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Indian Approaches to the Theology of Liberation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2024

N. Abeyasingha
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Extract

That there are social, political and economic problems in India is a fact that needs no proof. The task of the believer in this situation can be spoken of in line with the general understanding of revelation which encourages the Christian to act like Christ, who gave himself unto death; to act like the apostles who spent themselves for their brethren, because our fellow men are members of Christ and in order that the peace willed by Christ may reign in this world. Yet such a description of the task of the Christian leaves his role as regards the structures of human society relatively undefined.

In India today, there is the effort to analyse the structures themselves and establish Christian positions in dealing with them, so as to re-construct a social order in which sin as a structuring element is less present.

The present article seeks to present the general lines of the approach followed by Indian theologians and then try to offer, for the information and comment of Western theologians, certain approaches by which the theology of liberation as formulated for and in India could have an impact in regard to other approaches to the theology of liberation.

Even the most systematic considerations in the matter of the theology of liberation are formulated as “hypotheses”. The present article seeks to present some of the present approaches to the theology of liberation in India. Admittedly, it is a difficult task to synthesize the perspectives of the analyses of Indian society already made and the “projects” suggested due to the “particularity” of the viewpoint of each author. But it is necessary to make some attempt in order to set our comments in perspective.

Type
Research Article
Information
New Blackfriars , Volume 60 , Issue 709 , June 1979 , pp. 270 - 280
Copyright
Copyright © 1979 Provincial Council of the English Province of the Order of Preachers

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References

1 Legrand, L. “God's Kingdom and Liberation”, The Living Word 79 (1973). p. 324Google Scholar Cf. pp. 311‐325.

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37 Cf. ID. “The price he paid”. Jeevadhara 5 (1975). p. 220.

38 Cf ibid. p. 221.

39 Cf. ibid. p. 223.

40 Id.

41 J. Descrochers, Christ the Liberator (India's search for development and social justice: Vital issues for today's India, No 17, Bangalore 1977), pp. 19‐20.

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51 Cf. J. Vadakkan, op. cit. pp. 107‐108. The entire chapter (pp. 84‐116) can be read in this light.