Latin America

Pavel Valentinovich Krylov, PhD in history, leading researcher, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of History (Petrozavodskaya ulitsa, 7, Saint-Petersburg, 197110)
pavel_kryloff@mail.ru

Krylov P. V. Simphony in Latin American style: religion and politics in the Liberation Theology, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2013, vol. 2, pp. 115–136.

DOI: 10.24411/2308-0698-2013-00014

Language: Russian

The author explores the political aspects of the Liberation Theology both in its theoretical and practical implementation with the activities and decisions of the Latin American leftist governments. Christian theology interpreted by liberation theologizes became one of the pillories for legitimatizing the socialist transformation of society and of the alterglobalist ideology, and subsequently a new official doctrine of some Latin American countries. The political rhetoric and views on the factual problems of Hugo Chavez, Nicolas Maduro, Fernando Lugo, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff are in accord with central postulates of the Theology of Liberation. On the other hand, the most famous theologians of the stream such as Leonardo Boff, Gustavo Gutierrez, Henrique Dussel and Frey Betto are involved into political life and even in electoral campaigns.

Key words: Latin America, the Liberation Theology, liberationism, Hugo Chavez, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, Henrique Dussel

Permanent link: http://rcs-almanac.ru/krylov-2013-en-2/

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Krylov Pavel Valentinovich, PhD in history, Saint-Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences(Petrozavodskaja ulitsa, 7, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 197110)
pavel_kryloff@mail.ru

Krylov P. V. «Theology of liberation» ant its conception of World history, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 151–187.

DOI: 10.24411/2308-0698-2012-00008

Language: Russian

The article analyses historiography characteristics of liberationists’ papers. «Theology of liberation» was shaped in 1970s and influenced by Marxism; its choice for the poor is caused by «social» reading of the Gospel. Theological speculations are based on «history». Historical Christ becomes a political figure and is contrasted to Western Christianity’s notion. Liberationists deliberately ideologize history, declaring the principle of impartiality to be bourgeois and thus untenable.

«Theology of liberation» favorably adapted an old idea of a special role of Latin America in the world history and transformed it into distinctive «Latin American socialism», that however differs from indigenismo. Dialogue with other non-Christian religions is popular. Latin America is the only Christian group of the so-called «Third World» nations, and this fact provides its special mission of mediation between Western theological tradition and most part of the non-Christian «Third World».

The author demonstrates historiographic terms are critically evaluated in liberationists’ language, especially those related to Spanish intrusion to Latin America after Columbus’s expedition. Such notions as political regime, liberty, development are also getting new connotations. Some theologians attempt to revise M. Luther’s view on the Peasants’ War, they emphasize the moderate attitude of U. Zwingli. The article names various pacific measures proposed for history teaching.

Deep impact of liberationist ideas on historical studies is guaranteed by mutual support among the liberationists, lack of criticism of both opponents and false teachings, furthermore, there are no efforts to have any hierarchy in the movement.

The author contrasts «theology of liberation» and neoliberal capitalism concluding that their discussion turns into the battle of ideological antagonists.

Key words: «theology of liberation», liberationism, Latin America, L. Boff, G. Gutiérrez, K. Marx, M. Luther, pacifism, Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism

Permanent link: http://rcs-almanac.ru/krylov-p-v-2012-en/