior Rev. Antoine Adrien, C.S.Sp., who sought to propel me to great heights of success. I am profoundly grateful to you all. I am most obliged to the Theology Department Staff for their assistance. Sister Wendy Cotter, CSJ, Ph.D., the Graduate Programs Director, obtained approval of an iv extension of time from the Graduate School on my behalf enabling me to complete the doctoral program. Catherine Wolf, the Office Coordinator, and Marianne Wolfe, the Administrative Assistant, kept me informed of the administrative requirements concerning this work. My family constant love and affection inspired me to persevere. I am deeply grateful to my mother Philomène Hériveaux, my sisters Michelle Denis, Phébée Midy, Andrée Meme and Philomène Colas, my brother Rigaud Florival and my brothers-in-law Michelin Denis and Fritz Colas including my nieces Stephanie, Marie-Flore, Léisssa, Farrah and nephews Bradley, Junior, Vladimir, Gavin, and Reginald. They trusted in my ability to finish this project even when at times I doubted. v To my parents, Tertulien Florival and Philomène Hériveaux, with sincere gratitude. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... ix INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER I: WORK IN HAITI IN THE CONTEXT OF ENTRENCHED POVERTY AND ECOLOGICAL DEGRADATION ..................................................... 9 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 9 Testimony of Misery and Environmental Destruction in Haiti ..................................... 10 Personal Experience of Poverty and Ecological Degradation in Haiti ......................... 11 Conditions of Manufacturing and Agricultural Work in Haiti: The Empirical Description ................................................................................................................. 14 Excessive Working Time ............................................................................................ 14 Derisory Compensation .............................................................................................. 16 Insidious and Violent Workplace................................................................................ 22 Context of Work in Haiti: Poverty and Ecological Devastation .................................... 25 Poverty ........................................................................................................................ 25 Environmental Degradation ........................................................................................ 27 Brief Political Survey .................................................................................................... 29 Analysis of Conditions and Context of Work in Haiti .................................................. 41 Review of Literature ...................................................................................................... 42 Camille Chalmers and Jonathan Pitts: The Proposal Expounded .................................. 48 Ethical Assumptions .................................................................................................. 58 Assessing the Proposal ................................................................................................ 61 CHAPTER II: THE CONTRIBUTION OF THEOLOGIES OF WORK ........................ 65 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 65 Theologies of Work: Brief History ............................................................................... 67 Marie-Dominique Chenu .............................................................................................. 72 Cosmic Theology of Work ......................................................................................... 73 Chenu‘s Ethical and Spiritual Assumptions .............................................................. 81 Critical Consideration ................................................................................................. 86 John Paul II ................................................................................................................... 88 A Personalist Understanding of the Nature and Function of Work ........................... 89 John Paul II‘s Ethical and Spiritual Assumptions....................................................... 98 Critical Consideration .............................................................................................. 102 Miroslav Volf .............................................................................................................. 104 A Charismatic View of Work ................................................................................... 106 Volf‘s Ethical and Spiritual Assumptions................................................................. 112 Critical Consideration ............................................................................................... 116 A Comparative Evaluation of the Adequacy of Chenu, John Paul II and Miroslav Volf ..........................................................................................................