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 EVANGELIZATION

IN THE WRITINGS OF

LATIN AMERICAN LIBERATION THEOLOGIANS

Priscilla Pope-Levison

St. Mary's College

A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of

Doctor of Phi losophy

in the

University of St., Andrews

1988

Cp, UNIL/

ý IV,
DRE N14
 To Jack

with lovo and gratitude

for making each day an adventure
(a) I certif y that Prisc iI la Pope -Levison has f ulf A led the conditions
of' the Resolution of' the University Court, 1967, No. I Qý_qmýýýJlqed) and
is qualified to submit this ,
thesis in application for the Degree of Doc-
tor of' Philosophy.

1111011hp

(b) T was admitted as a research student Ordinanee 350 (General

under
No. 12) on 1 October, 1985 and as a candidate for the degree of Ph. D.
Under Resolution of the University Court, 1967, No. I (n_jRqaqY) on 1
October, 1985.

The following thesis is based on the result of research carried out,

by myself. is my own composition, and has not previously been presented
for a higher degree. The research was carried out in the University of'
St. Andrews under the supervision of The Rev. Steven G. Mackie.

Signature of candiAte
 In submitting this thesis to the University of St. Andrews I under-
stand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in
accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time
being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being
affected thereby. I also understand that the title and abstract will be
published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any
bone fide library or research worker.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDUMEATS

ABSTRACT
.. .... ....................... .
INTRODUCTION
.... ..................

SECTION 1: ROMAN CATHOLIC LIBERATION THEOLOGIANS

Chapter One: From Vatican IT to Puebla:

Evangelization in Roman Catholic Documents 3

Chapter Two: Leonardo Boff 39

............... .
Chapter Three: Segundo Galilea 55
.............. .
Chapter Four: Gustavo GutArrez 76
............ .
Chapter Five: Oscar Romero 101
................ .
Chapter Six: Juan Luis Segundo 129
............. ý
Chapter Seven: Jon Sobrino 146
............... .
Chapter Fight: The Roman Catholics on Evangelization:
A Summary 165
................. .
SECTION IT: PROTESTA NT LIBERATION THEOLOGIANS

Chapter Nine: From New Delhi to Vancouver:

Evangelization in World Council
of Churches Documents 182
........... .
Chapter TeD: Mortimer Arias
............... 224
.
Chapter Eleven: Emilio Castro 240
............... .
Chapter Twelve: Orlando Costas 258
.. I......

Chapter Thirteen: Jos6 Miguez Bonino 282

.....

Chapter Fourteen: The Protestants on Evangelization:

A Summary 297
................. .
SECTION III: CONCLUSI ON 310
..................... .
BIBLIOGRAPHY 331
.... ....................... .
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to express my gratitude to the following libraries for their

helpfulness, parLicularly in procuring books through Inter-Library Loaf)

and for their research facilities: Lhe University of St. Andrews

Library, St. Mary's College Library, and the Dana Dawson Library at St.

Paul School of Theology.

Three sources of funding enabled me to work without interruption,

and to them I owe a sizeable debt of gratitude: the British Government

for an Overseas Research Student Award, the University of St. Andrews

for a Research SLudentship, and A Fund For Theological Education for a

two-year stipend as a John Wesley Fellow.

During my six week stay in Central America, the Seminario Biblico

Latinoamericano, San Josk Costa Rica, provided lodging, access to their

library and faculty. In addition, many welcomed me in Costa Rica and in

Nicaragua with conversations, interviews, and hospitality: George Bald-

win, Chess Campbell, Guillermo Cook, Irene Foulkes, Ann and Bob Jeffrey,

Ana Garcia de Langerak, Janet and Roy May, Harriet and LaVerne

Rutschmann and John Stam.

On a lighter note, I am grateful to Geezer, our cat, for keeping me

company day after day at home and for providing welcome interruptions by

sleeping on my papers and batting away my pen.

 F inal ty, The Rev. Steven G. Mack fe isf aj, moj, e than Ife
an advisor, .
is a friend with whom I have shared in the highlands
walks and energetic

discussions over tea. I want to express my deepest to him for

gratitude

reading the chapters with remarkable quickness and detailed attentive-

ness, for his willingness to advise over the seas, and For offering

insightful comments every step of the way. I it the highest

consider

privilege to have studied with him.

 i. j i

ABSTRACT

This dissertation investigates evangelization in the writings of'

ten Roman Catholic and Protestant theologians who were chosen due to

their interaction with the major themes of Liberation Theology and their

interest in evangelization. The six Roman Catholic theologians include

Leonardo Boff, Segundo Gulilea, Gustavo Gutihrrez, Archbishop Oscar

Romero, Juan Luis Segundo, and Jon Sobrino. The four Protestant

theologians include Mortimer Arias, Emilio Castro, Orlando Costas, and

Jos6 Miguez Bonino. Along with a chapter on each theologian, two sepa-

rate chapters are devoted to a comparison of the Roman Catholics as a

group and the Protestants as a group. The concluding chapter collects

the findings and presents a common view of evangelization in Latin

American Liberation Theology. fn addition, this thesis is set in its

historical context with studies of evangelization in four Roman Catholic

Documents - Vatican 11, Medellin, Evan8vill Nuntiandl, and Puebla, and

WCC documents tram the New Delhi Assembly (1961) to the Vancouver

Assembly (1983).

This study demonstrates that evangelization is a central theme of

Latin American Liberation Theology. Both Roman Catholic and Protestant

JiberatiOD theologiaDw devote a great deal of attention to this topic

which serves for them as a bridge between theology and praxis. fn the

theological realm, evangelization is founded on the concept of the reign

 iv

of God. III the arena of praxis, evangelization is centered on proclama

t ion and action. -In addition, ization

evangel stands as a theme around

which Roman Catholic and Protestant liberation theologians the

unite;

similarities boLweeri them are significant and numerous,

These theologians present a view of evangelizat-ton which has the

potential to alter traditional understandings and existing structures of"

evangelization. Their concept of evangelization pioneers new frontiers

as it interacts with liberation, the poor, denunciation, action, collec--

tive conversion, and a comprehensive view of the reign God.

of
 INTRODUCTION

Evangelization is a fiercely debated topic among denominations.

ecumenists, evangelicals, and mission boards. The word evokes zeal both

for and against. On a personal note, evangelization has been a concerti

of mine as a Christian and as a minister. In my reeding of Latin

American Liberation Theology, I noticed frequent references to

evangelization. One question stuck with me: What are these Third World

theologians saying that can teach and equip me for evangelization? This

question propelled me to study evangelization in this theology.

This thesis will analyze the concept of evangelization in Roman

Catholic and Protestant liberation theologians in order to determine the

importance of evangelization, its characteristics, its relationships

with other theological concepts, and other important factors.

The thesis will proceed in the following manner. In order to gain

an hisLoricnl perspective, the understanding of evangelization in docu

ments from the Roman Catholic Church from Vatican If to Puebla and the

World Council of Churches (WCC) from the New Delhi Assembly to Vancouver

will be investigated. Following this, an analysis of evangelization in

the writings of ten theologians will he presented. These theologians

were chosen because they fulfill two criteria: 1. They either call them--

selves 1-iberatiun theologians or they interact signiricanuy with the

themes and presuppositions of liberation theology; and 2. They inctude

 2

evangelization in their theological material. The six Roman Catholic

theologians are Leonardo Boff, Segundo Galilea, Gustavo Gut! 6rrez,

Archbishop Oscar Romero, Juan Luis Segundo, and Jon Sobrino. The four

Protestant theologians are Mortimer Arias, Emilio Castro, Orlando

Costas, and JoK Miguez BODino. A summary of the Roman Catholics as a

group and of the Protestants as a group is included. The final section

compiles the findings of the individual analyses and the group summaries

in order to determine what evangelization looks like from a Latin

American liberation perspecLivo.

Two comments about terminology are in order for this introduction.

First of all, the phrase, "reign of God, " will be used instead of the

phrase, "kingdom of God, " except when quoting the theologians. Not only

is "reign" a direct translation of the Spanish word, reino, which is

native to these theologians, but also it is more inclusive than "king-

dom. " Secondly, the word, "evangelization, " will be used instead of the

word, "evangelism. " Again, evangelization is closest to the Spanish

term, evangelizaci6n. fn English, the Protestants tend to use

Vvangelism, " and Roman Catholics often call it "evangelization. " To

avoid confusion, "evangeliZatiOD" will be used throughout except for

quotations.
 CHAPTER ONE

FROM VATICAN 11 TO PUEBLA:

EIVANGELIZATION ROMAN CATHOLIC DOCUMFNTS
-IN

The purpose of this historical survey of the word. evangelization.

in Roman Catholic documents is to set the baeRground for the six Roman

Catholic theologians included in this study - Leonardo Boff, Segundo

Galilea, Gustavo GutHrrez. Archbishop Oscar Romero, Juan Luis Segundo

and Jon Sobrino. Four important documents will be analyzed in terms of

what each has to say about evangelization. Two documents are from the

Roman Catholic Church at large - "Decree on the Church's Missionary

Activity (Ad Gentesh" and Pope Paul VI's Apostolic Exhortation,

"Evangelization of the Church in the Modern World (Evangelij Nuntiandi).

And two documents are from the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America -

documents from the CELAM Conference at Medellin and Puebla. This survey

will begin with Ad Gontes from the Second Vatican Council and will pro-

ceed chronologically to Medellin, Evang, ell! Nuntiandl, and finally to

Puebla. Vatican 11 is a logical beginning point because it stands as a

theological and ecclesiological milestone in this century, and its

timing coincides with the integration of the International Missionary

Council and the World Council of Churches, the starting point of the

complementary Protestant historical survey on evangelization.

Evangelization increases in usage and importance as these documents

progress chronologically. At Vatican 11, evangelization is fairly much

tucked away under mission. It emerges somewhat at Medellin where one of

 4

three major sections is entitled, "Evangelization and Growth in the

Faith. " Then, evangelization comes to the fore of Roman Catholic discus--

sions with Evannlij Nuntiandi. Five years later at Puebla, the Latin

American Church adopts evangelization as the subject of its conference

with the title, "Evangelization in Latin America's Present and Future. ''

As the 70's come to a close, evangelization is at the forefront of dis--

CUSSiOD. With these parameters in mind, this survey of evaDgelization in

Roman Catholic documents will proceed.

In the document, Ad Gentec from Vatican 11, missions and

evangelization are intertwined. Missions is the larger concept, and

evangelization is a part of missions. Because of this close interaction,

an investigation into the understanding of "missions" the time is

at

beneficial.

Since the early part of this century, the official Roman Catholic

teaching on missions is that it consisted of two activities - proclaim-

ing the Gospel and planting churches, Even though time

at one or another

there has been discussion as to which activity should be given prefer-

I Pius XII in his
once, missionary encyclical, EvangeM praecones, com-

bines them in this statement:

The primary object of missionary

activity as everyone knows,
is to bring the shining light
Christian of truth to new
peoples and to form new Christians.
To attain, however-, this
object, the ultimate one, missionaries must unremittingly
endeavor to establish the Church firmly among the peoples
and to endow them with their own native hierarchy. (EP: 32)2

Turning now to Ad Gentes, it is clear that. the understanding of

missions reiterates the traditional Catholic understanding. Missionary

activity entails proclaiming the Gospel and planting churches. "'Mis-

 5

sions' is the term usually given to those particular undertakings by

which the heralds of the gospel are sent out by the Church and go forth

into the whole world to carry out the task of preaching the gospel and

planting the Church among peoples or groups who do not yet believe in

Christ. "(AG: 6) Missionary activity occurs in areas where Christ is not

yet known. Thus, Ad Gentes adheres to the missionary encyclicals of this

century by affirming that missions is the proclamation of the Gospel and

the the Church 3

planting of among non-Christians.

As with missions, a brief look at evangelization prior to Vatican

11 provides a helpful background. Evangelization is always intertwine(]

with missions as is evident in Ad Gentes and in the writings of' several

mission theorists. Louis and Andr6 R6tif write the following in their

book, The Mission of the Church in the World: "The mission is

evangelization to non-Christians, or more precisely, in evangelizing

masses of men and environments which are non-Christian. -4 The mission to

be accomplished is evangelization. Similarly, in an earlier work, Jean

DanAlou writes: "The mission, that is, the evangelization of all

nations, is the present mystery of the church. "5 From these quotes,

evangelization appears as the goal of mission, that for which missions

strives.

Not only is evangelization the goal of missions but also it is one

of the means of missions. According to A. M. Henry, evangelization is the

initial means of the Church's mission. Evangelization is that first part

of mission which is "directed to unbelievers to announce to them the

Good News of salvation and to convert them to faith in Jesus Christ. -6

 6

In fact he states that the bulk of missionary activity takes in

place

the initial action of evangelization. 7 At the time Vatican 11,

of

evangelization is understood as both the goal and the means of missions.

This two-fold concept of evangelization is maintained in Ad Gentes.

First of all, evangelization is the goal of missionary activity. As Ad

Gentes decrees, the "evangelization of the world" is the impetus under-

lying Roman Catholic missions. Reference is made to the "gigantic mis-

SiODary task" of two billion people in the world who still need to be

evangelized. (AG: 10) Bishops, diocesan priests, religious contemplative

communities and the laity are exhorted to evangelize the world in their

particular domain, and to each group, "the evangelization the ''

of world,

is repeated as a reminder of this goal. Archbishop Guerry Cambrai

of

reCOUDted the atmosphere of the Council, itself, as an "apostolic

anxiety and missionary concern for the evangelization of the entire

world by the whole Church. "8 The evangelization the

of world emerges

from Vatican 11 as the goal of missionary activity.

Second of all, evangelization is a primary means of missions in Ad

Gentes. As stated above, preaching the Gospel and planting the Church

comprise missions. (AG: 6) In the next paragraph, "evangelization" is

inserted in place of "preaching the Gospel. " This is because

evident

planting the Church" is a constant, and "evangelization" and "preaching

the Gospel" are interchangeable. With "evangelization" for

substituted

. preaching the Gospel, " the sentence then reads, "The specific purpose

of this missionary activity is evangelization and the

planting

Church. "(AG: 6) "Evangelization" and "preaching the Gospel" are parallel

 7

and thus synonymous terms. Evangelization is, then, one of the two means

Of Missions. Not only is it a means of missions, but also it is the goal

of missions.

According to Ad Gentes, evangelization occurs in a mission land.

The Gospel is to be preached to non-Christian nations and groups.

Evangelization occurs "among peoples or groups who do Dot yet believe in

Christ. "(AG: 6) In this way, evangelization is relegated to foreign lands

which have not heard the Gospel sufficiently as opposed to evangeliza-

Lion in "de-Christianized" lands. The latter is defined as "pastoral.

activity, " not evangelization. (AG: 6) Although the distinction between

non-evangelized and de-Christianized lands is a point of discussion, 9 Ad

Gentes clearly expresses that evangelization is an activity done in for

eign lands where people do not believe in Christ. This is in keeping

with Catholic teaching on evangelization. TD the 1917 Code Of Canon Law,

evangelization was considered as, " missionary work to foreign ter-

...

ritories whereby a body of truths was to he proclaimed to them "10

...

Several years later, Pius XI reaffirms this understanding in Rerul, n

Ecclesiae, " Roman Pontiff has entrusted to you and your workers
-the

the apostolic task of preaching the truths of Christianity to non--

christians. "(RE: 24) From this look K evangelization in Ad Gentes, it is

clear that little has changed from earlier Roman Catholic teaching.

Evangelization continues to be defined at Vatican 11 as missionary

preaching in non-evangelized lands. Also, evangelization is both the

goal and a means of mission.

Before looking at Medellin, it is importanL to mention a topic

 7

and thus synonymous terms. Evangelization is, then, one of the two means

of missions. Not only is it a means of missions, but also it is the goal

of missions.

According to Ad Gentes, evangelization occurs in a mission land.

The Gospel is to be preached to non-Christian nations and groups.

Evangelization occurs "among peoples or groups who do not yet believe in

Christ. "(AG: 6) In this way, evangelization is relegated to foreign lands

which have not heard the Gospel sufficiently as opposed to evangeliza. -

Lion in "de-Christianized" lands. The latter is defined as "pastoral.

activity, " not evangelization. (AG: 6) Although the distinction between

non -evangelized and de -Christianized lands is discussion, 9 Ad

a point of

Gentes clearly expresses that evangelization is an activity done in for

eign lands where people do not believe in Christ. This is in keeping

with Catholic teaching on evangelization. In the 1917 Code of Canon Law,

evangelization was considered as, " work to foreign ter-

-missionary

ritories whereby a body of truths was to be proclaimed to them "10

...

Several years later, Pius XI reaffirms this understanding in Rerum

Ecclesiae, " tlw Roman Pontiff has entrusted to you and your workers
...

the apostolic task of preaching the truths of Christianity to non--

christians. "(RE: 24) From this look at evangelization in Ad Gentes, it is

clear that little has changed from earlier Roman Catholic teaching.

Evangelization continues to be defined at Vatican 11 as missionary

preaching in non-evangelized lands. Also, evangeJization is both the

goal and a means of mission.

Before looking at Medellin, it is important to mention a top! (-

 8

which is not included in Ad Gentes, even though it is a debated topic at.

the time of the Council and continues to be afterwards. This topic is

the relationship of evangelizatiOD tO temporal affairs. In the other

three documents in this survey, evangelization and its relation to the

temporal sphere is of prime importance. Thus, it is necessary to con-

sider the status of this question at the time of Vatican 11.

Evangelization's involvement in temporal affairs is considered only

when temporal affairs are kept to the realm of social welfare work, such

as: health care, education, an(] related problems; political affairs are

11
off-limits" for evangel ization. When evangelizing temporal affairs, the

object must always be the "spiritual. [yood". (Ml:. 19)11 For this reason,

social welfare work is often coupled with evangelization as preparation

for a better reception of' the evangelistic message. Pius XI makes this

point well: " men's hearts are easily captivated by deeds of love.
...

Thus the missionary who is interested in the health of his people, who

nurses the sick and is kind to the children, will quickly win the affec

tionate good will of all the inhabitants. "(RE: 36) Years later, John

XXIII discusses social welfare work in Princeps Pastorum. In this

encyclical he encourages projects which benefit the people of the mis-

sion country, especially the poor. However he distinguishes between the

role of the apostolate and the role of the laity. The laity, as soon as

possible, are to be involved in these "secular projects" and assume

responsibility for them. (PP: 22) In this way the missionaries are free

for evangelization, "their task of propagating, the faith, an(] to other

pursuits aimed directly at personal sanctification and eternal salva-

 9

Lion. "(PP: 22) fn these encyclicals, evangelization is related only to

the social welfare aspect of temporal affairs. Evangelization is clearly

the priority as the purpose of social welfare is to lay the foundation

for evangelization. 12

Following after Vatican 11, the Medellin Conference of CELAM in

1968 provides another set of documents for this survey. The Medellin

Conference furnishes the opportunity to explore the meaning of Vatican

II for Latin America. Its title sums up its purpose, "The Church In The

Present-Day Transformation Of Latin America In The Light Of The Coun--

ci I. "

,rhe Medellin Conference marks a turning point in Latin American

ecclesiastical history. Pope Paul VI proclaims in his speech inaugurat-

ing the conference that the first era of evangelization in Latin America

is finished and the second era has begun. 13 In Medellin

addition, stands

as a primary influence on the Roman Catholic theologians in this study.

Their writings On eVaDgeliZatiOD and other theological and pastoral

issues are cast in the Medellin spirit. Perhaps the infusion of the

Medellin spirit into the theologians is more profound than the written

words, for as Segundo Galilea writes of Medellin:

Por eso identificamos a los documentos de Medellin como un

acontecimiento prof6tico en la linea de la ensenanza
pastoral de la rglesia.
Esto hace necesario, para su interpretaciön dinämica,
una lectura espit, itual-profetica, y no solo literal.
Queremos decir, que si no queremos redu(irlo a Irecetas'
cristianas tenemos que superar la lectura puramente
...
'literal 1.1, a lectura 'espiritual ', en cambio, nos permite
captar las 1 lineas de ftierza' y los 'faros (, ri. teriolögicos'
de Medellin, mäs allä de las contirji, (ýncýias temporales. Esto
nos permite intuir las intenciones profundas y la conciencia
profftica de la Iglesia en Am6rica Latina. 14
 10

One of the three sections of the Medellin Conclusions is entitled,

"Evangelization And Growth In The Faith. " Included in this section are

four topics: Pastoral Care of the masses, Pastoral Concern for the

elites, Catechesis and Liturgy. These documents are of primary concerti

to this survey.

A sense of what evangelization is specifically is difficult to

assess. Evangelization is certainly not defined as preaching the Gospel

to non-believers as Vatican 11 used the term. Vatican 11's definition of

evangelization is not applicable to the Latin American context which has

been in the process of evangelizat. ion for centuries. 15 For this reason,

much of what Ad Gentes says about evangelization is irrelevant for Latin

America which helps to elucidate the lack of reliance on Ad Gentes by

Mede 11 in.

According to Medellin, Latin America requires re-evaDgelization

rather than a first preaching of the Gospel. In the section "Pastoral

Care of the masses. " one of the listings under a proposed program of

pastoral care is "a serious re-evangelization of the various human

groupings on the continent. "(6: 8) No longer can the assumption be made

that Latin America has been evatigelized. (6: 1)16 This assumption is

facile and inaccurate. In this connection, the Medellin document states,

"Therefore, far from being satisfied with the idea that on the whole the

people of Latin America already possess the faith, far from contenting

herself with the task of preserving the faith of the people at its

inferior, weak and threatened levels "(6: 8) Because Latin America

...

must be re-evangelized, a pastoral activity such as catechesis must be

evangelistic. "Despite the plurality of circumstances, our catechesis

has one point in common with all life styles: it has to be eminently

evangelizing, never presupposing the reality of faith except after pru-

dent checking. - (8, g) 17 Due to the Latin Amer i can context, evangel 1z at i or]

is not as Ad Gentcs has portrayed it; the continent must he re

evangelized. The danger is in the incorrect assumption that Latin

America has been evangelized once and for all.

fn Latin America, evangelization confronts diversity. The Gospel

has saturated the culture and the people to varying levels of comprehen

sion and acceptance. In a document on missionary pastoral work sponsored

by CELAM and convened only months before Medellin, several typical

scenarios of Christianity in Latin America are outlined. These scenarios

explain in more detail the realil ies that Medellin mentions briefly. 18

2. The Church
is already implanted; but the nation or
community group has not yet carried out an adequate process
of evangelization because the people have not received ade--
quate Christian formation or do not evince an apostolic form
of life. They see religion more as a legal practice than as
a life of fervor and active effort.
3. The Church has been implanted and the gospel has been
preached, but it has not permeated the culture of the
people. ...
4. The Church has been implanted, the gospel has been
preached, and it has permeated the people's culture - but
only in a superficial or mediocre way. whole situa-
. -the
tion is rather precarious because the people have not come
to understand the gospel as a living, personal 19
commitment.

Because of this, Medellin calls for an adapLed evangelization, an

evangelization which corresponds to the needs and to the diversity ill

Latin America. 20 With

an adapted evangelization, persons are evaDgeliZed

according to their level of faith and understanding and with respect to

their c"Iture. An example of this arises in the Catechesis MUNI`):

11 catechotical teaching must be adapted to a diversity of languages
...

and MeDtalities and to a variety of' human conditions and cultures. "(8: 8)

It is apparent that the diversity of the Latin American religious milieu

requires an evangelization adapted to particular needs.

Evangelization is to produce a maturation in faith. Since faith is

often superficial, evangelization is to be directed towards educating

and exhorting persons to mature in their faith. Again. evangelization

must be adapted in order to engender a more mature faith. 21 Medellin

concentrates on two groups from the Latin American context, the masses

and the elites, and proposes an adapted evangelization in order to

engender a maturation in faith in these groups.

In evangelizing the masses, the element of popular religiosity has

to be considered. Rather than dismissing this religiosity as inferior,

any evangelistic effort must instead build upon its foundation. It must

recognize that popular religion "could constitute an 'evangelical

preparation., -(6: 5)22 As stated in the previous paragraph, the goal of

an adapted evangelization of the masses is a mature faith, or to use

Medellin's words: "To promote constantly a re-conversion and education

of our people in the faith to even higher and increasingly mature levels

"(6: 8.)
...

For the elites, evangelization must bridge the gap often existing,

between a personal faith and the historical events and dilemmas of our

time. 23 Consistency between the spiritual and the temporal is essential

in evangelizing the elites. "This evangelization needs to be in harmony

with the 'signs of the times'. It cannot be outside time and his--
 13

tory. "(7: 13) In this way, the faith of the elites will be con-

temporaneous and will provide a link between faith and social

responsibility. Acknowledging their differing situations, the masses and

the elites should be evangelized in such a way that their faith matures.

A question of premier importance in the Medellin conference is

raised in connection with evangelization. This question is: what is the

relationship between salvation history and human history. Medellin ans-

wers by stating that these two histories are one. 24 In "The Message To

The Peoples Of Latin America, " the document reads, "As Christians we

believe that this historical stage of Latin America is intimately linked

to the history of salvati. on., '25 Later on, these words are found: "And we

cannot fail to see in this gigantic effort towards a rapid transforma-

Lion and development. an obvious sign of' the Spirit who leads the history

of man and of peoples toward their vocation. We cannot but discover in

this force vestiges of the image of' God in man as a powerful incen-
...

tive. "26 God's plans and humanity's strivings coalesce in this in

moment

Latin America. Evangelization promotes this coming together through

catechesis. Catecbesis, a means of evangelization, educates the Latin

American peoples about the unity of salvation history and human history.

It connects the temporal and the spiritual so that the people see their

faith as a significant part of daily life and events in Latin America.

Through catecl-jesis, people are taught about this unity.

When presenting the Gospel always make clear the

...
profound unity that exists between God's plan of salvation
realized in Christ, and the aspirations of man; between the
history of' salvation and human history; between the Church,
the People of God, and the temporal communities; between the
revelation by God and the experience of' man; between the
 14

supernatural gifts and charismas and human values. (8: 4)

Medellin goes on to warn the Church's catechesis not to ignore the

present-day events in Latin America; these events belong in

catechesis. 27 Such the Latin

a catechesis will educate American people

about the 'signs of the times' and their relevance for human history and

for salvation history.

Two foci of' evangelization should be mentioned briefly; these are

the poor and the base communities. Medellin calls the Church to give

preference to the poor in its evangelization and to manifest this pref--

erence in concrete ways. One way to show a preference for the poor is to

allot more resources and personnel for evangelizing the poor. (14: 9)

Secondly, the base communities are called the "focus of evangeliza-

tion. "(15: 10) The importance of base communities to evangelization is

stated in these sentences, "Thus, the Christian base community is the

first and fundamental ecclesiastical nucleus, which on its own level

must make itself responsible for the richness and expansion of the faith

This community becomes the focus of evangelization. "(15: 10)

... ...

Medellin makes clear that the poor and the base communities are a

priority for the evangelization of Latin America.

At Medellin evangelization is portrayed as an act-ion of the Church

which must coincide with the Latin American context. Evangelization in

Ad Gentes, which is preaching the Gospel to territories who do not

believe in Christ, is not relevant to Latin America. What is needed in

this continent is a re-evaDgeJization effort in which evangelization is

adapted to the needs of various groupings and cultures. Two such groups
 15

are the masses and the elites, and their respective evangelistic

processes have already been outlined. Again, because of' the situation in

Latin America, evangelization should teach, through catechesis, of the

unity between human history and salvation history. In this way,

evangelization encourages a contemporary and active faith.

In 1975, the first major Roman Catholic document solely on

evangelization is published, the Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Paul VI

entitled, "Evangelization In The Modern World" (E"ngelii Nuntiandi).

E"nnlii Nuntiandi synthesizes the findings of the 1974 Synod of

Bishops on the same topic. The Synod accumulated and processed a vast

amount of material on evangelization and was unable to complete a

text. 28 Because this, the Synod left

of the task to the Pope. As the

Synod's report states,

The copious riches which we have found in such reciprocal

communication could not be easily unified without jeopardiz-
ing its integrity. Having certainly become the richer
through this experience, we have preferred to offer the
integral fruits of our exchange to the Holy Father with
great confidence and simplicity, and to await new impetus
from him. 29

The Pope complies and issues Evangelli Nuntiandi one year later.

In this document, the definition and the purpose of evangelization

are clearly stated. Evangelization is defined as " the Good

-bringing
News into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence trans---

forming humanity from within and making it new "(EN: 18) "Strata
... of

humanity" is cited as including territorial lands and peoples as well as

inner attributes, such as: "MaDkind's criteria of judgment, determing

values, points of interest, lines of thought, sources of inspiration and

 16

models of life, which are in contrast with the Word of God and the plan

of salvation. "(EN: 19) In this sense, evangelization includes multi--

tudinous localities and dimensions in its scope. ft is not restricted to

foreign lands or to missionary preaching as in Ad Gentes. 30 All the

world, geographically, and all spheres of human life are viable places

for evangelization. As ODe commentator writes about Evangelli Nuntlandi,

"Needless to say it builds on the teaching of the Vatican Council, but

it does not hesitate to deal with new questions and to offer fresh

insights about old questions. One of the most important features of the

document is the broad sweep of the vision of evangelisation which it

offers. "31

Second, the purpose of evangelization is conversion, "interior

change, "(EN: 18) "a profound change of mind and heart. "(EN: 10) Although

the emphasis is on individual conversion, such a conversion is for the

purpose of "transforming humanity from within and making it new. "(EN: 18)

This transformation is accomplished by renewed persons.

The purpose of evangelization is therefore precisely this

interior change, and if it had to be expressed in one
sentence the best way of stating it would be to say that the
Church evangelizes when she seeks to convert, solely through
the divine power of the Message she proclaims, both the per-
sonal and collective consciences of people, the activities
in which they engage, and the lives and concrete milieux
which are theirs. (EN: 18)

In the document, Jesus Christ is the model of evangelization

because he was the first Evangelizer. (EN: 7) In his evangelization, there

were two basic themes: the reign of God and salvation. (EN: 8,9) He

proclaimed these themes through the preached word and through

deeds. (EN: 11,12) A turn, the evangelizing Church is to imitate the

 17

model. of Jesus Christ atid his evangelizatioti.

Evangelii Nuntiand-f continues by naming the content of evangeliza-

tion which comprises primary and secondary elements. Primary elements

are those that must always be a part of' evangelization. As the document

explains, "But there is the essential content, the living substance,

which cannot be mo(lif'i(! (t or ignored without seriously diluting the

nature of evangelizaýloti itself, "(EN: 25) There are two such irreplace-

able elements: God's love shown in Jesus Chr. ist. (EN: 26) and salvation in

Jesus Clirist. (EN: 27) The latter el. emenL- is discussed itl some detail.

Salvation is present and future; a continuity exists between the two. 32

Yet, It is the future salvat. ion which infuses evangelization with

hope. (EN: 28) Evangelization, according to Evang-eli-i Nuntiandi, must

include the two-fold message of (jod's love for the world in Jesus Christ

and salvation in Jesus Christ.

The secondary elements are variable depending on the situation;

they arise from "the unceasing interplay of the Gospel and of man's eon-

crete life, both personal and social. "(EN: 29) These elements are:

11 about the rights and duties of every human being, about family life
...

about life in society, about international life, peace, justice and

...

development -a message especially energetic today about libera--

tion. "(EN: 29)

The term. liberation, and its connection to evangelization, is Of

utmost interest to the Pope and has been to the Roman Catholic Church

for a while. At the 1971 Synod of Bishops, evangelization and liberation

were linked in this statement from the document, "Justice in the World":
"Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of

the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preach-

ing of the Gospel, or, in, other words, of the Church's mission for the

redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive

situation. -33 This document clearly places liberation as an indis-

pensable element of evangelization. 34 At the SYDod in 1974,

next an

entire section is devoted to this subject under the heading "Liberation

and Evangelization. " The enduring link between these two is affirmed. 35

With these Synods as a prelude, it is no wonder that the Pope allotted

11 paragraphs of Evangelli Nuntiandi to the relationship between libera-

tion and evangelization.

Without a doubt, evangelization is related to liberation by way of'

proclamation. This is stated without hesitancy or qualification. "The

Church, as the Bishops repeated, has the duty to proclaim the liberation

of millions of human beings, many of whom are her own children

(EN: 30) Jesus, himself, set the example for the proclamation of libera. -

tion. (EN: 9) It is a different matter, however, when doit, liberation is

the subject. Qualifications arise at that point. Evangelji Nuntiand-i

states that the Church in its evangelization is to promote human libera. --

tion. "The Church has the duty of assisting the birth of this liber-
...

ation, of giving witness to it, of ensuring that it is complete. This is

not foreign to evangelizatiOD. "(EN: 30) The acceptable means of

accomplishing this is through works of charity. (EN: 42)

Following this, Pope Paul attempts to balance spiritual and

temporal liberation. On the one hand, fears of reducing liberation to an

 11)

earthly project are expressed. (EN: 32) On the other hand, the Church is

commanded to assist liberation and to ensure its completion. (EN: 30) What.

can be safely said about temporal liberation in EvangPIA Nuntlandi

without any hesitation is that it is useless without conversion.

11 the Church has the firm conviction that all temporal liberation
... ...

carries within itself the germ of its own negation and fails to reach

the ideal that it proposes for itself whenever its zeal lacks a
...

truly spiritual dimension and whenever its final goal is not salvation

and happiness in God. "(EN: 35) Despite the vacillation, EmnWlii

Nuntiandi affirms the proclamation of liberation and a balance in briDg-

ing about temporal liberation, a balance that recognizes the absolute

need for conversion.

Nevertheless, the discussion of liberation must be viewed from the

overall perspective of EvangeM Nuntiandi which places liberation into

the category of a secondary element of evangelization. In this perspec-

tive, liberation is not as essential an element as making known the love

of God in Christ from whom salvation is available. Further, liberation

may not always be an element in evangelization because "Their presenta-

tion (secondary elements] depends greatly on changing circumstances.

They themselves also change. " Liberation is nj a primary element which

if ignored "seriously dilutes the nature of evangelization

itself. "(EN: 25) Thus, EvangrKi Nuntiandi underscores the importance of'

liberation in the Church's evangelization as a secondary element. 36

Upon comparing evangelization in EvangeM Nuntiandi with Ad

Gentes, major differences are apparent. One such difference is the scope
 20

of evangelization. Evangelization is missionary preaching of the Gospel

in foreign lands in Ad Gentes. This precludes evangelization to de--

Christianized peoples. Evangelii Nuntlandi enlarges this perspective.

Evangelization is for all peoples, those who are being evangelized for

the first time as well as those who may have been evangelized many times

in de-Christianized countries. No restrictions are set on evangeliza-

tion. EvanMIK Nuntiandi does use the term "first proclamation" for a

"pre-evangelization" to mission lands and de-Christianized lands. For

the latter, evangelization is addressed to "innumerable people who have

been baptized but who live quite outside Christian life, for simple

people who have a certain faith but an imperfect knowledge of the foun--

dations of that faith, for intellectuals who feel the need to know Jesus

Christ in a light different from the instruction they received as MY

dren, and for many others. "(EN: 52) Therefore, "first proclamation" can-

not be understood in a numerical sense as it is in Ad Gentes. Related

to this, Evan. M Nuntiandi moves from the terminology of geography

used in Ad Gentes to include aspects such as evangelizing the con-

science, values and judgments.

A second difference is that Ad Gentes does not mention evangeliza-

tion and its involvement in liberation or the earlier term, humaniza--

tion. Its absence is striking since this question is being debated at

the time of the Council as mentioned above. Ad Gentes repeats the long

held belief of the Church's non-involvement in temporal issues. In sum--

marv, Evange. 1ji Nuntiandi builds on Ad Gentes by presenting a full and

diverse evangelization which recognizes the manifold situations in the

 21.

modern world. The aggrjornamento of evangelization in Evange-Ii-i Nunt-iand-i

is remarkable for the mere 10 years between its publication Ad

and

Gentes.

Evangelij Nunt-iandi reflects MedellIn primarily in the recognition

of the Church's role in liberation, though the former goes beyond the

latter in reinforcing the relationship between liberation and

evangelization, specifically. Even before the two Synods of the 1970's,

Medellin brings liberation to the fore as one of its primary themes.

Evangelii Nuntiandi picks tip on this arid discusses liberation in terms

of the Church's evangelization. Medellin certainly places more impor-

tance on everyday, historical events and evangelization than Evangelii

Nuntiandi. The latter assumes a middle position on this. In addition,

because Medellin is written from a Latin American context, its applica-

tion of evangelization directly confronts specific groups and pastoral

programs, whereas Evanrrelii Nuntiandi, being a document for the entire

Roman Catholic Church, is general enough in order to be meaningful for

many contexts.

The last document in this survey is from the 1979 CELAM CoDference

in Puebla, Mexico. Scores of articles have been written about this con--
ference on such areas as the controversy surrounding the selection of
delegates, the influence of the Pope and the role of the media. These

happenings are undoubtedly important and worth considering; however, it

is the document itself, "Evangelization in Latin America's Present and

Future, " which relates to this survey.

Evangelization in the Puebla document is difficult to define. Among

 22

its many words, few, if any, are spent answering the question, what is

evangelization. rhough Puebla adopts Evan, -, elii Nuntiandi at many crucial

points, it does noL employ the latter's definition of evangelization.

Archbishop Marcos McGrath, a participant at Puebla, remarks on this

deficiency. When speaking about the first section of chapter two, where

an understaDding of' evangelization should have been established, he

makes this comment:

The first section is probably the most important, and the

least successful: Evangelization in itself, its dimension
and its criteria -- points that are basic to all the rest.
This does not surprise us, if we remember how new the
...
whole terminology is, and even more important, how new are
the present effor ts and experiences of evangelization in our
Churches. 37

Others have made similar Puebla. 38 It

observations about can be safely

deduced, though, that evangelization in Puebla involves transmission of

the Gospel, primarily by proclamation. Under the heading, "The Mystery

of Evangelization, " these words are found, " the Church becomes
... ...
the handmaid of the Gospel in order to transmit it to human beings with

full fidelity. "(PD: 349)

The content of evangelization at Puebla follows exactly that which

Pope John Paul 11 decrees in his opening address to the conference. The

three-fold content is the truth about Jesus Christ, the Church and human

beings. All three items are integral parts of the transmission of the

Gospel. The third content, the trut. h about human beings, seems to be of

special importance because it is one of three emphases of evangelization

ji, ) Latin America which will be discussed below. Again, this is

determined by the Pope's opetiitig speech in which lie entrusts bishops to

 23

be "Defenders and Promoters of Human Dignity. " In this tile Pope

regard,

says,

Those familiar with the history of the Church kDOW that in

every age there have been admirable bishops deeply involved
in tile
valiant defense of the human dignity of those
entrusted to them by tile Lord. Their activity was always
mandated by their episcopal mission, because they regarded
human dignity as a gospel value that cannot be despised
without greatly offending the Creator. [Pope John Paul 11:
Opening Address At The Puebla Conference, 111,1]

According to Puebla, human beings have dignity, and this truth must

be announced in evangelization, (PD: 316)39 The Church's evangelization on

behalf of human dignity consists in annunciation and denunciation. The

Church is to announce the dignity of each person and the liberation

available to all through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ participated in the

restoration of human dignity by liberating them from SiD. (PD: 329) Also,

the Church is to prophetically denounce the destructive forces counter

to human dignity. (PD: 338)

In Latin America, evangelization has several emphases of special

significance. These three emphases are: evangelization of culture and

people's religiosity, evange-1-ization and promotion of human dignity and

liberation, and evangelization of decision-making centers. A brief

presentation on each of these is in order.

Culture is understood as values which give meaning or shape to a

society. (PD: 386-389) Evangelization is to permeate the culture, in this

way transforming the values, peoples and structures. A prevalent part of

culture in Latin America is the people's religiosity. This religiosity

is composed of basic Christian values " that offer the answers

... of

Christian wisdom to the great questions of life. "(PD: 448) The people's
 24

religiosity provides a foundation on which to base a pastoral pedagogy

whose purpose is to deepen and solidify these basic values and

beliefs. (PD: 457)

Evangelization is also linked with human promotion and liberation

in Latin America. 40 These terms The human

are closely related. goal of

promotion is " to make human beings themselves the active

...

protagonists of their own human and Christian development. "(PD: 477)

Identical to this is the goal of liberative evangelization, which is "to

transform human beings into active subjects of' their own individual and

communitarian development. "(PD: 485) Again, this section underlines the

importance of human dignity. Liberation and human promotion are to occur

in all areas of society -- social, political, economic and

cultural, (PDA83) and on the transcendental level of life. Like

Evangelii Nuntiandi, Puebla strives for a midway point between spiritual

and temporal. liberation. Liberation is defined by two elements:

The first is liberation

all the forms from
of bondage, from
personal and social sin, and from everything that tears
apart. the human individual and society The second ele-
...
ment is liberation for progressive growth in being through
communion with God and other human beings; this reaches its
culmination in the perfect communion of heaven (PD: 482)
...

Both spiritual and temporal elements are include(] in this understanding

of liberation. An additional element in Puebla is the role of "the

social teaching of the Church. "(PD: 472-476) This teaching is the

Church's way of promoting liberation and of helping to build the King-

dom. (PD: 472,475)

Evangelization is also to impact. decision-making centers, specifi-

cally the political and ideological centers. Since the Church evangel-
 25

Wes every part of life, by necessity it must evangelize these areas.

Evangelization in the political realm hopes to accomplish the following:

" to enlighten consciences and to proclaim a message that is capable

...

of transforming society. "(PD: 518) This also is very similar to Evangelii

Wntiandi which proposes a transformation from within by renewed persons

with renewed consciences. In addition, the Church will judge these

powerful centers in light of the social teaching of the Church.

In these last two areas, evangelization and its relationship to

liberation and to politics, Puebla is vague about what evangelization

would actually look like in accomplishing the transformation of society,

the enlightenment of consciences or progressive growth. Missing from

these sections are the pastoral guidelines or criteria included in most

other sections. As a result, evangelization lacks a detailed, procedural

outline which would encourage such immense changes.

