Instructor: San No Thuan
Date: Summer 2008: July 12 – 26
Day: Monday to Friday
Time: 9:45 am – 11:00 a.m.
Course Description
This course is to introduce scholars with the emerging third world theologies, especially on the subject of Christology. It will open up the horizon of scholars to various understandings of Christ and his salvation in the contexts of the third world so that they may have a new understanding of Christ that will lead them to have solidarity with the suffering people in their struggle for liberation from poverty.
Course Objectives
- By exploring social, religious and political contexts of third world countries, scholars will be more aware of the lived stories and religions of their brothers and sisters in Christ of the third world countries.
- By focusing on the formations of faith in the third world countries, scholars will begin to see how the God of the Bible can speak to different people in different contexts.
- By exploring different understandings of Christ in different contexts, this third world understanding of Christ will lead scholars to a new way of being Christians in a world of sufferings.
Required Reading:
Boff, Leonardo and Clodovis Boff. Introducing Liberation Theology. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2007.
Pui-lan, Kwok. Introducing Asian Feminist Theology. Ohio: The Pilgrim Press, 2000.
Required Reading: Book Chapters
Nickoloff, James. Gustavo Gutierrez: Essential Writings. New York: Orbis book, 1996. (pp. 143-146)
Gutierrez, Gustavo. The God of Life. New York: Orbis book, 1991. (Chapter 8).
Pieris SJ, Aloysius. Love Meets Wisdom. New York: Orbis book, 1988. (pp. 129 -135)
Course Outline
Monday (July 14): Introducing Latin American Context and Theology
§ Read: Boff, Introducing Liberation Theology (pp. 1 – 10).
§ James Nickoloff, Gustavo Gutierrez: Essential Writings, (pp. 143-146)
§ Questions for discussion
1. How can we be Christians in a place of suffering? Why? (p. 2)
2. Who and where is Christ? Where can we meet him? (pp. 3-4)
3. Who are the poor? (Nickoloff, pp. 143-146.)
4. What are the two steps of solidarity with the poor? (pp. 4- 9)
5. What is the liberation strategy of overcoming inhuman situation? (p. 5)
6. Why should we prefer to have solidarity with the poor? (p. 7)
§ Write down what you have learnt today.
Tuesday (July 15): How The Liberation Theology Is Done (Methodology)
§ Read: Introducing Liberation Theology (pp. 22 - 42).
§ Questions for discussion
1. What are the three stages (mediations) of doing liberation theology? (pp. 24-31, 32-38, 39-41)
2. Do you agree the statement of Thomas Aquinas, “An error of the world redounds in error about God”? Why? (p. 25).
3. What is liberation understanding of poverty? (pp. 25-31)
§ Write down what you have learnt today.
Wednesday (July 16): No Class
Thursday (July 17): Theological Reasons for the Option for the Poor
§ Read: Boff, Introducing Liberation Theology (pp. 44 - 63).
§ Questions for discussion
1. What is Theo-logical reason for the option for the poor? (pp. 44, 50-53)
2. Christological reason? (pp. 44-45, 53-55)
3. Neumatological reaon? (pp. 55-58)
4. Eschatological reason? (pp. 45-46)
5. Apostolic reason? (pp. 45-46).
6. Ecclesiological reason (pp. 59-60).
7. What does evangelically poor mean? (pp. 48-9)
8. How can we be liberating Christians in this world? (pp. 61-63).
§ Write down what you have learnt today.
Friday (July 18): Reading the Book of Job from Liberation Perspective
§ Read: Gutierrez, The God of Life (pp. 145 -163)
§ Questions for discussion
1. What is your opinion on suffering/tragedy/poverty? Is it God’s punishment for sins? How are we to speak about God in the light of poverty and suffering?
2. If suffering were regarded as the punishment of God, what can be the bad consequence of our relation to the suffering people?
3. How do Job’s friends think about God? (pp. 146-154)
4. Can God be confined in the ideology of retribution? (pp. 158-161)
5. What is Job’s new understanding of God? (pp. 162-163).
6. Does God’s love and grace base on merits? (p. 145, 163)
§ Write down what you have learnt today.
Monday (July 21): Introducing Asian Context and Sources of Theology
§ Read: : Pui-Lan, Kwok, Introducing Asian Feminist Theology, (pp. 9-19, 38-50)
§ Questions for discussion
1. What is Asian feminist theology? (p. 9).
2. What are the results of the gap between the have and the have-not? (p. 13-15).
3. What kind of mentality and theology was brought by colonialists and missionaries? (p. 16-17).
4. What are the two-prolonged battles that Asian women have to fight? (p. 18-9). Why?
5. What are the sources of Asian theology? (p. 39-40)
§ Write down what you have learnt today.
Tuesday (July 22): Asian Understanding of God
§ Read: Song, C.S. Tracing the Foot Steps of God. (pp. 135 – 153).
§ Questions for discussion
1. How might asking “How” God is rather than “who” God is impact both personal and communal spirituality? (p. 139 – 142).
2. How can God’s life be reflected through our lives? (p. 143 – 151)
3. Who is God for you? (ref. pp. 152 – 153).
§ Write down what you have learnt today.
Wednesday (July 23): No Class
Thursday (July 24): Asian Understanding of Christology
§ Read: Pui-Lan, Kwok, Introducing Asian Feminist Theology, (pp. 79-97).
§ Questions for discussion
1. How did colonialists abuse Christology? (p. 80)
2. Is salvation for life after death? What kinds of things are comprised in God’s salvation? (p. 81).
3. Does the cross condone human suffering? How is the cross understood in Asian context? (p. 81).
4. How do Filipino feminists understand Christ? (p. 84 – 85)
5. How do Korean feminists understand Christ? (p. 86 – 89)
6. How do Chinese feminists understand Christ? (p. 89 – 93)
7. How do Indian feminists understand Christ? (p. 94 – 97)
§ Write down what you have learnt today.
Friday (July 25): Jesus the Christ in the Context of Buddhology
§ Read: Pieris SJ, Aloysius. Love Meets Wisdom (pp. 129 -135)
§ Questions for discussion
1. What do other religions also claim while Christianity claims the finality of Christ? (pp. 130-1)
2. What are the differences and similarities between Buddhist and Christian concept on the last thing (eschaton/nirvana)? (pp. 132)
3. Which one, Jesus’ title/name or way of life, leads us to liberation/ salvation? Support your argument with some scripture texts. (pp. 133 – 134).
4. What is the twofold way of Jesus that we see on the way of the cross? (p. 134).
5. What can Christians acknowledge and join Buddhist practices and vice versa? (p. 135).
§ Write down what you have learnt today.
