Scientists praise Fr. Gustavo Gutiérrez’s prophetic vision, theological influence

Describing himself as “deeply moved by the news of his death,” Dominic said Gutiérrez’s “legacy lives on in all who work for justice and liberation.”

In an interview with NCR, Fr. Kelly Brown Douglas, canon theologian at the National Cathedral in Washington, similarly stated that Gutiérrez’s work has a huge reach. Even those theologians who did not place the poor at the center of their theology, she said, could not ignore the issue of economic poverty and injustice in the wake of Gutiérrez’s speeches.

“He pointed out that poverty is not only an economic problem. It’s a moral issue,” she said, an observation more relevant than ever.

She added: “Gustavo Gutiérrez cannot be ignored,” calling him a “paradigm changer.”

In message for staff Orbis Books, editor and publisher Robert Ellsberg he said that “beyond his historic contributions to the Church in Latin America and the emergence of liberation theology,” Gutiérrez’s work and the theology he inspired “fundamentally transformed the work of theology in North America and around the world.”

Orbis, the publishing arm Maryknoll Societypublished Gutiérrez’s work in English.

Ellsberg added that Gutiérrez’s theological project “is felt not only in the Church’s embrace of the ‘preferential option for the poor,’ but in the many schools of contextual, postcolonial and liberation theology that have emerged around the world.”

Publisher Orbis noted that Gutiérrez’s work was often “the subject of denigration and withering criticism from many church officials and politicians alike.” But, he said, Gutiérrez “was patient and diligent in defending his work against critics.” Although the Peruvian theologian was long under investigation by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, “ultimately no charges were ever brought against him.”

A review of Gutiérrez’s writings explains why – they were always imbued with a deep sense of spirituality. We Drink from Our Own Wells: The Spiritual Journey of a Peoplereleased in Spanish in 1983 and released in English by Orbis a year later, ends thus:

Spirituality is a social endeavor. It is a journey of a nation through the loneliness and dangers of the desert, paving its way in following Jesus Christ. This spiritual experience is a well from which we must drink. From him we draw the promise of resurrection.

Gutiérrez “even lived to see some vindication,” Ellsberg noted in a conversation with the conservative prefect of the Vatican’s doctrinal body from 2012 to 2017, a German archbishop Gerhard Müllerbecoming a “fan” and collaborator of Gutiérrez on the book On the side of the poor.

Additionally, to mark Gutiérrez’s 90th birthday in 2018, Ellsberg noted that Pope Francis sent Gutiérrez solemn greetings, thanking the Dominican “for what you have contributed to the Church and to humanity through your theological service and your preferential love for the poor and the outcast.” society.”

In the introduction to the 50th anniversary edition Liberation theologyGutiérrez acknowledged that liberation theology has been the subject of various criticisms. But he was also proud of the impact of this theology, noting that “it was received by many with compassion and hope and helped to revitalize numerous endeavors in the service of Christian witness.”

Gutiérrez said the debate over liberation theology in the Catholic Church sometimes results in “some painful moments on a personal level, usually for reasons that ultimately pass.”

Gutiérrez, however, said he welcomed the debate as an “enriching spiritual experience”, stating that it proved to be “an opportunity to deeply renew our fidelity to the Church in which all of us as a community believe and hope in the Lord, as well as to reaffirm our solidarity with the poor, privileged members of the Kingdom of God.”

It was this solidarity that the University of Notre Dame celebrated on October 23 online tribute. Gutiérrez taught at Notre Dame from 2001 to 2018 and was professor emeritus of theology at the time of his death.

“Father Gustavo was a beloved member of the Notre Dame community, and we join his family and fellow Dominicans in thanking God for his extraordinary life,” said Fr. Robert DowdFather of the Holy Cross and president of Notre Dame.

“His invaluable contributions as a scientist and theologian and his commitment as a priest to living his evangelical vocation are an inspiration to all of us,” Dowd said.

In a memorial tribute to Notre Dame St. The Cross of Fr. Daniel Groodyprofessor of theology and global affairs and vice president and vice chancellor for undergraduate education, said of Gutiérrez: “Heart Liberation theology there is God’s love, God’s life and God’s creation. For Gustavo, the most important thing was not liberation theology, but the liberation of people. He combined a deep sense of the undeserved gift of God’s love with an urgent need for solidarity with those whom society considers least important.”

Another American institution, Union Theological Seminary in New York, similarly praised a Peruvian theologian who was a visiting professor there during the 1976-77 academic year.

In statementThe Rev. Serene Jones, president of the Union, said Gutiérrez’s death “represents a tremendous loss to our community and the broader universe. Dr. Gutierrez’s extraordinary legacy lives on in Union and beyond through the many lives he continues to touch through his pioneering vision to empower the world’s most marginalized and oppressed communities.”

Jones noted that liberation theology began to “contextualize the experience of the poor, the oppressed, and the oppressed.” She said it was one of the most famous scholars of the Union, the late James Conea leading figure in the development of black liberation theology, acknowledged that the theology represented “a continuation of conversations started by Gutiérrez.”

Brown Douglas, who was Cone’s doctoral student at Union, said that during these conversations, black and feminist theologians criticized Gutiérrez’s work for its limitations in discussing issues of race and gender. But she added that Gutiérrez acknowledged these limitations and should be commended for developing a paradigm that made such criticism possible.

“I don’t think less of him because of what he didn’t say,” Brown Douglas said. “What matters is what he said. He gave us a paradigm of criticism and doing theology in a new way.”

She added: “Our job is to do theology and push the boundaries that he began to expand.”

In an interview David Lantiguaprofessor of theology at Notre Dame and co-director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, said that one of the “real and lasting contributions of Gutiérrez’s work is to really think through that the pro-poor option and the perspectives of the poor throughout history have universal, global consequences.”

He said the work of Gutiérrez and other liberation theologians in the early 1970s was an early critique of emerging global neoliberal capitalism – criticism that has since been embraced by the Vatican.

In a statement released by Union Seminary, Fr. Sam Cruz, a professor of religion and society, said: “Gutiérrez prophetically called us to see how deadly capitalism is to people around the world, and this is where we should apply a preferential option for the poor to find God and God’s people. His passing in the times we find ourselves in now encourages me to hold his words even more true and continue his prophetic legacy.”

Lantigua, who studied with Gutiérrez as a doctoral student at Notre Dame, said that while criticism of capitalism was a cornerstone of Gutiérrez’s thought, presenting Gutiérrez’s work as political in nature “was not an accurate representation of his theology.”

Rather, he said, it was based on the idea of ​​“concretely encountering the God of history through the poor and being evangelized by the poor. This was important to Gustavo.”

Ellsberg said Gutiérrez was undoubtedly Orbis’ best-selling author of the past 50 years. Liberation theologywith a circulation of 92,757 copies in three editions, it remains his best-selling book. Then, Ellsberg said, this will happen We drink from our own wellsselling 49,764 copies i On Jobat 44,685.

While Ellsberg proudly listed these numbers, he said: “Those who knew Gustavo knew that he was one of the kindest, most humble and most faithful disciples of Jesus we have ever known. A brave, brilliant and holy man.”

Lantigua agreed, recalling his mentor as “extremely humble. He was incredibly approachable. He had such character. He had a peace and joy about him that stood out.”

Lantigua stated that for Gutiérrez “theology was a way of life” best done in the company of friends. “He was genuine, simple and (showed) an endearing kind of friendship.”

“His humanity,” Brown Douglas said, “was always evident in his theology.”