Puebla lists two preferential options for evangelization in Latin

America. It is unclear in what ways these options differ from the

emphases just discussed, yet the document clearly states that these

options are a priority. (PD: 1132) The evangelization of the poor is a

priority because it is an imitation of Jesus Christ. (PD: 1145) When

evangelizing the poor, the Church is continually converted through its

service to the poor and its proclamation of Christ to the poor. In this

way the poor evangelize the Church. "Commitment to the poor and

oppressed and the rise of grassroots communities have helped the Church

to discover the evangelizing potential of the poor. For the poor chal-

QDge the Church constantly, summoning it to conversion "(PD: 1147) In

...
 26

evangelizing the youth, the goal in this setting is personal conversion

along with influence in such areas as vocational choice and sociopoliti-

cal action. (PD: 1194,1196) The poor and the youth of this continent,

along with the three emphases mentioned above, are priorities for

evangelization in Latin America.

In comparing Puebla and Medellin, it is essential to remember that

the former devotes much more attention to evangelization than the lat-

ter. For this reason, Puebla will be compared to Medellin and only those

areas which Puebla did not continue will be pointed out. There are two

such areas: 1. Medellin addresses the varying levels of faith in Latin

America; and 2. Medellin addresses the unity of salvation history and

human history.

Under the first point, Medellin perceives a variation in the way in

which faith has penetrated the Latin American peol)le. Because this,
of

Medellin calls for an adapted evangelization and illustrates this adap-

taLion with two groups, the masses and the elites. Puebla is silent

about. differing leve-Is of Faith and the need for, an adapted evangeliza-

tion. The Puebla document recognizes the religiosity of the people, but

its context is that. of cultural adaptation, not for

an adaptation

evatigelizatioti. (Pl): 444--445) Unlike Medellin, Puebla does not promote an

adapted evangelization for the varied Latin American religious context.

Under the second part., Medellin makes a connection between the two

histories of God and of humanity. Evangelization has the task, espe-

cially under catechesis, of pointing ouL this unity. in order W do

this, the evangelizer needs a familiarity with temporal events their

and
 27

spiritual significance. In Puebla, on the other hand, no connection is

made between everyday events and God's Plans for human history. The

focus on temporal events is removed and in its place is put the Church.

In the doctrinal section on the Church, the document says that the king

dom is "already here in the Church, "(PD: 229) "In the Church
and we find

the visible manifestation of the project that God is silently carrying

out throughout the world. "(PD: 227) No longer are temporal events the

focus in God's history. The Church is at the center. This, in turn,

changes the emphasis of evangelization. In addition, it is the Church

which is to judge the truth of liberation, of ideologies and of politi--

cal actions. Again, this is a reversal from Medellin. Rather than the

Church's educating about temporal activities in its evangelization, the

Church assumes the role of judge. "As a mother and teacher whose exper---

tise is humanity, the Church must examine the conditions, systems,

ideologies, and political life of our continent shedding light them

- on

from the standpoint of the Gospel and its own social teaching. "(PD: 511)

In this respect, evangelization possessed an upgency and relevancy at

Medellin which Puebla has forfeited.

Between Puebla and Evangelji Nuntiandi there are countless

similarities. Several have been included already. The former is replete

with verbatim quotes from the latter. For instance, the three Latin

American emphases for evangelization arise directly from the lat-

ter. (PD: 343-345) in the midst of these similarities, though, two dif-

ferences do exist. One difference is the importance of the reign God

of

to evangelization in Evangelii Nuntiandi. The second diference is the

 28

Church's role in liberation in Evangelij Nuntlandi.

In Evanpolil Nuritiandi evangelization is intimately linked with the

reign of God. The reign appears at the outset. Its first mention is as

one of the two key words of Jesus' evangelization. (EN: 8) The papal docu--

ment frequently uses the phrase, "the Good News of the Kingdom. "(EN: 13)

The proclamation of the God's reign is more than a priority for

evangelization; it is required. For Puebla, the reign of God is given

little attention. It is mentioned in the doctrinal section under the

truth about the Church as the "core of Jesus' message, "(PD: 226) and that

it is found in the Church. Otherwise, it is rarely addressed. From the

lack of attention given to the reign of God in Puebla, one can only

assume that it is inconsequential. Thus, the core of Jesus' proclamation

and one of two key words of evangelization for Evan"M Nuntiandi the
-

reign of God - is seemingly unimportant in the Puebla document.

A second differeDce between Evange1ji Nuntiand! and Puebla concerns

evangelization and liberation. In the former, the church is pro-active

for liberat ion, The Church proc-laims liberation, and it also has the

complementary "duty of assisting the birth of this liberation, of giving

witness to it, of ensuring that it is complete. "(EN: 30) Later It says,

"The Church considers it to be undoubtedly important to build up struc--

tures which are more human, more just, more respectful of the right.,, of'

the person and less oppressive and less enslaving "(EN: 36) As
...

expected, -the Pope issues the warning that any activity on behalf' of

temporal. liberation must be coupled with a spiritual counterpart, thus

avoiding a lopsided approach. Still, Evange-Iji Nuntiand-i expects the

 29

Church to be involved in temporal liberation in its evangelization.

In Puebla the words chosen reflect a passive attitude the Church

of

towards liberation. The Church's action in liberation resides in for-

mulating a social teaching about liberation. "The contribution of the

Church to liberation and human promotion has gradually been taking shape

in a series of doctrinal guidelines and for that

criteria action we now

are accustomed to call 'the social teaching of the Church. '"(PD: 472)41

In addition to this, another statement assumes that liberation is hap

pening on its own, and all the Church has to do is to infuse the libera

tion with the Gospel. "This liberation is gradually being realized in

history, in our personal history and that of our Through

peoples. ...
all these dimensions must flow the transforming treasure of the

Gospel. "(PD: 483) The Church's reliance On its teaching about liberation

is far from words which speak of a duty "to assist the birth this
of

liberation "(EN: 30) Even a sense of proclaiming liberation, to

... Mil

lions of people as Evangvlij Nuntiandi says, is nonexiStM in Puebla.

Jon Sobrino makes a significant comment which connects these two

differences of the reign of God in evangelization the Church's

and

evangelization and liberation between Puebla and EvangeM Nuntiandi. He

attributes the difference to methodology.

there is a subtle change in perspective in the use of'

...
Evannlii Nuntiandi, which is quoted repeatedly. This docu--
ment itself begins with the figure of Jesus the evangelizer,
the Kingdom of God, and the proclamation of the Good News to
the poor. it then goes on to describe a Church that is sup-
posed to continue this evangelizing work of Jesus and to
find its innermost identity in this very mission. In the
Puebla Final Document, however, we find a tendency to begin,
at least logically, with the reality of Christ in himself
and of the Church in itself This is a methodological
...
 30

difference vis-a-vis Evangplii NUDOandi, and of no small.

importance 42
...

Thin survey of evangelization has covered about 15 years and four

Roman Catholic documents in its scope. In that time, evangelization has

become a common word in Roman Catholic theological circles. Since Ad

Gentes, many concepts have been united with evangelization, concepts

such as culture, liberation, promotion of human dignity, history,

temporal affairs, the poor, base communities, youth, and politics. These

concepts add a richness and complexity to evangelization which go far

beyond an understanding of evangelization as preaching the Gospel in

non-Christian lands. Evangelization has emerged as a crucial task of the

Church, a task which brings the Church into contact with the modern

world in all its diversity and demands.

 11
3]

ENDNOTES

1- S(Ný W. Richey flogg., "Some Background Cons i derat -i orls for Ad Gentes, "
InLernational Review of Mission 56 (July 1967) 1). 287.
,
2. Along with the official teaching on missions, several other ideas
are being promoted. In the 1959 French volume of A. M. Henry's book, A
MiS Thqoloýgy, Henry attempts to clarify "MISSiODS" by distinguishing
---40D
between two understandings of mission, the restricted and the
unrestricted. The restricted sense of missions is that of bringing
unbelievers to faith and conversion. [Antonin M. Henry, A, MQjjon Theol-
(1g,y, trans. Albert J. LaMothe (Notre Dame: Fides Publishers, 3960, p:
11.1 The unrestricted understanding is that all the Church's activities
are mission. He names such activities as: "to convert the unbelievers,
but also to instruct and catechize the converts, to baptize them, and to
watch over God's flock. " After making this differentiation, Henry then
chooses the restricted definition for use in his mission theology for to
include the whole pastoral action of the church in the understanding of
missions would, in his opinion, render the word meaningless.
Ronan Huffman challenges Henry's "restricted missions" in an art! -
cle included in a 1963 volume on Vatican 11. In that article, Hoffman
argues that "the propagation of the faith and the salvation of souls" is
too narrow a purpose for missions. [Ronan Hoffman, "The Council and the
Missions, " in Vatican 11: The Theolopical DýJ,men,si(q, ed. Anthony D. Lee
(Washington: TAK -, -- __ 540] Astead, he follows
p.
Henry's unrestricted definition and states that "'missions' are nothing
more and nothing less than the mission of the Church extended on a truly
global scale. it. the activOK if the " [Ibid.,
... embraces all Church.
p. 548. ] Whereas Henry does not adopt missions as unrestricted, Hoffman
does wholeheartedly.

3. The understanding of missions in Ad Gentos lies between Henry's

restricted and unrestricted definition. It is more than converting
unbelievers for it includes planting churches, but it is limited to only
two of the Church's activities.

4, Louis and AndrA Wif, The Mission of the Church in the Worli, Faith
and Fact Books: 101, trans. Reginald F. Trevett (London: Burns and
Dates, 1962), p. 98.

5, jean Danfelou. The Salvation of the Nat trans. Angeline

Bouchard (London: qfleed' _Wa_ -1549).
rA1 p. 90.

6. A. M. Henry, p. 12.

7. "We will, then, find missionary activity, primarily and primor-

dially, in the first stage of evangelization, that which ends with con--
 32

version and entry into the catechumenate. " Ibid. 141.

, p.

8. Calvert Alexander, The_Missionarv Dimension: Vatican 11 and the

World_Apostolat! ý (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Company, 1967), p. 12.

9. Even though evangelization at this time is most commonly associated

with missionary lands, it is a concern for some in "Christian
countries" which have become "de-Christianized. " Persons are concerned
about the evangelization of European countries where the number of
Christians dramatically declined to a minority. The "Mission to France''
in the early 1940's is a mission whose goal is evangelization. In a 1937
book, M. Bettencourt made two suggestions which were subsequently incor-
porated into the Mission to France: "(1) A seminary for home missions to
train priests who should specialise in the apostolate of conversion. (2)
A rural Society of the Propagation of the faith to allow for a new
evangelisation of the pagan country areas. "[Maisie Ward. France Pagan?
The Mission of Abb6 Godin (New York: Sheed and Ward, 1949), p. 47.1 In
the seminary at Lisieux where priests were trained for this mission,
evangelization is integrated into and is the emphasis of the seminary
training. [Ibid. ] Several years later, evangelization is the impetus
behind another mission to the country of France, the "Mission to Paris. ''
The worker priest movement is associated with this particular mission.
This mission, founded in 1943, is started for the express purpose of
converting "the heathen. "[The_Worker Priests: A Collective Documenta-
tion, trans. John Petrie (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd., 1956),
P. 8.1

10. The Canon Law Society of America, The Code of Canon L ed. James
A. Coriden, Thomas J. Green and Donald E. Heintschel (New York: Paulist
Press, 1985), p. 144,

11. Theonly "exception" to the goal of the "spiritual good" of social

welfare work is found in the encyclical Evangelij "aecones of Pius XtI.
In that encyclical, a paragraph under the heading, "Renewing the Social
Order, " does not seem to have the emphasis merely on the "spiritual
good. " These paragraphs read: "Of course, charity can somewhat alleviate
many social injustices, but not sufficiently. It is justice above all
that must flourish, must hold sway, must be reduced to actual prac--
tice. "(EP: 70-71)

12. This is the accepted view of several Roman Catholic missiologists

at the time of Vatican 11. Charles Couturier, in his book, The Missi n
of the Churc devotes deal to the interaction ý)f
, a great of attention
the Church's evangelization with temporal affairs. He re-states the
accepted belief that the Church's mission is a "supernatural one, " and
that priests and religious should have minimal interaction with the
temporal sphere. [Charles Couturier, The_Mission of the Church, trans.
A. V. Littledale (Baltimore: Helicon Press, 1960), p. 54. ] Still, he
recognizes that the Church frequently does become involved in temporal
affairs. "It is none the less true that the Church, acting through its
members, whether native or foreign to the place, aims at developing
institutions productive of good, and also at the improvement and reform
of those that are defective. " [Jbid., p. 80. ] He recognizes that
 33

temporal involvement can be beneficial or harmful. On the one hand, it

is beneficial because it makes the Church known in the world. "Yet
temporal action, kept in its right place is good; for it provides the
Church with numerous opportunities for contact and evangelization. ''
[Ibid., p. 99.1 On the other hand, it can be negative since any involve-
ment in temporal affairs could be misconstrued. Christians, as citizens,
are a political force, and he acknowledges the possible danger of mixing
politics and preaching the Gospel.
Couturier takes this question a little deeper and asks about the
timing of humanization (temporal involvement) vs. evangelization.
Humanization, as he uses the word, seems to refer to the alleviation of
problems in the temporal realm, such as: "Polygamy, or the wage-system,
nomadism, or slum dwelling. " [Ibid., p. 105. ] He asks the question, Is
evangelization or humanization the prior activity? His answer is an
emphatic statement that humanization cannot precede evangelization.
"From whatever standpoint, to suppose that a process of 'humanization'
ought to precede the work of preaching the Gospel would be to misunder-
stand profoundly the true nature of the apostolate, which is essentially
a missionary work. " [Ibid., pp. 111-112. ] For Couturier, evangelization
is always the primary task; humanization is always secondary.
Ronan Hoffman, in his article several years later, follows the
thinking of Couturier. He straddles the mid-way point between the
Church's spiritual mission and the Church's concern for humanity's
"temporal condition. ''
The Church's mission is primarily spiritual and religious, a
thing of the supernatural order, But the Church's solicitude
for the eternal welfare of man implies no indifference to
his temporal condition. Thus, although the Church is,
...
from her divine mission, primarily concerned with the
spiritual and not with the temporal, it nevertheless fosters
the temporal prosperity of individuals and society almost as
effectively as if it had been instituted for that purpose
alone. [Hoffman, "The Council and the Missions, " pp. 544-
545. ]
In addition he calls for a mission apostolate that is "comprehensive and
not merely an apostolate of spiritual conquest. " [fbid., p. 547.1
Nevertheless, he is in wholehearted agreement with Couturier and even
quotes him that evangelization precedes humanization. [Ibid., p. 545. ]
On the other side of this question, there are those who labor to
integrate evangelization and activity in the temporal realm in actual
practice. One example of this is the Mission to Paris of which Cardinal
Suhard was one of the founders. Cardinal Suhard was haunted by the num--
ber of non-Christians in Paris, especially in the working class. His
profound concern for unbelievers is obvious from one of his speeches.
To save the souls of Paris, that is the primary task.
It is this multitude I shall have to answer for on the
Judgment Day. Now do you understand the anguish I suf--
fer? It haunts me: it is an obsession that will not
leave me. ... it is always the same - the wall divid-
ing the Church from the masses. A wall that must at
any cost be battered down in order to bring back to
Christ the multitudes who have lost Him. That is why
we were glad to entrust our Mission to Paris to
 34

certain of our priests, pioneers of the advance-guard.

p. 15.
Even though _I
is the core of his he realizes
evangelization ministry,
that a soul does not exist in isolation. A soul is in the midst of the
world, a temporal and social world. As he writes, "We must be quite
clear about this: the salvation of individuals cannot be carried out.
without some 'salvation' of the world. " [Cardinal Emmanuel Suhard, 1he
Church Today, The Collected Writings of Emmanuel Cardinal Suhard
(Chicago: Fides Publishers, 1953), p. 291. ] For Suhard, an apostolate,
doing evangelization, will involve penetration into the temporal and
social realm. Preaching the gospel, what is meant by evangelization, is
not enough.
If they do not cure, if they do not reform, through
institutions, and substitute a livable climate for the
deleterious environment of this 'soulless world, '
their missionary efforts run a great risk of being
compromised. To convert the world, it is not enough to
be saints, and preach the Gospel. Rather one cannot be
a saint and live the Gospel we preach without spending
himself to provide everyone with the housing, employ-
ment, food, leisure, education, etc. - without which
life is no longer human. Hence the mission of the
Christian is not only an apostolate: it is the con
vergence of three simultaneous actions: religious,
civic and social. [Cardinal Emmanuel Suhard, Growth or
Decline? ay, trans. James A. Corbett
(South _Tjje_Churchnoj,
Bend: Fides Publishers, 1948), pp. 86-87. ]

13. Pope Paul VI, "Opening Address To Latin American Bishops' Con-
ference, " in The Medellin Conc_Iusio 1, Secretariat for Latin America,
3rd ed. (Washington, -
D. C.: National Conference of Catholic Bishops,
1979), p. 2.

14. Segundo Galilea, Adon( ýYq_jq2qstoraj? En Los Cinco AAos De La.

Conferencia De Medellin, Colecci6n Pastoral Popular (Mexico: Ediciones
Paulinas, 1974), p. 26.

15. The Sacred Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples has no

Latin American section since it is considered part of Christendom and
not a continent needing to be evangelized.

16. As Medellin says, "To date the pastoral attitude has

been one of
preservation, of the faith through the administration of the sacraments
with little or no emphasis upon previous evangelization. This type of
pastoral care was suited to an age in which the social structures coin-
cided with the religious ones, the structures that communicate values
(family, school, etc. ) were permeated by Christian principles, and the
faith was transmitted, one might say, by the very inertia of tradition.
Today, however, the very transformations the continent is experi-
encing require a re-assessment of pastoral care and its adaptation to
the cultural diversity and plurality of the Latin American People. "(6: 1)

17. A practical example of' an evangelist. ic catechesis is found :in the

 35

next paragraph. "[nasmuch as children have been baptized in infancy oil

the basis of' the parents' faith, the 'evangelization of' the baptized'
becomes a necessary stage in the promotion of the faith. And this need
is intensified by the disintegration the family has suffered in
, many
areas, the religious ignorance of adults arid the scarcity of base
Christ. jan communities. "(8: ý))

18. Medellin comments on this diversity in the following parag., raph:

"Among the great masses of the baptized in Latin America the conditions
of' faith, Christian beliefs and practices vary widely, not only from
country to country but even from one region to another within the same
country, arid among the different social classes. There are semi--pagan
ethnic groups; peasant masses which are still deeply religious; and
marginal masses, which have religious sentiments, but which cannot be
labeled as practicing. "(6: 1)

19. Peruvian Bishops' Commission for Social Action, Between Horiestv and
jjqpe-, ts from arid about the Church in Latin America trans. John
Drury, __Pocumen,,
Maryknoll Documentation Series (Maryknoll: Maryknoll Publica--
Lions, 1970), p. 103.

20. See the "Introduction To The Final Documents, " para. 8. Segundo
Galilea makes this important comment oil this subject. "La necesidad de
diversificar y adaptar encarnar la actividad apost6lica a]. hombre
-- -
latinoamericano en estas diversas situaciones, tiene algo de novedoso,
tras decenios de una pastoral dominada por 1a uniformidad. Esta exigen-
de un pluralismo .
cia adecuado en la evangelizaci6n aparece en casi toda
la temitica de Medel-I-In. " Segundo Galilea, El Mensaie de, Pueb. 1a,
(BogotA: Ediciones Pau-1-inas, 1979), pp. 20-21.

21. As the Medellin document says, " the need for an adapted
...
evangelization to the need, and a process of maturation of the faith of
the masses and the elites by means of catechesis and the liturgy. "
"Introduction To The Final Documents, " para. 8.

22. Quoting again from Medellin, "it is proper, to the Church's

evangelizing mission to discover in this religious sense, 'the hidden
presence of God', 'the way of truth that enlightens all', the light of
the word present even prior to the Incarnation or apostolic preaching,
and to make it bear fruit. "(6: 5)

23. "In all these situations evangelization must direct itself toward
the formation of a personal, internalized, mature faith that is opera-
tive arid constantly confronting the challenges of present-day living in
this era of transitJon. "(7: 13)

24. Segundo Galilea comments oil the importance of Medellin in this

regard. "Mede II in es I fundac i oija I' porque asumi6 la real idad
latinoamericana y su proceso histOrico, con sus valores, ambigiiedades y
pecados, como una dimensi6n de la Historia de la Salvaci6n en Am6rica
Latina " Segundo Galilea, El-Mensaje de Puebla, p. 16.
...

25. The Medellin Conclusions, p. 19.

 36

26. Ibid., p. 27.

27. "Catechetical teaching may not, then, disregard in its the

renewal
demographic, social and cultural changes experienced in Latin
America. "(8: 5)

28. See the account of the Synod by Archbishop S. F. Carter, "The Synod
of Bishops - 1974, An Assessment, " International eview of Mission 64
(July 1975), pp. 295-296.

29. Synod of Bishops, "The Two Documents of the 1974 Bishops' Synod, ''
Catholic Mind 73 (March 1975), para. 3.

30. An expansion of evangelization from that portrayed in Ad Gentes

occurs even before Evangel-ii Nuntiandi with the Synod of Bishops. In the
preparatory document, the Synod lists four definitions of evangeliza--
tion. One mirrors the understanding of' Ad Gentes; ".. evangel ization is
restricted to meaning the first proclamation of the Gospel to non-
Chr, hs,tians, whereby faith is awakened (missionary preaching: kerygma), "
[Synod of Bishops, "The Evangelization Of The Modern World, " Introduc-
tion, IV] However, the definition which the preparatory document accepts
is wider; "... the activity whereby the Gospel is proclaimed arid
explained, arid whereby living faith is awakened in rion--Christians and
fostered in Christians (missionary preaching, catechetics, homiletics,
etc. ). " F.Ibid. ] In this second definition, evangelization is for
Christians as well as non--Christians, and it includes other activities
along with missionary preaching.

31. Donal Dorr, ppjjýýFor The Poor, A Hundred Years of Vatican Social
Teaching (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1983), 1). 191 .

32. A commentator offers further explanation of the connection between

present and future salvation. "But what is particularly valuable in the
document is that it offers terms in which the relationship between the
present and the future can be explored more fruitfully. It speaks of 'a
hereafter' which is 'both in continuity and in discontinuity the
with
present situation' and of 'a hidden dimension' of this world, an aSpeCt
that will one day be revealed. " Ibid., pp. 195-196.

33. Joseph Gremillion, The Gospel Of P ace and Justicy, Catholic Social
Teaching Since Pope John (Maryknoll: - I is Books, 1976), p. 514.

34. "Justice in the World" includes another quote to the one

similar
above, "The mission of preaching the Gospel dictates at the present time
that we should dedicate ourselves to the liberation of man even in his
present existence in this world. For unless the Christian message of
love and justice shows its effectiveness through in the cause of
action
justice in the world, it will only with difficulty credibility
gain with
t1ie men of our times. " ibid. p. 521
, ,

35. "Among the many subjects dealt with by the

synod, special attention
was drawn to the mutual relationship between evangelization and integral
salvation or the complete liberation of man and of peoples.
 37

In
a matter of such importance we experienced profound in
unity
reaffirming the intimate connection between evangelization and such lib
eration. " Synod of Bishops, "The Two Documents of the 1974 Bishops'
Synod, " para. 12.

36, Still it must be said that liberation seems to be the secondary

element of most interest to the Pope and to evangelization at this time.
See (EN: 29)

37. Archbishop Marcos McGrath, "The Puebla Final Document: Introduction

and Commentary, " in Puebla And Beyon ±_Pocumentation and, CommenWry, ed.
John Eagleson Philip T -
Scharper, -
and trans. John Drury (Maryknoll: Orbis
Books, 1979), p. 99.

38. Phillip Berryman writes this about before

evangelization and at the
Puebla conference. "However, even at Vatican 11, 'evangelization' was
still related to the mission, i. e., 'evangelizing' non-Christians.
Medellin spoke of the 'reevangelization of the baptized' but did not
develop the idea. Only with the 1974 synod of bishops and Evangelii
Nuntiandi did it become common to see evangelization presented as the
central mission of the Church.
Presumably this development involves the
a radical reorientation of
raison d'etre of the Church: The Church to
exists communicate a message,
a call to conversion, rather than to act the dispenser the
as of means
of salvation. This is either a radical new departure it is
- or simply
Using new terminology for what has always been done. one has the impres-
sion that the bishops have not really internalized this development.
Evangelization does not seem to be the Puebla the
real subject of -
topic itself created little controversy but functions
- rather as a.
hatrack on which to hang other items. " Phillip Berryman, "What
agenda
Happened At Puebla, " in Churches Politics in_ in America,
-d -- ed.
Daniel H. Levine (Beverly Hills: Sage Publications, Inc., 1979), p. 61.

39. See (PD: 317) for an explanation human dignity.

of

40. In the ''Documento De Consulta" prior to Puebla, this relationship

is stated as a "narrow" one, thus implying some strong reservations
about liberation and evangelization. "La liberaci6n, integralmente COW
cebida en su profunda concepci6n cristiana, tiene estrecha relaci6n con
A evangelizaci6n. " [ III CODferencia General Del Episcopado
Latinoamericano, Puebla, Comuni6n y participaei6n, Biblioteca De Autores
Cristianos (La Editorial Catolica, S. A,: Madrid, 1982), p. 121. ] This
softens the stand which the two Synods and Evangelii Nuntiandi have made
on this subject. in the final document of Puebla, the word "narrow" is
removed.

41. Several paragraphs later, Puebla reiterates that the Church expects
its teaching to bring about liberation. "But the aim of this doctrine of
the Church is always the and integral liberation
... promotion of human
beings in terms of both their earthly and their transcendent dimensions.
It is a contribution to the construction of the ultimate and definitive
Kingdom "(PD: 475)
...
 38

42. Jon Sobrino, "The Significance of Puebla for the Catholic Church in
Latin America, " Puebla Arid Beyond, pp. 300-301.
-in
 CHAPTER TWO

LEONARDO BOFF

Leonardo Boff is a Brazilian Franciscan whose numerous books cover

a wide range of theological topics, such as: Christology, Mariology,

Ecelesiology and Soteriology. Each of Lhese topics is discussed from his

perspective as a liberation theologian. One of his books, Church:

Cha_rja AQ ynty, stirred opinions as far as the Vatican. Because of

this book, Boff was summoned to Rome on May 15,1984 to appear before

the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. After the meet-

ing, three disciplinary actions were taken against him: 1. "a period of

silence under obedience of sufficient duration to afford him a space for

adequate reflection; 2. the renunciation of his responsibiities an the

editorial staff of Revista Eclesidstica Brasileira: and 3. submission to

previous censorship. "l He was allowed to continue teaching at the Fran-

ciscan seminary in Petr6polis, Brazil.

One of the main questions appearing in his writings is this: what

is the relationship between salvation and liberation? 2 He

attempts to

answer the question in several places, particularly in his book the

on

topic written with his brother, Clodovis, entitled, Salvation Liber--

and

ation. He begins by defining the two terms. Salvation is "a technical

term, expressing the eschatological condition of the human being, risen

 40

and divinized, in the plenitude of the kingdom of God in eternity. "3

Liberation is "the act of gradually delivering reality from the various

captivities to which it is historically subject and which run counter to

God's historical project is the the kingdom -4

- which upbuilding of ...

Both salvation and liberation are partial in this history and only fully

realized in the reign of God. 5

His answer to the question is that the relationship between salva-

tion and liberation is a mutually dependent one. Between them there is

" identification without total identity. '6 Salvation is manifested !n

history through liberation. The goal towards which liberation labors in

history is salvation. In this way, through acts of libertion, salvation

becomes a reality for all to see and to experience. Of this relationship

Boff states,

La salvaciön verdadera se anticipa, se conereta y se his-

torifica en las liberaciones autinticas pero no se agota.
La salvaci6n no se identifica con las liberaciones
...
histÖricas porque 6stan se mantienen siempre dentro del
cuadro de la historia; por eso son fragmentarias y nunca
plunas. La salvaci6n se identifica en las liberaciones
histöricas que los hombres introdueen, es decir, se con-
creta, se dä a conocer y se anticipa en ellas. Por tanto,
salvaciön y liberacjön 7
no se sobreponen.

Integral to both of Lhese terms is the reign of God, the reign in

which they are fully realized. The reign of God is a utopia of full lib--

eration. 8 The God encompasses dimension; it

reign of every realm and is

global in its span. 9 The God destroys

reign of sin and sin's ramifica--

tions in every realm thus enabling communion with God and persons and a

sharing of the goods the 10 Like the God is

of earth. salvation, reign of
 41

present in history. ft is simultaneously a utopia of the future, and it

exists within human history. And like salvation, the reign of God

progresses in history by means of liberation. "El Reino de Dios se con--

struye a trav6s de un proceso de liberaci6n y en oposici6n al reino de

este mundo "11 For both salvation and the reign God, liberation is
... of

the historical action which causes them to emerge more fully in the here

and now,

In all of this, Boff cautions against reductionism. Using Evangelli

Nuntiandi as a model , he admonishes the Church not to attribute salva

tion, liberation, and the reign of God to one sphere, either the his-

torical and human sphere or the spiritual and eternal sphere. In order

to avoid any reduction, he links the spiritual and political, the

earthly and heavenly, the historical and transcendent, the human and

divine. He cites the Lord's Prayer as an example of a holistic approach.

"In the Lord's Prayer We encounter in a practical way the correct rela--

Lionship between God and humankind, between heaven and earth, between

the religious and the political, while maintaining unity throughout. The

first part speaks on God's behalf The second part is concerned with
...

our human interests -12 Reductionism must be avoided for it

... narrows

unnecessarily the scope of divine and human action. 13

Although evangelization occurs infrequently in his writings, its

importance is derived from its connection to liberation. Evangelization

is a means of liberation. He describes the mission of evangelization in

terms of liberation: "liberating nODpersons and making them persons by

 42

delivering them from injustice, advancing human beings in all their

dimensions (integral advancement), and, finally, divinizing human beings

by bestowing upon them the full actuality of their status as daughters

and sons of God. -14 Evangelization liberates by transforming the present

situation. The word, transformation, usually appears alongside

evangelization when the latter is used. One instance is the following

statement: " la tarea de la transformaci6n del mundo comporta una

...

dimensi6n constitutiva do ]a eVaDgOlizaci6n. "15 From its connection to

liberation whose goal is a transformed, renewed society, evangelization

warrants further study despite its rare appearance.

According to Boff, evangelization comprises two arenas of action:

the prophetic and the pastoral. He describes the prophetic action of'

evangelization in these words: "la Iglesia se forma un juicio a la luz

de la Palabra revelada, sobre la realidad socio-hist6rica en la cual

estd insertada; anuncia el designio de Dios y denUDCia lo que se le

opone. "16 Annunciation and denunciation are important aspects of the

prophetic side of evangelization. Annunciation proclaims the Good News,

which is first and foremost the reign of God. 17 Basic to the announce

ment of God's reign is the proclamation of the reign's existence in his-

tory and its needing to be builL in history. Along with the announCeMeDt.

of the reign of God, annunciation declares God's judgment on the present

reality. 18 This the time denun-

aspect of anDURCiation serves at same as

ciation.

Denunciation is also part of prophetic evangelization, In general,

 43

denunciaLion condemns injustices which preserve an inhuman situation.

Specifically, denunciations by the Church have included: the capitalist

system, the oversimplification of the doctrine of national security,

political prisoners, public liberties violated, the rich accumulating

wealth at the expense of the majority, and the process of impoverishing

the poor. Often times the Church is the only voice which is able and

which chooses to denounce these injustices.

11 ya eu des cas A seule 1'Eglise avait ]a possibiliN et

aussi le courage d'affronter I'Etat tout puissant au nom des
libert6s publiques viol6es, des prisonniers politiques
tortur6s, ou des victimes de mesures massives de repression
A cause de leur pens6e divergente. West 1A une diaconie
permanente, proph6tique et politique, que remplit I'Eglise
et qui lui a valu A reconnaissance universelle. 19

Prophetic annunciation and denunciation furthers the transformation

of society by bringing the social reality into the open. The unjust

practices are denounced. In addition, the good news of God's reign and

its just and liberating practices are announced. Evangelization of this

sort will inevitably become involved in politics. For Boff this is only

appropriate for the Church cannot remain neutral and uninvolved in the

Latin American 20 Evangelization, through its

situation. annunciation and

denunciation, must strive to transform the political. "We need to become

more conscious of the political dimension of the Gospel and our faith.

This dimension is the core of evangelization if our homilies do not

...

touch upon justice, fraternity and participation, if they do not.

denounce violence, they are mutilating the Gospel and emasculating the

message of the prophets and, above all, the good news of Jesus
 44

Christ, -21

Boff describes the pastoral side of evangelization in these words:

. anima la vida cristiana, coordina las diversas tareas, crea la sintesis

vital entre evangelio y vida, celebra con alegria la presencia de la

gracia liberadora. -22 In this area, he relies on the example of Jesus

who combined word and deed in his ministry. As with Jesus, annunciation

must be linked with action; word must be accompanied by deed. 23 in par,

ticular, the annunciation of the reign of God is to be worked out in

practice, in actual deeds. One way to work for God's reign through

evangelization in the pastoral realm is to bring about changed relation-

ships. He explains, "The Christian faith announces that the reign of God

is begun here on earth, and must be built by people to the degree that

they create material and social relationships that favor the growth of

life. -24 Changed, life-giving relationships happen through Conversion.

Conversion does not have to do as much with belief 25

as with practice.

To be converted is to change one's relationships to reflect the reign of

God. Relationships should be characterized by communion, justice, equal

ity. "Positively viewed, conversion is the implementation of altered

relationships at every level of personal and social reality. These

altered relationships will express concrete forms of liberation and

anticipate the kingdom of God. -26 Thus evangelization, through CODVer-

sion, seeks to encourage changed relationships which will inevitably

boild the reign of God in human history. This is an example of word and

deed working together in the pastoral realm of evangelization.

 45

Therefore, evangelization in its prophetic and pastoral aspects

includes annunciation and denunciation, word and transforming practice.

Its goal is to further historical liberation through transformation of

the present history. By necessity evangelization will undoubtedly cause

confrontation as Boff explains, "La presencia de la Iglesia y su

evangelizaci6n asumen as! un peso politico en la lucha contra una

situaci6n de dependencia y de opresi6n. En semejante situaci6n,

evangelizar significa traer crisis y confticto a los creadores de

dependencia y opresi6n. -27 However, at the same time, it is precisely

the political weight of the Church behind evangelization which will

enable transformation and liberation to occur.

Evangelization is the work of all Christians, hierarchy and laity

alike. Boff denounces the hicrarchy/laity split and calls for

evangelization to be done by all. To illustrate his point, he asks a

poignant question: Who will evangelize the bishop if the laity do not? 28

Similarly, the base communities play an important role in evangelization

for they evangelize both the poor and the Church. First of all the base

communities evangelize the poor. These communities are in a position to

do this because they are a made up of poor people; they are a church of'

the poor. 29 This is for the to

a necessity most appropriate way evangel-

ize the poor, according to Boff, is for the poor to form a poor

church. 30 The base for this

communities are appearing precisely reason -

to evangelize the 31 Secondly, the base evangelize the

poor. communities

Church. 32
 46

Boff seems to be influenced by the Puebla Document at this point

where it states that the Church is evangelized and converted by the

33 1, the he that the base communities are to

poor, same way, writes

evangelize and to convert the institutional Church and its leaders. "Las

CEHn, u"a vez evangelizadas, evangelizan ]a Iglesia. Ellas so" las prin-

cipales responsables por la evangeJ! zaci6n de Jos Obispos y basta de

verdaderas conversiones de Cardenales y Ohispos, sacerdotes y te6

j,,, s, "M This also reflects Gnt! 6rrez and his writing on the subject.

Outi6rrez exhorts the Church to he converted to an option for the pool,

in order to evangelize more effectively and more authentically. This

will necessitate a transformation of Church structures. In addition,

Guti6rrez underscores the importance of the poor and the base com--

munities Ln evangelization. Certainly those influences are evident in

Boff's writings on the Church's conversion to the poor and evangeliza-

tton by the poor.

Evangelization, in Leonardo norrs writings, is connected to liber-

through the task transFormation. 35 Evangelization to be

ation of seems

his practical way Lo preach liberation and to do liberating deeds.

Evangelization transforms prophetically for liberation through anuncia-

Lion and denunciation and pastorally Lhrough word and deed which alter,

relationships.

Bofr is clearly influenced by official Church documents. On the

topic of evangelization, he refers to such documents at several points.

One point, is Lo support his call for no reductionism in n"y sphPre, Ho

 47

cites Evangelij Nuntiandi in this regard. As far as the Church's mission

is concerned, in his opinion, Evangelil Nuntiand! maintains a connection

between the political and the religious. 36 At this he quotes two

point

statements from this document: " in their wish to commit the Church
...

to the liberation effort are frequently tempted to reduce her mission to

the dimensions of a simply temporal project; "(EN: 32) and " the
...

Church is certainly not willing to restrict her Mission only to the

religious field and dissociate herself from man's temporal prob--

lems. "(EN: 34) For Boff, the Church's mission is to include the many

dimensions in Jesus' mission "las interiores, como la humanizaci6n de

-

nuestras pasiones; las personales, como la superaci6n del espiritu de

venganza, el p6rdon de los enemigos yA fraternidad; las sociales, como

el compromiso con el oprimido por el hambre -37

...

A second point is the relationship between salvation and liberation

mentioned earlier as the key question in his writing. He uses Evangelii

Nuntiandi as support for their close connection. In this regard he

includes these statements from the document: "The Church links human

liberation and salvation in Jesus Christ, but she never identifies them,

because she knows through revelation, historical experience and the

reflection of faith that not every notion of liberation is necessarily

consistent and compatible with an evangelical vision of man, of things

and of events; "(EN: 35) and a transcendent and eschatological

... ...

salvation, which indeed has its beginning in this life but which is ful--

filled in eternAy"(EN: 27); and finally "The Church strives always to

 48

insert the Christian struggle for liberation into the universal plan of

salvation which she herself proclaims. "(EN: 38) These statements under-

line Boff's conclusion, stated above, that salvation and liberation are

definitely connected by the fact that liberation furthers salvation in

history. Still salvation is never fully realized in history; it main--

tains its transcendency for eternity.

In addition, the Puebla Document also addresses the relationship

between salvation and liberation. Again, as Evangvlil Nuntlandi, Puebla

describes their mutual dependency. Using Boff's conclusions about

Puebla, he writes:

And so what is being asked for is a vigorous, vital

synthesis 'between the faith they claim to profess and prac--
tice on the one hand, and the real-life involvement they
assume in society on the other hand' (783; cf. 320,864),
between personal conversion and structural (economic,
political, and social) and mental changes (30,159,362,
438). Christians are urged, then, to nurture a continuous
personal conversion, coupled with the simultaneous effort to
achieve the transformation of economic, social, political,
and cultural structures. "

A third point is the link between evangelization and liberation.

Certainly Evang'e-10 Nuntiandi supports their relationship. Two quotes

are in order: "The Church, as the Bishops repeated, has the duty to

proclaim the liberation of millions of human beings the duty of

...

assisting the birth of this liberation, of giving witness to it, of

ensuring that it is complete. This is not foreign to evangeliza

tion"(EN: 30); and "Between evangelization and human advancement devel-

-

opment and liberation there are in fact profound links. "(EN: 31) Puebla
-

continues this link. As Boff writes, "All the activities of the Church
 49

should be permeated with the social dimension and liberation.

Evangelization should be liberating (485,487-88,491).. 39 In this

way,

at the crucial points, Boff is influenced by these two Catholic docu---

ments, Evangelij Nuntiandi and the Puebla Document.

 50

ENDNOTES

1. Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff, Liberation TheoQ)U, From Con-

frontation to Dialogue, trans. Robert R. Barr (San Francisco: Harper &
Row, Publishers, 1986), pp. 94-95. The document about his work, approved
by Pope John Paul 11, includes the following statement: "The Congrega-
tion feels itself under obligation to declare the options of Friar
Leonardo Boff, here analyzed, to be of such a nature as to imperil the
sound doctrine of the Church, which this same Congregation has the duty
of fostering and safeguarding. " Ibid., p. 93.

2. See Leonardo Boff, Desde El Lugar Del Pob 2nd ed. (Bogotd:
Ediciones Paulinas, 1986), , -!,,
p. 91. In another place he asks the question
in this way: "How is this liberation, already underway, related to God,
to the kingdom, to the salvation brought by Jesus, to grace? " [Leonardo
Boff and Clodovis Boff, Salvation and Liberation: In Search of a Balance
Between Faith and Politics trans. Robert R. Barr (Maryknoll: Orbis
Books, 1984), p. 46. ] The importance of this question cannot be
underestimated because Boff sees it as the main question of liberation
theology. He writes, "The real novelty of liberation theology consists
in the development of a rigorous discourse on the theological element
present in socio-economic liberations. " Ibid., p. 45.

3. Ibid., pý 56. In another place he writes of salvation in these

words: "Por salvaci6n entendemos A situaci6n humana. y c6smica. liberada
totalmente de A que amenaza. A vida. y que realiza. A designio de Dios
sobre su creaci6n. Pop lo tanto, el concepto de salvaci6n incluye el
momento eseatol6gico, transhist6rico y 61timo de la realidad. " Boff,
De§& El Lugar R11 Pobre, p. 91.

4. Boff and Boff, Sal, va-tion and Liberatiop, p. 57.

5. About salvation in this respect, he writes: "But this definitive

situation [of salvation] does not spring up fuJI-blown only at the term
of history. This situation is anticipated, prepared for, within the his--
torical process. On the one hand this salvation totally surpasses the
historical process and is thereby 'transhistorical. 1 On the other hand
it is within the historical process that this salvation is situated. ''
[Ibid., p. 56. ] Liberation is present in history where there is freedom
from injustice and alienation, but complete liberation is given with
Christ's resurrection. "La totalidad de A liberaci6n se dio con la
resurrocci6n. AV, toda. la. vida, la. actividad, la muerte yA resur--
...
recci6n de Cristo ganan un significado liberador, presente ya. en la fac-
tibilidad superficial de los eventos, pero totalmente revelado solamente
despu6s de A explosi6n de la resurrecei6n. Leonardo Boff, L)! gi-a
Tylla
Desde El Caukiverjy Colecci6n Iglesia Nueva 23 (Bogotd: - _(ý
Indo-American
Press Service, 1975), p. 163,165.
 51

6. Boff and Boff, S'alvati on and Liberation, 0.58. He offers four

models through which he articulates their relationship. They are: the
Chalcedonian, the sacramental, the agapic and the anthropological. [See
Ibid., pp. 58-64. ] In this discourse he writes, "Salvation and libera-
tion are without division and without separation, but they are also
without confusion and without any change of one into the other. By
reason of sin, liberation is never full and complete: it always carries
a quota of oppression. Salvation is total liberation, and thereby it is
salvation fully achieved - completely unsullied and pure, never again to
be threat-ened. " Ibid., p. 60.

