But I would probably disagree with you in that I think the aspects of it that were condemned were essential to its message.

As I understand it, when the Vatican initially critiqued liberation theology for its supposed embrace of ideological marxism, most liberation theologians did not recognize the version of l.t. that the Vatican described. Which is why I say that the aspects that were condemned were not essential to the central concerns of liberation theology.

“… I didn’t say that liberation theology was totally condemned, I wrote that aspects of it were”

You wrote: “Liberation theology was not wholly condemned by the Vatican. ”

Hence, we agree.

And per your suggestion, I will read Guitterez’ “Theology of Liberation” along with Father Schall.

Not sure what you mean about the sentence you are referencing above.

i did not say anything about christ’s “primary mission.” i did say-

“i do believe that jesus also came to free us from the self, ourselves. i do believe that i have acted selfishly, violently, pervertedly, etc.

but an overlooked part of that self is the greedy, violent, perverted society that humans have created. it neglects the poor and preys on the meek. ”

as one of my favorite professors said, at an evangelical university mind you: lets all just put jesus in our hearts where he never has to touch anyone.

what about the language of the lord’s prayer? OUR father…give US this day….forgive US OUR debts. i think any writings, biblical or otherwise, about one Body, one Bride, one Church would be appropriate.

YES! we each need to confess sins. But corporate sin is so over-looked in this contemporary age. I was watching a Richard Rohr dvd on the prophets a few days ago and he noted that the only time a prophet in the bible mentions individual sin it is to the king or military leaders. Otherwise, the prophets confront corporate sins of the nation.

that role of the prophet is too often the church’s missed opportunity today. non-prophet organization, indeed.

Do you really believe that Christ’s primary mission was salvation from material poverty over salvation from sin? Can you provide a source for that? I actually have begun to appreciate much of liberation theology, but social issues definately appear to derive from the primary issues of individual sin and salvation.

Can you provide any writings that head on says that the real issue of sin is social sin as opposed to individual sins (i.e. ones you would confess)?

I have read Yoder, and I don’t find everything he wrote about the Jubilee year persuasive. It seems to take a novel interpretation of the teaching of the “year of the lord” at the synagogue, and then base a whole lot of writing on that interpretation. However, even if Jesus was proclaiming a Jubilee year, I don’t see why this doesn’t mean that this is part of what he did in the context of the larger issue of saving from sin.

In that sentence I was trying to demonstrate my agreement with you.

What was condemned was Marxism as an ideology, which is of marginal concern to liberation theologians. Some use “Marxist” tools for analyzing and critiquing capitalism, but who doesn’t? The Vatican did not condemn selective use of certain elements of Marxist thought. Many liberation theologians do not use Marxism as a frame of reference at all.

But I really cannot define liberation theology. Thanks for the Appalachia stuff.