You know how to read the face of the
sky, but you cannot read the signs of the times. Mt. C. 16, V. 3
The Thomas O’Meara and Paul Philibert book, Scanning
the Signs of the Times, provides sketches of seven French Dominicans who
contributed the theological base for Vatican II. (see blog posting-1/28/2015) One important question that a reader might ask:
is the French Saulchoir Dominican
Studium also the incubator for Gustavo Gutierrez’ Liberation Theology? The
O’Meara Philibert book, Scanning,
notes Gustavo Gutierrez was one of the ‘important theological
personalities’ that studied at Le Saulchoir. (Scanning –
p. 22)
After he finished his studies Gutierrez
followed the path of the Saulchoir worker priests to live and work in a slum
area of Lima, Peru.
A look at two themes of Liberation theology
shows the influence of Le Saulchoir. Let
us consider the locus of theology and
liberation.
The Locus of Theology
The Scanning article on Le Saulchoir founder M.D. Chenu states,
Chenu
had come to understand that the locus of theology, the place where theological reflection emerges, is the
convergence between the living
faith of believers and their confrontation with the changing world. (Scanning p. 38)
What is the ‘locus’ for Liberation
Theology? Gustavo Gutierrez in, A
Theology of Liberation, quotes Le
Saulchoir professor Yves Congar:
Seen
as a whole, the direction of theological thinking has been characterized by a transference away from
attention to the being per se of
supernatural realities, and toward attention to their relationship with man, the world, and with the problems and affirmations of all those who for us
represent others. (A Theology of Liberation, p. 7)
Gutierrez
explains:
There
is no horizontalism in this approach. It is simply a question of the rediscovery of the indissoluble unity
of man and God. (Ibid.p. 8)
The
conclusion is “…the very life of the Church appears ever more clearly as locus theologicus.” (ibid. p. 8) “Theology
follows, it is the second step…Theology does not produce pastoral activity;
rather it reflects on it. (ibid p. 11) Gustavo Gutierrez, the student of Le
Saulchoir explained the role of theology as expressed by fire of faith and
revolution in Latin America.
Liberation
Le Saulchoir
Dominican Luis-Joseph Lebret, who had a dominant influence on the Vatican II
document Gaudium et Spes, was asked
by Paul VI to help with a new encyclical on development. (Scanning, p.73)
Lebret agreed and the new encyclical was known as Populorum Progressio. The encyclical signaled an important change
in Catholic Social Teaching in that it encompassed global problems of poverty
and the responsibility of the rich countries to the poor. Development in the poor countries was
advocated. Some were dissatisfied with
the term development since it seemed to sanction the system that brought about
poverty. All that was needed was some
adjustment. But why should poor
countries look to the rich countries as a model? The rich countries also had their poor; are
bourgeois values really the answer?
Gustavo Gutierrez replies,
The
encyclical Populorum Progessio is a transitional document. …ultimately
it addresses itself to the great ones of this world to carry out the necessary changes.
… The outright use of the language
of liberation would have given a more decided and direct thrust in favor of the oppressed, encouraging them to break with their present situation and break with
their own destiny. (A Theology of Liberation, p.
34-35)
When and where did the notion of liberation enter the discussion. The Saulchoir Dominicans were Thomists but
open to other philosophical viewpoints on freedom. Gutierrez knew Kant, Hegel and Marx. But what about liberation; where did this term appear? Congar’s work, Chistianisme et Liberation,is
cited three times in Gutierrez’ book, A
Theology of Liberation. Is this the
source for the theology that dramatically changed Catholic Social Teaching?
But scripture is the base for the construction
of liberation theology. The prime
importance of scripture is from Le Saulchoir. Scanning … reports, that Le Saulchoir produced
scripture scholars Benoit and deVaux, who achieved fame for their work at the
Ecole Biblique, which was founded by Marie-Joseph LaGrange, O.P. of the Toulouse
province. (p. xvi & p. 22) Gutierrez
built the foundation of Liberation Theology
on the book of Exodus. Gutierrez explains,
The
Exodus experience is paradigmatic. It remains
vital and contemporary due to similar
historical experiences which the people
of God undergo. (A
Theology of Liberation, p. 159)
Also
consider Gutierrez statement in: the post Puebla Conference book, We Drink
From Our Own Wells.
Liberation
is an all- embracing process that leaves no dimension of human life untouched, because when all
is said and done it expresses the
saving action of God in history. (p. 2)
A Theology of Liberation, offers a
further explanation to keep in mind.
The
liberation of Israel is a political action.
It is the breaking away from a
situation of despoliation and misery and the beginning of the construction of a just and fraternal society.
(p. 155)
Gutierrez
references Le Saulchoir scholors Congar (Christianisme and Liberation, (p.
181) and deVaux (p.224) to support his position.
We can easily trace Vatican II and Liberation
Theology (also M. Fox’ Creation Theology) back to Le Saulchoir, but Le
Saulchoir faculties of theology and philosophy closed in 1974, a sign of the
times. What is the future of theology the struggle for social justice and its understanding through the eyes of faith?
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