7. Boff, Desde El. Lugar Pej Pobre, p. 91,

8. He explains what he means by full liberation "la plena liberaci6n

-
de A creaci6n c6smica y humana, de sus Miquidades yA realizacl6n
integral del designio de Dios que es A inserci6n de todo en su vida
divina. " [Ibid., p. 45. ] Similarly he writes elsewhere, "liberation from
every stigma (including suffering, division, sin, and death) and libera-
tion for real life, for open-ended communication of love, grace, and
plenitude in God. " [Leonardo Boff, sus Christ Liberator: A Critical
Christology for Our Tim_ trans. 'J-e'
Patrick Hughes (Maryknoll: Orbis Books,
1978), pp. 280-281. ] Not only does the reign of God have to do with lib--
eration, but it also brings salvation to fulfillment. See Leonardo Boff,
Chu ch: Charism and Power: Liberation T4eqj"2ý and the Institutional
Church trans. John W. Diercksmeler (New York: The Crossroad Publishing
Company, 1985), p. 1.

9. "El Reino de Dios no se restringe a una sola regi6n de la existencia

humana como la del espiritu, A de As relaciones entre A hombre y
Dios, la de la politica, etc. El Reino de Dios es global y total. Al
...
Reino de Dios pertenece tambi6n A economia, tambi6n A politica, tam-
bi6n la sociologla. Nada se escapa al designio de Dios. " Boff, T t"_R
olggi
oEjiLad
Desde El Cautiverio, p. 60. See also Leonardo Boff, ja Fe en la
Per-feria del Mund ; El Caminar de A I- con los Oprimiqos, Colec-
Presencia Teol6gia 10 (Santander: _glesia
Editorial Sal Terrae,
ci6n 1981), p.
127.

10. "E.n su sentido pleno, reino de Dios es A liquidaci6n del pecado

con todas sus consecuencias en A hombre, en la sociedad y en A cosmos,
A transfiguraci6n total de este mundo segGn A sentido de Dios. ''
[Leonardo Boff, La Resurreccion de Cristo, Nuestra. Resurreccion en la
Muerte, CoIecci6n ALCANCE 17 (Santander: Sal Terrae, 1980), p. 87. ] He
is quite clear that God's reign can neither be internalized and individ--
ualized, nor is it something imposed from outside. He explains, "Reino
de Dios no significa tanto algo interior o espiritual, o algo que viene
de fuera o de arriba o que se deba esperar fuera de este mundo o despu6s
de la muerLe. No puede ser privativo de alguna regi6n del hombre como su
alma, los bienes espirituales o la Iglesia. Reino de Dios, constituye
una realidad omni-englobante, que abarea A realidad humana y c6smica
que debe ser liberada del pecado, pecado de pobreza, de hambre y de la
deshumanizaci6n, pecado del espiritu de venganza y pecado de rechazo a
 52

Dios. " [Boff, Desde 11 QgyN Pel POW, P. 139. J For the notion of fel -
lowship with God and persons, see Ibid., p. 45.

11. Boff, La Fe en la Periferia, p. 127.

12. Leonardo Boff, The Lord's Prayer: The 11T.!1ye E of Intaral Liberation
trans. Theodore Morrow (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1983), p. 4.

:13. To summarize this point, he writes: En esta perspectiva es com-

prensible que la actividad humana jamAs es s6lo humana (inmanente, 'nat-
ural'); estd penetrada, sustentada, animada, encabezada por la acci6n
divina. Esta, en la historia no es s6lo divina ya que usa las
mediaciones humanas, sociales y c6smicas para encarDarse, hacerse pre--
sente y realizarse. Las relaciones entre una y otra tienen en el
misterio de la encarDaci6n su paradigma pero tembi6n su carAcLer
mist6rico. No son dos liberaciones, como tampoco son dos Jes6s (dos per--
sonas) sino una sola dentro de dos dimensiones la humana y la divina
...
que se encuentran sin CODfUSi6n, sin mutaci6n, sin divisi6n y sin
separaci6n " Boff, Desde El Lugar Del PObre, p. 92.
...

14. Boff and Boff, Salvation and Libera tion, p. 39. This is in the con--
text of a discussion of the Puebla document which shows that doCUMeDt'S
influence on his view of evangelization.

15. Boff, leyllogly Desde

El Cautiverio, p. 197. All three words, liber-
-
ation, evangelization, and transformation, are included in this quote of
Boff's: " evangelization, urging a Christian practice that
-liberating
implies also a transformation of society, helping to form a new humanity
within socio-historical structures that result in greater fraternity. ''
Leonardo Boff, Saint Francis, A Model For Human Liberation, trans. John
W. Diercksmeir (London: SCM Press, 1985), pp. 85-86.

16. Boff, Desde El LugaK Pei Pobre, p. 41.

17. For Boff, the Gospel of Jesus Christ can be reduced to the reign of
God. See Ibid., p. 45. "The first and primary aspect of following Jesus
is proclaiming the utopia of the kingdom as the real and complete mean-
ing of the world that is offered to all by God. " Boff, s Lib-
-Jesu. -Christ
erator, p. 291.

18. "Anuncia el juicio de Dios que desenmascara la anti-realidad, el

orden como desorden, el equilibrio social como dominaci6n a partir de la
clase dominante que, normalmente, usa el aparato del Estado para
realizar sus intereses a costa de la vida de las clases dominadas. ''
Boff, Desde El Lugar Del Pobre, p. t22.

19. Leonardo Boff, "Mission et universalW concr6te de 1'Eglise, " 137

Lumiere et Vle (1978), p. 45.

20. Hoff's understanding of Politics, with a capital "P", is "the com--

mon search for the common good, the promotion of justice and rights, the
 53

denunciation of corruption and violence to human dignity. Tile Church

...
cannot. cease to be involved with Politics; Lhat is, it. cannot. be indit-
ferent to the justice or injustice of a cause nor can it be silent in
the face of' the obvious exploitation of any people. There is no
neutrality in Politics: one is either for change in the direction of
greater social participation or one is in favor of' the status quo, which
in many countries marginalizes a vast majority of the people. " Boff,
Church: Charism and Power, p. 27.

21. Ibid., pp. 27--28. He describes how people move from the religious
to the political. ,,.ro begin, the religious Points up the injustices that-
God does not desire. Later the people proceed to an understanding of tire
true structures that. produce such injustices, realizing that it is
imperative to change those structures in order to keel) them from gerier
ating such social sin. "
Ibid., p. 8.

22. Boff, Desde El_ IIMýAr týql jlq 1))EL!, p. 41.

23. Using the Good Samaritan as a text, Boff states that Jesus brought
together word and deed. it) his summary paraisraph he writes: "Esa actitild
de Jesfis constituye el paradigma de la acci6n samaritana de la Iglesia:
no solamente evangeliza por la palabra, sino que ayuda a transformar la
realidad de ruin en buena, a luz del Evangelio. " Tbid., p. 46.

24. Boff, Francis, p. 60ý

ISaint
25). "The conversion demanded by Jesus is riot simply theoretical, i. e.,
a change of convictions. It is primarily concerned with attitudes and
concrete practAce. It is also concerned with human beings as con--
...
crete creatures involved in a whole network of living relationships and
activities. " Boff, Jesus Christ. Liberator, pp. 286--287.

26. fbid., p, 287.

27. B of f, Teeýýýa
T Desde El Cautiverio, p. 199.
- -, -
28. "Who sees to his salvation? After all, salvation is riot bestowed oil
one just because one is a bishop. Evangelization is a two--way
...
street. Tile bishop evangelizes tire people, and the people evangelize tile
bishop. " Leonardo Boff', Ecel s ý9-eC! .,s: The- Base Communities
I, Reinvent.
ý,
the Church trails. Robert R. Barr (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1986), p. 40.

29. Boff cites as a characteristic of' Lhe base communities that Lhey
are comprised of tile poor. Under the heading, "A Church of the Poor and
the Weak Reduced to the Subhuman Level, " fie writes, "Most. if' riot. all of
tile members of grassroots ecclesial communities are poor and physically
weak people because their labor is harshly expropriated. Tire communities
have meager means ... It is the poor who are the natural bearers of the
utopla of' God's kingdom. It. Is they who bear the torch of hope, and the
future belongs to them. " Leonardo Boff, "Theological Characteristics of
 54

a Grassroots Church", in The Challenge of B -ic Christian Communities,

Papers from the International Ecum"icai-Go-n-gress of" Theology, February
20-March 2,1980, Sao Paulo, Brazil, ed. John Ealgeson and Sergio
Torres, trans. John Drury (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1980), p. 135.

30. "The best of evangelizing

way the poor consists in allowing the
poor themselves become the church
to and help the whole church to become
truly a poor church and a church of the poor. " Leonardo Boff and
Clodovis Boff, Introducing Liberatioa Theol M, trans. Paul Burns
(Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1987), p. 59.

31. See Tbid.

32. His use of the term, Church, at this point means the Church as
grand institution. He writes that two models of the Church have come
forth since Vatican 11 and Medellin: the Church as grand institution and
the basic communities. See Boff, Ecclesiogenesis, p. 8. For a descrip-
tion of the Church as grand institution, see Tbid.

33. See PD: 1147,1155,1156,1157,1158.

34. floff, Desde, El Lu,gar Del flobre, p. 35.

35. Boff seems to be inconsistent in his connection of evangelization

to liberation and not to salvation. He fails to mention salvation as
related to evangelization, even a salvation understood in its many
dimensions. He falls into the trap of reductionism without including,
salvation alongside evangelization for he has already established the
interdependency of salvation and liberation. In addition, he falls short
of his model in E"ngelil Nuntiandi which promotes a holistic
evangelization which includes liberation and salvation. See ENA and 34
in which salvaLion and liberation are included under the topic of
proclamation. See also ENAO and 27 in which salvation is included as an
indispensable part of evangelization. In this way, Boff sets standards
which he, himself, does not meet.

36. Vocamos aqui un tema importante: cuäl es la misi6n de la Igiesja.

Se inscribe Vertamente en el campo religioso, pero no puede reducirse a
61, Esto implicaria caer en un dualismo que ya hemos superado y que
aparecia en ArmInos de natural/sobrenatural, sagrado/profano,
mundano/divino. La exhortaci6n apostölica Evangelii Nuntiandi (1975)
aborda directamente la cuesti6n y enfatiza la superaciön de un doble
dualismo: el polltico y el rellgioso. " Boff, Desde EI Lugar De! Pobre,
p. 89.

37. Tbid. pp. 89-90.

,

38. Boff and Boff, Salvation and Liberation, 1). 40.

39. lbid., p. 39.

 CHAPTER THREE

SEGUNDO GALILEA

Segundo Galilea is a Chilean priest who is a pastoral theologian.

For the most part, his ministry has been in the pastoral area in the

parish, as editor of the quarterly Eastoral PoRular, on the staff of the

Latin American Pastoral Institute of CELAM, and again in pastoral work

on the grassroots level. His writings exhibit this pastoral interest for

he concentrates on such themes as: popular religiosity, culture,

spirituality, community, and of primary concern to this study --

evangelization. In these writings, he incorporates many themes of liber-

ation theology and interprets them from a pastoral perspective. As a

result, his theology is more of a pastoral liberation theology than a

theoretical or theology. 1
systematic

In his emphasis on evangelization, Galilea is infJuenced by the

growing interest in the subject by the Roman Catholic Church in Latin

America from the time of the Medellin Conference. In his book,

Reflexiones Sobre La Evanselizacion, he explains that before Medellin

2 Yet
evangelization was a "suspect" word. at Medellin, evangelization

appears as topic the Church. 3 More Galilea

an official of recently,

makes this comment on the importance of evangelization for the Church.

"The post-Vatican 11, post-Medellin, posL-Puebla church of Latin America

has but one central concern: evangelization. -4

 '56

Vor GaMea, evangelization affects primarily the interior of all

individual person; this is the realm for which evangelization is specif

ically suiLed. He distinguishes between what he terms the interior and

the exterior of the individual. The interior comprises the beliefs,

attitudes, and feelings of a person. The exterior consists of the

actions and expressions which are the outcome of what happens in the

interior realm. As will be shown, the interior affects the exterior and

promotes transformations in this outer realm. SimiJarly. the individual.

who has been evangelized and converted, moves into the community and

into society to bring about changes on the collective level. Thus,

evangelization focuses on the internal which provokes external change.

To begin this look at evangelization in Segundo GaIllea, his

definition of evangelization is in order. In the aforementioned book

published in t970, he defines evangelization in this way:

ýAnir, vroVio de la comunidad

Aana o del cristiHno - quv comunica por la Palabra. una
conviccOn de fe, nn mensaic, que es como A medula del
Evangelio: quo Cristo nos MY (liber6) del pecado y do Hns
consecuencias. Que estas consecuencias cristalizan tanto en
la persona humana (egolsmo, pasiones, etc. ) Como on la.
sociedad (opresi6D, injusticias, etc). La vvaDgOJjzaci6n es
una invitaci6n a convertirnos a este Cristo adhiri6ndanos a
la. comunidad de los que creen, a fin de que esta salvaci6n
triunfe en nosotros y en la sociedad. 5

As is evident, he embraces the individual and the society and the inter-

nal and the external transformation in evangelization. Yet, even with

this convergence, he maintains that the internal aspect is intrinsic to

evangelization. "La libermci6n interior es ol efecto m6s especifico y

original de la evangelizacibn

Evangelization effects the larger realm by first converting or lib--

 57

eratingy the interior of the individual. Interior liberation includes

liberation from "sins, selfishness and spiritua. ] slavery. -7 Interior

liberation becomes through 8 Conversion

a reality a conversion. consi" S ts

of a radical change in the interior of the individual, in one'-,, perspec--

Lives, values, motivations, attitudes and morals - in essence, a com-

plete change of orientation on the inside. These internal changes are

the point. of contact. of' evangelization for they are intrinsic to faith,

9 Once
to a belief system. the interior of' a person transformed, the
-is

outer rituals and practices are subsequently changed for it is the

internal realm which determines all outward expressions of faith - Lhe

practices, the devotions and the rituals. By evangelizing the interior,

the exterior practice subsequently transformed. "En camb-io, cuando se

-is

ayuda a descubrir mejores motivaciones y valores mis evarlg6licos, ]a

practica exterior va mejorando y purific. 6ndose por s! misma. hay una

...

mutua influencia y complementaciOn entre lo externo y lo interno en el

cristianismo. Pero la ralz esti en lo interno. "10 This is an example of

the thesis that evangel ization is directed primarily to the interior of

a person; yet the interior conversion expand% to the exterior and alters

the practice.

On a larger scale, but in the same way, the liberation of the indi-

v1dual manifests itself on the societal, collective level as exterior,

temporal liberation. He understands temporal liberation as: "Atendido

como A proceso por A cual un hombre so descubre y crece como persona,

capaz de realizar plenamente SUS OpCiODCS personales y de transformar h)

sociedad en su beneficio. "Il Temporal liberation is ineffective on its

 58

12 it be interior liberation for

own; must combined with an effective,

total liberation. An example of this, cited by Galilea, is Jesus,

evangelization of the poor. Jesus' physical cures. alone, are inadequate

for the poor are sinful and need conversion, interior liberation. It is

the interior liberation insures them liberation. 13 When

which a complete

he speaks of Christian liberation, and not just temporal liberation, he

combines both the exterior and the interior liberation. "La liberaci6n

crisLiana es: la superaci5n de las servidumbren temporales e injusticias

(liberacibn econ6mica, social, polRica, cultural, etc. ), profundamente

relacionadas con la salvaci6n de Jesucristo (liberaci6n del pecado), "14

When clarifying the connection between evangelization and libera-

tion, 15 he that liberation different

states evangelization and are yet.

inseparable. They are related and, at times, even difficult to distin-

guish. Evangelization and liberation are distinct activities which are

inseparable to the point that it is difficult to pinpoint where one ends

the begins. 16 He rurther their by

and other strengtheDS CODDeCtiOD Stat

ing that evangelization bolsters liberation and vice-versa. Evangeliza-

tion without liberation is shallow, In his opinion, a weak faith is per-

petunted by an oppressive, underdeveloped socioeconomic environnment.

For a faith to an improved situation is great benefit. 17 The

mature, of

reverse is true as has been shown earlier; liberation without

evangelization is incomplete. Evangelization accompanies liberation

through its entire from beginning to end. 18 in addition,

process,

evangelization accentuates features Men lacking from a temporal liber

ation, such as: the transformation of consciences, the oppressed beinf.,,

 59

their liberation. 19 Evangelization

subjects of own change, and cultural

and liberation are reciprocally reinforcing.

Galilea. uses this pattern, as exhibited in liberation moving from

the inward to the outward in evangelization - in explaining the movement

of the reign of God from the individual to society and the formation of

a Christian community of brothers and sisters. In each case, evangeliza-

tion is responsible for the initial interior change which overflows into

external changes.

The reign of God is incorporated into an individual at the moment

of conversion. in this way, God's reign is inaugurated with interior

jib ... tl,,, 20 Evangelization is level the

present on this at point of'

interior liberation and conversion. But, the reign cannot be contained

on the individual level for it breaks out into society with the forma--

tion of new relations of those who have been liberated in the interior.

Evangelization is active in this outbreaking of the reign calling people

to form these new relations. 21 in this irruption the

addition, of reign

of God corresponds with a growth in the Church. Evangelization is once

the this burgeoning. 22 Evangelization is

again at root of present at

every level of the Reign of God as it bursts upon the individual, the

society and the Church.

Similarly, evangelization contributes to the creation of a

Christian community of brothers and sisters. The purpose of this com-

munity is not for self-preservation; on the contrary, it is to expand

and embrace all people within the community. Again this begins with

evangelization. Evangelization communicates the interior liberation

 60

which Christ-, makes available through his overcoming of sin. In Jesus'

ack which is at the heart of a true community, the foundation for a

brotherhood/sisterhood is established, 23 This community is to extend its

boundaries so that there is brotherhood and sisterhood on a universal

level. Galilea expresses the hope that the boundaries of this community

will become lost in the midst humanity, 24 These boundaries

of universal

are extended through evangelization and liberation. Evangelization

proclaims Christ's deed which precipitates the initial formation of the

community. Liberation strives Lo rid society of the social, economic and

political barriers which prevent the community from expanding in these

temporal areas.

One way in which this community extends its boundaries is to adopt-

to for the the los 25

and manifest a preference poor, sinners, pequonos.

Jesus provides the example for this preference in his ministry, in his

teaching on the Good Samaritan, and in the parable of the judgment of'

the nations, 26 In his to los Jesus forth his

outreach paquenos, shows

27 Me,,, is to the Christian Mercy leads

mercy. characterize community.

the community to evangelize the poor; in fact, mercy is the impetus

behind evangelization.

Como motor, la miscricordia impulsa al evangelizador a

exiliarse en A miseria humana, privilegiando en su accAn
las formas Us graves de deshumanizacAn (miseria). Por eso
la evangelizacAn participa de la. preocupac! 6n y predilec-
06n de Cristo por los pobres, para liberarlos de sus ser-
vidumbres y deshumanizaciones y pura defender y acrecentar
SU fe ... 28

Evangejization is present from the inception of this community to its

outreach and liberation of Jos pequenos.

 61

Thus, in this repetitive paradigm, evangelization leads the way for

temporal liberation, the reign of God and the Christian community. Tt.

does this by beginning with the interior liberation of sin and its con-

sequences. After this initial step brought about by evangelization, lib

eration precedes to irrupt on the level of collective human enterprises,

the reign of God ferments and invades the society and the Church, and

the Christian community extends itself universally and especially to Jos.

pequenos through its mercy.

Tn his earlier work on evangelization, Galilea includes a section

on testimony and its role in evangelization. A testimony is a sign of

the reign of God which all can see, even those not a part of the

Christian community. A testimony makes visible that which evangelization

thus, there is between the the 29

announces, an alliance word and sign.

fncluded in this work is a list of what he considers examples of a

teStiMODY. 30 Several list integral his later

On this are to writing on

evangelization; they are: poverty, reconciliation and contemplative

prayer.

Galilea. defines poverty as a freedom from earthly attachments with

a subsequent freedom to trust God. 31 A lifestyle of poverty is essential

for those who are followers of Jesus because it severs a reliance on

things other than Jesus. The same is true Of an evangelizing community;

it must adopt a lifestyle of poverty. In this way, poverty will dictate

the community's use of resources so that evangelization will be done

through 'poor means. ' 'Poor means' requires the community to follow

several rules in its evangelization. It must: 1. Put its truA solely W

 62

Christ; 32 2, "Wel" in 33 3.
other ways along with giving money;

Ensure that the means of evangelizing are consistent with and uphold the

message; 34 4. Be active in from

and evangelization a place of solidarity

with the poor. This last requirement is the critical one as Galilea

explains,

As a consequence, evangelization, whether addressed to rich

or poor, whether carried on with abundant resources or,
scant. if it in to bear rich and lasting fruit in terms of
liberation of the poor and the conversion of the rich, must
always be carried on from a point of departure among the
poor - from 'their side' as it were. This is what:
...
ultimately determines which 'means' are ,, p. 135

A second testimony which Gatilea develops is reconciliation. He

defines recnnciliation as "a returD to friendship. "36 Reconciliation

must characterize the Christian community. In this community, recon-

ciliaLion consists of junLice and pardon or forgiveness. Evangelization

assists reconciliation by announcing justice and/or announcing forgive-

the time depending 37 Such

ness at appropriate and on the situation. a

reconciliation, promoted and facilitated by evangelization, is a

testimony rendered by the Christian community.

The third testimony is that of contemplative prayer. For effective

and authentic evangelization, contemplation must be an integral part of'

a Christian and a Christian community. Contemplation is an encounter

with God; which can occur in two places - in Jesus Christ and in one's

neighbor. 38 The first Jesus Christ from

encounter with originates con,

templative prayer. The second encounter originates from a specific com--

mitment in history to one's neighbor. This latter encounter compels a

contemplative person into liberating action on behalf of the poor and

 63

oppressed, thus engaging contemplation with action. Contemplation, in

its truest form, integrates prayer and militancy or action. 39 Action

call

assume two forms; it can be political or prophetic. Through political

action Christian contemplaLives strive to alter the power structures

which are oppressing the poor. Through prophetic action, Christian con-

templatives proclaim Christ's message of good news the liberation

- of'

the poor. Lest this might seem ineffective Galilea describes the

ramifications of prophetic action: "This message leads to the formation

of a critical consciousness and is capable of bringing about liberating

transformations that are deep and d,, j, j,,. "40 Thus, the testimonies of

a lifestyle of poverty, a community oF reconciliation and a contempla--

tive militant render to evangelization avenues for making visible Wý

message.

In summary, evangelization, for Gal-ilea, directs its message of'

Jesus Christ and liberation from sin and its consequences to the inte-

rior of a person, There it brings about an interior liberation, However,

evangelization and its effects cannot be contained in the interior; this

interior liberation manifests itself on the outside. As has been shown,

this paradigm occurs in several areas: the transformation of religious

practices, temporal liberation, the reign of God, and the formation of a

Christian community. Along with this, evangelization is linked with the

testimonies of poverty, reconciliation, and contemplative prayer.

The CELAM Conference at Medellin is a notable influence on

Galilea's earlier writings on evangelization. In these writings, he

 64

gives attention to topics discussed at Medellin some of which subse-

quently disappear. The topics that exhibit Medellin's influence on his

evangelization are: 1. The pastoral of the elites and the pastoral of

the masses; 2. The role of the base community in evangelization; and 3.

Popular religiosity.

In the Medellin document, there is a section on the Pastoral of the

Elites and one on the Pastoral of the Masses under the broader category

of evangelization. In his opinion, the attention given to the Pastoral

of the Masses represents a victory for a group which had been neglected.

Prior to the conference, he felt that the Church had become elitist with

a preoccupation for the Pastoral of the Elites. 41 At Medellin, the

balance was righted with a section devoted to the Pastoral of the

Masses. He explains,

Sin embargo, A MAW CODferODCia mantuvo un documento para

la 'pastoral de masas. 1 Su motivaci6n principd] fue el
redescubrimiento que se hacia en ese momento en A concien-
cia pastoral de los valores del catolicismo popular y de la
necesidad A su evangelizaci6n. Con ello A pastoral de
masas se reivindica eclesiol6gica y pastoralmente, y con
ella un aspecto de A fglesia que a menudo qued6 en ]a
penumbra en A movimiento de las 61ites: que la Iglesia es
IgIesia de pueblo 42
...

After Medellin, Galilea expresses the hope that these two will be

synthesized into one "pastoral de la fe. -43 This pastoral would take

into account the differences between the two but most importantly the

similarity between them since they have the same goal more mature
-a

faith. In his estimation, Medellin underscored and anticipated the con--

fluence of these two ministries.

Several years later he recognizes an ongoing synthesis between the

 65

two which are renamed - "pastoral intensive" (pastoral of the elites)

and "pastoral extensive" (pastoral of the ...... ), 44 He proffers the

opinion that this synthesis is being promoted by the Theology of Libera-

tion. This theology has as one of its main objectives the liberation of

the masses. He senses that their liberation is becoming the focal point

of both groups, the elites and the masses. Rather than having divergent.

interests and ministries, as before, now the intensive and the extensive

pastoral are focused on liberation, specifically the liberation of the

masses. "Esta convergencia en Wrica Latina estd facilitada por la

teologla de A liberaeAn y por ]a consiguiente exigencia de UDa

evangelizaci6n liberadora. Las comunidades de base, los grupos

apost6licos yA pastoral intensive deben estar al servicio de las masas

y de su liberaci6n "45 Though this topic of the two pastorals is men--

...

tioned again in the Puebla document (PD: 1215); it disappears from

GaIllea's writings several years after Medellin.

The second theme is that of the importance of base communities for

evangelization. In a discussion on structures for evangelization,

Galilea differentiates between ecclesial structures (those gathered

around the sacraments) and natural structures (those formed in places of

work, places of entertainment, neighborhoods, friendships, etc. ). 46 Base

communities are natural structures of evangelization for they are formed

from everyday acquaintances; they are not a forced grouping. The base

community serves as the prior step to the formation of an ecclesial

structure for evangelization. In this way, Galilea's presentation of)

evangelization in base communities draws from Medellin's statement,

 66

which is: "Thus the Christian base community is the first and fundamen

tal ecclesiastical nucleus, which on its own level must make itself'

responsible for the richness and expansion of the faith This com--
...

munity becomes then the initial cell of the ecclesiastical structures

and the focus of evangelization " (15: 10)

...
The term, base community, recedes from his later writings and seems

to be replaced by the idea of a Christian community of brothers and

sisters. This is clear from his book, RUN iones Sobre La

EvIngglizacIM, where he introduces "la Fraternidad cristiana" as a

phrase describing the goal or these base communities. He portrays "]a

Fraternidad cristiana" as a base community which exhibits these charac-

teristics: "l) saberse hermanos seg6n el Evangelio; 2) tener unos con

los otros la relacMD de hermanos; 3) aceptar valienteMeDte las con-

secuencias que Sto entrana para la vida social. "47 The base community

is most likely continued through his writings as "La Fraternidad

cristiana, " a Christian community of brothers and sisters.

The third theme is popular religiosity, or popular Catholicism, the

primary area of study and writing for Galilea. Popular religiosity is

the faith expression of the masses, and it is described in the Medellin

document under the section, "Pastoral Care of the Masses. " (6: 2-4)48 For

Galilea and for Medellin, this religiosity should not be derided. On the

contrary, it provides a basis for evangelization. 49 Galilea is primarily

interested in the religious and human values of popular The

religiosity.

point of departure for the evangelization of the masses is precisely

these values: "Valores a menudo ambiguos, o embrinoarios, pero substan-

 67

cialmente valores. Valores humanos, culturates (el trabajo, la

solidaridad, la libertad ), o valores religiosos (aceptaci6n de A

...

sagrado, de la supervivencia del hombre, de la Providencia ). 50 A

...

genuine evangelization will translate these values into a deeper faith

and into newer values and motivations. These fresh values transform
will

ritualistic practices, and will aid in the discernment and the libera-

tion process of the masses.

The CELAM Conference at Puebla confirms a direction which Galilea

has already adopted, that is SPiritUality for

-a evangelization.

"Puebla nos entrega valJosos elementos d-isperso-s- Len

-ajjn(jkj(, que nos permi

elaborar unu osp. ir. itualjdad pai-a la ovangeTizac. i6n. se podrý! en el

...

futuro profundizax en una esp. ir, itualjdad pr-opia de Ani&r-ica LatIna, as!

como Medellin hos habla (Mtregaft element, os para una teologia

-IOS y una

pastoral lat-inoamericanas. -51 In his book the Puebla document, be

on

points out several scattered references to a spirituality for

evangelization. On(! :is the importance of being a witness, or as he has

called it, earlier, a testimony, (PD: 964-976) Other references the

are,

importance of prayer in evangelization (Pl): 726--728; 932--934); the

arid

connection of poverty and the service to the poor (Pf): 11.45--1152).

Under the subject. of' evange-lization and spirituality, Galilca

includes two people who are not only mentioned in the Puebla document

but who are also influential in his writings They

on evangelization.

serve as his models of evangelization. These two people are Jesus and

Mary.

Jesus is the Evangelizer to follow, to believe in, to emulate.

 68

Jesus evangelized with an option for the poor and was in solidarity with

Lhem. (PD: 1141-1145) Jesus' words and actions proclaimed and demonstrated

the liberation of the reign of God. (PD: 190-191) Jesus calls people to

conversion and to discipleship in history. (PD: 193) For Galilea, these

actions must be true for the evangelizer in this time. In addition, he

names Jesus as the one who integrates prayer and action, contemplation

and commitment. "We must contemplate, even to imitation, the actions of

Jesus, and this imitation out of love will bring us to a stability and

equilibrium that only he can teach us. He is the only master, master of

the synthesis of contemplation and commitment "52 This is similar,

...

too, to EvarigoIji Nuntiandi, in which Jesus is highlighted as the first.

Evangelizer and the example for the Church's evangelization.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is cited by Puebla and by Galilea as a

model of evangelization. 53 Mary is because

a model of evangelization

she, herself, is poor, and her evangelization arises from her poverty.

For Galilea, Mary's evangelization is to be imitated by those who would

evangelize today. "The very way in which Mary is situated among the poor

and the neglected-on the social and ecclesial periphery-serves us as a

model and a criterion for evangelization. From this perspective,

...

evangelization doesn't come from 'the center' (the rich and powerful) to

adapt to the 'periphery'; it comes rather, from the 'periphery'.., -54

 9

FINDNOTES

1. He explains that his attraction to liberation theology stems from

his pastoral interest. "My interest and involvement in liberation theol-
ogy grew ouL of my concern for pastoral renewal 1D Latin America, a
renewal that would be framed in terms of a truly indigenous theology. T11
the last decade, for the first Lime in our history, there emerged new
lines of apostolic action that were framed in the concrete context of
Latin American reality. To he more specific, they were based on concrete
efforts at evangelization on Lhe grassroots community level, on the
level of what is called 'popular Catholicism. ' We have chosen to call
this pastoral effort, a 'liberative' one. This new dimension poses
...
new tasks and commitments of which earlier generations were not aware,
and on which liberation theology sheds further light and clarification.
I myself came to see that liberation theology provided impor
...
Lunt elements for elaborating the evangelical attitudes and historical
responses of any new spirituality. Those of us who came to liberation
theology through our concrete missionary preoccupations soon realized
LhaL this new Latin American theology was also bound to have some impact,
on other aspects of what is called 'pastoral theology' " Segundo
...
Galilea, "LiberaLion Theology and New Tasks Facing Christians, " in Fron
Liers Gibe] linj John -
of Theol_og q. qtin Americo
, ed. Rosino
,
trans.
Drury (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1979), pp. 163-164.

2. He writes, "Hace 15 o 20 anos hablar de la necesidad de evangelizar

on MAW Latina era cosa 'iniciados' y de 'avanzados'. Parecla poner
en duda la fe tradicional del pueblo yA 'catolicidad' del continente.,
La palabra era sospechosa, ah! hacia 1950, on mis de una COnfereWja
Episcopal. " Segundo Galilea, Reflexiones Sobre La Evannelizacion, 3rd.
Colecci6n TPLA 10 (Quit&, -Ecuador: DepARWAS -61 hAtOM CELAM,
ed.,
1970), p. 21,

3. "lloy dTa es un t6pico, y constituye una preocupaci6n oficial de In

1glesia. Pablo V1, en su discurso de apertura a In Conferencia de
Medellin, denuncib el 'analfabetismo religioso' del continente, y urgA
a terminar con 61. En In Conferencia misma, A tema domina las
recomendaciones pastorales de los documentos sobre 'Pastoral de Masas',
'Pastoral de Elites', 'Pastoral de ConjunLo', 'Catequesis' " fbid,
...

4. He finishes the paragraph with these related words: "Here our church
comes face to face with its own deepest identity, with its pastoral and
spiritual renewal. Here is the sole operational point of reference, the
only starting point for convoking a communion of Christians " Segundo
...
Galilea, The Beatitudes: To Evangelize As Jesus Did trans. Robert R.
Barr (Marl"AUT-6r-bis -fiooks, 19801-11). Y

5. Gal i -1ea, Rell ex i ones Sobre La Evange I izaci on, pp. 33-34.

6. Segundo GlaIiI ea, I'l Pxejý,,() 1)(ý y f, ý, T,i "i It

uoDlo e if n r(ý, Co I ec -
-1
 70

cion Actualidades Teologicas (Bogoti: Ediciones PauljDas, 1985), p. 39

7. Galflea, The Beatitudes, 1). 18.

8. Again, this is the arena in which evangelization is primarily active

in the world. As he writes, " 1a evangelizaci6n se preocupa
...
especificamenLe del primero (de la conversi6n) " GaIllea, Reflexiones
...
S-ob e ja EyaMqjizacion, p. 25.

9. "Precisamente esa serA la tarea de la evangelizaci6n: comunicar

nuevos valores religiosos, motivaciones mAs libres y humanas, que sirvan
de referencia. critica a lo que se venia haciendo. " Segundo Galilea,
Adonde Va La Pasto W, En Los Cinco AAos Do La Conferencia De Medellin,
Colecci6n Pastoral Popular (Mexico: Ediciones Paulinas, 1974), p. 59.
See also Segundo Galilea, Pastoral Popular Y Urbana E America Latina,
CLAR No. 36 (Bogotzi: Confederaci6n Latinoamericana de Religiosos, 1977),
p. 67.

10. Tbid. 81.

11. Galilea, Reflexiones Sobre Q Yangel. izacioa, p. 35. Liberation is

nearly synonymous with human promotion as is clear from his definition
of the latter: " el sentido que brota del hecho que el hombre tiene
...
una vocaci6n libre y traDScondento, por la cual se hace dueno de A
mismo y de la historia. La promoci6n del hombre esti no en 'tener' m6s,
sino en 'ser' mAs, en crecer como tal en todas sus dimensiones. La recta
promoci6n humana Ileva a ser mhs hombre. " [Ibid., p. 34.1 Both libera--
tion and human promotion have to do with a person becoming more of a
human being and of taking charge of his/her own history and destiny. The
only differentiation between the two words seems to be that liberation
connotes a more complete understanding of human promotion.
. el sentido pleno de A promoci6n es el do 'liberaci6n. '" [Ibid.,
'' p.
35 In this particular book, Galilea uses the words interchangeably;
*j
however, afterwards he usually uses liberation, rarely human promotion.

12. He explains, "Nos recuerda que las opresiones humanas, y las formas
de injusticias y servidnumbres que los hombres imponen a los hombres, no
pueden ser eliminadas por A pura actividad sociopolitica, econ6mica,
educativa. o psicol6gica. " Segundo Galilea, El Futuro De Nuestro Pasado,
Los Misticos Espanoles Desde America Latina (Madrid: Narcea, S. A. De
Ediciones, 1985), pp. 93-94.

13. As he writes, an interior liberation "guarantees their deliverance

from social slaveries by affording them the interior basis and ultimate
meaning of all liberation. " Galilea, The Beatitudes, p. 18.

14. Segundo Galilea, TeoLoLia De La Liberacion, Ensayo De Sintesis,

ColeccAn Iglesia Nueva 26 (Bogotd: Indo-American Press Service, 1976),
p. 21. fn another place, he writes in a similar fashion, "
-any
authentic liberation must entail the rapprochement between salvation
brought by Jesus Christ and liberation in all its forms. " [Segundo
Galilea, "Liberation Theology and New Tasks Facing Christians, " p. 167. ]
Liberation theology, according to Galilea, incorporates this same
 71

synthesis into its framework. "In the decade of the seventies it would
become the distinctive theology of Latin America, combining and
synthesizing evangelization and social commitment. " Ibid., p. 165.

15. HeDotes four positions concerning the relationship between

evangelization and liberation which are present in Latin America but
accepts none of them, First, there is the
classical Marxist position
that evangelization hinders liberation. He does not agree with this
position for the following reason: "Evidentemente los cristianos no
aceptamos esta posici6n y ni siquiera nosreconocemos en ella. Ella
implica no s6lo una concepci6n de la promoci6n humana bastante unida al
'tener', sino tambi6n una concepci6D de lo 'religioso' ''
muy ambigua.
[Galilea, Reflexioneq, p. 36. ]
Second, there is the position that evangelization is the same as
liberation. His reasons for not accepting this position are the follow-
ing: " 1a identificaci6n que planten esta posic! 6n parece abusiva. La
...
re, y con ello la evangelizaci6n, alcanzan una dimensi6n del hombre que
transciende toda promoct6n y liberac! 6n temporal, por muy autbntica que
sea. La evangelizaci6n incluye eso, pero comunica mucho m6s ... " [Ibid.,
p. 37. ]
Third, there is the position that liberation is detrimental to
evangelization. He does not agree with this position because, "Es
evidente que esta posici6n abuse del Evangelio y de los conceptos.
Identifica 'promoci6n humana' simplemente con promoci6n material (esen--
cialmente con el 'tener') y la pobreza evang6lica con una situaci6n
material o sociol6gica. Mantiene a6n una separaci6n entre lo natural y
lo sobrenatural, entre los dones de la creaci6n y los de la redencilin
[Ibid., pp. 37-38. ]
Fourthly, there is the position that they are parallel activities
without any alliance between them, He disagrees with this position
because, "A lo mAs lo promocional podr6 ser medio para 'atraer' a lo
religioso o para entrar en contacto con gente que en otra forma quedarla
perif6rica. Implicitamente estd la misma visi6n dualista-aunque menos
pesimista-de la posici6n anterior. " Ibid., p. 38.

16. "Por pronto de A evangelizaci6n y ]a promocl6n o liberaci6n humana

en su sentido propio son cosas diferentes. Se pueden y se deben dis-
tinguir como actividades humanas. Pero por otra parte no se pueden
separar. Hay una profunda simbiosis entre ambas actividades, de modo
...
que no se pueden precisar sus limites y nUDca una va sin la otra. ''
Ibid., p. 39.

17. "Podemos decir por lo tanto, que salvo excepciones, un cierto grado
de promoci6n humana es sieupre necesario no tanto para tin 'minimo de
fe', sino para una fe adulta, madura, que se expresa comunitaria e
hist6ricamente. " Ibid., T). 40.

18. As lie
writes, "La evangelizaci6n es liberadora porque en su
metodologia concreta no se presenta como al-go superpuesto a los
esfuerzos de promocion colectiva y liberaci6r) personal., sino que est. 6 en
permanente referencia a ellos, como punto de partida, como
acompanamiento V como meta de atracci6n. " Galilea, Adonde Va La
Pastoral?, p. 71.
 72

19. See fbid., p. 72.

20. "The justice and holiness of Lhe kingdom tWVJn% with

... a conver-
sion of heart, a personal change, and ends in the fullness of love and
the freedom of' Christ. It constitutes interior- liberation, for it expels
selfishness and the slavery, the blindness, of sin. Thus we are taught,
that the kingdom of God begins from within us (Lk. 17: 21), that, we must
be reborn to new life (Jn. 3: 3), that those who lose their life of
injustice and sin will find it. transformed into a life to the
according
kingdom (Mt. 16: 25) " Galflea, The Beatitu. des, 1). 46.
...

21. "Evangelizer Reino

el es Ilamar a] mismo Liempo a ]a conversi6n del
coraz6n y al cambio en las relacioy)es familiares, econ6micas y sociales
que conducen a la liberaci6n de los que padecen toda forma de servidum-
bre social. " [Galilea, El Reino De Dios, p. 23. ] The outbreaking of the
Reign occurs -in three ways: "la earidad solidaria, la promoci6n humana,
el reordenamiento de ]a sociedad (cambio de estructuras). " Ibid.

22. "Esto nos indica que la exparisi6n del Reino por la evaDgelizaci6n
coincide con la expansi6n de ]a Ifflesia, asi como coincide con la (. on--
versi6n de ]as Ventes y (. on su irrupci6n en la sociedad. Evang-elizar y
construir el. Reino es tambi6n crear comuni. dades de Iglesia, acompanar su
crecimicrito y expansiOn. " [bid., 1). 26.

23. "La Fraternidad cristiana esta marcada por un primer hecho

...
original: el hecho de que Cristo Senor se ha hecho muy real y ver-
daderamente hermano de los hombres, y por lo tanto ericuentra Su eje en
esta relaci6ri fraterna que tenemos con El. " [Galilea, Reflexiones, p.
127. ] Elsewhere lie writes, "Thus we can validly assert that what Jesus
came to accomplish, and actually did accomplish, is the creation of' a
community of brothers and sisters that presupposes the condition of sons
and daughters of God. His dream is to change women arid men from selfish
persons into sisters and brothers, and divided, unjust groups and
societies into just. arid loving ones. Jesus ]a-id down his life in ol-dor
to make it possible to build a community of brothers and sisters in tho
future of the church. " (Italics Galilea, The Beatitudes,
mine) 1). 53.

24. "De ahj que los actuales limites de lacomunidad cristiana sean
siempre provisorio. s: estAn llamados a extenderse mds y inds, hasta que lit
'fraternidad cristiana' se confunda un dia (. on la 'fraternidad de la
raza humana. '" Galilea, Reflexiones, p. t3l.

