Read <em>Jesus Christ: Liberator</em>
As Boff succinctly notes that everything begins from a social context, and will ultimately be colored by the particular theologian's social location. As the author so forcefully notes:
"Every Christology is partisan and committed. Willingly or unwillingly christological discourse in a given social setting with all the conflicting interests that pervade it. That holds true for theological discourse that claims to be "purely" theological, historical, traditional, ecclesial, and apolitical."
Two aspects stand out in Boff's construction. The first is socio-liberation theology and the second is "the social setting that is a departure for this Christological reflection." In this view, Jesus the Liberator cannot be separate or distinct and apart from the historical moment that one finds oneself. Faith in this sense is always a process of engagement with the historical moment one finds oneself embedded; and thus, it seeks to develop strategies and implement action to overturn the forces of oppression for the downtrodden.
Furthermore, Boff argues that the role of the theologian who has taken himself or herself out of the socio-historical moment is dishonest and false. Boff is clearly an advocate for a process orientated Christological view that changes or adapts as history is lived in the moment under the weight of its ever-changing circumstances.
Obviously, this is problematic for those who cling rigidly to their orthodoxies, dogma, and monolithic Christology wedded to the status quo.
I’ve had a lot of Americans on here push back on Liberation Theology (“heretical”), but the writings of Leonardo Boff resonate with me. Maybe this is because as a Canadian, a Dominican, and a member of the laity I see things a bit differently than Americans who are shaped both by the SJ’s but also by the religious climate in America, and the economic order the predominates American life and culture.
My understanding is that in America there is not much of a presence of the mendicant orders. The OFM and OP have made their mission the liberation of the poor. Yes, in their religious practice and salvation, but also relief from injustice and the material conditions that injure their human dignity and tempt them to vice. We have seen, though I respect the OSB, that indifference to the world can sometimes amount to leaving people to their suffering, and that pains me.
It’s my belief that we cannot hide away from the world and await the Kingdom of God, but rather confront sin and inequity and do our best to make the earth “as it is in heaven.” That emulation of Christ and the Apostles means not just looking after our own spirit, but uplifting our neighbours however we are able.
When it comes to actual spiritual practice in these times I have done four things:
1) I attend adoration, rosary novenas and Mass daily from 7-10.
2) I am working through the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius with my confessor, and read passages of it daily. It’s been difficult in all honesty, but all exercise is hard at first.
When it gets too difficult I switch to The Jesuit Guide To (Almost) Everything because it is much more accessible when I feel down, though I think that’s more depression than dissolution.
3) Realizing I was in essence confined to a cell, cloistered from the world and devoid of distractions and entertainments I have started reading the Rule of Saint Benedict and some other titles on monastic life. I’ve found it helps tremendously, though I didn’t choose this like Saint Symeon the Stylite.
The indifference helps, as does Saint Ignatius’ questioning why in God’s eyes it would be better for me to be rich rather than poor, healthy rather than sick. All I can control is my own conscience and my obedience to God’s will.
4) I dropped all my secular MA courses to take seminars on Late Antique Theology, Christology and Catholicism. I was already studying the Late Antique Church and had a religious education in undergrad, so this has been nice. It’s a way to keep my intellect engaged in my studies while nurturing my spirit. My primary text is Boff’s Jesus Christ Liberator: A Critical Christology of Our Time.
As an aside, the best undergrad course I ever took was two semesters just on The Name of The Rose.
More to your question, there is a monograph called Catholicism in the Time of Coronavirus that I found interesting.
My biggest problem at the moment is that masses are restricted to 10 during lockdown, and the nice ladies that go to adoration and weekday mass are all elderly and unmasked, I would feel awful if they got sick because of me.
I’m working on it with my confessor, but I’m curious what you think. I want to do God’s will, and saving life is a pillar of that, but I also want to move my own spirit closer to Him through daily practice.
My man, you are describing The Kingdom Of God and don’t even know it.
This is why the edgy leftist aversion to religion is baffling to me. In every meaningful sense, in terms of uplifting the poor, justice and peace on earth, liberation from oppression, the goals of Socialism and Catholicism are aligned.
The recognition of universal humanity and comradeship is why it is a Catholic, as in Universal Church.
I digress, but I agree with everything you said is important to you, and would like those things to come to pass as well.
What you touched on at the start is the problem. Since The End Of History, liberals, and from that let’s say institutions and culture, since they are at the wheel of both, don’t just lack Faith in the religious sense, they don’t even believe better Secular things are possible!
They do not believe in anything.
They’ve declared it all obsolete: God, Queen, Country, Socialism, Workers of the World, Power in a Union, The West, The East, The Nation, Province, Region, City, Neighbourhood, Political Party.
Anything that might move someone to do something to make the world better, to change the world at all, to do anything is gone.
They tut-tut about Bernie Bros or QAnon, but what the fuck do they believe in? What are the people they’re rolling their eyes at supposed to believe?
I have been asking libs who try to lecture me about norms since 2016 to explain to me what exactly is is that Obama and Clinton supposedly believed in.
Biden doesn’t even pretend! He doesn’t have the capacity, and nobody, not the media, not the smart sensitive people who told us to “Vote!” is even trying to pretend Biden represents anything, will do anything or believes in anything.
Forget the Emperor having not clothes, The End Of History is oblivion and I don’t know why people don’t find that terrifying, or what the defenders of the status quo think they are protecting.