25. He enumerates those who are los pequenos. "Son los hombres que
estdri en condiciones despreciable% para los demAs (Mt. 18.10), los que
en a1guna forma dependen de los demis (Mt. 10.42), los que justa o
injustamente padecen necesidad u opresi6n (Mt. 25.40 y narraci6n
anterior). En este sentido hay 1pequenos' hoy en todo pals, raza o clase
social, pero especialmente entre los pobres y oprimidos. Ya estos son
los que ciertamente debe privilegiar ]a fraternidad cristiaria. " Ibid.,
1). 133.

26. On the Good Samaritan, see Ibid., p. 133, and Galilea, The
Beatitudes, P. 56. On Matthew 25, see Galilea, Reflexio P. 133.
 73

27. Galilea discusses Jesus' mercy to the poor, the sinner, the blind,
and the non-evangelized (post- Christian) in great detail. See Galilea,
El D,(; pp. 29-38.

28. Ibid., p. 38. See also Galilea, IQ Beatitudes, p. 56.

29. "Hay una unihn indisoluble entre A palabra y el signo; ambon ais,
lados queda ambiguos, juntos constituyen propiamente la evangelizaci6n.
El signo debe revelar y anunciar lo mismo que la palabra: que el
...
Reino ya lleg6 a nosoLros, y que nos interpela. " Galilea, Reflexiones,
p. 87.

30. The list includes the following: "la

gratitud del amor, la univ-
ersalidad de la caridad, la participaci6n voluntaria en la pobreza de
otros, la reconciliaci6n gratuita, la oraci6D COMCMplativa, la vir-
ginidad, la alegria espiritual. " [fbid., p. 91.1 Along with this, he
lists four characteristics to which a testimony must conform. "Debe ser
en primer lugar inmanente a] medio, a los hombres a Jos que se expresa;
debe sor en segundo lugar trascendente; debe ser tambAn colecLivo, rep-
resentalivo de la comunidad cristiana, y no do una persona aislada; debe
ser visible, asequible y relevante para los no cristianos, y para los
alejados. " Ibid., pp. 88-89.

31. Galilea, 1he Beatitude;, p. 35.

32. This marks the beginning of a Christian's life, as has been dis-
cussed, when the person, or in this case the community, is converted to
Christ. Because of this conversion or interior liberation, a person is
able to trust in Christ. Along with this, inner motivations are trans-
formed. This inner transformation enables the acceptance of poverty for
one is responding from changed motivations, "libre de intereses o
segundas intenciones, posible s6lo por motivos traseendentes. " Galilea,
Reflexiones, p. 91.

33. Galilea exhorts the community to its

to look
other resources for
evangelization besides just financial ones. "The testimony of 'poor
means' in the apostolate will prevent us from thinking that we 'cannot
do anything' because we 'lack the financial resources. ' It will free us
from the notion that money is a condition for the profound efficacy of
mission. " Galilea, The Beatitudes, v. 43.

34. In evangelization, the situation of the receivers must be con-

sidered in order to determine the means of communication. "If the
resources being brought to bear on the work of evangelization contrast.
with the content of that evangelization-the Beatitudes-and with the con-
dition of the poor who are to be the beneficiaries of that evangeliza-
tion We shall see the message grow nebulous and rhetorical. The
...
people will no longer grasp it, for they will no longer experience it as
relevant to themselves and their condition. " Ibid. See also Galilea,
Fo 1. owi rJ us, p. 44.
-1 ,_T1 _tS

35. Galilea, The Beatitudes, pp. 43 -44.

 74

36. Ibid., p. 77.

37. Gali. lea recognizes that this is a difficult. matter to know when to
evangelize and in what way. "It requires a mature spirituality in the
evangelizer, and wisdom and sound pedagogy the practice of
-in
evangel ization. In concrete practice, the evangelizer must be able
...
to discern the proper 'pedagogical moment. ' He or she must. know when to
emphasize tile struggle for justice and wheti to emphasize forgiveness and
reconci 11 ati on. " Ibid. pp 81--82.
, -

38. See Segundo Galilea, "Liberation as an Encounter with Politics and

Contemplation, " in Liberation and Faith, Conci-lium Series No. 96, ed.
Claude Geffr6 and Gustavo Guti(-rrez (New York: Herder and Herder, 1974),
p. 24.

39. Ibid., 1). 21.

40. Galilea, Following Jesus, 1). 65. In an earlier work, he similarly

links conscientization with evangelization. "En este sentido, la
evangelizaci6n en Am6rica Latina coincide con una clerta 'con-
scientizac-i6ill, como una toma de conciencia de lo que se vive ya
precaria y culturalmente. " GaLilea, Reflex1iopes, p. 24.

41 He explains this tendency in several places. See Segundo Galilea

.
and Raul Vidales, Crist_qlqy, ýIa y stolý _ql EOR---
ular, Colecci6n Pastoral
Popular 6 (Bogotd: Edielones Paulinas, 1974), pp. 49--50. For a longer
historical sketch of this phenomenon and the growth of the Pastoral of
the Elites, see Galilea, Adonde Va La Pastoral?, pp. 49-52.

42. Galilea and Vidales, Cristologla y Pastoral Popular, p. 50.

43. Galilea, Reflexiones, p. 82.

44. "Asl la pastoral de '61ites' Ilamar 'intensiva'

- que es mejor , por
la ambiguedad de la palabra 61ite la de 'masas'
-y - que es mejor
11amar 'exterisiva' por la misma jýaz6n -- se refieren y necesitan
,
mutuamente. " Gali lea and Vidales, Cristok2 ia v Pastoral PopLilaK, p. 51

45. Ibid., 1). 52.

46. See Galilea, Reflex ione s, p. 99. He describes these natural struc-
tures with these words, "Todos estos grupos, tejidos en la vida diaria,
poseen ]as coDdiciones necesarias para transmit. ir eventualmente el
Evangelio, siempre que haya en ellos ap6stoles. La vida estA Ilena
...
de ellos, y mds y mAs seri la forma del apostolado, (sobre todo del
apostolado de los laicos), y de la evangelizaci6ri en Am6rica Latina. "
Ibid., pp. 99-100.

47. Thid., 1). 122. "La Fraternidad cristiana" is more than a term
portraying the goal of a base community; these two terms are actually
used interchangeably along with the term, "comunidad evangelizadora. "
See Ibid., p. 127.
 75

48. Galilea offers his own descriPtioll Of POPLIlar religi. osity in

severa] places. See Wid., p. 76. For. j, fflore detailed account, see
Galilea and Vidales, ia Pastora. 1 Ilopylall, Pp. 7-15.
-Cristoloý., yy
49. See Medellin (6: 5). Galilea writes similarly, " A intenso
...
sentimiento religioso del pueblo latinoamericano era una buena
plataforma de lanzamiento para A evangelizac&n. " Galilva, Reflexi"es,
pp, 44-45.

50.1 bid. 1). 79

,

51. Segundo Galilea, El Mensaje de Puebla (Bogoti: Ediciones Paulimis,

1979), p. 27.

52. Galiloa, Follow-Ing, Jesus, p. 17.

53. See the Puebla Document (PD: 303). Galilea wriLes, "En ol. misterio
de Ja evangelizaci6n, Maria encarria el coritenido del mensaje; es el
modelo perfecto del cristiatio evangvelizado y evangelizador; es madre de
lo, s hombres y de I.as comun-idades engendradas por la evaripc-lizaci6n. "
Galilea, El M!! ti,,s de Puebla, p. 83.
'ýý(
54. thid. I)P. 11.7-118,
,
 CHAPTER FOUR

GUSTAVO GIJTTERREý,
Z

Gustavo GuWrrez is the name frequently associated with Liberation

Theology in Latin America due to his well-known book, A Theot! jgy of

Liberation. He first uses the term, Liberation Theology, in an essay

written in 1968.1 In the ensuing 20 years since that essay, Gustavo

Guti6rrez has provided countless articles and several books replete with

profound insights on the Latin American situation and penetrating inter-

pretations of a theology arising from that situation. His writings are

full with the sights, sounds and sighs of the poor. The poor are the

dominating passion of his ministry, his writing, and his life. The poor

are the source from which his theology springs. As he writes, "Living

and thinking the faith from within the immurement of the 'wretched of

the earth' will lead us along paths where we shall not meet the great.

ones of this world. Instead we shall meet the Lord. "2

Because of the historical fact of the poor in Latin America, his

theology is oriented towards the liberation of the poor. His theology

serves the liberation. 3 Every in his to,

cause of word writing points

yearns for and hopes to further liberation. Liberation, as Guti6rrez

perceives it, occurs within history by forming a new social order. The

Church in its mission is to help realize this order. This new social
 77

order is pictured in these words:

S61o la
superaci6n de una sociedad dividida en clases. s6lo
un poder politico al servicio de Ws grandes mayorlas
populares, s6lo la eljMjDaCi6n de la apropiaci6n privada. de
la riqueza. creada por el trabajo humano, puede darnos las
bases de una sociedad mAs justa. Pero ese proyecto de
...
una sociedad distinta incluye tambi6n A creaci6n de on hom-
bre nuevo cada vez mis libre de toda servidumbre que le
impida ser agente de su propio destino en la historia. 4

After this description, he adds the all important factor from his per-

spective, the poor are the ones who must fashion this new socia. 1

order. 5

The poor and the liberation of the poor are the two focal points of

his theology. Evangelization, for Guti6rrez, is associated with these

two points - the poor and with their liberation. Evangelization is done

through the poor, by the poor, and in solidarity with the poor.

Evangelization helps to accomplish the liberation of the poor. The

thrust of evangelization's connection with these two becomes more

apparent in his writings after the book, A jQgjM g-f- Liberati,, when

he develops evangelization in greater detail. Yet, throughout his writ--

ings, evangelization is clearly at the service of the poor and of their,

liberation.

In A Theo. lo_gy q Ljb; nWq, evangelization is of relatively minor,

significance. It is not defined as a term on its own. Its connection

with other words, such as conscientization, denunciation and annuncia-

tion, renders meaning to R and defines its purpose and content,

Conscientization is a term introduced in Latin America through the

educational efforts of Paulo Freire. Freire defines conscientization in

 78

this statement: " loarnin2 to perceive the social, political and eco--
...

nomic contradictions and to take action against the oppressive elements

of reality. "6 Through conscientization, the oppressed become aware of'

their unjust situation, and of the need to become masters of their own

destiny. This arises from Freire's basic assumption about the human per--

son which is: " man's ontological vocation is to be a subject who

...

acts upon and transforms his world and in doing so moves toward ever new

possibilities of fuller and richer life individually and collectively, "7

Guti6rrez applies conscientizaLion to his theology through evangeliza-

Lion.

In conscienticizing evangelizHtion, the evangelizer (in this case

the Latin American Church) is to denounce and announce from a stance of

solidarity with the poor and the oppressed. Denunciation names and con--

demns every unjust, oppressive situation. In this way, denunciation aids

the conscip"Licization process by pointing out the grievous situation in

which the oppressed live. Included in denunciation is the condemnation

of the Church's intimate involvemeuL with the powerful in Latin American

society. This, too, must be denounced. If denunciation is done by the

Church, the results could be powerfuIN3

Annunciation includes several declarations. Annunciation declares

the love of God in Christ for all persons. This loving God is also a

liberating God who contests the dehumanizing forces in society. As God

was a liberating God in the Exodus, a Goel, 9 the Liberator Tsrael,

of so

God is active in the ongoing struggle for liberaLion. "Indeed, the God
 79

whom we know in the Bible is a liberating God, a God who intervenes

...

in history in order to break down the structures of injustice and who

raises up prophets in order to point out the way of justice and

mercy. "10 Another announcement is the declaration of the coming reign of

God. Each of these declarations must be specific and must arise out of a

lived commitment with the poor and the oppressed. if this is the case,

annunciation will conscienticize the people. 11

In A TheqjMy of QYrAtIly GuLi6rrez comes to some preliminary

understandings of evangelization. It is linked to the poor and to Ober-

ation through the conscientization process. In this process, evangeliza-

tion announces to the poor God's love and God's activity in their liber-

ation as well as God's reign. Along with this, evangelization denounces

all that perpetuates the oppression of the poor. Thus, even in his ear-

liest writings, GutUrrez connects evangelization with the poor and with

liberation.

After this book, evangelization comes more to the fore and is

centered in and on the poor. Previously, evangelization occupied a

detached position with regard to the poor; it was done to them by the

Church which proclaimed to them in order to conscienticize them. In his

later writings, evangelization takes place in the very midst of the

poor, and it is done by the poor and those in solidarity with them as

will be shown. Also, the link with liberation continues to be streng-

thened,

Evangelization, now, is understood, for the most part, as a""uncia

 80

tion. Denunciation rarely appears in his subsequent writings.

Evangelization consists of three basic announcements: the announcement

of God's love in Christ for all humanity, the announcement of Christ's

total liberation, and the announcement of the coming reign of God. Under

the first announcement, evangelization as announcing God's love is

similar (.o the discussion above of -t.his particular content, but

Guti(, rrez puslies it furthor. This a1111OLUICeMentdoes not end with the

verbal proclamation. The proclamation of God's love is only the begin-,

ning. God's love must become a realEty in history. As Gutihrrez says,

"The proclamation of a God who loves all men in the same way be
must

embodied in history, it must make itself history. -12 He then explains

that the way to actualize this announcement of God's love is to make

one's neighbor a brother or sister. God's love becomes a reality as one

beenmes a brother or sister to a neighbor; it is proportional. Guti6rrez

calls this the 'gift of filiation' which means that we become children

of God and sisters and brothers of each other. in this sense, the verti-

cal relationship with God occurs through the horizontal relationship

with fellow human beings. As he writes, "The gift of filiation, by which

we become the daughters and sons of God, occurs in concrete history. We

receive this free gift, which is not a gift in word but one in deed,

when we make ourselves brothers and sisters to one another. -13

In addition, 'neighbor' is understood as the poor and the oppressed

in Latin American mociety. Because of this, to make a 'neighbor' into a

brother or sister is to make an 'option for the poor. 114 If God's love
 81

becomes a reality by making an option for a poor neighbor, then the

present history will be subverted. 15 History be turned down

will upside

through the announcement of God's love for everyone and the 'gift of

filiation' to the poor neighbor. The longer

powerful will no read and

write history on their own terms. A subversive history be inter-

will

preted from the perspective the 16 This

of poor. opens up history to new

possibilities and to new transformations. "It is in this subversive his--

tory that we can have a new faith experience, a new spirituality-a new

proclamation of the To announce God's love to humanity goes

beyond mere proclamation. Evangelization announces this

and makes

announcement come true by being a neighbor to the poor thus causing a

subversion of history.

The second content of evangelization is the proclamation of

Christ's complete liberation. Christ's liberation vanquished in its

sin

entirety, tbus it effects every realm. Sin is all-pervasive; it exists

in every realm, every institution and every person. Sin be inter-

cannot

proted merely in a Spiritual sense because it is an historical verity.

ft [sin] is present in structures of oppression, for

created
the benefit of a few. It is present in the spoliation of
peoples, cultures, and social classes. Sin is the basic
alienation. For that very reason, sin cannot be touched in
itself, in the abstract. It can be attacked only in concrete
historical situations-in particular instances of alienation.
Apart from particular, concrete alienation, sin is meaning-
less and incomprehoDsible. 18

Christ's liberation undergirds the liberation and transformation of

society in favor of the poor and the oppressed simply because it is so

radical and total. "For these latter, [the poor] the gospel is liberat-
 82

ing because it is the proclamation of total liberation in Christ, a lit)

eration that includes a transformation of the concrete historical and

Political conditions that men and women live in. this liberation
...
leads this same history out beyond itself, to a fulness that transcends

the scope of all human doing or telling. ""

The third content of evangelization is the announcement of the com--

ing reign of God. GutArrez expands his discussion of this from that

mentioned above, In portraying this reign, he uses words such as: "amor,

vida, paz, justicia, libertad, compasion, perd6n, amistad. -20 Other

characteristics of this reign which he mentions are the following: it

expresses the will of God, 21 it exists in the present history, it gives

ultimate meaning to human history, 22 in its the have

and midst poor a

place of honor. 23 Evangelization is to locate the presence of God's

reign in history and then announce its whereabouts. Through this

endeavor, the present history aligns itself more closely with God's

reign. Also, the preference for the poor in this reign is to be

announced, These two tasks are linked since the reign is located in his-,

tory among the poor. "Percibir y discernir este lazo entre Dios y et

pobre es responsibilidad esencial de la iglesia, porque su tarea es

anunciar la realidad inciplente del Reinado de Dios in la. historia. -24

Though the reign of God is present and is coming in history, its com--

plete fulfillment will be beyond history. 25 Thus

evangelization

announces the activity or God's reign in history, its location, and its

preference for the poor.

 83

Evangelization consists of annunciation as is clear: however, pure

proclamation is not enough as is shown above in the announcement of'

God's universal love. Action must accompany proclamation. Words by them--

selves are ambiguous, but action explains the word and concretizes it, 26

Proclamation needs action; however, it must be action on behalf of and

in solidarity with the poor. "It is a proclamation that is aL once voice

and vigilance, active deed, in concrete solidarity with the interests

and struggles of the populous classes. It is wwM concretized in grsture

-27 Action carries proclamation through to its concrete fulfillment.

...

in history, a subversive history, Therefore, evangelization comprises

both word and deed, both proclamation and action for the poor.

Evangelization is deeply linked to spirituality, This is the case

from the very beginning of evangelization for the point of departure for

evangelization is an experience of the Lord, However, lest this experi--

ence be interpreted only in a spiritual sense, the place where one

encounters the Lord is in the midst of the poor. 28 "We think of a

spiritual experience as something which ought to be on the margin of

human situations as impure as politics. Nevertheless, we are moving in

that direction, towards an encounter with the Lord, not in the 'isolated

and good' poor, but in the oppressed, in the member of a social class

-29 Being with the poor in history is the location from which
... an

experience of the Lord springs forth. Joy emanates from this experience.

There is joy from the experience of the Lord, and there is joy from

being with the poor, Joy is an attribute of the poor. Guti6rrez desig-
 84

nates joy as a characteristic of the Latin American spirituality which

is arising from the 30 The joyful because

poor, poor are there is victory

over their situation of death in the Easter me ...... 31 Their joy is sub-

versive in the face of the powerful.

I truly believe that the joy of the poor is always a chal-

lenge to the powerful and raises questions they are incapa--
ble of understanding because all they see is deep suffering.
But the poor know how to be joyful. They know how to he joy-
rui. They know how to have parties, and in the religious
sphere, they know how to celebrate the presence of God. I
would wager that the powerful of this world feel more serene
when the people are silent, when they are resigned, even
when they weep. What is disturbing to them is that the poor
laugh in the midst of their situation. 32

Evangelization must proclaim this joy in its declarations. 33 Evangeliza--

tion begins from an experience of the Lord in the midst of the poor, and

it is to communicate the joy of this experience.

There is a development. in his writings on evangelization as far as

who the evangelizers are. In his book, A The loy I of Liberati it is

n,
- laý, -()
the Latin American Church who evangelizes, He calls for a" alteration of

structures in order to benefit the Church's evangelization, 34 Due to the

influence of the Puebla Document, he looks again the the

at role of

church in evangelization, a subject which has been in the background for

a number of years. En this regard, Guti6rrez exhorts the Church to be

converted to an option for the poor in order to make its evangelization

more effective, 3n If this is the its

case. evangelization will be

Christ-like, 36 An
alteration of structures will greatly benefit

evangelization by the church. In the Puebla document, structural change

is n part of the Church's conversion to the poor its

and evangeliza.
 85

tion. 37 Along this, the Church's from dependence

with conversion on the

world's powers will also transform its evangelization, As he explains,

"Independence from vested interests is a condition of credibility for

the proclamation of the gospel. "38 A conversion to Lhe poor by the

Church could free the church from its reliance on the world's powers,

restructure the ecclesiastical institution and empower its evangeliza--

tion.

Besides the institutional Church, he particularly concentrates on

two other evangelizers; these are the occlosia and the poor. The

occlesia is a grassroots community of those who have responded to the

announcement of God's love and received the 'gift of filiation. ' This

community consists of the poor and those in solidarity with them. In

this sense, the ecclesla is built from the bottom up as opposed to the

institutional structure of the Latin American Church. The community

facilitates a faithfulness to God and to one's neighbor; these he

can

done simultaneously in the vuelesia. "Only in community faith be

can

lived in a life of fidelity to the Lord and solidarity with all men and

women. -39 In the ecclesia the Gospel is reread from the perspective of

the poor, those who are in the community. The ecclesia is formed through

evangelization; to proclaim the Gospel is to gather people "Into ek-

klesia. "40

In a later writing entitled, The Poor and the Church in Latin

America, Guti6rrez substitutes the phrase Base Christian Communities for

ecclesia. He also emphasizes the priority position of these communities

 86

in the evangelistic process. In this same context, he offers a further

explanation on evangelization based on the Great Commission in Matthew

28. First, his thoughts on evangelization in the Matthean passage will

be considered; then the role of the base in light that.

communities of

passage will be discussed.

U,s-ing the words of Matthew 28, he defines evangelization in terms

of 'making disciples,, 41 The boundaries disciple

of making are univ-

ersal; it is 'mass-directed', "a summons to all to be disciples. -42 From

Jesus' phrase in the Matthew text, 'teaching all that I have commanded

you', Guti6rrez derives the content of evangelization. He states that.

Jesus' teaching includes an "inescapable preference for the poor. "43

Thus, the teaching to which Matthew 28 refers is Jesus' teaching about

the preference for the poor. Because of this, evangelization is a 'mass-

directed' proclamation of Jesus' preference for the poor. 44 Whoever

would become Jesus' disciple must follow Jesus' teaching and 'make all

option' for the poor.

Base communities consist of such disciples. These communities are

thq foundation for a 'mass-directed' evangelization which proclaims a

preference for the poor. They evangelize universally from the perspec--

tive of the poor since they, in fact, are these very people. For

Guti6rrez, base commnnitiem are the evangelizers described in Matthew 28

-a community of Jesus' disciples in solidarity with the poor, who

proclaim the Gospel and teach Jesus' preference for the poor. They pro--

vide the means for "the evangelization of all nations from the stand-
 87

point of the poor and explutted. -45 In summary, he lists the benefits of'

the base communities: "an enormous contribution to the identity and

organization of the poor people, " able to live "values of the kingdom if)

the very midst of the common masses who are fighting for their libera--

Lion, " "transforming our way of understanding Christian discipleship, ''

and a place where Lhe poor read the Bible from their viewpoint. 4c,

Along with the eceJosia, or the base community, the poor are

evangelizers. The poor are of utmost importance in evangelization

because God has a particular love for the poor. God bas l0v(ý
a universal

for all humanity, but the poor are preferentially loved by God. =

Guti6rrez cites the following reason for God's preference of the poor:

God is thefirst and the last reason for the preferential

option forthe poor. The reason is not, first of all, social
analysis, or human compassion, or the direct experience of
poverty. All this is relevant, very relevant, but for the
Christian the main reason for this preferential option for
the poor is the God of our faith. This is the reason.
...
God loves the poor by preference, not because the poor are
good persons, better than others, or good believers, better
than other believers, but because God is God. This is the
reason for the preference for the poor. 48

Along with this, the poor have a special communication with God because

God reveals Godself in history to the poor. They hear God's voice; they

receive God's communication. It follows, then, that they ought to be

evangelizers. In a sense, the poor let others "in on a secret; " they

allow others to hear what God is saying to them when they evangelize.

With the poor evangelizing, a complete break from previous ways at'

evangelization by the Church occurs. For Guti6rrez, these breaks with

the past are necessary in order to benefit the struggle for liberation.
 88

These breaks provide opportunities for new types of evangelization and

new experiments in evangelization. "Evangelization will be really liber-

ating when the poor themselves are the bearers of the gospel message.

Then, to preach the gospel will he a rock of scandal, it will he a

gospel unpresentable in society. it will be expressed in an unrefined

manner, it will smell bad. -49

The poor are also responsible for a more specific type of'

evangelization; this is liberating evangelization. Liberating

evangelization accomplishes an essential purpose; it exposes evangeliza-

tion which is being used to perpetuate unjust situations. It recognizes

that in some cases the st, 21u; gpo is maintained through evangelization,

itself. Those who restrict Christ's liberation to a "religious" sphere

support, by way of evangelization, Oppressive, non liberating situa-

tions. Liberating evangelization uncovers non-liberating evangelization

in two ways: 1. Through a rereading of the Gospel from the perspective

of the poor; and 2. Through evangelization by the poor, themselves.

Under the first point. if the Gospel is reread from the viewpoint of the

poor, then abuses of the Gospel by those with power are unveiled, 50

Under the second point, the poor, who are most often the recipients of

this "spiritual" evangelization, recognize this non-liberating

evangelization. The poor are able to "demask" a "spiritual" evangeliza-

Lion which is being misused by those in power. 51 In this liberating

way,

evangelization, done by the poor, is able "Lo condemn the way those in

power fetter the Gospel in order to place it at the service of their own
 89

interests, -52

Evangelization contributes to the overall mission of the Church in

Latin America. The Church's mission is the liberation of Latin American

society, the formation of a new social order. In this portrayal the

of

mission of the Church, Gut1drrez is profoundly influenced by documents

from his Roman Catholic Church, especially documents from Vatican IT.

The question of the Church's mission necessarily involves the notion of

salvation. The earlier view of salvation propagated by the Roman

Catholic Church was that snlvation resides only in the Church. The

phrase explaining this position is, "Outside the Church there is no sal-

vation. "53 Though this changed somewhat in this it is

century, at

Vatican 11 where this question of the location of salvation is

revolutionized. At the Council, it is decreed that salvation exists ill

the world outside of the Church walls. Guti6rrez writes on this matter,

- ella suponla Lambi6n el reconocimiento de la de Dios

... presencla en

!a historia humana Us AM de las fronteras de ]a instituciWA

visibles

eclesial. "5d The Church is portrayed in a new way in its to

relationship

salvation. It no longer possesses the full deposit of salvation. This,

then, completely alters the mission of the Church and evangelization,

which are both integrally connected to salvation. As Gutl6rrez explains,

"The unqualified assertion of the universal possibility of salvation

changes radically our way of conceiving the Church's mission in the

world. This shift in perspective implies a 'decentralizing' the

of

Church, which is no longer the exclusive place for salvation, and now
 90

turns toward a new radical service of mankind. "55 For Guti6rrez, the

Church's 'radical service of mankind' is the mission to bring about a

new social order. He sums up the Church's mission with a quote from Ad

Gentes: "This mission is a continuing one. In the course history it.

of

unfolds the mission of Christ Himself, who was sent to preach the gospel

to the poor, Hence, prompted by the Holy Spirit, the Church must walk

the same road which Christ, walked: a road of poverty and obedience, of

service and self-sacrifice to the death "(AG: 5) Evangelization

...

assists the Church's mission in manifold ways in its connection with the

poor and with liberation, These are summarized in the following para--

graphs.

The result of evangelization done in the manner outlined by

GutArrez is that it rontributes to the liberation of the in

poor which

turn furthers the process of a new social order. This happens in the

many ways already included which only need to be briefly recapped. In

every way, evangelizaLlon assumes that the evangelizer is in solidarity

with the poor; this prior commitment undergirds everything about

evangelization. At its inception, evangelization begins with an experK

ence of the Lord who is encountered in the midst of the poor. Through

its announcements, evangelization proclaims to the that God loves

poor

them, that Christ's liberation is complete and that in God's they

reign

have a privileged position. In the evangelistic the Gospel is

process,

reread from their perspective, there is a remaking history through

of

the gift or filiation. ' Through evangelization, ecclesia is formed

an
 91

which assumes an integral role in evangelization. fn addition, not only

is evangelization done in the midst of the poor, but also the poor are

evangelizers. The poor accomplish a liberating evangelization which

reveals a partial evangelization by the powerful. All in all, without a

commitment tn the poor and without the poor, themselves, evangelization

fails to contribute to the transformation of Latin America.

Also, evangelization is oriented towards liberation through con--

scientizaLion, annnnciation, denunciation, liberating evangelization,

subversion, and the conversion of the Church. Still, one crucial

qualification must be made. The integral relationship between

evangelization and liberation is found only in the lives of the poor.

"This deep, reciprocal relationship between evangelization and libera-

tion occurs first and foremost on the practical level, in the real llvmi

of the poor, exploited, Christian ,,, Ie. -56 The poor are privileged

evangplizers due to God's preferential love and God's revelation to them

in history. The poor are also privileged, effective liberators, "his

Lory's transforming ,,,,. "57

The primary influence on Guti6rrez's evangelization is Bartolom6 de

Las Casas, a Spanish missionary to the Indians in America in the 1500's.

Las Casas is sometimes referred to as the "first theologian of libera

tion. -58 The predominance oF Las Casas on the theology of Guti6rrez is

widely recognized, 59 There the influence

are several points aL which of'

Las Casas can he detected in Guti6rrez's evangelization. First of all.

Las Casas insists that salvation and social justice are closely related.
 92

This is clear from Gut&rrez's comment on the matter, "Gospel preaching

is in vain without the testimony of a life committed to justi,,, "60 Like

Las Casas, Out! 6rrez combines word and deed, the announcement of the

love of God and the action to make this love a reality through makinE

the poor a neighbor.

In a second way, las Casas recognizes that evangelization is being

misued by the powers of his day. The Spaniards based the war against the

Indians on the pretext of the evangelization of the heathens. Guti6rrex

explains Las Casas' response: "De Las Casas denounced the ideological.

use made of the necessity to evangelize in order to cover up the

injustices towdrds the fndians, He concludes by asserting that if

...
death and destruction of the Indians were the condition for their becom-

ing Christians it would be better that 'they never be Christian. '" it)

calling for a liberating evangelization, Guti6rrez, like Las Casas, per-

ceives that evangelization ig being used in present day Latin America to

perpetuate an oppressive, unjust lytys qwq. Because of this, he exhorts

the poor to be liberating evangelists who recognize and unveil a non-

liberating evangelization.

Thirdly, Las Casas sees Christ in the Indians who are being

destroyed by the Spaniards. He writes, "f leave Jesus Christ in the

Indies with our God, beating him, afflicting him, insulting and slapping

him, and crucifying him, not once but thousands of times. -62 In his

observation on this, Gutj6rrez wri. tes, "... the Indian is seen not only

as an infidel to be evangelized, but rather as the poor of the gospel

 93

Bartolo& de Las Casa s deepens this perspective with one of his

...

greatest concepts: Christ speaks to ns from the Indi , ns, -63 Similarly,

for G"Wrrez it is amon g the poor that the Lord is encount ered. In the
,

voices of the poor, the v oice of th e Lord is heard. It is in being with

the poor that one is with the Lord.

In these three ways, Las Casas provides a foundation on which

Guti6rrez builds his view of evangelization. Las Casas offers to

GuLUrrez the relationship between salvation and social justice (word

and deed), the recognition of the misuse of evangelization to justify an

oppressive situation, and Lhe living Christ among the poor.

Another influence on GuWrrez's evange lization is the Puebla Docu-

ment from the 1979 CELAM Conference whose topic was in

evangelization

Latin America. He draws mostly from the section entitled, "A Preferen

Lial Option For The Poor. " In his writings after Puebla, he accentuates

several themes from this section. One theme which he emphasizes is the

rolo or the base communities in evangelization. Although he has spoken

of the voclesia prior to Puebla, after the Conference, he underscores,

the communities' capacity for evangelization. He calls base communities

"evangelising cadres" and "active agents of the evangelization of a

whole people. "R4 The relationship between evangelization and base com

munities is particularly important after Puebla. Another theme from

Puebla is the conversion of the church to the poor and its significance

for evangelization which has been discussed above. The the

conversion of

church and its structures is an earlivr theme of GuLjhrrez's which reap-

 94

pears after Puebla. On the other hand, Puebla reinforces many of the

intugral themes of Guti6rrez's evangelizaLlo", such as: the poor as

evangelizers (PD: 1147), a preference for the poor in evangelization as

modeled by Jesus (mildi 1142), denunciation (PD: 1138), and solidarity

with the poor in evangelization (PD: 1140).

 ý)

ENDNOTES

Iý Sc(ý Robert McAfee Brown, Gu "- h4 v0G1-. 1! -i (! T.1-(!z, Makers of' Con
--
temporary Theologry Series (Atlallta.: John Knox Press, 1980), pp.
25 26.

2, Gustavo Guti6rrez, The Power of the Poor ipý jtiýst_pýry, trans.

Robert R. Harr (MaryknoJ`jT_6J&_haTT_f%)ý p. 214.

3, Liberation is primary; theology benefits the liberation in

whatever ways it can. He writes, "Theological reflection along
Lhese lines of thought. is just. taking its fjrsL steps. Let us no(,
overestimate its scope. What is
primarily at issue is not a thook.
ogy, but popular liberation. Theology comes only later. In
...
order for theology to be a part of, and a service Lo, a concrete
process of liberation, it has to be liberated-as do we also-from
every restraint that impedes solidarity with the poor and
exploited of this world. " Ibid., pp. 213-214.

4. Gustavo GuLi6rrez, "Evangelio y Praxis de LiberaciOn, " in n

ed. Alfonso Alvarez
(Salamanca: Ediciones Sigueme, 1978), pp. 240 241.

5. He writes, "Sin embargo, la construccibn de una sociedad dis-

Linta y de un hombre nuevo no serh aut6ntica si no es asumida por
el pueblo oprimido mismo, y para ello deberA partir de los proplos
valores de ese pueblo. Desde 61 se opera el cuestionamiento radi-
cal del actual orden social. Unicamente as! puede Ilevarse a cabo
una verdadera revolucibn social y cultural. " Ibid., p. 241.

6. Paulo Freire, trans., Myra Bergman

Names (New York: Penguin Books, 1972), p. 15.

7. fbid., p. 12,

8. "This denunciation may be one of the few voices - and at

times the
only one - which can he raised in the midst of a country
submitted to repression. Becanse of its very social influence,
...
its words - if they are clear and incisive - will not he hollow.
When the Church speaks, it can cause the old underpinnings of the
established order to fall, and it can mobilize new energies. ''
Gustavo Outi6rrez, A- Theolqgy, Y, jjberat ion: pistgry Politics and
Salvation, ýIs. - Caridad - --
Inda and John EagIvIon ,,
ed. and tra.
 96

(Maryknol 1.: orbis Books, 1.973) 267-268.

, pp.
9. See Gustavo Guti6rrez, "El Dios de la Vida" Christus 556 (Junc
1982), p. 36.

10. GutArrez, A ThýLýLýjpn7 Y Qberation, p. U6.

11. See fbid., p. 269.

12. Gustavo GutArrez, "Faith as Freedom: Solidarity with the

Mienated and Confidence in the Future, " -! (Spring 1975),
p. 54. -HoEjzqy,

13. GutArrez, The Power of the Poor in Histqor p. 207. Lest the
,
gift of filiat[on be seen as a "spiritual" or non-historical
endeavor, he expresses the harsh task of making oneself a brother-
or sister to another. "The gift of filiation will never be
...
more than just a manner of speaking until it is lived, daily
...
and conflictually, in history. For it is a gift crying for conver-
sion into genuine identification the interests
with of human
beings suffering the oppression of other human beings, identifica-
tion with the struggles of exploited classes. It is a gift that
strives to enrich - creatively, critically, and from within -
political processes that otherwise tend to close in upon them-
selves and mutilate authentic dimensions of the human being. It is
a gift that must use the instruments furnished by the human
sciences for becoming acquainted with the social realities that
negate the justice and the community of sisters and brothers it.
seeks. It is a gift thrusting toward efficacious action. " fbid.,
p. 63.

14. See Ibid. 1). 45.

,

15. In a statement by GutArrez, the double meaning of "subver-

sive" action is expounded. "In the first place, we are talking
about changing history, turning it On its head ( vertir) and
,
secondly we are talking about a transforming historical praxis
wh i ch come sf rom be I ow (s ub: subver Or- subvers i ve) The es tab Iis hed
.
order has taught us that we are to think in a pejorative way of
the term 'subversive. ' But what we would rather reject is a
1superversive' (coming down from the top) way of making history. ''
Gustavo Guti6rrez, "Statement by Gustavo Guti&rrez, " in TheolpM
in t-he Ameri., gas, ed., John Eagleson and Sergio Torres (Maryknoll:
.Orbis Books, 1976), p. 311.

16. "1 believethat our job today is to reread history in terms

of the poor, the humiliated, and the rejected of society. History,
as some of our friends have said, has been written by a 'white
hand. ' I believe our first homework is to reread this history, to
reread the struggles and the fights that have taken place in the
lHst centnry. We all know the efforts that have been made to have
 97

tho se who have been beaten, the iosers rorget Lheir pasL. Today,
,
we would like to return, to understand our own and each particular
his tory. " Ibid., p. 310,

17. Tbid., p. 311.

18. GuLi6rrez, The Power of the Poor in History, p. 62.

19. Ibid., p. 69,

20. Gustavo Gut! 6rrez, "Por el Camino de la Pobreza, " Servir 106
(19 84), p. 282.

21, See Ibid.

22. See Ibid. P. 284.

,

23 d.
.Jb -1

24 id
.rb .

25. In this regard he comments, "To say that, the coming of the
Kingdom must be welcomed in history is in no way to deny that for
the Christian the fullness of communion with God is to be realized
beyond history. And belief in this future dimension of the Reign
of God should not diminish a Christian's willingness to make a
commitment within history. We have to take into account these two
aspects of the Kingdom as we work out our Christian lives. It is
not easy, We always Lend to overemphasize one or the other,
depending on the circumstances of the momvnL in the life of the
church. What is uniquely Christian is to hold onto both dimen-
sions. The church is a witness not only to the future dimension of
the Kingdom but also to the coming of that Kingdom today, which
demands that we be a community of sons and daughters of the
Father. " Gustavo Guti6rrez, "Latin America's Pain is Bearing
Fruit, " Latinamerica Press (26 May, 1983), p. 5.

26. "Only from

the level of practice, from action can the
preaching by word be understood. In the act of doing, our faith is
made truth, not only for others, but for ourselves as well. The
gesture is consistent in itself, however the world expresses a"d
completes it. Without action the word is susceptible to many
interpretations. " Gustavo Gutihrrez and Richard Sha"11, Liberati oil
and Chane, ed. , Ronald H. Stone (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1977)
, ,
p. 89.

27, Guti(! rrez, The Power of the Poor in Ilistor 37.

28. See "Faith as Freedom, " 1). 40.

29.1 bi d.
 98

30. See G"stavo CutUrrez, We Drink From Our Own Wells: The
RijilpQ Journqy GAITAKA&W Y 670kneff
pf ýj p-
(Maryknoll: Orbis Books, ý 1984), pp. 114-321.

31. Ibid., pp. 117-121.

32. Gustavo GutUrrez, "Joy of the Poor Confounds the Powerful, ''
Latinamerica Press 16 (10 May, 1984), p. 3.

33. As Gutihrrez writes, "To know that the Lord loves us, to
appreciate the gratuitous gift of his love, is a profound fount of
joy for one who lives from the word, To communicate that joy is to
evangelize. To evangelize is to communicate the good news of the
love of God who has changed onr lives. " Guti6rrez, IN; Power, of
the Poo, in Histor p. 53.
,
34. See Th"jay of pp. 117 118.
"A
35.11e writes in this regard, "The church's commitment to the
poor has a connection with the efficacy of the activity of
evangelization. " Guti6rrez, The Power qf jh! ý Poor in ij:!, ( P.
153,

3 6) Tbid. p. 1537, See PD: 1147.

- , .

37. See Ibid. 157. See PD: 1157

, 1).

38. INd. p. 158.

3 9. Ibid. 67.

40. He explains further, "Hence to proclaim the gospel is to sum.

mon persons together, summon them into ek-kJosia, into church, the
assembly of those called together by God. This proclamation of
...
the gospel, summoning us together into ecclesta, takes place from
within an option of real and active solidarity with the interests
and struggles of the poor, the exploited classes. " ibid.

41. See Gustavo Guti6rrez, The Poor and the Church in Latin
AmerIn (London: Catholic Jnstitute for, Triternati nal Relations,
CTIR, 1984), p. 18.

42. Ibid.

43. Ibid., p, 19,

44. It is difficult to know

how much emphasis to place on this
discussion of evangelization in Matthew 28 in comparison the
with
evangelistic announcements included above. Certainly there are
overlaps; however there are major differences. Neither has dis-
cipleship previously been a part of evangelization for Gutihrrez
 99

nor the idea of a 'mass-directed' evangelization to the nations.

These ideas arising from the incorporation of Matthew 28 into
evangelization are not mentioned in writings contemporary with or,
later than The Poor and the Church in Latin America. For this
reason, this discussion of evangelization from the Matthean text
must be interpreted in terms of and combined with his overall dis
cussion of evangelization rather than as a moving away from
previous understandings such as the announcement of God's love in
Christ, the announcement of the coming Reign of God, and the
announcement of Christ's liberation.

45. fbi. d., p. 20.

46.11) i d. 20 -21
, pp.

47. GuL! 6rrez writes on this subject, "El Dios anunciado por
Jesucristo es el Dios cuyn Hamado es universal, orientado a todo
ser humano, pero es a] mismo PEMo un Dios qne ama con amor de
predileccibn a los pobres y desposeldos, Esta dialhctica entre
universalidad y particularidad es capital para comprender el
mensage cristiano y el Dios que se revela en M. " Guti6rrez, "Por-
n] Camino de la Pobreza, " p. 270.

48. Gustavo Gut! 6rrez, "Theology and Spirituality in a Latin

Amer i can Context, " Harvar_d DJvj nity BiLljýtiq (, June-. August 1984)
,
p. 4.

49. Guti6rrez and Shaull, Liberalion and. Ghan,9_(1, p. 93.

50. "A rereading of the gospel from a position of solidarity with

the poor and the oppressed will enable us to denounce the use made
of the gospel by the mighty in order to place it at the service oV
their own interests. But this, too, will be grasped in all its
implications only if we are conscious of the ongoing creative and
critical character of the gospel's liberating message. " Gnti6rrez,
The Power of the Poor in HiSjqry, p. 69.

51. Gut1hrrez and Shaull, L_ib_eratigy gpq MMe, p. 90.

52. Guti6rrez, The Power of Lhe Poor in HisLoU, p. 69. He is

to emphasi'z-o--that W)erating is not- a reduc-
quick evangelization
tion of the Gospel to a poliLical schema, if, those who evangelize
in solidarity Ae
are the poor and those with poor. On the other
hand, the Gospel is reduced by those who relegate Christ's libera--
tion to the "spiritual" realm, failing to proclaim the total lih
Hration in Christ, and who use the Gospel to justify an unjust-,
situation. In this latter scenario, evangelization is not liberat-
ing. Ibid.

53, See his discussion of this in Gutif! rrez, A 14e, ýJ! jn of' L_i.ber-
ation, pp. 53-54.
 100

54. GKOrrez, "Por el Camino de la Pobreza, " p. 254. See also

his discussion in Ajbýý_! jjý Liberation, pp. 71-72.
ýqýtpýgy
55. Gustavo Gutihrrez, "A Latin American Perception of a Theology
of Liberation, " in Conscientization for LiberatipE, Pd., Louis M.
iiiiiiiily W.,
Colonnese (WashingtWATEASSAINY 1971), p. 76.
in terms of evangellItion, he states, "La consecuencia. de esto us
un cambio en el modo de entender la tarea evangelizadora de la
QUM en el mundo. " Gutihrrez, "Por el Camino de la Pobreza, ''
pp. 260-261.

56. GutUrrez, The Poor and the Church in Lati 1). 24.

57. Guti6rrez, The Power of the Poor in HisLoU, p. 105.

58. Brown, GqQqvq. M1, QK1K,, p. 14.

1.
59. See Brown's section on Las Casas' influence on Guti6rrez,
Ibid., pp. 23-24.

60. an (I Sh au -I 1,1, i ho rit- ion arid Ch a pgo

, p. 62
.

61 Gu f, i Crrez and Shoul I, Li berat i-on and Chan e, p. 63.

.

62. fbi d. 69.

, p.

63. Ibid. 68-69.

, pp.

64, Guti6prez, The floor and 1-he Church iii Latin America, p. 20,
 M 1AP' rI 'IR T,-1VE,

OSCAR ROMERO

Although Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero was a pastor and not a

thcologion an the others ["cluded in this sL"dy, he wroLe about,

pr, rýi(Iwdl ibiml and most importantly, pract iced evangel WaLion in his
,

country oF III Salvador. His evangelization was pronounced and deliberate

in his threv years as Archbishop of San Salvudor, 1977 1980. Perhaps he

promotod ev"ngelizatinu bacause he, himsel. 17, qnderweK a conversion W

the midst or big anunkry's turbulent situal ion. Some olwcrvPrs Cow'! ior

wiLh the situation hPliovP Lhat Romero was chosen as Archbishop due to

his repulot ion as o unnsurval ive I Mmivvr, he Lool,,

only weeks aFIPr

office, the assassination of Father RuIllin GrHudo, a long time frionli

or Nomero's, ournired in the 1wrish or Aguilares. One writer compares Me

road to Ag"ilares as Romero's road Lo Oamascus for it was after this

incident, that Romero's conversion gradually comes to the f,,,, 2 Romero

became a spokesperson for the poor iAnq"wW"N. 1ho Wondur of human

digniLy, the symbol of a Christian liberaLor, and an evangelist of his

people and his cnunfry,

Evangelization was or prinuipai imporinnuv for Rompro Up zpokv of'

iI in cnHH! loss spvmonw. dpvnlpd his F(mrth pasloral letter, "The

Church'b Mission amid the Nalional Crisis, " 10 the I"pir? and vsh"r-tod
 102

the church and baptized Christians to be active in evangelization. In

his second pastoral letter, he wrote about the primacy of evangeliza-

tion, "The Church principally exists for the evangelization of the human

race. Yes, it is an inStitUtiOD; it is made up of persons, and it has

forms and structures. But all that is for a much more basic the
reality:

exercise of its task of evangelizat! OD. -4 His understanding of

evangelization seemed to be that of proclaiming Jesus Christ and doing

what Jesus did. 5 He further

expounded on the phrase, what Jesus did, by

delineating the three parts of Jesus' ministry: proclaiming God's reign

especially to the poor, calling to conversion and denouncing 6 These

sin.

three aspects provided the overall parameters for Romero's evangeliza-

tion.

The goal of Romero's evangelization was to bring about an integral

liberation in El Salvador. An integral liberation included the spiritual

and the political, the eternal and the temporal, the individual and the

society. He refused to reduce liberation to the spiritual, eternal realm

or the earthly, political realm. He continually repeated that temporal

liberation, alone, was inadequate. ft would never be permanent because

it does not take sin into regard.

The church does not want the liberation it preaches to be

confused with liberations that. are only political and
temporal. The church does concern itself with earthly liber--
ation -- it feels pain for those who suffer, for the
illiterate, for those without electricity, without a roof,
without. a home. But. it knows that human misfortune is found
not only there. It is inside, deeper, in the heart -- in sin.
While supporting all the people's just claims, the church
wants to lift those demands to a higher plane and free
people from the chains that are sin, death, and hell. 7
 103

Similarly, lest liberation be construed as only spiritual, he emphasized

that liberation must be occuring in the present history. Just as God's

reign began in history in Jesus Christ and God is even now working in

history, B in the same way, a Salvadoran Christian has to be active on

behalf of liberation in HI Salvador's history. 9 In his third pastoral

letter, Romero set forth the plan for liberation which he believed the

Church endorsed:

1) involves whole the person, in all dimensions, including

openness to the
absolute that is God
...
2) is centered on the kingdom of God and, although its mis
sion is not limited to religion, it nevertheless reaffirms
the primacy of humanity's spiritual vocation and proclaims
salvation in Jesus Christ:
3) proceeds from a scriptural vision of human nature. is
based on a deep desire for justice in love, implies a truly
spiritual dimension that has as its final aim salvation and
happiness with God;
,l) demands a conversion of heart and mind, and is not.
satisfied with merely structural changes:
5) and excludes violencelt)

In constructing his understanding of liberation, he relied heavily on

EvangAii Nuntiandi which will be outlined below.

Romero's integral liberation strongly emphasized the eternal,

spiritual sphere; in fact, this was his basis for liberation. In this

sphere, he evangelized by calling for conversion. Conversion included

two parts: individual change and societal change. in a homily on the

story of John the Baptist, he discussed these two parts of conversion.

On the personal level. John called people to break with the past and to

make a present. personal commitment to justi-cell Through this conver

sion, a person is able to perceive things differently and to develop

 104

Christian criLeria for seeing and judging the world.

La converslön serä duradera y profunda si somos capaces de

eriticar nuestra falsa manera de ver el mundo ya los hom-
bres. Quiero insister en esto, hermanos, porque yo creo que
lo que hoy mäs necesita un salvadoreno maduro es sentido
eritico. Cada uno debe ser un bombre, una mujer critiea.
...
Hay que saber criticar y ver al mundo ya los hombres
...
con criterjos proplos; y un cristlano tiene que aprender a
afinar sus criterios eristlanos. 12

The second characteristic of John's call to conversion is social change.

Individual conversion is a necessity, but the larger system needs con

version also, "Otra caracteristica de A CODVerS! 6n de Juan es qUC DO

s6lo es personal, sino que va buscando uDa renovaci6n social. No basta

A conversi6n de un publicaDO, de un soldado, de un borracho. Hay que

describir la red do complicidades que permite A hecho de A

prostituci6n a gran escala. "13 Necessary to social is identifying

change

the system that perpetuates oppression. This is a vital part of

Christian conversion, especially as a convert has new eyes to see. 14

Conversion is the remedy for sin which characterizes both the indi-

vidual and the society. The individual suffers from personal sin which

must be "corrected. "15 Because of sin, individuals distant from God,

are

plagued with "disorder, Asunity, ingratitude, lack of faith, lack of

community. "16 To be reconciled with God, individuals be converted.

must

W addition, sin is endemic to society. Romero considered the basic sin

of society to be the structures that perpetuate injustice, that per

petuate the oppression of the minority by the majority-17 He called the

Church to destroy sin wherever it existed, in the individual and in the

society, thus preparing the way for an integral liberation. "This is the
 105

mission entrusted to the church, a hard mission: to uproot sins from

history, to uproot sins from the political order, to uproot sins from

the economy, to uproot sins wherever they are. What a hard task! It has

to meet conflicts amid so much selfishness, so much pride, so much

vanity, so many who have enthroned the reign of sin among us. "18

Along with the call to conversion, the spiritual aspect of libera-

tion. he recognized that liberation included the political and the

temporal. The Church was to be active in the political realm in several

ways. One way was to support the people's right to organized and to pro-

mote their claims for justice. This was a task of cvangelization. lý

Another way was that the Church was to be a conscience for every govern-

mental system and every organization. He said, "The political circum--

stances of peoples change, and the church will not be the toy of varyingr

conditions. The church will always stay outside. autonomous, in

...

order to be, in whatever system. the conscience and the judge of the

attitudes of those who manage thone systems or regimes. -20 This was the

case for popular political organizaLLons. too. He reserved the Church's

right to critique and even to denounce the errors of the people's organ. -

izations. 21 In this he exhorted both the laity

respect, clergy and to be

well-informed about the political realm and daily events in El Salvador.

Therefore, the Church necessarily became involved in politics because it

was to he the conscience and judge of the political realm.

A word or caution. however, is needed about his political involve-

ment. He defended himself frequently against attacks or politicizing the

 106

gospel. He maintained that working for justice and being with the people

are demanded by the gospel. 22 For him, the the

religious and political

were inseparable. To be true to the gospel automatically meant to be

involved to some extent in the political arena. The boundaries were

fluid, and the arenas were mutually influential. An example of religious

activity which effected the political is the following story told by

Romero:

The other day a priest told me a man wanted to go to confes-

sion who hadn't done so for forty years. He said he wanted
to be converted, as he had beard about here in the
cathedral.
When they say I preach political matters, I refer to
these testimonies of conversion to God. That is what I seek:
conversion to God. If I point to political affairs here, it
is often because of the corruption of political affairs, so
that those whom God loves even when they are mired in sin
may be converted too. 23

Thus Jon Sobvino declared that Romero's actions were motivated by the

religious and not the political. 24 In this Romero felt he was

regard,

faithful to the Church's teaching, especially as contained in Gaudium et

Qes. This influence will be discussed below.

In addition, Romero was an evangelist to his people and his country

of El Salvador. 25 His It
evangelization was contextual. was determined

by the immediate situation, so it had specific application to the

people, the needs, and the pressing issues. Because of this, he was

attuned to and knowledgeable about the daily occurences in his

archdiocese as the news bulletins in his sermons 26 As

exhibit. a result,

he evangelized every person in El Salvador: rich and poor, political and

non-political, baptized and unbaptized, soldier and peasant, powerful

 107

and oppressed. fn addition, he evangelized the contemporary situation in

A Salvador: political organizations, base communities, economic and

political structures, trade unions, governing bodies and the church.

First of all, the people in El Salvador that he evangelized must be

introduced. Romero divided the Salvadorans into groups. From a Christian

analysis there were two groups: the people of God - the baptized, and

the people in general - the unbaptized. From a socio-economic analysis

there were two groups: the rich and the poor. In the first group, the

unbaptized were called the people in general, while the baptized were

called the people of God. 27 Because of their baptism, the people of God

had certain responsibilities. One responsibility was to evangelize by

announcing Christ's name to the world. Romero made no distinction

between the hierarchy and the laity in this task; all God's people

evangelized. Another responsibility of the people of God was to be

active politically. They were to follow the gospel with the intention of

realizing the reign of God. 28 In these respoDsibilities of the baptized

Christian, his integral evangelization was clear. Evangelization

encompassed announcing Christ's name to the world and realizing the

reign of God. For Romero, these responsibilities were not an option.

Those persons who were baptized only, who were not fulfilling their

responsibilities, were sternly rebuked by Romero and were considered the

people of God no longer, 29

The second group was the rich and the poor. The word to the rich in

Romero's sermons was: be converted. Again, conversion encompasses the

 108

individual and the collective level. Conversion for the rich is

person a

monumental decision because conversion requires renouncing anything

which has become more important than God, an idol. Tt is a great

sacrifice to relinquish property, wealth, and power; yet it is necessary

in order to enter the world of the poor. True conversion is evidenced by

becoming interested in the plight of the poor by becoming 30 In

and poor.

addition, on the societal level, the converted rich are to use their

Wfl=Oe to transform the political sphere. In this Way, Dot only is

the individual rich person converted, but also societal and political

structures are converted.

The poor to Romero were "the blessed. -31 Be confirmed in actual

practice a 'preference for the poor' as decreed by Medellin and Puebla.

The evangelization of the poor had the highest priority in his ministry.

It was to the poor that he first announced the reign of God. In this

way, he followed the pattern of Jesus' evangelization. However, the poor

are not merely recipients of evaDgelization; they are necessary to an

integral evangelization.

In the spiritual sphere, evangelization occurs through the poor to

the rest of the world. He wrote, " we simply recognize that Christ
...

saves all who want to be saved by means of the poor. "32 Also, he felt

that the call to conversion was more correct when the poor were evangel--

Wed first and only then all others. 33 Also, in the political sphere,

the poor are essential. The poor are the vast majority in El Salvador.

They live in the midst of injustice and oppression. As a result, they

 109

have a great deal to teach the church from first-hand experience about

unjust structures, evil rulers and violence. Along with this, solidarity

with the poor gives the Church integrity and accuracy in its denuncia-

tion. The importance of the poor to the Church and its evangelization

was described in this quote by Romero, "Therefore the poor have marked

out the way the church should go. A church that does not unite itself to

the poor in order to denounce from the place of the poor the injustices

committed against them is not truly the church of Jesus Christ. -34 The

rich contributions of the poor in Romero's evangelization, politically

and spiritually, are immeasurable.

Despite his preference for the poor, he never idealized them. Pref-

erence did Dot equal a "blind partiality" for the 35 The

poor. poor, as a

group, were composed of sinful individuals. Even "the blessed" needed

conversion, though he recognized that conversion came more easily for

the 36
poor.

The three situations in El Salvador which Romero addressed most.

frequently in his evangelization were: 1. Unjust structures; 2. Popular

Political Organizations; and 3. Christians entering politics. Because of

the frequency with which he discussed these situations, he undoubtedly

considered them the most vital in the struggle for liberation.

First of all, Romero recognized the existence of unjust, sinful.

structures in El Salvador. As stated above, these structures perpetuated

the basic societal sin injustice. He demanded a change in these struc-

-

tures because they "effectively drive the majority of our people onto
 110

the margins of our society. "37 In this regard, he named unjust struc

tures, such as: the Supreme Court, the National Guard and the country's

. security" system, the privileged in power, and the Salvadoran govern-

ment He pleaded that those in these structures would stop the repres--

sion, and he called them to conversion. For Romero, liberation will only

occur once these structures had been altered and renewed. "The church

sincerely believes that without such changes the structural bases of our

whole malaise will remain. The full liberation of the Salvadoran people,

Dot to mention personal conversions, demands a thorough change in the

social, political and economic system. -38 He suggested viable, non--

violenL ways to promote these profound changes, such as: "dialogue,

reasoning and persuasion. -39

Secondly, Romero discussed Popular Political Organizations in his

sermons and especially in his third pastoral letter, "The Church and

Popular Political Organizations. " In this regard, he defended and

promoted the right of persons to organize. To support this claim, he

cited the Constitution Of El Salvador and statements from the Medellin

document. The only regulation surrounding this right to organize was

that the purpose for organizing must be "the defense of legitimate

interests. -40 He believed that peop3e's organizations were the way to

liberate the masses. Such popular political organizations prompted him

to have hope in the midst of the national crisis. In an interview he

spoke of his hope in the organizations: "I believe in the mass organiza--

tions, I believe in the need for the Salvadoran people to become

 1.11

organized. The organizations are the social force that will promote,
...

and pursue, and be able to create an autheDtiC society. "41 As noted ear-

lier, he believed that the Church should act as a conscience of these

organizations. He had the opportunity to be a conscience because fre-

quently an organization came to regard itself in an idolatrous way, as

if it, alone, possessed the answer to the COUDtry's crisis. Such an

organization in its zeal easily gave up its commitment to Christianity

as a transforming force. 42 He this by denounc--

countered absolutizatiOD

ing the group's fanaticism and by announcing the role which Christians,

alone, offered to the freedom fight. In this way, he upheld the need for

an integral liberation while supporting popular organizations. He

remained hopeful that such organizations had the capacity to produce

structural change in the El Salvador society.

The third situation raised in his evangelization was that of

Christians entering politics. Romero encouraged this situation for he

felt that Christians were needed to evangelize politics. He was certain

that Christians must be the liberators. Christians, alone, could sustain

the struggle for liberation. They, alone, could bring about an integral

liberation for they recognized the link between the eternal and the

temporal, He spoke about the contribution of Christians in these words:

Those who incorporate Christian faith in the freedom fight

of their people have the guarantee of an integral libera--
tion, complete and immortal. rhose who want to separate
themselves from the Christian liberation and fight for only
temporal things - better wages, cheaper commodities ...
establishing new structures that tomorrow will be old -
those people make only temporal, transitory improvements. 43
 112

Therefore, Christians were to evangelize in the political sphere in ways

such as: denunciation of unjust structures, defense of the right of

workers to organize, and involvement in political organizations.

Denunciation was a constant word In his evangelization. He was

relentless in denouncing sin of all types - individual sin, structural

sin, and social sin. In addition, he denounced three absolutizations in

El Salvador which he felt had become idolatrous: the Absolutizations of

Wealth and Private Property, National Security, and Organizations. The

absolutization of Wealth and Private Property was a regular theme. In a

sermon in August 1979, he brought down fierce condemnation on the

wealthy, "I denounce, above all, the absolutizing of wealth. This is the

great evil in El Salvador: wealth and private property, as an untouch-

able absolute. Woe to the one who touches that high-tension wire! It

burns. "44 The Absolutization of National Security in his writings

occured within the topic of the use of power. Often the two absolutiza--

tions of Wealth and National Security were denounced simultaneously

since the wealthy and powerful were synonymous. 45 The third absolutiza--

tion, discussed earlier, differed from the first two because it was not

definitely evil in and of itself as the other two. It bad the potential

for either good 46 Romero's denunciation integral

or evil. was an part of

his evangelization. He denounced the sins of El Salvador with a venge--

ance comparable to jesus. 47

Along with the content Of his evangelization, Romero also discussed

concrete strategies to implement these evangelistic needs and to convey

 113

these strategies to his co-workers. In this way all who evangelized in

the archdiocese would be instructed by these guidelines in their partic--

ular area of the archdiocese. His strategy is found in Part IV of his

fourth pastoral letter, "Puebla's Pastoral Approach Applied to the

Archdiocese. ''

In his strategizing, he recognized the need to unify these

approaches under one joint apostolate. He explained, "Different situa--

tions require different responses, but all responses Ought to CODverge

upon fundamental options and common objectives, thus moving toward a

combined apostolate. They [the responses] have to be seen as com--

...

plementary, and all beneath the watchful overview of the bishop, the

person responsible for the apostolate in the diocese. "48 A plan was

necessary to organize the approaches to evangelization into an overall

strategy for the diocese. Integrated evangelization was preferable to

disjointed evangelization. Thus, he set forth his strategy of varying

models of evangelization. These models arose from his realization of the

need to adapt evangelization to the various groups and situations exist-

ing in El Salvador. Therefore, he enumerated three models of evangeliza-

tion: mass apostolate, apostolate of basic Christian communities and

apostolate of companionship.

For those involved with large numbers of people, especially tbe

poor, the mass apostolate model was appropriate. In evangelizing the

mass apostolate, Romero suggested Christian education/evangelization

with goals similar to Friere's conscientization: "a critical outlook, an

 114

ability to value themselves as persons, in control of their own destiny,

and helping the masses to become a people. -49 Despite its nomenclature

of "mass" apostolate, he envisioned it as evangelizing and liberating

individuals with the total message of Christian liberation spiritual

-

and political, inward and outward.

Secondly, the Apostolate of Basic Christian Communities dealt with

smaller communities of Christians. Romero reminded this apostolate of

their responsibility to others besides themselves. Ife outlined this

responsibility in three points: 1. They were a Christian community that

must. exemplify the gospe-1; 2. They were connected to the whole church;

and 3. They were to pursue actively the realization of the reign of God

in the midst of' the wor](1,50 As this apostolate matured they were to

"assume their role of adults in the faith to a greater degree and become

coresponsible for the progress of tbc, church ", 51

...

The Apostolate of Companionship seemed to have arisen out of

Romero's concern with the many who became politically active and subse-

quently came to view Christian faith as incompatible with their politi-

cal commitment. CompaniODing involved pastoral guidance Of One who was

politically active by a mature Christian who was also politically

active. He defined it in this way:

I am not speaking of a politicized apostolate but rather of

an apostolate that has to guide, in accordance with the
gospel, the consciences of Christians within a politicized
environment. Political life, like any human activity, needs
pastoral guidance. Our situation is made all the more diffi--
cult when many Christians, in an environment as politicized
as the one in this country, choose their political options
before finding their identity as Christians. 52
 115

In order to give this apostolate structure and guidance, he detailed

characteristics which a companion 53

should possess.

We conclude where we began - Archbishop Romero strove to be an

evangelist to the people and the country of El Salvador. He denounced,

announced, promoted, challenged, informed and critiqued according to the

group or the situation which he was evangelizing at that moment. He

addressed the poor with the good news of God's reign. He addressed the

rich with their need for conversion. He called for an integral libera

tion, one that combined the political and the spiritual. He supported

the right of peasants to organize. He denounced individual sin, and he

denounced the sin of unjust structures. "This would be a kind of general

outline. To understand how Bishop Romero gave it life you really have to

put yourself in his cathedral, packed with the poor, and the amazed

reporters who heard what was happening there but had never imagined it.

could be what it was. The crowd reached all the way to the altar; those

in front were touching It. -54 Such was the evangelization of Archbishop

Romero.

Throughout his writings, it is clear that Romero was greatly

influenced by the teachings, the encyclicals and the conferences of the

Roman Catholic Church. References to these abound, Most often in his

four pastoral letters. He wanted his writing and preaching to be in line

with the Church's teachings, especially on difficult topics. In this

way, he was able to appeal to these ecclesial writings as justification

for his stance on issues and for his action. In addition, he seemed
 1,16

particularly interested in applying the teachings in a practical way to

the Fl Salvadoran situation.

The document from Vatican IT wbich was most influential on him was

Gaudium Pt Spes. This influence was apparent in two areas. One area was

that the Church is to serve the world. He stated this in three of his

pastoral letters. His support for this notion came from Gaudium et Spes.

In the first letter, he Weluded a quote from the document, one sentence

of which reads like this: "The council brings to mankind light kindled

from the Gospel, and puts at its disposal those saving resources which

the Church itself, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, receives from

its Founder. "(GS: 3) This certainly informed his evangelization. The

addition he made to this teaching of Gaudium et Spes was that the

Church's service to the world is particularly on behalf of the poor.

This is found in his Second and third pastoral letters. 55 Service to the

world and to the poor was characteristic of his evangelization in par-

ticular and his ministry in general. As an official representative of

the Church in El Salvador, he put his energy and time and preaching at

the service of the people, especially the poor, and he exhorted the

Church as a whole to do the same.

A second area was that of the Church's involvement in politics. He

cited the same paragraph from Gaudium et Qes at several strategic

points seemingly as support against those who accused him of meddling ill

the political realm. The paragraph he quoted was the following:

It is only right that at all times and in all places,

...
the Church should have true freedom to preach the faith, to
 117

teach its
social doctrine, to exercise its role freely among
men, and also to pass moral judgment on those matters which
regard public order when the fundamental rights of a person
or the salvation of souls require it. In this, it should
make use of all the means - but only those - which accord
with the Gospel and which correspond to the general good
according to the diversity of times and circum-
stances. (GS: 76)

Ile this paragraph in his first pastoral letter in the context

-included

of calling for dialogue with those in power. Through this dialogue lie

hoped to reca. 1.1 the political leaders to their task of serving the

people. 56 Ailain, his letter-, he

-in second pastoral c.larified that the

Church's preachingr and activity might effect the political. arena. Using

the paragraph from GaudJum et Spes as a means of support, he explained

that the Church has "a right and ati obligation to -speak about the

political sphere 57 This teaching from Gaudium Spes

...,, ot underlined

his desire to have the Church be a conscience, or a judge, of political

matters arid political parties. In this way he maintained the Church's

right to "pass moral judgment on those matters which regard public order

when the fundamental rights of a person or the salvation of souls

require it. "(GS: 76)

Several teachings of Mede-1.1-in are evident in his writings. Ile

upheld the right of workers to organize as Medellin proposed. This right

is detailed in two different documents of the Medellin conference. 58 As

has been shown, he was a staunch defender of this right to organize and

called the Church to support and to monitor popular political organiza--

tions. Also, Medellin speaks of individual sin as well as recognizes the

existence and the ramifications of social sin. In the Justice document,

 118

the relationship of these two areas of sin is mentioned. "To all of this

must be added the lack of solidarity which, on the individual and social

levels, leads to the committing of serious sins, evident in the unjust

structures which characterize the Latin American situation. "(Justice,

para. 2) Romero referred to this quote in his second letter where he

added his own interpretation. "But it [the Church] has begun to recall

now something that, at the church's beginning, was fundamental: social

sin - the crystalization, in other words, of individuals' sins into

permanent structures that keep sin in being "59 In his evangeliza--

...
tion, he denounced both of these sins and called the rich, who per-

petuate the social sin, to conversion.

And lastly, he certainly carried out Medellin's concern for and

commitment to the poor as those for whom Christ had a preference. He

quoted these words about the poor an(] their challenge to the Church from

the Poverty documenL: the poor "place before the Latin American Church a

challenge and a mission that it cannot sidestep an(] to which it. must,

respond with a speed and boldness adequate to the urgency of the

times. "(Poverty, para. 7) These additional words from the same section

are words that describe Romero's ministry to the poor "justice,

-

solidarity, open witness, Commitment, strength, and exertion directed to

the fulfillment of the redeeming mission to which it is by

committed

Christ. " (Poverty, para. 7. ) In his ministry, he exemplified Jesus' com--

mand to give priority to the evangelization of the poor.

The Apostolic Exhortation, Evangeli-i Nunt. iandi, was particularly

 119

important for Romero's evangelization, Jon Sobrino states that Romero

adopted it for his own evangelization. "Archbishop Romero did not him-

self develop a particular theory of evangelization. He was inspired by

Paul VI's Apostolic Exhortation WnMlij Nuntiandi. He put it into

practice and, at several points, he added to it. He lived it out in his

own apostolate and he impressed upon his pastoral agents that they too

should implement it. -60 Romero seemed most interested in the third chap

ter in which Paul V1 outlines liberation and evangelization's role in

that liberation. In Romero's first pastoral letter, he recommended this

chapter for closer examination by the people because it described the

liberation which the Church promoted. Like E"ngulij Nuntiandi, Romero

upheld the primacy of the religious over the political in the struggle

for liberation. In the same letter he quoted the following from the

Exhortation: "Nevertheless she reaffirms the primacy of her spiritual

vocation and refuses to replace the proclamation of the Kingdom by the

proclamation of forms of human liberation; she even states that her con-

tribution to liberation is incomplete if she neglects to proclaim salva--

tion in Jesus Christ. "(EN: 34) However, as is evident from his ministry,

he did Dot neglect liberation in the here and now; temporal liberation

was an important part of his proclamation 61 The third

and action. chap--

ter of the Exhortation was so instructive to him that when he outlined

the Church's plan for liberation, quoted above, the three references to

the Church's teachings included were from that 62 Evannlii

chapter.

Nantiandi epitomized, for Romero, the balance between the eternal and
 120

the temporal for an evangelization whose goal is an integral liberation.

His fourth pastoral letter was an attempt to educate the people on

the Puebla document and the El Salvadoran situation. In Part One of the

letter, he used the social analyses and the general description of Latin

America in the Puebla document as a comparison of the ways things were

in El Salvador in such areas as: social injustice, the government, the

church, and the deterioration of the political situation and of

morality. 63 Then in Part Four he returned to the document

Puebla and

assimilated its findings into practical suggestions and structures. In

this regard, he affirmed Puebla's preference for the poor. As concrete

ways to implement this preference, he listed four suggestions taken from

the paragraphs entitled "Concrete Actions" under the section, "A

Preferential Option For The Poor. "(PD: 1159-1165) Then, when he

delineated the three groups for evangelization, the mass apostolate, the

apostolate of the base communities, and the apostolate of companionship,

he again referred at each point to the Puebla Document. 64

Therefore, Romero was clearly influenced by and depended on his

Church's teachings for guidance in regards to evangelization and related

areas. He strove to be in line with the Roman Catholic tradition as out-

line(] in these texts. In addition, he use(] t.he text% as a defense his

of

ministry, appealing to them to restrain his accusers.

 121

ENDNOTES

I- 1ýgynacio Martln-BW explains his interpretation of the event. "When

news came from Rome that Bishop Romero had been chosen to succeed
Archbishop Chdvez, the Salvadoran government and the oligarchy were
jubilant. They were certain they had won a great victory for the conser-
vative cause. As far as right-wing forces were concerned, Bishop Romero
was, Crom every point of view, the ideal candidate. With his penchant
for concl-liation, his clearly conservative outlook, the links that he
had with the Salvadoran oligarchy and with traditionalist groups within
the church (with Opus Del, CVCD! ), Romero appeared to be the perfect marl
to return the church to the sheepfold, the priests to the sacristy, and
Catholic Leaching back to the Council of Trent and Vatican 1. For their
part, a good number of the clergy of the archdiocese received the news
of his appointment with dejection and apprehension. They regarded it as
a sign that Rome seemed more concerned to maintain good relations with
the government than to serve the needs of the Christian community in El
Salvador. " Ignacio Martin-Bark "Oscar Romero: Voice of the Downtrod-
den, " in Voice of the Voicelesq, The Four Pastoral Letters and Other
StatemenA, trans. Mic"iel J. Walsh (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1985), p,
4.

2. The same writer explains, "For Romero the assassination of Fr.

Grande, as the archbishop was himself to remark many times afterward,
was the crucial moment in his conversion: the road from Aguilares was to
be his road to Damascus.
...
Little by little Romero began to change. His voice, more accustomed
to proclaiming peace, was now also raised in denunciation of the sinful
injustice that brought death. His words, which had hitherto reflected
generalities or abstracLions, took on the harsh realism of daily life.
His voice took over the cry of a crushed people and, in a country where
money and power had made a prostitute of words, he gave them back their,
truth and their force. " Ibid., p. 6.

3.11 is f ourth. pastora 1. let Lor was wr it ten shortly af ter the Puebla (, on -
f erefice. In the letter tie integrated three vi ews o I' evango Ii za L -i oyi :I.
The Final Document from Puebla which provided a wider portrayal of
evangre. lization in Latin America; 2. A survey of' Salvadoran base com-
munities requested by Romero; and 3. His own preferences and ideas on
evangelization as prompted by needs in the diocese. in the letter he
enumorated aspects of evangelization most needed by the archdiocese.

Tbid., p. 73.

Soo fbid. p. 73.

,
 122

6. See lbld., pp. 71-72.

7. Oscar Romero, The Church Is All Of You, 1h2Mgh1A__qf ArchbishaE_Qscar

11Qo_t1jQ., comp. and trans. James R. Brockman (Minneapolis: Winston Press,
Inc_ 1984), p. 71. Elsewhere in another serMOD he said similarly:
no confundir la liberaci6n de Cristo con las falsas liberaciones
meramente temporales. Ustedes como crisLianos formados en el Evangelio
tienen el derecho de organizarse, de tomar decisiones concretas,
inspirados en el Evangelio. Pero mucho cuidado en traicionar easa con--
vicciones evang6licas, cristianas, sobrenaturales, en compania de otras
liberaciones que pueden ser meramerite econ6micas, temporales, politicas.
El cristtano aun colaborando en la liberaci6n coy) otras ideolog-las debe
cotiservar su liberaci6n original. Esa que nos anuncia San Pablo hoy: a
partir de Cristo, inseparablemente de Cristo. " Oscar Romero, Monsenor
Romero, Selecci esentaci6n de Arnoldo Mora (Costa Rica: Editorial
Universitaria Cent roamer i cana, 1981), pp. 214-215.

8. "With Christ, God has InjecLed himself' into history. With the birth
of Christ, God's reign is now inaugurated in human time. we recall
...
Lhat God's reign is now in this world and that Christ has inaugurated
the fullness of time. His birth attests that God is now marching with us
in history, that we do riot go alone " [Romero, The Church Is All Of
...
You, p. 19.1 Later on he preached the following, "Christ appeared in
Zebulun an(] Naphta. 1i with the signs of liberation: shaking off oppres-
sive yokes, bringing joy to hearts, sowing hope. And this is what God is
doing now in history. " Ibid., p. 32.

9. "The true vocatiori of Salvadorans is that we should one day become

God's kinfdom, riot just baptize(] in name but actually Christians, com-
mitted to make of our homes, our estates, our farms, our roads, our
laws, a structure of' salvatiori This is the church's task in each
...
country's history: to make of each country's individual history a his--
tory of salvation. " Ibid., 1). 15.

10. Romero, Voice of the Voiceless, pp. 98-99.

11. "Llamaba Juan

a todos y les exigla un compromiso personal de
justicia. La
conversi6n es algo personal. As! como tambi6n el pecado es
algo personal. Y s6lo tiene que purificarse tin hombre cuando el hombre
mismo se arrepiente y busca los caminos de la justicia. No bastan
mensajes y proclamas de buena voluntad. Juan s6lo baut izaba a los honr
,
bres que de verdad hablaD roto con el pasado. " Romero, Monsenor Romero,
p. 233.

12. Ibid., pp. 233-234. He gives two specific examples of people who
have been converted and who are being critical, in this case, of them-
selves. In additIOD, In both cases these peop. le have been sinning
against other people by their actions. He cites first the example of a
rich person. "El rico tiene que criticar en su propio ambieDte de rico,
el por (10, de su riqueza, y por qu6 a su lado hay tanta gente pobre. Si
es un rico cristiano ahl encoritrarA el principio de su conversi6ti, eri
 123

una critica personal: por que soy Aco, y por qu& a mi alrededor tantos
hambrientos? " [ibid., p. 234. ] Similarly, he cites a second example of
an unfaithful husband. "El esposo infiel se convertirA y serd un esposo
modelo cuando tome conciencia de su machismo, y por qu6 no es capaz de
tener con su esposa unas relaciones de adulto maduro cristiano
Ibid.

13. Ibid.

14. "Una verdadera conversi6n cristiana hoy tiene que descubrir los
mecanismos sociales que hacen del obrero o del campesino personas
marginadas, Estos mecanismos se deben descubrir, no como quien
...
estudia sociologia o economia, SQ0 como cristianos, para no ser
c6mplices de esa maquinaria que est6 haciendo cada vez gente mds pobre,
marginados, indigentes " Ibid., p. 235.
...

15. Romero wrote about individual sin in these words, " before all
...
else, the human being is what we have to save, and individual sin is the
first thing we have to correct. Our personal acounts before God, our
individual relationship with him, set the stage for everything else. ''
Oscar Romero, A Martyr'j Message of Hope, Six Homilies by Archbishop
Oscar RoMtU, trans. National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company
(Kansas City, MO: Celebration Books, 1981), p. 126.

16. Ibid., p. t36.

17. See Jon Sobrino, "Monsenor Romero y la lglesia salvadorena, un ano

despu6s, " Estudios Centroamericanos 389 (March 1981), p. 132.

18. Romero, The Church Is All Of You, p. 27.

19. He wrote in this regard, "Evangelization, here and now, has to

defend and encourage the political and social organization of the great
mass of rural and urban workers and their families. I thank God that In
this task the church can already count upon well-qualified lay
Christians " Romero, Voice of the Voiceless, p. 140.
...

20. Romero, The Church Is All Of You, p. 82. Sobrino wrote about Romero
on this matter: ''Mons. Romero acept6 A obligaci6n de la Iglesia de
iluminar pastoralmente los diversos projectos politicos del pals, de
favorecer los elementos positivos que se encontrasen en cualquiera de
ellos, y de dar un juicio global sobre cuAl de ellos mejor parece
favorecer A reino de Dios. " Sobrino, "Monsenor Romero yA Iglesia sal-
vadorena, " p. 136.

21. Jon Sobrino lists the

errors of organizations which Romero
denounced: A absolutizaci6n de A orgaDizaci6n, A desuni6n entre las
organizaciones y el pueblo y entre las mismas organizaciones, A
excesiva politizac! 6n, los excesos de violencia y los actos de ter--
rorismo. Jon Sobrino, Mons. Romero Verdadero Profeta, Colecci6n Dios
Habla En Centroamerica 1 (Managua: Coedici6n THCA-CAV, 1981), pp. 36-37.
 124

22. "You have to understand clearly that the conflict is between the
government and the people. There is conflict with the church because we
take the people's side. When they say I am a subversive and that I
...
meddle in political matters, I say it's not true. I try to define the
church's mission, which is a prolongation of Christ's. The church must
save the people and be with them in their search for justice. Also, it
must not let them follow ways of unjust violence, hatred, and vengeance.
In this sense, we accompany the people, a people that suffers greatly.
Of course, those that trample the people must be in conflict with the
church. " Romero, The Church Is All Of You, p. 78.

23. Ibid., p. 67,

24. Sobrino, Mons. Romero Verdadero Profeta, 1). 2.

25. Jon Sobrino wrote, "Romero fulfilled Jesus' command to his apostles
to make a disciple of everyone. Ile wats, coDsclous of' the fact that, as
archbishop, it was his duty to respond to the 'everyone' of the gospel.
He had to evangelize the whole population of El Salvador as then was.
Because both -it
the archdiocese and the nation were small, and their prob-
lems similar, the task of evangelizing the whole population was made
easier. The archbishop's prestige, and his use of the media meant that
he could reach out into every corner of the land. " Romero, Voice of the
Voiceless, p. 31.

26. Placido Erdozain explains the process of compiling Romero's weekly

sermons. "But something that not everyone knows is that the bishop's
sermons were the work of an entire church backing up its bishop an(]
...
helping him to compose each Sunday sermon. Helpers ranged from Rene, who
organized the information that came in and clipped out newspaper art-i-
cles every day, to the comunities that sent in their accusations and
recounted their lives of conflict. There were the clandestine mes..
...
sengers, who always seemed to arrive at the cathedral at the very last
minute to tell us what. bad just happened. And there were others. We all
wrote the bishop's Sunday sermon, and lie was never more a bishop than
when he gathered all that information together and electrified it, with
the gospel for the poor making it the sermon for the day. " Placido
...
Erdozain, Archbisho Romero, Martvr of-Salvador-, trans. John McFadden
an(] Ruth Warner (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1980), p. 32.

27. Romero stated the distinction between the people of God and the
people in general very clearly. "I have always wanted us to distinguish
between the people of God and people in general. An(] when I preach all
these promises of God, this richness of participation in Christ,
prophet, priest and king, I am directing myself to you, the community of
baptized people. " Romero, Martyr's Me_ýisayýe
e, p. 69.

28. lie called SalvadoraD baptized Christians to the following goal:

"The true vocation of Salvadorans is that we should one day become God's
kiDgdom, riot just baptized -in name but actually Cbristians, committed to
make or our homes, our estates, our farms, our roads, our laws, a struc-
 1,2,5

Lure of salvation, where Salvadorans may feel themselves truly realized

as Christians, able to adore their God with freedom, complete freedom,
able to proclaim the integral religion that God bids them proclaim, to
meet together to reflect on his word without fear or surveillance or
evil reports, to love God while meeting in their chapels without being
suspected of doing something else. " Romero, The, Church Is All Ot You, p.
15.

29. "They are no longer the people of God. This in line with the New
-is
Testament. Even though they may be baptized, even though they may come
to mass, if they can't join in solidarity with the exacting teachings of'
the gospel arid the concrete applications of our pastoral letter, then,
brothers and sisters, we know well how to discern these unfaithful
people so as not to cheapen that sacred name: the people of God. "
Romero, Martyr's Ne,!sjýsae, p. 128.

30. Romero states that to be truly

converted a person "must become
poor,, or at least
make the
cause of' the poor their own Inner motivation.
That is when one begins experience to faith and conversion: when one has
the heart of tile poor, when one knows that. financial capital, political
influence, and power are worthless, arid that without God we are nothing.
To feel that need of God is faith and conversion. " Romero, The Church Is
All Of You, p. 61.

31. Romero, Martyr's Message, p. 89.

32. Ibid., p. 94.

33. "It is becoming increasingly clearer- that, the call to conversion

addressed to all is more effective and ý. -Autlientic when it follows tile
gospel strategy of taking, the good news of salvation first to theý poor,
while reminding them too of the demands of their conversion. (Luke 4: 18)"
Romero, Voice of the Voice-less, 1). 103.

34. Ibid., p. 81.

35. Romero wrote, "It is a defamation of the church when its 'Preferen-
tial option for the poor' is interpreted to mean blind partiality in
favor of the masses arid disrespect for the powerful classes. The church
does not approve of the poor and the oppressed simply because they are
the poor and oppressed - though it. cannot forget. that the Redeemer him-
self offered tile grace of redemption to them first of all. The church
knows perfectly well that among those who lack material goods there is a
great deal. of sinfulness. It therefore makes every effort to see that
persons are saved from their inveterate vices, many of which are
fomented by our historical situation. " Romero, Voice of the Voiceless,
p. 140.

36. See Romero, The Church Is All Of You, p. 61.

37. Romero, Voice of tile Voiceless, p. 74.

 126

38. Ibid., p. 138.

39. Ibid., p. 139.

40. Ibid. 92.

, P.

41. Placido, Ar(., hbistiqp

Romero, p. 80. Jon Sobrino offers a further
comment on this aspect of Romero's leadership. "QuizAs sea 6ste eI
momento de analizar brevemente la relaciOn entre pueblo y pueblo
organizado con la esperanza de liberaci6n. Cuando Mons. Romero defendi6
el derecho de organizaci6n del pueblo lo hizo ciertamente por defender
un derecho natural de todo hombre; pero lo hizo sobre todo porque el
pueblo organizado aparecla como un modo hist6rico y concreto de superar
la injusticia estructural. Por esa raz6n no s6lo defendi6 el derecho
abstracto a organizarse, sino que anim6 positivamente a que el pueblo
organizase. Formulado de una manera todavla muy general, pero mily funda-
mental, vio la posibilidad de salvacion para el pals en (-,I pueblo. Por
esa raz6n Mons. Romero fue orientador y critico a la vez del pueblo y
del pueblo organizado. " Sobriiio, Mons. Romero Verdadero Profeta, p. 35,

42. "There are many Christians who take on revolutionary political com
mitments and abandoti the public profession of their Christian faith. One
organization even puts its members in the false position of having to
choose between the church and the organization. " Placido, Archbishop
RomeE-O, p. 70.

43. Romero, MarjyLIA Message, p. 93. In another sermon he wrote this

about Christians involved in politics. "The great task of Christians
must he to absorb the spirit of God's kingdom and, with souls filled
with the kingdom of God, to work on the projects of history. It's fine
to be organized in popular groups; it's all right to form political
parties. It's all right to take part in the government. It's fine as
long as you are a Christian who carries the reflection Of the kingdom of
God and tries to establish it where you are working Your project,
...
however, will grow in stability the more it reflects the eternal design
of God. " Ibid., p. 131.

44. Romero, The Church Is All Of You, p. 96.

45. This can be seen in the following quote: "That reign of God finds
itself hindered, manacled, by many idolatrous misuses Of Money and
power. Those false gods must be overthrown, just as the first
evangelizers in the Americas overthrew the false gods that our natives
adored. Today the idols are different. They are called money, political
interests and national security. As idolatries, they are trying to dis--
place God from his altar. " Ibid., p. 56.

46. Romero explained this potential for good or evil in an organiza-

tion. "This organizational absolutization differs from the other two
just mentioned. They are fundamentally evil, as has been indicated. The
absolutization of an organization, on the other hand, has a good side to
 127

it because it arises from among the peupie, as it puts to use its right
of forming organizations for the purpose, at least in theory, or attaiD-
ing the good of that same people. But in practice they become so fanati-
cal that the interests of the people are no longer their chief concern,
but the interests of the group or organization. " Romero, Voice of the
Voiceless, p. 135.

47. Sobrino writes, "Archbishop Romero denounced our country's sin with
a fierceness that can be likened only to that of the prophets of old, or
to that of MUM& de Las Casas, or to that of Jesus himself.
...
Romero never ceased in his attack, he never tempered it, he never found
prudent reasons for silence. " Ibid., pp. 23 24.

48. Ibid., p. 151.

49. Ibid., pp. 152-: 153.

50. Ibid., p. 154.

51. lbýid. 155.

, p.

52. f bid.

53. The characteristics are listed here in abbreviated form: a great

spirit of prayer and discernment before taking action; a great clarity
and firmness about the criteria and the values of the gospel and a
search for greater knowledge about more uncertain issues; a great
respect for the diversity of choices and charisms that the one Spirit
can give rise to; a great spirit of commitment and sacrifice; and a deep
sense of hierarchical order and of teamwork. Tbid., p. 156.

54. Placido, Arclil)L: ýýo EomeEo, p. 32.

55. See Romero, Voice of the Vol celess, v. 66 for the reference in his
first letter. In his ýetter, he wrote
pastoral second the following
about the Church's service to the poor: "The second principle that we
must lay down is that the church has a mission of service to the people.
Precisely from its specifically religious character and mission 'come a
function, a light, and an energy which can serve to structure and con--
solidate the human community according to the divine law. '
It is the role of the church to gather into itself all that is
human in the people's cause and struggle, above all in the cause of the
poor. " Ibid., p. 97.
On this topic, Jon Sobrino makes this comment about Romero. "En
tiempos dificiles A involuci6n es una gran tentaci6n para A lglcsia.
buscar un espacio socio-politico que le garantice el minimo de paz y
...
seguridad para su propia actividad. Por ello hay que recordar A princi--
pio que Mons. Romero enunci6 a partir del Vaticano 11: A Tglesia estd
para servir a los hombres, no para servirse a ella misma, A menos para
que los hombres A sjrvaD a ella.
Mons. Romero crey6 ademds que A pura involuci6n es imposible y
...
 128

que una Iglesia que pretende s6lo servirse aA misma estarA de hecho
sirviendo a los poderosos de este mundo, estarA defendlendo A status
quo. " Sobrino, "Monsenor Romero y la fglesia salvadorena, " p. 128.

56. "From the perspective of our identity as church, we also realize

that our service to the people, precisely because it does not as such
have a political or a socio-economic character, must seek sincere
dialogue and cooperation with whomever holds political and socio--
economic responsibility. The church does not do this because it has some
technical competence or because it wants temporal privileges, but
because the political community and other elements of society need to be
reminded that they are at the service of the personal and social voca-
tiOD Of MOD and women. " Romero, of the Voiceless, p. 61.
IVoice
57. Ibid., p. 78.

58. See Justice para. 12; and Peace para. 27.

59. Romero, YOKO of the Voiceless, p. 68.

60. Ibid., pp. 32-33.

61. In his first pastoral letter, he once again included a quote from
Evangelij Nuntiandi at a point in which the importance of temporal Jib
eration is stressed in the midst of his own words. "While taking account
of the supremacy of the church's spiritual vocation and the predominant
role of salvation in Jesus Christ, Pope Paul defends the linkage of true
evangelization and human advancement, both because anthropology, tbeol-
ogy, and the gospel demand it, and because to dissociate evangelization
from human advancement 'would be to forget the lesson which comes to us
from the Gospel concerning love of our neighbor who is suffering and in
need. '" Ibid., p. 60. The quote from Evangelij Nuntiandi is para. 31.

62. See Romero, Voice of pp. 98--99.

_the 'Voiceless,
63. See lbid., pp. 118-127.

64. See Ibid., pp. 152-1.56.

 CHAPTER SIX

AJAN LUIS SEGUNDO

One of the most prolific writers of liberation theology is Juan

Luis Segundo. His works include two separate five-volume collections -A

Theology For Artisans Of A New Humanity and Jesus of Nazareth Yesterday

And Today - as well as additional articles and books. Segundo is a

Jesuit from Uruguay who founded a center for sociological and theologi-

cal research and studies, the Peter Faber Center in Montevideo, Uruguay.

In 1975, the center's periodical was silenced by the Uruguayan govern-

ment and shortly thereafter the center, itself, ceased to operate.

Through the center, Segundo was able to discuss and to do theology with

Christian Jay communities. According to Alfred T. Hennelly, who wrote a

book on Segundo's theology, this contact affords to his theology a

"pastoral orientation. " Hennelly writes, "Clearly then his writing is

not directed primarily to the academic community nor is it dominated by

the interests or methods of that community. His audience is rather adult

members of the church in his own country and the rest of Latin America,

while his interest has been to contribute to the continuous religious

and intellectual maturation of that audience. "I

His writing on evangelization arises from this pastoral interest.

The most thorough discussion OD evangelization is found in his book

entitled, The Hidden Motives Of Pastoral Action: Latin American Reflen

 130

tions. The book is the result of conversations with people, notably

North Americans and Europeans, who were going to do missionary work in

Brazil. 2 This book the fundamentals for this discussion

will provide of

evangelization in his writings. At this point, an important qualifica--

tion needs to be made, With the eXCeptiOD of this book, evangelization

is rarely mentioned in his writings, especially in his later works. The

result is that his writing on evangelization is at least 15 years old.

Along with the age of the material, considering the amount of written

material authored by him, it seems safe to assume that evangelization is

proportionately of minor importance to Segundo.

As a preface to evangelization, he describes in detail the relK

gious situation in Latin America in the early 1970's. He credits the

decline of the "closed milieu"3, caused by the rapid transformation of'

Latin American society, for the ineffective pastoral action in the con--

tinent. Because the Church can no longer depend on these closed,

Christian milieus to transmit the Gospel message, it must consider

another kind 4
of pastoral action.

In the face of this reality, Segundo states that the Church has two

choices for its pastoral action. It can continue as before or it can

adopt a complete new and different pastoral action. The first choice is

to retain an unchanged pastoral action in the face of colossal societal

changes. The motivation of this choice is summarized in the phrase, the

absolute minimum in obAntions in order to keep the maximum number of

5 This
people. pastoral action concentrates on the masses. The masses

connote the idea of the majority, a 'mass society, ' not the sense of an
 131

6 The by their desire for

oppressed people. masses are characterized

simplification immediacy, 7 is by the

and much of which reinforced mass

8 To the the
media. choose present pastoral action would perpetuate

prevailing situation in which people depend on the Church out of their

insecurity. 9 Through the the Church, find

rites and rituals of people

the security which is lacking in their life and in their society.

Segundo states that this type of pastoral action is "dispensing

security, just as the shaman or witch doctor of a primitive tribe

does. "10 Being a dispenser of security is not only time consuming but it.

prevents the development of a new and different pastoral action. It is

for the masses that pastoral action will remain unchanged in order to

answer their need for security, The outcome of all this is a perpetua-

tion the injustices, 11

of s.tatus guo and societal

Segundo rejects this pastoral approach and offers one which, in

opposition to the previous one, centers on a heroic minority. These

heroes are a minority in every respect. They are persons with deep, per--

sonal convictions in the face of the masses who superficialJy cling to

Christianity for security. They offer a prophetic message to a society

They ideological 12 They

with a consumer majority. are an minority.

by the 13 In this dif--

remain unaffected mass media. every way minority

fers from the mass majority. As opposed to the characteristics of the

masses - simplification and immediacy - the heroic minority possess per-

sonal convictions which result in liberative action. The statement which

seems to summarize Segundo's belief in the heroic minority is the fol-

lowing: " the active presence of Christianity in the process of con-

...
 132

structing Latin American society is wholly dependent on real personal

conviction of heroic proportions. Only a heroic minority can the

present

prophetic message of God to a consumer society. -14 This pastoral action,

done by the heroic minority, possesses the bringing

capability of about

not only a radical change in the Church but also in society. This is the

case because the Church, for Segundo, assumes a highly significant role

in societal transformation. " Because this,

of a pastoral action such as

he proposes is a powerful form of liberation.

Evangelization is the basic task of Segundo's pastoral He

action.

defines evangelization as the communication of the Christian for

message

the purpose of evoking a personal conviction. As he writes, "

... es

presentar a cada hombre el cristianismo de tal modo que por su propio

eontenido, por su valor intrinseco, produzca en 61 una adhesi6n per--

sonal, heroica, interiormente formada. "16 Evangelization is to bring

about a personal faith in every individual. The focus of evangelization

is on the depth of commitment of each person, not the

on numbers who

attend mass or who are practicing Catholics. Evangelization must be done

on an individual basis due to the destruction of the closed milieus.

Evangelization cannot rely on Christian institutions, on Christian

values in society, or even on Christian families. As has been shown,

unlike the present pastoral approach, Segundo's solution is to "stop

relying on the surrounding milieu and start transmitting the gospel mes-

sage to each individual ýp. "17 One by one, evangelization produces a

heroic minority with personal convictions.

Further, it is the heroic minority who evangelize. The heroic

 133

minority evangelize the majority in Latin America who may or may not be

Practicing Catholics. He uses the word, 'minority, ' not in an elitist.

sense but in a practical sense for he believes that any radical trans-

formation will occur by way of the minority the 18

effecting majority.

This is true of evangelization as a transforming process; the heroic

minority who possess a strong, committed faith evangelize the majority

who are consumers of the gospel message. He describes the evangelization

by this minority in these words: " those who are to the

... willing carry

Christian message to the rest of Society, to tolerate contact with other

ideas and COnCePtiODS of life and win out them, to them-

over and commit

selves personally to a radical transformation of society in line with

Christ's message. "19 Therefore, evangelization is the thrust of

Segundo's pastoral action which seeks to build a new Latin American

society. It is done by the heroic minority who by means individual

of

contact evangelize the majority.

Segundo offers specific guidelines for evangelization. There are

three such guidelines: "(I) communicating only the essentials of the

Christian message; (2) communicating it as good news; (3)

and adding,

nothing further except at a pace that will allow the essential element

to remain precisely that. -20 UDder the first he is

guideline, clear that

only the core of the Christian message is to be communicated. ff the

bare essentials, alone, are proclaimed, then the be

evangelizer should

able to communicate the good news in half an hour, the span of time for

a normal conversation. The need for brevity reflects the changes in

Latin American society. Today evangelization can no longer rely on mul--

 134

tiple chances or prolonged encounters in order to proclaim its message

through schools, Christian institutions. 21 Evangeliza

churches or other

tion must take full advantage of any opportunity, no matter how brief.

Even more, he is precise about what he considers nonessential to

the Christian message; in this regard he particularly enumerates doc--

trines, such as: the number of persons in the Trinity, the infallibility

of the pope, the number of sacraments, the Immaculate Conception and

transubstantiation. 22 However, it to is he is
when comes what essential,

vague, failing to delineate that which he considers the core of the

,,,,, ], 23 His lack of clarity at this crucial point is a serious omis-

sion. Surely he cannot assume that the content of the good news is

already a given if, as is his opinion, evangelization is Dot even being

done in Latin America. 24 In his

addition, without offering own rendition

of the essential message, he criticizes suggestions made by pastoral

officials of what they feel might constitute the essentials of the

Christian message. 25 in he specifies that does

essence, only which not

constitute the essential message.

Under the second guideline, COMMUDicating it as good news, several

factors are included. First of all, the evangelizer must listen. Listen-

ing shows respect for the individual because it gives him or her the

freedom to hear the message or not, to be evangelized or not. There is

no coercion if evangelization includes listening. AlODg With this,

through listening, the evangelizer is able to perceive how the message

is being received, what questions are surfacing and how well the person

is responding. Incorporating listening into evangelization increases its

 135

effectiveness because it establishes an atmosphere of dialogue and

mutuality, ingredients necessary to authentic evange]iZatiOD. Listening

is an unexpected addition to evangelization as it has traditionally been

done. "Our customary assumption has been that evangelizing means talking

and, insofar as it is possible, keeping listeners

our quiet so that they

may pay attention to our complete and ,,,, iti,,, -26

Second of all, the evangelizer must translate the Christian message

after he or she has listened. Translation puts the Christian message

into terms relevant to the individual and meaningful for today. The key

to translating the message is knowing the person with whom one is talk

ing. Again, Lhis necessitates listening. For instance, the person might

be suffering from some kind of anxiety. This become the

anxiety could

focus of a contemporary translation. Here, Segundo offers a helpful

example. He translates the phrase, "God raised his son, Jesus Christ,

from the dead, " into the phrase, "No love is lost on this " He
earth.

explains how he arrived at this translation:

Note that the latter formula is an authentic translation of

the former. The Son of God (who is love) loves us to the end
and died; but his love did not perish, and we express that
belief by bearing witness to his resurrection. Our expres--
sion of this belief in new terms does not mean that we now
claim to have a finished and perfect formula. Our new
'evangelical' formula simply is a response to what we feel
to be a characteristic anxiety of human beings. People prof-
fer their love, but in the end A seems to be vain. 27

These translattons will, of course, vary from person to person depending

on the needs of the person being evangelized. 28 When the

evangelizer

relates the gospel message to the individual's needs through listening

and LranSlatjDg, then the response will more likely be one of personal
 136

conviction, and the message will be communicated as good news.

Under the third guideline, adding nothing further to the essential

excepL at the appropriate time, he stresses the importance of timing,

rhythm, and proper pacing. All this is crucial lost the core message be

muddled. He gives a hypothetical example of a situation where the dis--

tinction between Protestants and Catholics is introduced too soon after

the gospel essentials have been proclaimed.

As soon as we have spelled out the essential core of the

gospel We inject some comment about the controversy over
...
justification or devotion to Mary, for example. What have we
done? By injecting these 'truths, ' we have moved at a pace
that destroys the essential core as such. Since the sup-
plementary features are more concrete and tangible on the
contemporary scene, since the gap between Catholics and
Protestants is readily apparent, their differentiating fea-
tures immediately take the place of the essential core of
the Christian message. Our listener sees devotees of Mary
rather than Christians, Catholics rather than Christians. 29

Thus, proclaiming the essence of the Christian message is primary, and

anything else must fit into a rhythm which allows time for the to
Person

grasp the essence.

In addition to the spoken word, evangelization is also done through

witness. Here lie stresses the correspondence between word and witness.

Witness must underline and demonstrate the it. keep

good news; must pace

with the word, not lag behind or go too far ahead. Witness occurs

primartly among non-Christians. In witnessing to non-Cbristians, the

most valuable form of witness is listening. As stated above, listening

exhibits respect and an interest. in the individual. Ile explains, listen-

ing "must be translated into a friendly and thoroughgoing sharing of

life with the non-Christian. R must entail historical

a shared
 137

sensitivity, shared commitments, and the recognition of the human values

that the non Christian holds and cultivates. This recognition, in turn,

must be fleshed out in deeds. "30

The existence of the non-Christian is a fact which Segundo wants

pastoral action to recognize. He states that there are practicing

Catholics who may be non-believers. This is another change from the

present pastoral action which fails to take into account the non-

believer. The only difference which the present pastoral action notes is

that between good and bad Christians. 31 Segundo

not only acknowledges

the non-believer, but also he calls for their evangelization through

witness, as above, and through the communication of the essential mes-

of Christianity. 32
sage

Segundo's realistic appraisal of Latin American Society leads him

to re-evaluate the present pastoral action of the Roman Catholic Church

and to put forth a new pastoral action, a complete reversal of the

previous one. Whereas the present one concentrates on the majority, he

looks to the heroic minority. Whereas the present one expects the major--

ity to be familiar with the dogmas of the Church, he expects invidiuals

to have a deep, personal conviction about the gospel message. Whereas

the present one uses the medium of church institutions, he depends oil

individuals. It is his belief that a pastoral action of this type will

benefit and transform the Church and also society through the Church.

Evangelization, done by a heroic minority, is at the center of Segundo's

pastoral action.

Medellin serves as a "obligatory" reference point for Segundo. 33

 138

This document recognizes that the present pasLoral action is outdated,

(6: 1) and calls for a "re-assessment of pastoral care" due to the over-

whelming changes in society. This certainly supports Segundo's desire

for a radically new and different pastoral action by the Roman Catholic

Church. According to Medellin, the time is ripe for such a change in the

pastoral action.

Related to this, he believes that the spirit of Medellin is

oriented towards personal conviction, the thrust of his pastoral

action. 34 However be makes important His

an clarification. pastoral

approach based on personal conviction is an all-encompassing one which

should completely replace the present pastoral approach. Because

Medellin's understanding of personal conviction is more as a valuable

addition, and not as a total replacement of pastoral action, those who

have attempted to implement such a conviction in their pastoral work

have encountered difficulties. 35 In his the way to break

opinion, only

out of the vicious circle of pastoral action in which the Church is

presently engaged is to adopt completely his pastoral plan based on the

heroic minority. He writes, "My hypothesis - and my hope - is that

authentic personal conviction of a heroic sort and authentic social sig--

nification as a community constitute a total pastoral system for Latin

America. "36 Thus, Medellin is not radical enough in its call for a

pastoral approach based on personal convictions, though it certainly

points in that direction.

Similarly, Segundo's description of social changes in Latin America

and the subsequent effect on the masses reflects Medellin's similar,

 t39

portrait of the situation. Medellin recognizes that the pastoral

approach based on closed milieus is outdated. (6: 1) The result is that

the "Pastoral attitude has been one of preservation, of the faith

through the administration of the sacraments with little or no emphasis

upon previous evangelization. "(6: 1) Because of this, Medellin calls for

a "re-assessment of pastoral care. "(6: 1) This is precisely what Segundo

is offering with his pastoral approach of the heroic minority Who POS-

sess a deep, personal conviction.

 140

ENDNOTES

1. Alfred T. Hennelly, Theolopics In Conflict: The Challenge of

Juan Luis Segundo p. 51,

2. He writes about this: "My job was to awaken in them a sound

"nderstanding of religious realities in Latin America, to keel)
them from imposing on Latin America the viewpoints, criteria, and
guidelines that they brought with them from their own homelands. ''
Juan Luis Segundo, The Hidden Motives of Pastoral Latin
America" ReFlectio"s. trans. John Drury (Maryknoll: Orbis Hooks,
1978), p. vii.

3. "Closed milieus" have for many years been the avenue for pass-
ing down Christian truths from one generation to another. He
cxplains, "For centuries it was tradition, or traditional society,
that transmitted the Christian conception of life, faith, and
sacramental practice from one generation to the next. And so,
...
precisely because this traditional society was closed to other
values, creeds, and conceptions of life, the church did not need
to invite each succeeding generation to accept the gospel message.
With good reason the church expected that society itself won](]
bring each succeeding generation to it. " [bid., pp. 26-27,

4. "La destrucuNn de los ambientes cerrados deberia obligar a]

cristianismo a una transformaci6n radical de su pastoral. La
pasividad que antes realizaba una buena parte del trabajo deberia
ser suplida por la fuerza ! nLerna de atracci6n del mensaje y de la
comunidad cristiana. " Juan Luis Segundo, Q, ha, Sociedad A La
TqQqgQ, Guadernos Lati noameri canos (Buenos Aires: Carl'os, ' Lot, ] 6,
1970), p. 34. As a summary of the situation, this quotation of
SOgUDdO'S is hVIPfUl. "It had been growing clearer to many that.
the religious situation of the continent was changing at an
accelerating pace, and sociologists brought forth convincing argu-
ments to that effect. At least half of the Latin American popula.
tion was now living in a modern urban civilization, and that
clearly undermined the main tool that had been used for centuries
to transmit the faith: i. e., the pressure of closed, wholly
Christian communities. With the disappearance of such communities
in an increasingly urban society, the Church could no longer
entrust to society the task of transmitting Christianity from one
generation to the next. One could hardly continue to talk about a
'Christian miliew' since it certainly was not 'Christian' any
longer and probably was no longer a 'milieu' in the strict sense. ''
Juan Luis Segundo, The Liberation of 1_11eýqlogy, trans. John Drury
(Marykno II: Orb is Booýq', -_ I ___
6ý6) ___---' I ý7-128.
, pp -
 141

5. Seoundo, Hidden Motives, p. 72. The motive behind this phrase

is a fear for- the salvation Of the masses. Segundo's thesis is
that there are hidden motives which keep the Church tied to its
preseuL pastoral act-joy). fie names three motives: fear for our
selves, feat, for the salvation of the masses, fear for the Gospel.
Of importance in this context is the second fear. He explains the
fear for the salvation of the masses in these words, "By 'masses'
here I do not mean any particular social class. If we make the
shift from protecting artificial majorities to cultivating heroic
minorities, then the majority of people will be left without pro -
tection and without a minimal level of Christianity. The term
'masses' refers to that majority here, the emphasis being on their
basic passivity. The fact is that their present participation in
ChristiaDity is basically a passive one, produced by artificial
Christian environments that are maintained by the church's
pastoral agents. And I make this point at the start because here
there is an unspoken reason that makes it all the more diffiCUlt
for people to come out and ask why the church must continue with a
pastoral approach based on the protection of passive majorities. "
Tbid. p. 88.
,

6. In Hennelly's book, this quote of Segundo's from his book,

Funci6n de la 1_gjý-,sia en la realidad ri opla tense (Montevideo: Bar-
Ramos, 1962) , -
Segundo's -
reiro y which explains use of the term,
11masses, " is included: "Rather-, the word is used in the sense of
'mass man' or 'mass society, ' that is, it refers to 'persons who
at, (! especially characterized by the case with which they follow
the crowd, assimilate propaganda, allow themselves to be led by
psychological or social mechanisms. ' The phenomenon of 'mass
...
man, ' then, cuts across all social strata, levels of education,
etc-_" Hennelly, 1hto1qy--tý.,, j In Conflict., p. 72. See also fn 5.

7. Using Segundo's writings, Hennelly defines simplification as

"the pursuit of simple and direct solutions to all problems,
however complicated, " and immediacy as "the search for swift and
immediate solutions rather than long-range and complex ones. " Hen--
nelly, jkl_i In Conflict, p. 73.

8. See Ibid. On the mass media and its role and influence on
society, see Juan Luis Segundo, "Communication and Liberation,
IDOC 1riternational-North Americap Edition 35 (13 November, 1971):
63-96.

9. "The process of rapid and total uprooting produces feelings of

insecurity that tend to make people cling desperately to those
remnants of their older society that still can be found in the new
urban society. That, of course would include certain disparate ele-
ments of family life and, even more important for us here, certain
religious rites. " Segundo, The Hidden Mot-iveS-, 1). 31 .

to. Ibid.

11. Wben writing about Segundo's theology, J. Andrew Kirk makes

 142

the following observation on this point: "But there is a second

aspecL of Lhe consumer society which gives added urgency to the
change of pastoral practice in the Church. When all values and
commitments are private and relative, in the interests of main--
taining the unity and inviolability of the consumer society, the
effect is to maintain the status quo and to silence the voice of
those who believe that the present structures of society are
unjust. " J. Andrew Kirk, Liberation Theology: An Evangelical View
frow-the'-Third-forld, New Fobbill-Theological Library'l
9
ed., Peter Toon (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1979): pp. 66-67.

12. "in speaking of 'ideological minorities' here, I am

...
simply suggesting that any profound idea is revolutionary to some
extent insofar as a consumer society is concerned, and that it
wiIJ be treated as such. Hence one can easjJy conclude that such
an idea will not be instigated or promoted by the mass-based
structures of society; it will be initiated by some minority suf-
ficiently heroic to stand up against the prevailing flow of
information and communication in Society. " Ibid., p. 18.

13. "For there is

no reality exterior to the message of the
media, Unless Man conquers it.
For that very reason, any ideological group opposed to the
massive relativization of basic (and critical) values will neces-
sarily be a minority. It will have had to overcome the insecurity
that bound it to the COMMUDiCatiODS media as instruments that
reassure by their integrating function. And yet, in saying it will.
be a minority, we don't mean that it will be either a privileged
group or an effective one. Its responsibility and its effective-
ness will consist precisely in resisting the pressure to conform
and putting the mass instruments at the service of a new social
program whose pressure will be more in the direction of human
development. " Segundo, "Communication and Liberation, " p. 74.

14. Segundo, Hi en Motives, p. 33.

15. As Kirk explains, "Of all the main protagonists of a theology

of liberation, Segundo is probably the one most concerned the
with
radical renovation of the structures and practice of the Latin
American Church; Because the Church, ultimately, is the
... only
organism which can act as a catalyst and permanent symbol of all
true paths to final salvation (liberation), its renewal is a
pressing necessity. The Church's supreme function is to
...
represent the more difficult path of the richer syntheses which
alone lead to real and permanent transformations of society. ''
Kirk, Liberation TheolqU p. 65.

16. Segundo, Q, La Sociedad A La TeolMil, p. 37.

17. Segundo, p. 128.

18. Segundo discusses this idea in depth in the last chapter,

''Mass Man - Minority Elite Gospel Message, " in his book, The
-
 143

Liberation of Theolygy. Several summary comments of his are

benefiu -i sound, integrated view of Lhis whole topic would
lead us to the conclusion that any and all minority growth
simultaneously conditions and is conditioned by a rise in the
level of mass conduct. And that signifies a cul tural revolution.
is possible, by the same token, , I
No cultural revolution unless
energy is expended by a minority that has distanced itself from
mechanized thinking and feeling wherever the latter may be
located, p, Qapy_even in 'the people. '" Segundo, Tile Liberation of
Tyojon, p. 226.
"This minority effort among the masses is not meant to impose
elitist demands on the latter, nor is it meant to construct a
society based on minority exigencies. The aim is to create, for
oneself and others, new forms of energy that will permit lines of
conduct that are necessarily mechanized to serve as the basis for
new and more creative possibilities of a minority character in
each and every human being. " ibid., p. 231,

19. Segundo, Hidden MotiVes, p. 71.

20. Ibid., p. 111. These three guidelines are ones suggested by

Andr6 Seumois who was the adviser to the Sacred Congregation for
the Propagation of the Faith.

21. "Today that situation is of the past. If the church cannot

formulate the essential message of Christianity in the course of a
typical conversation running no more than a half-hour, then there
simply will be no evangelization. It cannot Count on weeks,
months, or years. Needless to say, many pastoral officials rely on
the belief that at least the family and the Catholic school do
have the time to transmit the gospel message without confining
themselves to its essentials only. They forget two things. One is
that even if the Christian message is transmitted to children,
that no longer means that adults will really 'know the gospel. '
The other is that the time available to the family and the
...
school is also a time when the mass communications media can
interfere and disrupt any such transmission of the message, ''
Ibid., p. 12.

22. See Segundo, De La Sociedad, p. 38.

23. In a footnote, he includes a quote from Andr& Seumois who is

only slightly more helpful. "Se limita a proclamar la sustancia
profunda del cristianismo, los rasgos fundamentales de. Ia vocaci6n
cristiana, evitando el i, ecargamiento, lo accidental, lo
adventi cio, o superf-I uo. "I bi d. , p. 39.
-1

24. In his book, lie writes, "Today, at least, Latin America is

riot. being evangelized. " [Segundo, Hidden Motiv e_' s, p. 121.1 lie
feels this because the Roman Catholic -
Church is depending
way on
the evangelization of the surrounding Christian, closed milieus
which, as we have seen, lie claims are nonexistent in today's
society.
 144

25. He raises the identical question, in a supposing fashion, for

pastoral officials. "Now let us suppose that we were to ask
pastoral officials this question: What is the essential message of
the Christian faith? " [Segundo, Hidden Motiy n, p. 112. ] Segundo
then that these - -
he caught "What
assumes officials would unaware:
would be their response to this natural question which is of such
critical importance today? My feeling is that the question would
take most of them by surprise. Perhaps it would even be most dis
turbing to those with the greatest and longest pastoral experi-
ence. " [Ibid. ] Then, he further assumes that these pastoral offi--
cials would probably make the following statements which he con-
siders unsatisfactory: "'that God raised his son, Jesus Christ
from the dead; ' 'that Jesus is the Son of God; ' or 'the truths
formulated in the Creed. '" [Ibid., p. 113. ] Even though he, him-
self, raises the important question, he never answers his own
question. With this important response missing, is Segundo in any
better position than the pastoral officials with their 'wrong'
answer?

26. Ibid., p. 114.

27. Ibid., p. 115. Segundo talks about translating in a more

recent book using these words: "Much the same could be said of
language and of our ability to understand documents deriving from
other epochs and cultures. Just consider various literary genres,
myths, primitive accounts, comparisons. metaphors, and other fig-
ures of speech closely bound up with contexts that never were and
never will be ours. The work of translating, of getting the human
realm to transgress the barriers of space and time, seems to con--
stitute a necessity for human beings. " Juan Luis Segundo, The His. -
torical I the vol 2: Jesus of Nazareth Yesterday
aid-Thada-f''-trans. John Drury (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1985), p.
31.

28. As he writes, "Many other expectations would call for OF-

ferent formulations. " Segundo, Hidden Motives, p. 115.

29. Ibid., p. 118.

30. Ibid., p. 114.

31. He writes, " pastoral activity in Latin America as a whole

...
simply does not recognize the existence of the non-believer. The
whole thrust of its effort is divided up between pastoral work
among good Christians and pastoral work among Christians. ''
Ibid.. be 1bjq
the difference between
p. 115. He continues explaining
good and bad Christians. "The good ones were those who had both a
Christian faith and practice; the bad ones were those who, believ-
ing, didn't practice. " Juan Luis Segundo, "The Church: A New
Direction in Latin America, " Catholic Mind 65 (March 1967), p. 47.
Thus, in this sense, all are believers, both the good Christians
and the bad ones. Segundo cannot accept this assumption.
 145

32. "When we meet a non-Christian, don't we almost automatically

think of trying to straighten out his marriage, or urge him to
pray or to attend Mass or accept the last sacraments? But when, A
when, in our daily contacts the disbelief
with all around us, have
we felt that our principal and normal apostolate is to start at
the very beginning, with that essential good news, and then to
allow for the slow growth of faith till it becomes first a moral
imperative, then perhaps a desire for the sacraments, and finally
an interest in doctrines? " Ibid.

33. See Juan Luis Segundo, 0-r- Idea of G-,, vol 3: A Theology For
Artisans Of A New Humanity, trans. - -,
John Drury (Maryknoll: Orbis
Books, 1974), p. 15.

34. See Ibid., p. 52.

35. He cites several examples which occured after the Medellin

Conference in which people tried to implement personal conviction
alongside the present pastoral action. These attempts subsequently
failed. See Ibid., pp. 53-57.

36. Ibid. p. 59. This cannot be implemented little

1 a at a time;
it has to replace entirely the existing pastoral action. "If we
want to introduce pastoral innovations and improvements, and if we
do introduce them even timidly, we find that they the
contradict
existing pastoral approach and call for a radically different one.
The new innovative measures, now regarded as necessary, seemed at
first glance to COMPleMeDt the older approach; they
actually run
counter to it. Faced with that fact, the tendency is to restrict
the scope and use of the innovation, or to eliminate it ''
entirely.
fbid., p. 55.
 CHAPTER SEVEN

JON SOBRINO

Jon Sobrino does theology in the midst of a volatile and violent

situation in El Salvador. His theology reflects his context as he writes

about concepts, such as: the reign of God, Jesus, and the Church, and as

he writes about aspects of the Christian life, such as: action, persecu--

tion and evangelization. He is a Basque Jesuit who teaches philosophy

and theology at the Universidad UK Sime6n Canas in III Salvador. He

also was a friend and admirer of the martyred Archbishop of San Sal-

vador, Oscar Romero. Sobrino makes frequent references in his writings

to Archbishop Romero whose evangelization is discussed in this study.

in Sobrino's theology, the reign of God is the overarching concept.

He refers to the reign of God as "the all-inclusive reality" and "the

essence of the gospel. "I Into this comprehensive concept, he fits all

other aspects of the Gospel. 2 The God can be understood through

reign of

Jesus Christ, particularly through his words and actions. Sobrino states

that Jesus is "the christological concentration" of the reign of God. 3

In Jesus and his ministry, the reign of God is revealed. Jesus brings

good news to the poor, he has a preference for the poor, he denounces

sin, he denounces oppressors and those who perpetuate injustice, he lib-

erates through healings and exorcisms, he is in solidarity with people,

especially the outcasts, he practices love, and all this describes the
 147

reign of God. 4 By looking at Jesus' ministry, one is able to understand

the reign of God - what it looks like, what its activity is. and what it

requires.

Further, not only do Jesus' words and actions explain the reign;

but also they make the reign of God a reality in history. Jesus preaches

and acts and gives his life in order to build the reign, to realize it

in history. The Church is to follow Jesus' example and build God's reign

in history. This is a requirement for the Church. 5 Aud the Church works

for God's reign through evangelization. In other words, the actual task

of building the reign of God is done through evangelization. As Sobrino

writes, the process of the "mission of building the kingdom is

...

evangelization in the fullest sense of the term. "6 Thus, evangelization,

like all other aspects of the Gospel, is linked to the reign of God.

Evangelization, following after Jesus, proclaims and acts for God's

reign so that it might be made manifest within human history.

The majority of Sobrino's writing on evangelization are contained

in one essay entitled, "Evangelization As Mission Of The Church. " Its

dependence on the Apostolic ExhortatiOD, EvannJji Nuntiandi, is heavy.

He adopts the main points of Evangelij Nuntiandi and then expaDds and

applies them to the Salvadoran situation. This influence will be dis-

cussed at pertinent points.

For Sobrino, evangelization is defined as "the communication of the

good news. "7 COMMUDicating the good news can take place in various ways.

He lists four ways of evangelization which come from two primary

influences - Jesus' ministry and Evangelii Nuntiandi. The four ways of

 148

evangelization are: 1. Proclamation; 2. Prophetic denunciation; 3,

Action; and 4. Witness. All four are oriented towards building the reign

of God.

The first way of evangelization is proclamation. Proclamation is

the most accepted form of evangelization. During his ministry, Jesus

proclaims the good Dews of the reign of God in statements and parables.

As Evangelil Nuntlandi states, "As an evangelizer, Christ first of all

proclaims a kingdom, the Kingdom of God; and this is so important that,

by comparison, everything else becomes 'the rest', Only the Kingdom

...

therefore is absolute, and it makes everything else relative. "(EN: 8) In

like manner the Church is to proclaim this good news of the reign of

God. In its proclamation, the Church should be concrete in its presenta-

tion of the good news of God's reign rather than proclaiming vague,

abstract doctrines. The good news needs to be spoken in historical

terms, such as: the reign of God establishes justice, especially for the

poor; the reign is near, particularly for the poor; the reign has a

preference for the poor; and the reign is a reign of life for Sal-

vadorans. 8 With this kind more likely

of specificity, proclamation will

produce a concrete response and one which conforms to God's reign. Thus,

proclamation announces the good news of God's reign with precision and

attention.

Another form of evangelization is prophetic denunciation; this,

too, is part of Jesus' ministry on behalf of God's reign, Jesus

denounces the sin that exists in the world, both personal sin and struc-

tural 9 Even though Sobrino the twofold

sin. recognizes nature of sin,
 for him, structural sin is primary, specifically structural injustice.

Again, this arises from the CODteXt in which he does theology and

reflects Romero's writing and preaching on the subject. "El pecado fun-

damental del pals es la injusticia estructural, fuente de todos

primaria

los otros problemas y pecados, como A violencia la

represiva, corrup--

c! 6n y el estado de violencia general que ocasiona. "10 Because of this,

the Church must concentrate its efforts of denunciation on structural

sin. He names actual denunciation efforts of the Church:

In recent years the Church has carried on an unusual and

extensive practice of prophetic denunciation and has
accepted the risks that go with such a practice. It has
acted as defender of human rights, not of the 'civiP rights
dear to liberals but of the most elementary rights: the
right -to live and the other rights necessary if life is to
be sustained. It has chosen to speak of the 'rights of the
poor. ' It has demanded and promoted, as far as it. has the
means, the structural changes needed at tile social, economic
and political levels. 11

In one way, denunciation is the Opposite of proclamation. Proclama

tion states the good news and engenders hope and faith while denuncia--

tion proclaims the wretched conditions of the world, the concrete

reality. 12 However, in another way, these two reinforce each other.

Without denunciation, proclamation would be Historical and other--

worldly, disengaged from the present situation. Without proclamation,

denunciation would lose sight of the transcendent activity God's

within

reign.

In addition to this, denunciation and proclamation represent the

two ways in which evangelization confronts people. Denunciation is for

the oppressors; proclamation is for the oppressed. Both de-

groups are

humanized in their present situation, and the good news, through

either
 15

denunciation or proclamation, is an attempt to humanize. 13 Denunciation

is good news which calls the oppressors to conversion. Proclamation is

good news which gives hope to the oppressed. Proclamation and denuncia

tion, in their own way, seek to make God's reign a reality. Proclamation

announces the good news of the reign, del-ineatinp its desire for justice

and life for the poor. Denunciation announces the structural sins which

impede the coming of the reign.

A third way of evangelization is that of actions. Jesus makes God's

reign a reality through his actions. His exorcisms, miracles, ministry

to the impoverished multitudes, healings, and restorations of life are

simultaneously signs of and building blocks of God's reign. For Sobrino,

the Church, following Jesus' example, is to do similar actions, As the

Pope states in Ewngplii Nuntiandi, "Those who sincerely accept the Good

News, through the power of this acceptance and of shared faith, there-

fore gather together in Jesus' name in order to seek together the King-

dom, build it up and live it. "(EN42) However, for some, actions have no

part in evangelization. At the point of action in evangelization, there

is a crisis in evangelization at this point which Sobrino recounts. Oil

one side there are those who consider the Church's task to be primarily

that of proclaiming the reign of God. On the other side there are those

who refuse to separate proclamation and action; both are essential to

build up the reign of God. 14 Sobrino belongs to the latter group, and in

his opinion, the conflict is a serious one for the Church. He writes,

"The failure to accompany proclamation with an effective practice of

liberation is not simply one of the possible faults that the Church,
 151

like any human institution, can commit; it is a failure that denies the

Church i t,,Lel f. " 15 rhe key questi on i s, then: "Does the Church seek on Iy

to proclaim Christ or does it seek also to do what Jesus did and in this

way declare him to be tjjcý Chrj,; , t?,, 16

Sobrino answers the question by stating that action and proclama--

tion are inseparable in evangelization. To divorce action from proclama-

tion is a costly mistake. He defines action as "everything that succeeds

in really transforming human beings and structures with the plan of God

the specific character of action is that it is the practice that

...

effectively leads to establishment of God's kingdom. "17 Throughout his

writings, he includes actions such as: education, conscientization,

involvement in trade unions and popular political organizations. These

actions are designed primarily to change structures with the hope of

eliminating structural sin.

Action also includes the practice of love. The practice of love

changes relationships because 'the other' becomes the primary focus of

the 18 Another for the love is

an action and not self. name practice of

justice. 19 Justice is integrally to the

related making reign a reality

in history. This is evident through several of its characteristics;

these are: justice looks honestly at the world with its oppressed major--

ities and the existence of sin; justice works within history and

endeavors to give life to the poor; in doing justice, one goes to the

poor, makes them a neighbor and in turn, often goes through a personal

as a result being the 20 Justice is

conversion of with poor. an example

of an action which accompanies proclamation in evangelization so that

 152

the reign of God might be realized in the midst of history.

The fourth way of evangelization is that of a living witness. As

the Pope wr i tes in Evan. lij Nuntiandi, ". f or the Church, the fi rst
ý.

means of evangelization is the witness of an authentically Christian

life "(EN: 21) A living witness is one who has been transformed by the
...

good news and who is actively working for the reign in history. In this

way, a living witness exhibits integrity because he or she works to make

the proclamation of the good news a reality. By doing this, the living

witness ensures a consistency between faith and lifestyle. Being a

living witness is a must for the Church. 21 The Church influences society

in a unique way, and its living witness is a powerful. visible testimony

to the good news.

Su tarea Undamentah es decir, la evangellzaci6n liberadora

integral supone la efieaeia liberadora de su servicio, pero
supone tambi6n el testimonio, es decir, el bacer creible ese
servicio. Y este aspecto de testimonio le es esencial a la
Iglesja de manera distinta a como lo es al trabajo de otros
grupos, y es ademäs, ingrediente esencial de su fuerza
social para ser eficaz. Dicho en breves palabras, para la
actuac! 6n de la lglesja es muy importante la imagen que
proyecta en la soeiedad. 22

Often, as in the case of the Church in El Salvador, the witness of the

Church leads to persecution. In this context, wheD tbe Church seeks to

make the good news a reality, it brings down persecution upon itself.

SobriDo acknowledges that the Puebla Document alludes to persecution as

"the perfect form of witness. "23

Sobrino details four ways of evangelization: proclamation, denun-

clation, action, an(] witness. Each of these Is part of Jesus'

evangelization and, except for prophetic denunciation, is found in

 153

Emngelii Nuntiandi. And of utmost importance, each of these has as its

goal the realization of the reign of God in history.

In his uva"gelization, he unifies concepts which on the surface

seem like opposites. As has already been shown, evangelization unifies

proclamation and action. Following from this, there is another important

unity which needs to be maintained, the unity between the transcendent

and the historical. The historical 'now' and the transcendent 'What is

to come' are to be one in evangelization. The proclamation of the good

news is a transcendent reality, 'what is to come, ' and it is to become

an historical reality, 'now. ' This hoped for unity underscores in yet

another way the imperative of building God's reign in history. In addi-

tion, on the reverse side, the transcendent 'what is to come' enriches

and gives hope to the historical 'now. '

La Iglesia no sölo ha juzgado sobre el mundo desde la trans--

cendeneia deJ evangelio, sino que se ha encarnado en 61
mundo y en el ha ido coneretizando lo transcendente del
evangello. En este sentido el hecho histörico bäsico para la
Iglesia ha sido su encarnaciön en el wundo y en esa
encarnaciön ha hecho una sola experleneia unificada de A
mundanal y lo transcendente 24
...

There are inherent perils if this unity goes awry. One peril is to

concentrate on the historical without including the transcendent. This

is a hazard expressed in Evangelil Nuntiand! where it speaks of

Christians who are "frequently tempted to reduce her [the Church's] mis--

sion to the dimensions of a simply temporal project. "(EN: 32) Similarly,

the Pope acknowledges that any transformation of structures is imperfect

without a conversion of the heart. (EN: 36) Sobrino maintains that the

transcendent must be ever present for in this way the Church

 154

"christianizes" the liberation. It is up to the Church in its

evangelization to remind those working for liberation of the trans-

cendence of God's reign. "Mantener la identidad de A fglesia significa

operativamente recordar A principio ut6pico del reino de Dios que mueve

a realizaciones hist6ricas ya no absolutizarlas "25 Similarly, as

...

the Church accompanies the people in their struggle for liberation, it

must inculcate a "Christian spirit" into the 26 In this the

people. way,

transcendent accompanies the historical.

The second danger is the opposite of the first; this danger is

divorcing the historical from the transcendent. Without the historical,

evangelization proclaims an individualistic, heaven-centered Gospel.

Drawing support from recent Catholic documents, not to mention the life

of Jesus which he portrays, Sobrino denounces this peril. "Since Vatican

11 and, in Latin America, even more since Medellin, the Church is sure

that in its preaching of the gospel it cannot focus solely on individu-

als nor can it adopt a purely otherworldly perspective. The Church is

convinced that the salvation of souls does not exhaust the Christian

task. -27 Therefore, to maintain the necessary equilibrium in evangeliza-

tion, the transcendent and the historical belong together.

Two other unities in evangelization need to be maintained: the

unity between evangelization and the evangelizers, and the unity between

evangelization and the evangelized. First of all, there is a unity

between the one who evangelizes and the act of evangelization. The

evangelizer is one who possesses an initial faith and who proclaims the

good news. Sobrino suggests that through the actual process of

 155

evangelization, the initial faith of the evangelizer blossoms and

maLurus, Such is the example of Jesns, Jesns becomes an evangelizer

through evangelization. Through evangelizing, Jesus experiences history

and reality which leads to conflicts and doubts. This first-hand experV

ence of evangelization prompts Jesus' faith to grow and his understand-

ing of the reign to he clarified. Jesus actually becomes an evangelizer

through evangelization, 28 This take in

same growth must place all who

call themselves an evangelizer. Evangelizers undergo a maturing process

on account of their evangelizing when they incorporate action, or a

practice of love. It is this practice which develops the initial faith

of the evangeJizer and the initial evangelization. Without this practice

of love, a person cannot be an evangelizer, 29 The

evangelizer must cum

bine proclamation and action in his or her evangelization, thus making a

reality that which is proclaimed. in the unity between evangelization

and the evangelMr, the unity of proclamaLion and action is also

apparent.

In addition, there is also unity between evangelization and the one

being evangelized. The evangelized, or the addressee, is an integral

par[ of evangelization. The poor are to be the addressees - the evangel--

ized - in evangelization. Without the poor as addressees, there is no

evangelization. The poor are essential to evangelization for two

reasons. First of all, Sobrino explains that a dialectic exists between

the universality of evangelization and the partiality of evangelization.

Evangelization is directed Lo all human beings. The good news is for all,

people. Yet, evangelizat-ion is simultaneously partial to the materially

 156

30 The he evangelized first; they the

poor. materially poor must are

privileged addressees of evangelization since "it is to them that the

good news must first be proclaimed and for them that it must first be

made real if the preached message of God's love is to be credible. -31

Secondly, the poor are a necessity in the process of evangelization

because they instruct the evangelizers about Christianity. In this way,

the poor ensure that evangelization is Christian. The poor teach the

evangelizers about God, about the effects of sin, and about oppression.

Also, the very presence of the poor reminds the evangelizers that God's

reign is to be built by the 32 The the

evangelizing poor. poor are

privileged addressees of evangelization because they teach the

evangelizers and because the reign of God is built by evangelizing them.

Sobrino offers a concrete example of the way in which the poor

teach evangelizers. He cites the situation of a First World church send--

ing missionaries to the Third World where the vast majority are poor. If

the missionary is in solidarity with the poor, then the missionary will

learn about evangelization from the poor. " if we accept with utter
...

seriousness that God loves the poor just because they are poor, and that

Jesus announced the good news directly to the poor, then it is from the

vantage point of the poor that the missionary will best understand the

content of evangelization and the best way to evangelize. "33 And it is

among the poor that the missionary learns to integrate action and

liberation 34
proclamation, and evangelization.

For Sobrino, evangelizatiOD is full with resources: evangelizers,

the poor, witness, love, proclamation, action, justice, and denuncia-

 157

tion. Too often in the pasL the Church has relied solely on proclama-

tion. The historical context of El Salvador demands more than procAama-

tion to build the reign of God. The key to evangelization is in unifying

these resources: proclamation and action, the historical and the trans-

cendent, proclamation and denunciation, evangelization and the evangel-

ized, evangelization and the evangelizer. With a unified evangelization,

Sobrino states the possibilities which are in some cases already a his-

torical reality:

the joining
of prophetic denunciation and action as a
mode of evangelization; the emphasis on the building of a
world that resembles the kingdom of God; the stress on
action in behalf of justice as the privileged, though not
the only, form of love: the acceptance of the conflict to
which this model of evangelization leads; the emphasis on
the element of partiality in the Christian faith, as the
poor are made the privileged addressees of evangelization. 35

Most importantly for Sobrino, with a unified evangelization, the reign

of God will be furthered in history. In this way, the Church faithfully

follows Jesus Christ who in his words, actions, and finally with his

life, gives himself for God's reign. The Church can do no less.

As stated above and explained throughout, Evangelil Nuntiandi is an

influence on Sobrino's evangelization. This paragraph will serve as a

summary of SobrjDO'S use of the document and his expansion of its

themes. He adopts most of the basic framework of EvanMIjj Nuntiandi:

Jesus as an evangelizer(EN: 7); Jesus' proclamation of the reign of

God(EN: 8); Jesus' signs of and activity On behalf of the reign(EN: 12);

the ChrisLian community's following Jesus in order to build God's

reign(EN: 13); witness as a way of evangelivation(EN: 21,41); proclama-

tion as a way of evangelization(EN: 22,42); and the unity of the trans-

 158

cendent- and t-he lliý31,orlcal in evangelization and liberall. ioti(EN: 31, -36).

S1
obrillo build"; of) this foundation in several ways: the emphasis on

action and it-, s tink with proclamation, t-Ilie addiAlion of prophetic denun-

ciation a way of' evangelization, t.he unity bel-ween evangelizat. -ion and

the evangelizer, t-he part-iii-Ilt-y in evangelization for the poor, and the

incorpora-tiori of' t1he knowledge of I, he poor inlo evaiigelizal-io. o.

I'ven thoiigh Sobt, ino compiles his basic thoughts on evangelization

before Oscar Romero becomes. Archbishop of' San Sa. lvador, it. is (Aear that.

the shared cont-. ext-- results in tremendotis simi, lar[(Aos hl thei-r

evange. lization. In fact, iii Romero's iffe and minist--ry, many of'

Sobrino's ideas oii evangelizat-joti ýire fulfilled in concrete practice.

Romero bridged the transcendent. and the Msl. orlcal. He recognized

t1he need lor personal. conversion to erase the effects of sin. And, at

the same Lime, he encouraged Christians to participate in politics in

order to build God's reign in history. He incorporated the reality of

history in his homilies with current reports of news in the country, and

he incorporated the transcendent in the proclamation of the good news of

the reign of God.

Romero practiced a preference for the poor. He spoke of the

Church's need to be in solidarity with them because they teach the

Church about God and the Christian life from their experience. In his

estimation, solidarity with the poor gives the Church integrity and

accuracy in its witness,

Romero denounced the evidence of sin in his conniry, particularly

the sin of unjust structures. Those structures included in his denuncia

 159

tion were the following: the Supreme Court, the National Guard, the

country's 'security' system, the privileged oligarchy, and the Sal--

vadoran government. Sobrino compares Romero's vengeance in denunciation

with Jesus himseA. 36 Thus, though Romero be considered

even cannot on

influence on Sobrino's earlier writing on evangelization, it is clear

that their mutual context is an unmistakeable influence on both of them.

 160

ENDNOTES

1. Jon Sobrino, The T'r' ue Cbur h and the PooK, trans. Matthew A
O'Connell (Maryknoll: ' OrbW &W. ' Mj, -pp. Sobrino
43,40. uses the
general definition of Joachim Jeremias' who defines the kingdom as
"God's reign in action. " [Ibid., p. 343, footnote 5; Joachim Jeremias,
New Testament 1heology, The Proclamation of Jesus, trans. A Bowden. New
York: Scribner's, 1971; vol. I., p. 98. ] Sobrino then enumerates two
essential aspects in God's reign: unity between God and humans and unity
between humans. "First, human beings are to orient themselves toward God
vertically: i. e., the grandeur of divine filiation. Second, there is to
be fellowship and reconciliation between human
beings: i. e., brotherhood. " [Jon Sobrino, Christojqgy 0 the Crossroads,
Latin American ApproaQ, trans. John Drury , (Maryknoll: Orbis Books,
_A
1978), p. 45. ] He writes further of the fellowship between humans in
regards to the reign of God, "it is also a restructuring of the visible,
tangible relationships existing between human beings. It is authentic
liberation at every level of human existence. " [Ibid., p. 44. ]

2. "The reign of God js the inclusive totality presented by the gospel;

within this the basic realities of which the gospel speaks have their
place: the God of the kingdom; Christ who proclaims it; its utopian con.
tent; its addressees; the practice that human beings must adopt if they
are to conform to Lhi s reign. " Sobrino, The True Church, pp. 40- 41 .

3. Sobrino explains the term, "the christological concentration" of the

reign of God, in these words: "
...
I want to emphasize the concentration
of the message in Christ. In Jesus the will of God is definitively
manifested and brought to fulfillment on various levels. The fact that
the kingdom of God exists is known to us from the more or less developed
ideas of Jesus about it and expecially from his attitude and activity in
the service of this kingdom. We know how the kingdom is to be proclaimed
and brought to fulfillment from his words, his attitudes, his acceptance
of the destiny that this proclamation and fulfillment brought upon him.
His predilection for the poor tells us for whom the kingdom is meant and
in what way it is meant for them. We know what the reign of God demands
from the demands made of Jesus himself and from the demands that he in
turn makes of his followers. " Ibid., p. 42. In addition, the reign of
God is the ultimate for Jesus; Jesus' entire life is devoted to God's
reign. Sobrino writes, " we now come to the simple statement that the
...
genuinely ultimate, that which gives meaning to Jesus' life, activity,
and fate, is the kingdom of God. " Jon Sobrino, Jesus in Latin America,
trans. Orbis Books (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1987), p. 84.

4. For Sobrino's accounts of Jesus' ministry which reveal what the

reign of God requires, see Ibid., pp. 91-93, and Jon Sobrino, "Jesus'
Relationship with the Poor and Outcasts: Its Importance for Fundamental
 16 1,

Moral Theology, " in The Dignity of the Despised of tlyQrQ, vv. 12-19,
Concillum No. W, ed. --', -ia ý; Wook A-D-Ava-D-10mar Mieth (New York: The
qu
'(ýI
-r:
Seabury Press, 1979), pV. 14 17.

5. "La Iglesia, debe servir a la construcei6n del reino de Dios en el

paly, debe ponerse a] servicio de ]a realizaci6n mundanal de una
sociedad justa y fraterna. " Jon Sobrino, "La Iglesia En El Actual.
Proceso Del Pais, " Estudios Centroameric"py M (1979), p. 913.

6. Sabrino, The True Ch p. 75. In his first thesis on evangeliza-

tion, hv reinforlek Wistatement. "The ultimate horizon of the
Church's work of evangelUntion is the kingdom of God, " fbid., p. 257.

7. Tbi d. 1). 253.

,

8. On this last statement, see Sobrino, Ma Iglexia En El Actual

Proceso Del Pais, " p. 914. For general information on this point, see
Sobrino, pp. 86-90. Sobrino explains the dif -
ference between And "In there-
aI vague a specific proclamation. order,
fore, that the absolute mystery of God may be concretized in a way cor
responding to its reality, words are needed that will shatter the
ambiguity implied in the idea of God as an abstract absolute. " Sobrino,
The True Church, p. 269.

9. Jesus, following in theprophetic tradition, denounces both personal

sin as well as structural and social sin. "Sin, therefore, has two
dimensions for Jesus. The personal dimension was a refusal to accept the
future of the God who was approaching in grace. The social dimension was
a refusal to anticipate that future reality in our here-and-now life. ''
Sobr i 110, ýý sj_ý?), (ýg_yý the Crossiý 53.

10. Sobrino, "La Iglesia En El Actual Proceso Del Pais, " pp. 913-91d.
Elsewhere he writes about structural sin, "Sin has a subjective side
inasmuch as it is an internal human act; it also has an objective,
visible, structural side. The result of sin is death in the literal
sense of the word: the spiritual death of the sinner and the human death
of the one sinned against. To sin is to cause the death of human beings,
either violently or slowly throuO unjust structures. " (Italics mine)
Sobrino, The True Church, p. 272.

11. Ibid., p. 168. As is clear from the previous statement by Sobrinn,

in the context of El Salvador, deunuciation is a form of defending the
poor and victims of injustice. Similarly he writes elsewhere, "La
deunucia - muchas veces quienes sufren bajo bombardeos y operativos
militares pLden simplemente qne la [glesia to diga y lo denuncie - es
una forma de defender a los que sufren. P"ede defenderlos de ulteriores
horrores, pern en cualquier caso es defensa al menos de su dignidad; es
tenerlos en cuenta como personas y no como simples piezas en un con
flicto; es prestarles una voz a los que, tenlendo la verdad, no tionen
voz. " Jon Sobrino, "La Iglesia Cat6lica y la soluci6n del conflicto sal-
vadoreho, " 89 Cristianismo Y Sociedad (1986), p. 53.

12. "Denunciation i,,, requ. ired in evangelization in order that people

 162

living in a world of sin may grasp the point of proclamation by seeing

its opposite. DenunciatioWs first purpose is thus to by
... point way
of negation to the reality with which evangelization is concerned. ''
Sobrino, The True Church, p. 273.

13. Sobrino considers denunciation as positive and beneficial because

the oppressors, like the oppressed, are de-humanized. The "good news" of
denunciation will enable them to go through a process of conversion. He
writes, "In both cases, the purpose is to humanize human beings and to
bring them the good news in an effective not idealistic way. " [Ibid. ]
Although he recognizes that both groups need conversion as well as hope,
the immediate need is conversion for the oppressor and hope for the
oppressed.

14. He describes the conflict in these words, "The crisis makes its
appearance when the preaching of the redemption brought by Christ is not
accompanied by a practice of effective liberation or, to put it another
way, when preaching about God is not accompanied by the building of
God's kingdom. " Ibid., p. 255.

15. Ibid., p. 256. Again he writes, "The ultimate issue is whether the
Church is an institution of the gnostic type, or whether it is a people
who continue the saving action of Jesus. The ancient gnosticism may
be replaced by an ecclesial ...
gnosticism if the Church settles for com-
municating a noetic content without setting history in motion " fbid,
...
16. Ibid., p. 205.

17. fbid., p. 271.

18. He explains his use of the term, love. Love is "the proper rela--
tionship that exists among human beings when certain relations are
established between them. Concretely, love makes the 'other' or 'others'
the addressees of our activity in order that they may exist more fully
and that thus we may all be united. " Ibid., p. 47.
...

19. He defines justice in

this "By justice I mean the kind
way: of love
that seeks effectively to humanize, to give life in abundance to the
poor and oppressed majorities of the human race. Justice is thus a con--
crete form of love in which account is taken of the quantitative fact
that its recipients form majorities and of the qualitative fact that
they are poor and oppressed. " [Ibid., p. 47.1 Justice is a more historP
cal form of love. This is shown in several statements by Sobrino: "The
practice of justice as the historical form of love" [Ibid. ]; "This type
of love has some historical characteristics that distinguish it from
love in general" [Ibid., p. 50]; "It is the form of love that is indis-
pensable if the reign of God is to become a historical reality
[Ibid., p. 53. ]

20. See Ibid. pp. 50-52,

,

21. "Individual preachers of the [rood news will differ in the extent to
which they make this good news a reality in their lives. But in the
 163

Church as a body -universal Church, local Church, basic community - this

embodiment of the good Dews in Christian living cannot be lacking. Such
a failure would amount to saying that God has good news for the world
but unfortunately it cannot become a reality" Ibid., p. 270.

22. Sobrino, "La 1glesia En El Actual Proceso Del Pais, " p. 912.

23. Sobrino, The True Cljqjýýcb, p. 173. He recognizes that Puebla did not
give enough attention to the persecution of the Church for its witness
on behalf of the poor. See Jon Sobrino, "The Significance of Puebla for
the Catholic Church in Latin America, in Puebla and BUlty, ed. John
Eagleson and Philip Scharper, trans. John Drury (Maryknoll: Orbis Books,
t979), p. 299. However, he writes that a theology of persecution is
present in the Puebla Document. "More important than the simple mention
of the fact of persecution is the inchoative theology of persecution
Lhat is found in these texts. " Sobrino, The True Chu.r p. 173.
_Q,
24. Sobrino, "La Fglesia En El Actual Proceso Del Pais, " p. 920.

25. Ibid., p. 918. This was a persistent theme in the homilies of

Archbishop Romero. "Este modo de mantener la identidad eclesial es la
forma concreta de historizar la idea, Atimamente muy repetida en las
homillas del Arzobispo, de la traseendencia de ta fe cristiana, como
algo especifico de la Iglesia y tambi6n como aporte especifico de A
Iglesia al mundo. " Ibid.. pp. 909-910.

26. See Sobrino, "La Iglesia Cat6lica y la soluci6n del conflicto sal-
vadoreno, " p. 98.

27. Sobrino, The True4burpt, p. 240,

28. "Like every human being, Jesus experienced the ambiguity of exist-
ence with its times of fulfillment and its times of crisis. In and
through this ambiguity, and not independently of it, Jesus in the course
of his life grasped the meaning of his evangelizing activity. This
activity in turn gave meaning to him as an evangelizer. " Ibid., p. 286.

29. "Christian practice, therefore, determines either the failure of'

the evangelizer's faith or the attainment of its plenary form. Apart
from this practice it is not possible for the evangelizer to attain to
the fullness of Christian faith " Ibid., p. 289,
...

30. Sobrino discusses the Old and New Testament references to the term
. poor, " and decides that these poor are the materially poor. He states
that Scripture "condemns such poverty as a scandal, something that
should not be because it is contrary to God's will. It also interprets
this poverty as having a social meaning because it is not inevitable but,
is due to the actions of other human beings. " [Ibid., p. 292.1 However,
Sobrino adds some words of caution to the partiality to the poor in
evangelization. "When I speak of the poor as addressees of evangeliz--
ation, I am not trying to idealize them. They too are sinners; they too
must have conversion preached to them. " Ibid., p. 296.
 164

31. rbid., p. 293.

32. "To go forth to the poor with the intention of liberating them is
to understand Clod's vision for the world and to conform to the reality
of' God. In this historical way the evangelIzer becomes ever more
Christian " Ibid., p. 295.
...

33. Jon SobHno and Juari IfernAndez Pico, Theol( of Christian

Solidarity, trans. Phillip Berryman (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1985), p.
2-1.

34. See Ibid., p. 22.

35. Sobrino, h-, pp.

Tlrlu-el,,("-fi, r-Cl,
r-h-(!,,,. -168.169.
-Ii,
36. "Archbishop Romero denounced our country's sin with a fierceness
that can be likened only to that of the prophets of old, or to that of'
Bartolom6 de Las Casas, or to that of Jesus himself. Romero never
...
ceased in his attack, he never tempered it, he never found prudent
reasons for silence. " Romero, Voice of the Voiceless, pp. 23-24,
 CHAPTER EIGHT

THE ROMAN (,A'PIIOI, f(, S ON EVANGELHATION:

A SUMMARY

Following from the analyses of these Roman Catholic theologians, it

is appropriate to summarize by comparing their understandings of

evangelization. This comparison will point out similarities and dif-

ferences, and most importantly, it will provide a larger picture of

evangelization in Latin America from a Roman Catholic liberation per--

spective. The larger picture is available because a fairly homogeneous

view of evangelization is apparent. The significance of this cannot be

overlooked for these theologians are not monolithic. Only two are in Lhe

same country, Oscar Romero and Jon Sobrino; however, Sobrino is not a

vjýjtive Sa.lvadoraD as Romero was. The others are from different,

countries; some are primarily pastors, some are theologians and

teachers, some were educated in Europe and some in Latin America. These

differences are not minimal.

Still it is striking that. their evangelization has such overwhelm

,

ingy commonality. Four reasons can be proffered by way of explanation.

First, despite the difference in countries, the theologians share a com-

mon context in Latin America. This context is one of oppression,

injustice, poverty, o.1-igarchies, multinatioDals, political prisoners,

torture, disappearances, and First World involvement. 1 I. ach theologian,

-,

then, confronts the same basic situation. Secondly, they share a common
 I GG

theological perspective. The themes of Liberation Theology saturate

their writings on evangelization. A glimpse at the six major character-

istics, explained in detail below, reveals the liberation perspective.

Evangelization implements change, i. e., liberation, it furthers the

reign of God, it incorporates the poor. it announces and denounces, it

unifies word and deed, and it follows the example of Jesus Christ. All

of these are emphases of importance in Liberation Theology. Thirdly,

they share the heritage or common documents. As pointed ont in the indi-

vidual analyses, the influence of Vatican 11, Medellin, Evangelij

Nuntinndf. and Puebla is marked. Lastly, the theologians are familiar

with each other's writings, and undoubtedly there is a mutual inter-

change of ideas. For These reasons, it is understandable that.

evangelization is alike for these six theologians.

The method for this comparison will he as follows. The most common

themes of evangelization which the majority exhibit will be discussed

first. Then, themes which several hold in common will be investigated.

This will be followed hy a look at major differences between them. At

perLinent points, the influences will be recapped.

A comparison of these theologians reveals six common character-

istics of evangelizaLion. These are: 1. The goal of evangelization is Lo

implement change; 2, The reign of God is furthered in history through

evangelization; 3. The poor have a special relationship to evangeliza--

Lion; 4, The means of evangelization is proclamation, primarily annun-

ciation and denunciation; 5. The word and the deed in evangelization

 167

form a unity; and 6. The example for evangelization is set by Jesus

Christ.

The first characturistic, the goal of evangelization is to imPle-

ment change, is one of two which is a component of evangelization for

all six theologians. Each theologian proposes that evangelizaLlon is to

alter the present situation. The qualifications on this common charac-

Leristic is that different terminology is employed by the theologians

and the locales where change occurs varies.

Four of the theologians, Boff, GaIllea, Guti6rrez, and Romero, use

the word, liberation, when calling for a change from the st1qjqq quo. In

general, the liberation they want is a change which benefits the pool,

and the oppressed. Evangelization contributes to and actualizes such a

liberation. Romero conceived of liberation as integral. combining the

religious and the spiritual. Evangelization is active in both realms W

order to bring about liberation. In the spiritual realm, evangelization

calls For conversion; and in the political realm, Christians are to be

iuvolved in and to evangelize politics, GutArrez has a specific libera

tion in mind - the liberation of the poor. Evangelization cooperates

with Ihis liberation by proclaiming God's preference for the poor, by

incorporating the poor as evangelizers, and by making God's love a

reality through becoming a neighbor to the poor.

FINE speaks of a transformation of society which occurs primarily

hy way of changed relationships. These new relationships happen through

conversion, and they not onty reflect but also build God's reign.
 -168

Evangelization provides the impet"s for conversion which, in turn, is

actualized through changed relationships. Galilea is unique because

evangelization first produces an interior liberation in the individual.

before moving out to promote external liberat-ions in society and in the

Christian community. He is the only theologian to use liberation in all

interior and individual sense. Like Boff, Galilea views evangelization

as producing changed relationships which form the basis of his Christian

comunity. For these four IheoJoglans, the goo! oF evangulization is

called by the name of liberation, though the understanding of liberation

differs for each one.

Instead of the word, liberation, as the term for change, Sobrino

substitutes the term, the reign of God. Evangelization, for him, is to

assist the realization of the reign of God in history which will undoub

tedly implement changes. Evangelization prnelaims, acts, and strives to

make God's reign a reality A history. Lastly, Segundo, who deviates the

furthest from the others, wants to establish, through evangelization. a

heroic minority who will transform society. In order to ensure a libera

ting transformation, he recommends that the heroic minority evangelize

and awaken the masses. This underlines his contention that any radical

transformation will be accomplished by such a minority.

To summarize the first characteristic, all the theologians in this

study suscribe to the conclusion that the purpose of evangelization is

to implement change of some sort in Lhe individual, in the Church,

and/or in society. For the majority, this change is called liberation,

 169

and the p"rpose is to change society, Even though each one uses his own

terminology and expresses preferences for the direction of the change,

still it remains that evangelization seeks to bring about change.

The Roman Catholic document which most inflnences this character

istic is EvangoIji Nuntiandi, part icularly the connectIODS it draws

between evangelization and liberation. Evangelization is related to lib--

eration through proclamation (EN: 9,30) and through works of charity

(EN: 42) Many of these theologians take this connection a step further
.

by calling for societal transformation, particularly a liberation of the

poor. En this way, they are specific about the desired change which

evangelization is to bring about. They go beyond this document in yet a

second way. EvangeW Nunijand! calls liberation a secondary element of'

evangelization. For these theologians, liberation is the priority Q

evangelization.

The second characteristic of evangelizaLion is closely related to

the previous one, that is - evangelization furthers the reign of God.

The reign of God is depicted as being a utopia or fuu liberation,

having a preference for the poor, giving ultimate meaning to human his-

tory, encompassing every realm and dimension, destroying sin, existing

in the present and finding complete fnIfiliment in the future.

Jon Sobrino directly links evangelization and the reign of God.

Evangelization's purpose is to further God's reign. For Bork Galflea

and Romero, there is an intermediate step between evangelization and the

reign of God; that intermediate step is liberation. Evangelization

 170

brings about liberal-ion which builds the reign of God.

Hoff qualifies this somewhat and writes that the reign of God

progresses in history by means of partial liberations. These partial

liberations are accomplished through evangelization and its annunciation

and denunciation, and its word and deed. Due to Galilea's emphasis on

the individual, he views the reign of God as beginning in the individual

with conversion, or interior liberation. Subsequently, the reign of God

manifests itself on the societal level in the form of new relationships.

EvangelizaLion is active throughout this process. Just as Romero

emphasized an integral liberation, so the reign of God included the

religious and the political. Evangelization was to labor in both realms

in order to bring about a liberation founded and centered in the reign

of God.

GnLi6rrez differs from the others in that he uses both terms, lib

eration and the reign of God but does not associate them. Even though

liberation and the reign of God are not connected to each other,

evangelization is related to both terms. Evangelization is to proclaim

God's coming reign and its location in the world, and it is to further,

the liberation of the poor. For him, then, the reign of God is a factor

W evangelization but not distinctly one of liberation.

Overall, evangelization is to labor for the reign of God in his-

tory. Sobrino makes this connection in a straightforward manner. For,

BofF, Galiten, and Romero, liberation is an intimate partner in this

process. In addition, for Hoff, Guti6rrez, Romero and Sobrino, the reign
 1.71

of God is part of the evangelistic proclamation,

The third charactPristic is that the poor have a special relation

ship to the evangelistic process, This relationship is portrayed dif--

ferently for the five theologians that this For

exhibit characteristic.

Boff, the poor are evangelized by the base communities which are made up

or the poor. In this way, the poor actually evangelize themselves in

these communities. in addition, the base communities the

evangelize

institutional Church and call it to conversion. Like Hoff, Galilea also

calls the community to reach o"t to the poor. Following the example of

Jesus, the Christian community of brothers and sisters is to have a

preference for the poor, Jos pequenos.

The evangelization of the poor was an essential for Romero. The

poor were the first to receive thu announcement of the reign God. The
of

Church was to unite with the poor in both the spiritual and political

spheres of evangelization. In the spiritual sphere, the call to conver-

sion was for the poor first and foremost and then through them to all

others. In the political sphere, the Church was to learn about sin,

injustice and oppression from the poor. Like Romero, Sobrino that-
agrees

the poor must be evangelized first. They are the privileged addressees

of evangelization. Also, the poor teach the evangelizers about such

important topics as God, sin, and the reign God. If the

of evangelizers

learn from the poor, then it will be Christian evangelization.

Lastly, Guti6rrez devotes the most attention to evangelization and

the poor. Each of his three evangelistic annunciations is to

connected
 172

the poor. The annunciation of God's love is to become a reality through

making the poor one's neighbor. The annunciation of Christ's total lib-

eraLion encompasses and undergirds the liberation of the poor. And the

annunciation of the reign of God declares the place of preference for

the poor. Further, evangelization arises from an encounter with God

which takes place among the poor. To all this he adds that the poor are

evangelizers. Because they receive God's communication in history, they

are Lo evangelize. Their evangelization is 111beraLing for it demasks

evangelizaLion which perpetuates the status gqq. Wdeed it is true, for

Guti6rrez, that evangelization is done through the poor, by the poor,

and in the midst of the poor.

Like Hoff and Galilea, Guti6rrez understands base communities as a

place for evangelization. The base community Qcclasia) is made up of'

the poor and those in solidarity with the poor. In this community, the

Gospel is read from the perspective of the poor. Alo"g with this, the

community is to exhibit a mass-directed proclamation of Jesus' prefer-

ence for the poor.

The poor relate to evangelization in a special way through being

the privileged recipients, the primary evangelizers, the teachers of

evangelization and the evangelizers of the Church. In like manner, the

base communities, in which the majority are poor play a significant role

in evangelization. The influence of Medellin snstains the relationship

between the poor and the base communities and evangelization is estab--

lished. Tn the Medellin documents, the Church is supposed to have a

 173

preFerence For the poor in its evangelization, (.14: 9) and the base com-

muniLies are called the "focus of evangelizatio n. "(15: 10) The Puebla

Document carries through this same relationship by making the

evangelization or the poor ap riority, (PD: 1132 1145) and by staLinp,

,

the need for base communities in evangelization (PD: 617,629, 641-643).

Fourthly, the primary means of evangelizat ion in proclama tion; this

is the second characteristic which is held in common by all of Me

theologians. However, most of the theologians refine it further by

specirying verbal annunciation and denunciation as the composition of

proclamation. Hoff and Sobrino give equnl attention to annunciation and

denunciatiun. Borr inctudes both under the prophetic arena of

evangelization, Annunciation proclaims the reign of God and its exist-

ence and activity in history. Denunciation condemns injustices which can

range from the capitalist system to political prisoners. Through annun-

ciation and denunciation, evangelization strives to transform the unjust

reality. Annunciation, for Sobrino, also proclaims the reign of God and

its attributes. The purpose of annunciation is to bring good news and

hope to the poor. Denunciation condemns the existence of sin in persons

and structures, especially the latter. The purpose of denunciation is to

brinp oppressors to conversion,

GutLArrez includes annunciaLion and denunciation in his early writ-

ings in connection with conscienticizing evangelization. Denunciation

points out the unjust situation in which the oppressed live, and annun--

Nation proclaims God's activity on behalf of the oppressed. In his

 174

later writings, he only returns to annunciation. Annunciation includes

three proclamations: God's love in Christ, Christ's total liberation and

the coming reign of God. As stated above, all three relate in some fash-

ion to the poor. Unlike Guti6rrez, Romero emphasized denunciation. He

denounced the sin of his country with vehemence as in the prophetic

tradition. In particular he denounced three absolutizations: the

absolutization of wealth and private property, national sec"rity, and

organizations.

Segn"do and Galilea, in contrast with the others, make no mention

of annunciation and denunciation; for them, evangelization is simply

proclamation. For all of the theologians. evangelization is done by way

of proclamation, and often this is specified in terms of annunciation

and denunciation. For those who use these terms, annunciation is

proclaiming the good news of God's reign, and denunciation is condemning

injusLicus, both specific and general.

The fifth characteristic is linked to the previous one; in

evangelization, there is unity between proclamation and action.

Guti6rrez declares that action must accompany proclamation because words

alone are ambiguous. Action specifies and concretizes the proclamation.

He places one restriction on action; it must be action on behalf of and

in solidarity with the poor. Galilea uses the word, testimony, instead

of action. A testimony is a sign which makes visible that which

evangelization announces; in this way, there is unity between proclama-

tion and action. Three testimonies he discusses in detail are a life-

 175

SWO of poverty, reconciliation, and contemplative prayer.

Boff brings together word and deed under the pastoral side of

evangelization. Like with Jesus' evangelization, their union is to fur--

Lher God's reign. The proclamation of the reign of God is worked out ill

history through changed relationships. For Sahrino, also, word and deed

go hand in hand as with Jesus. The Church must maintain this unity for

to separate action from proclamation is a grave mistake. He realizes,

more than the others, that this unity causes a conflict in the Church

between those who consider evangelization as only proclamation and Most,

who combine proclamation and action.

The sixth and final characteristic is that Jesus is the example for,

evangelization. For Galilea, Jesus is the archetypal evangelizer who is

to be imitated in every way. In his evangelization, Jesus manifested a

preference for Lhe poor, liberated the poor physically and spiritually,

preached and acted on behalf of God's reign, called to conversion, and

integrated contemplation and commitment. This is Lhe pattern for

evangelization. Sobrino's writing an Jesus as an evangelizer is as com

prehensive as Galileals. IN emphasizes Jesus' preaching and denunciation

of personal and structural sin, and his actions on behalf of God's

reign, such as: his exorcisms, miracles, ministry to the multitudes and

healings.

As stated above, Boff cites Jesus as the example in the link

between word and deed. Romero enumerated three aspects of Jesus'

evangelization which informed his own, proclaiming God's reign, calling

 176

to conversion and denouncing sin. Certainly the Archbishop followed this

pattern as he gave priority to the poor in his evangelization, called

the rich and poor to conversion, and denounced the sins of his country

and his people.

As much as any document, Jesus' evangelization serves as an example

to the theologians just named. Even more than just evangelization, Jesus

is the predominant interest for these liberation theologians. The life

of the historical Jesus is given priority over the Christ of faith in

Liberation Theology. 2 Because this, the Jesus

of evangelization which

did during his lifetime is of utmost importance. The document which

adopts the pattern of Jesus' evangelization is Evangelil Nuntiandi. In

this document, Jesus is called the first Evangelizer, and his

evangelization is recalled and promoted. (EN: 8,9,12)

In conclusion, these six characteristics are the most prevalent in

the writings of these Roman Catholic theologians on evangelization. To

many of these common characteristics individual interpretations are

added so the comparison is certainly not monolithic. Still, the overall

similarity is overwhelming and can be accounted for by the four reasons

cited above - the shared context, the shared theological perspective,

the shared interchange of ideas, and the shared documents.

There are other characteristics which several of the theologians

have in common. one is that evangelization is integral. Evangelization

is integral because it is active in the religious and the political

realms. This is true of Galilea's evangelization. Evangelization is

 -177

active in the religious realm where it calls for conversion and brings

about an interior liberation. Likewise, evangelization is active in the

political, temporal realm where this interior liberation breaks out and

transforms the external realm. In addition, evangelization affects the

individual and the collective level where it strives to establish a

Christian community. Romero, like Galilea, evangelized in the spiritual

sphere by calling for conversion. In the political sphere, he encouraged

Christians to evangelize politics. In his opinion, Christians were those

who could effect an integral liberation.

Sobrino uses the terms, historical and transcendent, to explain the

fullness of evangelization. The historical and the transcendent are

integral in eVangeliZatIOD. The proclamation of the good news is a

transcendent reality, but it is to become an historical reality.

Likewise, the transcendent must always be a part of the historical so

the former can "christianize" the latter. The pattern is, then, the

transcendent accompanies the historical, and the historical in turn

realizes the transcendent. 3

The major influence on an integral evangelization is the third

chapter of Evang, oli. i Nunt-iand-i. There the warning., is found that any

reductions must be avoided. Neither can action be limited to the

temporal rva-Im, (F'.N: 32) nor can a transformation of' structures be (. ()m--

plete without a conversion of the heart. (EN: 36) Following this advice,

(--hen, evange-lization avoids. tbe pitfalls of' being efficacions in one

 178

realm and not another. Like Fvang& ii Nunt MO. Gal ilea, Romero, and

3ohrino all envisage an integral evangelization which renews and

revitalizes the spiritual and the political.

A second characteristic which several exhibit is that conversion is

a part of evangelization. Boff considers conversion primarily as a prac

tice rather than a belief. Conversion brings about changed relationships

which reflect God's reign. F"r Galilea, conversion is liberation of the

interlor of an individual. However, conversion cannot be contained there

and moves to the exterior and works on that level also. Romero called

both individuals and structures to conversion because sin exists in

these areas. The rich needed to be converted to a stance of solidarity

with the poor, and the poor - the "blessed - were called to conversion

because sin is a reality for them, Inc. As an aside, it is interesting

to note that only three Roman Catholics discuss conversion because it is

the purpose of evangelization in Evangvlii Nuntiandi, That document

declares that the purpose of evangelization is conversion, "Interior

change, "(10018), "a profound change of mind and heart. "(1000: 10)

In the midst of the similariLles, there is still rnom for individ-

ual emphases. Spvernl of these need to be pointed out. Romero outlines

concrete structures and strategies For evangelization of various groups.

Like Medellin, he recognized the need for an adapted evangelization.

that was tailored Lo various groups. fn his Final pastoral letter, he

sketched an adapted strategy which was served by diverse evangelistic

structures. For the evangelization of the masses, he proposed the mass

 179

apostolate. For small communitios of Christians, he designed the Aposto

late of Base CommuniLles. And for those Christians who were political

activists, he proposed the Apostolate of Companionship. These sugges-

lions for structurus and straLegies kept Rompro'q evangelization A

accord with his people and and their needs.

A second difference is that Segundo and Galilea consider the indi-

vidual as the primary recipient in evangelization. Whereas the others

address their evangelization to groups, like the 4 Segundo

ponr, and

GaJiJea construct an evangelization which deals with individuals. For

Segundo, evangelization is communicated one individual at a time in

order to engender a personal conviction. The heroic minority do this

personal evangelization. Galilea's evangelization also confronts the

individual to awaken an interior liberation. Thus, only for Segundo and

Galilea is evangelization primarily an individual event.

A third difference is that Segundo and Romero recognize the exist-

ence of non-Christians. Segundo states that there are practicing

Catholics who may be non-believers, who do not possess a personal con-

viction. These need to he evangelized. Romero distinguishes between the

people of God and the people in general. Unlike Segundo, however, he

does noL specifically call for the evangelizaLion of the latter, but he

does emphasize the responsibility of Lhe former in order to live up to

their name. Other than Romero and Segundo, the other theologians do no(.

make any mention of non-Christians as needing to be evangelized.

Of all the Lheologians, Segundo is the most unique. Although his

 180

evangelization appears in two out of the six common characteristics, it

differs from the others in several ways. First of all, he gives much

more attention to the social and religious changes in Latin America

which affect evangelization. In order to meet these drastic changes, he

wants to overhaul the present pastoral approach. In this regard, he

proposes the evangelization of an heroic minority as the necessary new

pastoral approach. Secondly, as has been shown, his evangelization is

geared Lowurds Lhe individual which is an important difference. Thirdly,

he gives three detailed guidelines for the actual evangelistic

enconnter. None of the others reckons with this practical aspect.

Fourthly, his writings on evangelization lack any reference to libera--

tion, the poor, or the reign of God which all the others include. Per-

haps some of these differences can be explained by the fact that he

wrote on evangelization mostly in the early 1970's. At this time Libera

tion Theology was just coming into full view. However. even Medellin,

which is reflected in his writings, calls for a preference for the poor

in evangelization which his work does noL reflect.

The importance of this summary is to provide an overall view of

evangelization by Roman Catholic liberation theologians in Latin

America. Evangelization looks like the following: in working towards its

goal of implementing change in line with the reign of God, evangeliza--

tion incorporates and depends on the poor and uses the means of

proclamation, particularly annunciation and denunciation, along with

action, just as Jesus did in his evangelization.

S
 181

ENDNOTES

1. See the de'scriptiolls of' Ihe Lat. in American situation irl t, fle Me(](ýj I ill
doculflent'' "Ill (Irodlict. ioll to the FInal Documents, " para. 4-7, and in the
Puebla DocumenL, PD: 27 71.

2. This is true for the two major christologies written by Latin

American Liberation theologians. See Leonardo Boff, Jesus Christ Libera-
tor, ý_Cri tical Chrlstol2g for Our Time, trans. Patrick Hughes
_,
(MaryR. no]]: Orbin Books, 1978), pp. 279-280. See Jon Sobrino, jlhriyt
the Crossroads, A Latin American Approach, trans. John Drury -9'P
qgy at
(LonAnT 10TRAT lid 7,1978) 1-14.
, pp.

3. Boff is not included in this section because evangelization is not:

mentioned in his call for no reductionism. He names these terms specifi
cally - salvation, liberation, and the reign of God - but not
evangelization. However, he certainly adopts an integral framework for
his theology of which evangelization is a part.

4. Romero is the best example of someone who evangelized groups of

people. He addressed the various groups in El Salvador in his
evangelization - the poor and the rich. the baptized and the unbaptized,
the people of God and the people in general, and the soldiers and the
campes i nos.
 C,IIAP'rl-',R NINE

FROM NEW DEL111 TO VANCOUVER:

EVANGELIZATION IN WORLD COUNCTI, OF CITURCHEIS DOCUMEINTS

At the beginning of this historical survey of evangelization in the

documents and assemblies of the World Council of Churches, the para-

meters and procedures need to he established. There are three such

guidelines for this survey. First of all, because this survey is

intended to serve as a backdrop for understanding evangelization in the

writings of the four Protestant theologians included in this study,

Mirtimer Arias, Emilio Castro, Orlando Costas and Jos6 Miguez, Bonino, R

does not pretend to be exhaustive or detailed in its approach. Articles

and books from every theological vantage point abound on each assembly

and each document. The aim is simply to set forth the major themes and

areas of concentration on evangelization in the WCC since all four

theologians have been involved in the ecumenical movement. Undoubtedly

their understanding of evangelization will have been shaped to some

degree by the assemblies, writings, studies and discussions the WCC.

of

Therefore, the concentration has been on the texts and preparatory

statements themselves. Orlando Costas explains the importance of the

actual documents in reference to the Bangkok Assembly, but it is true

for each of the conferences. "Yet since everyone sees reality through

his own 'grid,, it is imperative that the Conference first be to

allowed

speak for itself through its official documents. "l This is the goal of'

this survey: to consult the documents in order to chart evangelization

 18)",

in the WCQ This will serve at a later stage as material for understand-

ing evanRelization in the writings of these Protestant theologians.

Secondly, this study will begin in 1961 at the New Delhi Assembly

with the integration of the TMC and the WCC. Certainly, the discussion

of evangelization at prior conferences of both organizations provide

valuable background for this survey. However, due to the limitation of'

space and the above stated purpose of this survey, references to earlier

documents will be limited.

Thirdly, the survey will advance chronologically by individual con

ferences and commissioned study documents. This method will enable

alterations in themes, definitions, terminology and other aspects to be

noted in chronological fashion.

A clarification about terminology is pertinent at this point. The

word, "evangelism", is scarcely used in these docum ents. For the most

part, the word, "witness", is the favored word. For instance, at the

Uppsala Assembly, "evangelism" is used once in the report, "Renewal in

Mission, " whereas the word, "witness, " occurs eight Limes. At four of'

the conferences, New Delhi, Mexico City, Melbourne and Vancouver, "wit-

ness" is used in the title of the reports relating to evangelism. In

addition, just as there is a preference for "witnes s" rather than

"evangelism", the same is true of "mission" instead of "evangelism. " As

Philip Potter declared, "One finds in ecumenical ci rcles and also among,

those involved in the work of the WCC a preference for 'mission' over

against 'evangelism., -2 Potter then offers a fnrthe r observation about

terminology, "In fact ecumenical literature since Amsterdam has used

 184

Imission, ' 'witness' 'evangelism, interchaugeably. 0 However, it

and

appears thaV it is more than the words being interchangeable; both wit-

ness and mission are used instead of "evangelism" in these documents.

With at least two words given preference over "evangelism, " it is not

surprising that it rarely appears in WCC wriLings.

Another confusion in terminology is evident; evangelization is dif-

ficnlt to distinguish from mission. This is a lack of precision which

will plague the WCC throughout its assemblies. Philip Potter lists the

relationship between mission and evangelization as an aspect "about

which there is much debate and even disagreement. -4 It seems from Pot-

ter's comments that the WCC accepts the following distinction between

mission and evangelization: mission is defined as "the Church's total

involvement in Christ's ministry among men in Me and service", and

evangelization is defined as "the calling of men to faith in Christ, "5

The WCU pays little attention to Potter's exhortation to define the

relationship between Mission and evangelization, for this statement of

his, made in 1968, still remains one of the few places where the dis-

tinclion is discussed.

All this mcans that evangelization is difficult to locate in these

documents. A preference for other words besides evangelization does

exist. However, the omission of the actual word does not mean that the

concept of evangelization is absent. My thesis is that evangelization is

present, though in a limited way, and it is a holistic evangelization

which the WCC puts forth in these documents, 6 That is, is

evangelization

inclusive of such concepts as: prockmaLion, social action, denouncing

 185

injustices, reconciliation, conversion, and Evangelization,

salvation.

for the WCC is comprehensive in its scope. With these preliminary

remarks in mind, this historical survey of evangelization in Lhe WCC

will now proceed..

The Assembly at New Delhi in 1961 and the CWME Conference Mexico
at

City in 1963 are similar in their discussion At both

of evangelization.

of these meetings evangelization is defined with the "a

phrase, commis-

sion given to the whole Church to take the whole Gospel to the whole

w0t, l(j.,, 7 rhe from these

reports two assemblies explain each part of the

phrase. First of all, the 'whole Gospel' is concerned with reconcilia-

lion, specifically the reconciliation Of the whole world to God. The

whole world includes persons, institutions, and structures at every

level; 8 this is to be
all reconciled to God. AIOD9 with this, the 'whole

Gospel' must witness to all realms of life physical, social,

- economic

and spiritual. "Witness to the Gospel must therefore be prepared to

engage in the struggle for social justice and for peace; it have to
will

take the form of humble service and of a practical ministry of recon-

ciliation amidst the actual conflict of our times. "9 Thus the 'whole

Gospel' proclaims God's all-encompassing reconciliation.

Secondly, the 'whole world' refers to every person and every situa-

tion; all of these are to hear the 'whole Gospel. ' God loves the world,

and God's all-encompassing purpose is " less than the

... no reCODCilia-

tion of an alienated world Lo himself in Christ. "10 The church is under.

divine direction to bring the 'whole Gospel' to this 'whole world'.

When the Church recognizes that it exists for the world,

there arises a passionate concern that the blessings of the
 18(;

Gospel of Christ should he brought to every land and to

every man and woman. Christian evangelism is therefore a
...
joyful privilege, being sustained by the knowledge that all
the world is the object of God's love and is even now under
the Lordship of Christ. "

Thirdly, it is the 'whole Church' which is to bring the 'whole

Gospel' to the 'whole world'. The 'whole Church' refers, first or all,

to the role of the laity in evangelization. Lay witness is an integral,

part of evangelizing the 'whole world. ' "Within this whole enterprise of

corporate witness, every individuat Christian will play his own unique

part according Lo the gifts of the Spirit with which he is endowed. ...

each will be conscious that his witness is a part of the one ministry

within the whole mission of the Church and that he is the representative

of the whole Church. -12 The role of the laity is especially apparent at

New Delhi.

Second of all, the 'whole Church' also rervrs to the entire

Christian church in an ecumenical sense. The 'whole Church' is all the

Christian churches of every denomination. Their one mission of bringing

the 'whole Gospel' to the 'whole world' necessitates this unity. Mexico

City particularly emphasizes this point and is in agreement with Rolle's

understanding of ecumenical as combining mission and unity, 13 As Mexico

City states,

The world looks at divided Churches, hears their varying

claims and cannot believe that Jesus Christ is redeemer and
Prince of Peace, So these frontiers too must be crossed if
the one faith is to be preached to one world. A common mis-
sionary task for the whole world must be undertaken by all
the Churches with their varying resources if the world is to
hear the Gospel, 14

The 'Whole Church, requires Lhe la. il. y and iil-l ChrlslAari Oill rOWS tO wit
 187

ness. Bringing 'the whole Gospel to the whole world by the whole Church'

is the evangelistic expression at the Lime of New Delhi and Mexico City.

Both New Delhi and Mexico City speak of the Church's witness to

God's activities in the past and in the present. God has been active in

the past, and the church is to proclaim these former actions as recorded

in Scripture. "When we speak of witness we mean testimony to the whole

activity of God in the creation and preservation of the world, but espe--

cially in his mighty acts in Israel's history and in the redemption of

the world by Jesus Christ. "15 Cod's activity in past history is d1i

important part of the Gospel "news. " But the Church's witness does not

stop with the past 'news' of God. God is at work in the present, and the

Church must witness to God's contemporary, ongoing work. In order to be

a faithful witness, then, the Church must be attentive to God's present.

activity in the world and must proclaim to the world what it has discov

ered. The report from Mexico City offers a clarifying statement on the

Church's task of discerning God's activity in the world:

This reminder that Christ Jesus, the head of the Church, is

the loving and ever present Lord over all the world, gives a
new emphasis to the witnessing task of the Church. It.
reminds us that we are to watch for the signs of Christ's
presence in the communities of the world. Therefore the
Church should seek for the gift to interpret what is happen-
ing now in the events of world history, on the basis of
God's particular work in the history of the events recorded
in the Bible. We are called: (a) constantly to ask where God
is at work in the world "
...

Therpfore, these documents affirm that God is active in the world today

as God has been in the past, and the Church, in its witness, must.

declare God's deeds to the world.

The Church witnesses in several ways. The first way is proclama-

 188

tion. The topic to be proclaimed is reconciliation. The Church is to

proclaim to the whole world God's reconcilialion through Jesus Christ.

"The Christian mission is the proclamation of this message to the whole

world: be ye reconciled to God, -17 As stated this

above, reconciliation

entails every possible aspect of societal and individual life; it is the

message of Lhe 'whole Gospel' to be proclaimed by the 'whole Church' to

the 'whole world. '

A second way of witnessing, which accompanies proclamation, is

deeds. These are to be deeds of reconciliation, the actual bringing

together of alienated elements which realizes God's plan of reconcilia

tion. Deeds of reconciliation include: solidarity with all people, work

ing for peace, working for social justice, and political activity. "This

reconciliation is part of the work of God in which he calls us to take

part. Jt may mean revolutionary protest; it may mean active endeavour to

make a political structure which creates as yet unrealized forms of

...
community; it may mean patient " Hoth
suffering. proclamation and deeds

witness to God's reconciliation and make it happen.

A third way of witnessing is dialogue. Dialogue is a necessary form

of evangelization when crossing the frontier to the world of the secular

or to the world or other religions. Dialogue requires listening in the

interchange in order to comprehend the situation and to gain perspec-

tive. Its purpose is to witness to Christ as these words explain, "His

object will be to witness to the Christ or whom he is certain, to share

the experience which Christ has brought to him, and to invite the other

into discipleship, recognizing, however, that conversion is the work of

 1819

the Holy Spirit. "19

At New Delhi, the Holy Spirit has a central role in the Churcb's

witness. It is the Holy Spirit who activates and promotes the Church's

witness, It is the Holy Spirit who leads the Church to the places where

there are opportunities to witness. It is the Holy Spirit who introduces

the Church to new ways of witnessing, 20 This last aspect, new ways to

witness, deserves further attention d"v to the prominence afforded it by

both assemblies.

The words, 'new ways' and 'new forms' of witnessing permeate these

two ecumenical conferences. One example of this interest in novelty is

found in the New Delhi report: "Today the task of evangelism be

must

performed in new situations and therefore in new ways. The Church in

every land is aware that new situations require new strategies and new

methods, an adventuring into new forms of human social relationships

with appropriately now ways of ap1wonch The penchant for newness

_-21

arises From the fear that the traditional ways of evangelization will

become obsolete while the world changes rapidly.

An example of the search for new ways of evangelization is the

study on congregational ArnOures. This study, commissioned at New

Delhi and under the auspices of the Department of Studies in Evangelism,

is called "The Missionary Structure of the Congregation. " The is

study

designed to address this question, " whether, or to what degree, the

...

parish structure of some churches and the local congregational structure

of others limit our witness to Jesus Christ in today's world ...

Herewith it hecame apparent thaL we can no longer concern ourselves
 190

about true witness without raising questions about proper congregational

-22 Desj) (ý j. t, concentation on congregational structures,

, -jt.
tile study overlaps soveral of the themes from the New Delhi and Mexico

City assemblies. However, n the process of the study, these themes are

greatly expanded.

The first Lheme which is expanded in the "The Missionary Structure

of the Congregation" is that of God's activity in the present history.

God's actions in today's history corresponds to God's overarching design

which "is always leadLng history out of the old and into the 23
,,,.

This missio Dei includes both the Church and the world in this way: God

works ouL the missio Del in the world with the Church us God's primary

worker. Because God is accomplishing the missio Del in the world, with

the help of the Church, this study establishes the relationship between

them as GOD-WORLD-CHURCH. As the study explains, "That is, God's primary

relationship is to the world, and it im the World and not the Church

that is the focus of God's plan. -24 The theme of God's activity in prem

ent history is expanded by inserting a more positive and prominent view

of the world which receives God's first attention, 25

A second thematic overlap, directly related to the previous one, is

that of the Church's discernine God's activity in the World. Reminiscent

of Mexico City, this study continues the theme in t hi s Way j. t j-,i

ý".,.
the mission of the Church, whose only wisdom is L le Word of God, t. 0

search the events of our time For the hand of the loving and judging

God. -26 This theme is expanded to the point where the ('1111rch's action

becomes that of a servant in the world responding to prevenhtit.

 191

actions in the world. "The of Jesus Christ stands in the service

-church
of the sending God. This mission is always determining her commission

and constantly shaping the forms in which she lives and works. -27 A

preliminary echo of this is found in New Delhi where it states " the
...
Church recognizes that it exists for the world In this later
_-28

study, existing for the world means serving the world. "It [the Church]

is called to the service of mankind, of the world. This is not election

to privilege but to serving engagemenL. "29 The Church exists to serve

the world where God is active For the missio Dei. It can be seen, then,

that two important themes of New Delhi and Mexico City, God's activity

in contemporary time and the Church's obligation to discover God's

action, are enlarged in this study of congregational structures.

How does "The Missionary Structure of the Congregation" promote or

advance the understanding Of evangelization? This is left unanswered; in

fact, evangelization is only mentioned once or twice in the documents.

When it is included, it is only to have its "traditional" form

criticized. Traditional evangelization is declared to be prosely-tism

since it is interpreted as "a call on the part of insiders to outsiders

inviting them to come into the inside. -30 Whereas traditional

evangelization called people in conversion to leave the world, true con-

version calls people into the world where God is actively 31.
at work,

Thus, it appears that evangelization is to view the world as a positive

place where God is at work rather than a negative place from which to

rescue sinners. 32

What is the role of evangelization in the world, then? The Andy

 192

does not address the question, but comments from Hans Margull, the WCC

SecroLary for Studies in Evangelism who was responsible for initiaLine

and coordinating this study, are helpful. Marg"ll explains: "Conse-

quently evangelism is not merely the endeavor of the church to save or

convert as many as possible. Evangelism can be nothing but simple,

loyal, patient, obedient participation in the consummation of the plan

which God has For the world and which he effects himself. -33 The role of

evangelization is, then, to discern where God is active in the world and

to Promote God's plan for the world, God's missin Dej. However, God's

plan is not defined in this study which again leaves evangel Nation with

an nndpfined role. Moru clearly specified is what evangelization should

not be, the action of rescuing persons from an evil world. What,

evangelization is and what it should do remain ambiguous.

A significant theme is introduced in the congregational structure

study which is not found in earlier documents. This theme i s humuniza

Lion. Humani zation is lifted up as "the goal of mission because we

...

believe that more than others it communicates in our period of history

the meaning of the mes sianic goal Today the fun damental question is
.,..

much more th at of true man, "34 Humanization is a central theme at

. ..

the Uppsala Assembly.

The new humani ty domi nates the report, "Renewal in Mi ss i on, "f rom

the Uppsala Assembly in 1968. The new humanity is the goal of God's mis

35 At is
sion, the same time, the new humanity is God's gift which

received by faith. Evangelization is that which enables people to

respond to this gift of God. "Our part in evangelism might be described

 193

as bringing about the occasions for men's response to Jesus Christ. "36

When one receives the new humanity offered by God, a new birth takes

place; it is a tur ning point in the person's life. Even though the

actual word is not used, converston is the name of this now birth

process.

As background to conversion at Uppsala, there is a WCC study com-

pleted just prior to the Assembly. Several of the highlights of this

conversion study are present in the Uppsala report. First of all, con-

version always entails a turning towards God. Concurrently with a turn-

ing towards God there is a turning away from the past, from the old

selF. As the final report reads. "It sets a pattern of dying and rising

which will conLinually be repeated. For we have to be torn out of the

restricted and perverted life of 'the old man. '"37 Secondly, the process

of turning to God includes a turning to neighbor. Conversion changes th-

relationship with God and nvighbor. 38 "For there is turning towards

no

God which does not at the same time bring a man face to face with his

fellow men in a ,,,,. "39 Thirdly, conversion is corporate, too, not.

simply for the single individual. The purpose of conversion is to form

"the nucleus of a new humaniLy"40 which will be both a sign of and a

force for society's becoming the new humanity. Using Uppsala's words,

"Mission bears fruit as people find Their One life in the Body of

Christ
...
There the signs of the now humanity are experienced and the

People of God reach out in solidarity with the whole of mankind in serv-

ice and witness. -41

Integral to the conversion process is the Holy Spirit. it is the

 194

Ifoly Spit-it Who is active ill th(ý e vangrelistic

. proc(,,, i,,3 and who brings

aboill collverý, ion. "The Holy Spirit offers thi"; gift (.0 Illell ill a varietv

of moments of decision. It is the Holy Spirit who takes the Word or God

and makes it a living, converting word to men. "42 Also, reminiscent of

New nelhi, the Holy Spirit sustains the mission of the Church, the now

humanity formed by conversion.

All these factors are absolutely necessary for conversion; yet it

is through Jesus Christ that the new humanity comes to be. Jesus Christ

is the new human who has inaugurated the new humanity through his death

43 Therefore, Uppsala, is
and resurrection, conversion, at a whole

process of a turning from and a turning to God and neighbor. It is begun

in Jesus Christ and is carried on by the Holy Spirit. Conversion hringýý,

about the new humanity which then participates in God's mission of

humanizHtion.

At Uppsala, a theological trend begins which will pervade future

WCC assemblies, The person, life, and ministry of Jesus Christ are

highlighted as the model to imitate. Jesus is seen as the example of 1he

true way of life. Jesus' ministry is the pattern for the ch"rch's

evangelization. This trend, particularly its importance as the example

For evangelization, will be worked out in subsequent assemblies, but it

first surfaces here in the Uppsala report. Whereas earlier documents

spoke of God's mission, later documents focus on Jesus' mission. A Roman

Catholic made these observations about the person of Jesus at Uppsala:

the Lhrust of the document is through and through christological

rather than trinitarian. In fact. oven the christological emphasis of'

 195

Uppsala is one-sidedly weighted toward the Lord's humanity. Jesus is the

'new man' who shows us 'what man is meant to be. ' The real sig-
...

nificance of Jesus is an example to follow. -44

To summarize evangelization in the assemblies and documents of the

WCC :in the 1960's, it is necessary to say that evangelization appears

more in New Delhi and Mexico City than in the study on congregational

structures and at Uppsala. Towards the VDd Of this decade, evangeliza-

tion is rarely addressed directly except for a few scattered references.

When commenting on evangelization in the 1960's, James Scherer has this

to say: "Evangelism is in danger of becoming a forgotten word in

ecumenical circles. There is Do doubt that the WCC has a bad conscience

and mixed feelings about it. "45 Certainly it is true that evangelization

is hidden beneath concepts such as, humanization, missionary structures

and service, and it is a second choice to words such as mission and wit-

ness. 46 Philip Potter's the danger burying

warning about of evangeliza-

tion is well taken: "The World Council will have to guard against the

ever present danger of upgrading service and prophetic witness on social

and economic issues and downgrading evangelism or vice-versa. -47 And

certainly Scherer is correct in noting that there is "the attitude of

virtual renunciation toward evangelism as traditionally understood. -48

. .

as is found in the published study, The, ghurch_,

__For,_MM .

It seems to us, however, that the WCC discusses aspects of

evangelization without naming it directly. To these aspects the WCC

gives broader meanings. Several examples can be cited. First of all,

conversion, traditionally understood as a part of evangelization,

 196

includes the corporate and the individual, the turning to God Ind to

neighbor. Secondly, the Church's witness to God's actions in history now

encompasses the past A0 the present. These expansions open up

evangelization to involvement in the world in God's mission, expressed

most recently as humanization.

The overriding problem which remains, though, is the fear of bring-

ing evangelization out into the open by using the actual word. Perhaps

if the WCC would directly address the connection between evangelization

and humanization, evangelization and mission, evangelization and mis-

sionary structures, to name only a few, it could correct the "Lrudi-

tional" connotations of evangelization which it tries desperately to

elude. As it stands, evangelization is an obscured task of the Church

which the WCC would rather avoid addressing.

Bangkok, 1973 is the next conrerence, one of Lhe Commission on

World Mission and Evangelism. At Bangkok, the christologtcal trend is

solidified for use by future assemblies and documents. Following after

Uppsala, Bangkok moves away from the mission of God and speaks of

Christ and Christ's liberation, Christ's salvation and Christ's mission.

Under the heading, "The Mission of God, " everything points to Christ. As

uxamples, these sentences will suffice: "Through Christ men and women

are liberated and empowered to participate in his Messianic work

...

He takes the inevitability out of history. Tn him the Kingdom of God and

of free people is at hand, Faith in Christ releases in man creative

freedom for the salvation of the world. -49

Salvation, the purpose of mission, results from Christ's libera-

 197

I ion, "Salvation is Jesus Christ's liberation of individuals from sin

and all its consequences. "50 Mortimer Arias explains the relationship

between salvation and liberation in the title of his book on Bangkok,

Salvaoion Es Liberacion. 51 Thus Christ is both the the Us-

source of

sion, and his liberation releases humanity to work for the mission. As

one commentator on Bangkok writes, "Jesus Christ himself is now seen as

the Lord of mission and the bearer of a comprehensive salvation which

liberates men and women from captivity and oppression and empowers them

for participation in his messianic work. 02 "Salvation Today" is the

theme of Bangkok, and naturally salvation pervaded the Conference. Bang-

kok's portrayal of salvation can he summarized in one word, com-

prehensive. 53 Salvation life

changes every aspect of - personal, socie-

tal, national, religious, political and economic. All of these realms

are intertwined, as at New Delhi and Mexico City, and salvation affects

each and every one. 54

The Church's mission, therefore, has to do with salvation. The

Church is to be an agent Christ's in the 55 This

of salvation wor3d,

entails the Church's own liberation. The Church often cannot work for

Christ's salvation because it is bound by its own offenses. It must be

liberated from such offenses as: "captivity in the interests of dominat-

ing classes, races and nations; complicity with structural injustice and

violence; accommodation to oppressive powers; and self-interest, "56 As

Bangkok snys, "A church which is the bearer of a gospel of liberation to

others must first be liberated from all that hinders its true self

expression or robs it of a true sense of its own responsibility. Salva--

 19 ("1

tion Today in this context means the liberation of churches to be their

WHO& selves in mission in their own ill,,. -57 Q this the

way,

Church which is itself liberated will proclaim Christ's salvation with

more integrity and persuasiveness.

Another topic explored at Bangkok is that of conversion. Bangkok's

presentation of conversion differs greatly from the understanding of

conversion proposed by Dr. Paul Lfiffler in the WCC study on conversion.

This is apparent in several ways. At Bangkok, no mention is made of a

conversion that begins or even includes a turning towards God. Bangkok

simply statvs, "The Christian conversion relates to God and especially

to his son Jesus Christ. "58 "Relates" is an ambiguous best, but

word at

it certainly is not interchangeable with "a turning to, " a metanoein.

Secondly, Lbffler has shown the inseparability of conversion and social

acLion, 59 Bangkok but he precedes

which affirms, this assertion with

these words, "'Conversion' for that reason is a theologically identifi-

able, independent entity which must be distinguished from the personal

and social action which results from it. 'Conversion' cannot be

identified with practical ethics, "60 Bangkok has not maintained any

sense in which conversion is an act all its own, a "theologically

identifiable, independent entity. " Conversion leads to social action,

but first there is a turning towards God through faith in Jesus Christ,

according to Ldffler. As a resull, conversion lacks the wholeness it.

receives at Uppsala and the wholeness given to salvation here at Bang-

kok.

Church growth, a topic which has not been mentioned in the 1960's
 199

assemblies, is discussed at Bangkok. Church growth is holistic, combin-

ing "the nnmerical growth of the church and the development of a new mail

in every person, the rooting or Christians' faith in local realities and

their commitment to ,, j, t,. "6l Though not explicitly stated,

evangelization would certainly contribute to church growth and renewal.

In fact, Orlando Costas perceives evangelization at Bangkok in terms of

church growth. 62

It is difficult to assess what Bangkok decreed about evangelization

specifically. The understanding of evangelization seems to be that of

proclaiming God's salvation in Jesus Christ and calling people to that

salvation. The mission of the local Church is expressed in evangelistic

terms. "The local church in action should be an expression of the

impulse of the whole church to further the proclamation of the Gospel of

Jesus Christ Lu all Uhe world so that, by responding to him, persons and

their situations may be saved. "63 As is clear, evangelization is con-

nected with salvation and a comprehensive salvation in Bangkok's terms

which continues to broaden the connotations or traditional evangeliza-

tion. However, again, evangelization is, for the most part, left unex

pressed at Bangkok. We must agree with the observation about Bangkok

that "the task of evangelism was inadequately recognized _-64

At the Nairobi Assembly in 1975, a renewed interest in evangeliza-

tion in present within the report, "Confessing Christ Today. " it is dis-

cussed mostly in terms of 'confessing Christ' due to the title of the

report. The report issues a plain, unavoidable summons to confess Christ

in these words, "We do not have the option of keeping the good news to
 200

ourselves. The uncommu"icated gospel is a patent conLradiction. -65 It!

addition, a sense of urgency is present; evangelization is to be done

t-pýtqy. "The world requires, and God demands, that we recognize the

urgency to proclaim the saving word of God - today. God's acceptable

Lime demands that we respond in all haste. "66

At Nairobi there im a return to themes of earlier assemblies. The

theme of wholeness dominates, and Nairobi reuses the phrase of New Delhi

and Mexico City, "the whole Gospel for the whole world by the whole

Church. " As at those two assemblies, Nairobi also explains each part of

this phrase.

What is important about the 'whole Gospel' at Nairobi is that it

includes confession (evangelism) ýi_qq action. Proclamation and action are

one in the 'whole' gospel. As Nairobi says, " Christians are there--
...
fore called to engage in both evangelism and social action. We are coill

missioned to proclaim the gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth.

Simultaneously, we are commanded to struggle to realize God's will for

peace, justice and freedom throughout ... i, t,. "67 The unity of

evangelization and social action should he a part of the Christian life

even rrom the time of conversion. At conversion, confessing Christ and

discipleship are an indivisible whole. If one or the other is missing,

the conversion is void of potential or meaning. "68 Confession and dis-

cipleship, word and deed, evangelization and social action encapsulate

the 'whole Gospel. ' Nairobi lists what is included in the 'who]e

Gospel':

The gospel always inclndes: the announcement of God's King-

dom and love through Jesus Christ, the offer of grace and
 201

forgiveness the invitation to repentance

of sins, and faith
in him, the summons Lo fellowship in God's Church, the com-
mand to witness to God's saving words and deeds, the
responsibility to participate in the struggle for justice
and human dignity, the obligation to denounce all that
hinders human wholeness, and a commitment to risk life
its, jr, 69

This 'wbolv Gospel' is for the 'whole world', for all people in the

world in every situaLion and condition. No aspect, or realm, or dimen--

sion of the 'wh ole world ' is immune to the 'whole Gospel, "'The whole

gospel for the whole per son and Lhe whole world' means that we cannot

Wave any area of human lire and suffering without the witness of'

hope. "70

The 'whole Church, ' following arLer New Delhi, conveys the need ror.

vvery Verson in the Church to confess Christ, to evangelize in the

world. The local congregation is the nucleus from which the Gospel is

proclaimed to everyone. For this reason, Nairobi declares that "the

evangelization of the world starts at the level of the congregation. -71

Tn this spirit a call is issued For the education and training of the

laity for their task of bringing the 'whole Gospel' to the 'whoW

world. ' All in all, very little has been modified at Nairobi in the

explanation or this phrase used at New Delhi and Mexico City.

in its cdll to confess Christ, Nairobi highlights the role of the

Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who bears witness to Christ. It is

the Holy Spirit who activates the Church to witness Christ. A is the

Spirit who guides and directs the Church's efforts in discipleship in

the world. The centrality of the Holy Spirit in evangelization is

another way in which Nairobi is similar to New Delhi. 72 This

resurgence
 202

of interest in the Holy Spirit at Nairobi may he influenced by a docu--

went entitled "Unity and Common Witness. " written by a Joint Working,

Group of Roman Catholic and WCC participants. This study was commis--

sinned to offer insights to the Nairobi Assembly. One of its contribu--

tions to "Confessing Christ Today" centers on the Holy Spirit, specifi-

cally "the necessity to rely on the power and discernment of the Spirit.

in giving this witness. -73 The report further comments on the importance

of the Holy Spirit in the church's witness in these words, " by the
...

Spirit's power alone we are able to confess Jesus is Lord and live our

Jife of discipleship. It is the Spirit who is the primary witness to

Christ, human testimony being a sharing in this witness. -74

At the end of the 1970's there is a divergence in the two assem-

blies in their concern for evangelization. Al Bangkok evangelization

rarely appears while at Nairobi it emerges as an important topic, 75 yet,

at both conferences, evangelization is an entity inclusive or more than

merely proclamation. it is linked with social action, discipleship, com--

prehensive salvation, and liberation. It entails the 'whole Gospel'

(evangelization and social action), for the 'whole world' (individuals,

cultures, structures and societies and the political, social. and reli-

gious realms) by the 'whole Church. ' To summarize evangelization up to

this point, a statement from Paul Wrier is appropriate:

Ecumenical study and action have rediscovered the close

links of evangelism to other dimensions of Christian faith
and life. They have thereby helped to overcome a narrow con-
cept of evangelistic witness while preserving its specific
character. Inseparable from it are all the other expres-
...
sions of Christian service and solidarity which make up the
totality of mission, 76
 203

The Melbourne Assembly of the CWME in 1980 fol lows in the stead of

other assemblies by presenting a holistic evangelization. As at Nairobi,

evangelization consists of word and deed. And, as before, social action

and evangelization are linked. Melbourne offers an interesting reason

for their interrelatedness: "The unity and integrity of social action

and evangelism has been suggested to us by the proposition that to issue

a political challenge to the oppressor in the name of Christ may be the

only authentic way of putting to him whaL it means to make Jesus Christ

the commanding reality in his life. -77 Action and proclamation are two

equal parts of evangelization, but at Melbourne it is proclamation that

is analyzed in detail in the report, "The Church Witnesses to the King-

dom. ''

This section ccmmences with a statement about the significance of

proclamation.

The proclamation of the word of God is one such witness,

distinct and indispensable. The story of God in Christ is
the heart of all evangelism, and this story has to be told,
for the life of the present church never fully reveals the
love and holiness and power of God in Christ. The telling of
the story is an inescapable mandate for the whole church. 78

Proclamation of the Good News comprises three aspecLs: "1. the announce-

ment that the kingdom of God is at hand; 2. a challenge to repent; and

3. an invitation to belipvp, -79 The first aspect, announcing the reign

of God, is given the most consideration since God's reign is the pivotal,

theme or the Melbourne Assembly whose title is, "Your Kingdom Come. ''

Melbourne has this to say about the Kingdom of God:

it was begun in Jesus Christ, and it brings "justice, love,

peace, joy, and freedom from the grasp of principalities and
powers, " it is "wider than the church an inclusive and
...
 204

open reality, stretching to include people irrespective of

their sex, race, age and colour it is a gift of God,
-",
yet the kingdom is "the inspiration and constant challenge
in all our struggles", and it is announced to the poor, 80

This last statement is of particular importance to Melbourne for it

issues a command to the Church to announce the reign of God to the poor.

Melbourne offers two reasons for the Church's evangelization of the

poor. First of all, God's reign has a preference for the poor. Jesus

exemplified this preference in his earthly ministry. This duty now

belongs to the Church. "The Church or jusus Christ is called to preach

Good News to the poor, even as its Lord has in his ministry announced

the kingdom of God to them. The churches cannot neglect this

evangelistic task. "81 Secondly, the poor and the poor Churches have a

decisive role in evangelization. The poor bring to evangelization unique

qualities by ji,,,,, 82 This

not possessed other ...... new dimension of

the poor evangelizing has grand potential for world evangelization.

we see the 'poor' churches of the world as the bearers of mission:

world mission and evangelism may now be primarily in their hands. Per--

haps they alone can waken the world to an awareness or the urgent call

of Christ to costly and radical response. "83 The first aspect of

proclamation, announcing the reign of God, leads the Church to evangel-

ize the poor who evangelize the world.

The second aspect of proclamation is repentance or conversion. Con-

version at Melbourne is identical to the study on conversion commis-

sioned by the WCC before Uppsala. Conversion is a 'turning fg, ' past

loyalties and a "turning In' loyalty in the kingdom of God; it.

demonstrates its existence through love of God and neighbor. It is both

 205

individual and corporate, and it is awakened by proclamation and by the

Holy Spirit.

The third aspect of proclawatinn, "invitation to believe, " remains

unexplained. Surely the invitation is to believe in Jes"s Christ and the

reign which Christ has inaugnrated, but without clarification one can

only conjecture.

in addition to theme three aspects, Melbourne adds two other char

acteristics to proclamation: it is contextual and it denounces

injustices. Proclamation is contextual; it can never be a general, nniv

ersally applicable message. It is related to the particular context or

culture in which it finds ilself. " proclamation is always linked to

...

a speci-Eic situation and a specific moment in history. It is God's Good

News eon-tvaVed with the had news of that specific situation. We there

fore affirm present efforts within the church to contexLualize the

Gospel in every culture. -84 Also, proclamation denounces injustices.

Denouncing injustices goes along with proclamation's being contextual

for injustices vary depending on the context. Proclamation must know the

situation and discern the wrongs being done. In this way, proclamation

is to date, trustworthy. 85
aware, up meaningful and

Proclamation must be accompanied by the witness of the Church's

lifestyle. The Church evange. lizes through its own life; thus, its way of'

life can potentially hinder or aid evangelization. This has been all

interest of other conferences as well. At Bangkok, as stated above, the

church needed to be liberated from its weaknesses, prejudices or any-

thing which obsLrucled it from applying its full strength to Christ's

 206

mission. in the same way, Melbourne exhorts the Church to be consistent,

with the reign's lifestyle. The reign of God requires the Church to do

the following: be in solidarity with the poor, include all people in Us

fellowship, fight against poverty and injustice, heal, and be present in

the midst of humnnity's struggles. In this way, the reign persists in

challenging and perfecting the Church's lifestyle which, in turn, per-

fects the Church's witness.

It is always necessary for the churches to return to a full

understanding of the Gospel as a proclamation of a message
Lo the world and, at Lhe same time, a proclamation of a way
of life. The churches are true to their common missionary
task of bringing the Gospel to the world when they let that,
Gospel be a challenge to their own styles of life and the
by they to the 86
structures which appear world.

In addition, this assumes consisLency between what the Church does and

how it lives. itself, is 87

says and Consistency, a form of witness.

Melbourne continues the emphasis on Jesus Christ as the pattern for,

evangelization which began at Uppsala. At Melbourne, Jesus Christ is tbe

example for the church, especially for the Church's evangelization.

Jesus anno"need the God's reign; the Church most do the same. Jesus

evangelized the poor, so must Lhe Church. Jesns was consistent between

word and deed, and the Church must ronow his example. Christology, spe-

cifically the example of Jesus, emerges as the patLern and basis of

evangelization. This trend, in itself, lends more importance and

authority to evangelization.

In summary, Melbourne advances evangelization in particular by

offering helpful comments on proclamation in all its aspects. Even

proclamaLion, Lhe central act of evangelization, encompasses more than

 207

merely speaking words. Proclamation entails being in solidarity with the

poor. denouncing injusLicv, and witnessing. Thus proclamation at Me!

bourne cnntrihntes to the WCC trend to view evangelization as encompass-

ing many dimensions and tasks.

In 1982 a document was published by the WCC entitled, Migsion and

Evangelism: An Ecumenical Affirmation. This was commissioned in 1976 by

the CWNE after the Nairohi assembly. The purpose of the commissioned

study was "to prepare a document containing the basic convictions of the

ecumenical movement on the topic of mission and evangelism. "" This

study is the second one of its kind to concentrate on evangelization

since A Theological Reflection on the Work Q gvaMl,! jM, published in

1958, though this most recent study includes mission, too. Since its

pnbliuation, this study has found wide acceptance as an important and

timely document.

Found in this docnmenL are the prominent themes of recent WCC

assemblies with little variance. First of all, the document continues in

the Ne-lbourne tradition by giving to the poor an important place in

evangelization both as the evangelized and as the evangelizees. As the

evangelized, the poor are primary beneficiaries; as evangelizers, they

are primary doers. This document goes a step further than Melbourne by

stating that announcing the good news to the poor requires simultaneous

working to make the good news a reality in their lives. When the Church

labors on behalf of the good news for the poor, the poor will perceive

the good news as well as hear it.

There is also a tragic coincidence that most of the world's

poor have not heard the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus
 208

Christ, orcould they

not receive it, because it was not
rucognised as Good News in the way in which it was brought,
This is a double injustice: they are victims of the oppres--
sion of an unjust economic order or an unjust political dis-
tribuLlon of power, and at the same time they are deprived
of Lhe knowledge of God's special care for them. To announce
the Good News to the poor is to begin to render the justice
due Lo them. 89

Secondly, this affirmation testifies to the unity of evangelization

and social action, one of the most repeated themes in these ecumenical.

documents. This theme is set in the context to Ihv

of witnessing poor,

When the Church evangelizes the poor, it learns From the poor the
about

oneness of evangelization and social action. The evangeljznrs are taught

by the evangelized.

Thirdly, conversion is another famMar theme found in this docu-

ment. Here the interest in conversion is primarily in the personal

aspect. In paragraph 10 alone, ten references to the individual's cart

version are included. The last sentence in that paragraph reads like

this: "While anonymity and mnrginalisaLion seem to reduce Ilm pos-

sihilities for personal decisions to a minimum, God knows each person

and calls each one to make a fundamental personal act of allegiance to

God and to God's ki"gdom in the fellowship of God's people. "90 Even

though the corporate aspect of conversion as well as the Church's need

for conversion is also present, personal is in

conversion encouraged all

urreharacteristicaUy forthright manner.

In these three Lhemps, the documeni is repetive of other assem-

blies, especially Melbourne Nairobi. However,

and a "new" idea is pres

ent, one revived from yesteryear. This st"dy includes planting churches

as a foundational part of the Church's mission. Planting churches has

 209

been completely absent from recent ecumenical writings. In this docu-

ment, planting churches reappcars as a task "f the Church in evangeliza-

tion. A lengthy quotaLion is in order due to its long absence:

It is at heart
the of Christian mission to foster the multi--
plication of local congregations in every human community.
The planting of the seed of the Gospel will bring forward a
people gathered around the Word and sacraments and called to
announce God's revealed purpose.
This task of sowing seed needs to be continued until
...
there is, in every human community, a cell of the kingdom, it
church confessing Jesus Christ and in his name serving his
people. The building up of the Church in every place is
essential to the Gospel. 91

Unfortunately, this study, in its discussion of mission and

evangelization, does not clarify their relationship. Philip Potter's

challenge to distinguish the two has gone unheeded. In another con--

temporary document, a Roman Catholic study on mission entitled,

"Memorandum From A Consultation On Mission, " a brief, yet essential

explanation of mission and evangelization is written in these words,

"Mission, evangplization and witness are nowadays often used by

Catholics as synonymous. Though each of these terms has its own history

and special meaning they are all used to designate in a comprehensive

way the one complex mission of the Church. -92 Such a clarification in

the WCC document on mission and evangelization would have enhanced its

presentation as well as defined the relationship between these two

closely related terms.

The most recent WCC Assembly took place in Vancouver in 1983 on the

theme, "Jesus Christ - Life of the World. " Among its reports, "Witness-

ing Tn A Divided World, " deals with issues related to evangelization. As

with other reports, the verb used in the title is used throughout the
 210

report, so the word, "witness, " is the prominent one used to describe

evangelistic action.

Witnessing encompasses various components, such as: living the life

of Christ, listening, seeking to understand others' faith and speaking

about Jesus Christ. 93 Near the document,

end of the witnessing is

clearly defined in these words: "Witness may be described as those acts

and words by which a Christian or community gives testimony to Christ

and invites others to make their response to him. fn witness we expect

to share the good news of Jesus and be challenged in relation to our

understanding of, and our obedience to that good news. -94 Witnessing is

goal oriented in the sense that it hopes for a response.

This document discusses five areas in which witnessing happens:

culture, people of living faiths, poor, children and worship. The first

three are familiar themes in WCC documents. Witness to is dis-

children

cussed here for the first time, and worship, an area of only brief men--

tion in other documents, receives more attention at this 9-5

assembly.

First of all, Vancouver speaks of the need to witness to cultures,

Vancouver recognizes that there are aspects of a culture which are

destructive. Because of this, it is imperative that the to the

witness

Gospel will refrain from either manipulating a culture from being

or

manipulated by a culture. 96 If the Gospel free from,

remains yet

involved in culture, its witness has the potential to bring about posi--

tive changes.

SeCODdlY, the witness to the poor is expounded. In this area, the

report depends heavily on the study, jjssion and Evangelism: An Ecumeni-

 211

cal_Affirmation, from which there are several direct quotes. The only

dimension which is now to this report is that to

of a call simplicity

addressed to the wealthy in the Church and to the Church itself. Both

are called to a commitment to poverty so they can witness to the poor.

Thirdly, the Church is to witness to people of living faiths. As is

common to WCC documents, dialogue is mentioned in this context. Dialogue

is defined as: " that encounter where people holding different

... claims

about ultimate reality can meet and explore these claims in a context of'

mutual respect. From dialogue we expect to discern more about how God is

active in the world, and to appreciate for their own sake the insights

and experiences people of other faiths have of ultimate realit,, -97 put

ting dialogue alongside witness underscores their divergence in motive.

Witness "invites" a response to the Good News; dialogue is inter

not

ested in a response. The latter is an opportunity for learning and

exploration.

Vancouver continues in the way of WCC assemblies since Uppsala and

concentrates on Jesus ChrisL. Here Jesus is the example for the Church,

and his example provides the authority for what the Church does. The

report, "Witnessing In A Divided World, " begins with the example of

Christ. "The starting point for our thinking is Jesus Christ. He taught.

and prayed, proclaimed and healed, lived for God and neighbour; he

accepted people, forgave and renewed, and brought change into the lives

of those who were open to hear him. "98 The then by

report continues

stating that this is how the Church is to witness following the example

of Jesus.
 212

As far as a contribution to the WCC discussion of evangelization is

concerned, Vancouver does not offer anything new. Even its presentation

seems weak and diffuse. Perhaps this can be explained by its attempt to

cover five diverse apeas of witness. Or perhaps it can be explained by

the recent publication of the study on mission and evangelization which

left Vancouver with nothing more to say. 99 Or is

perhaps, as most.

likely, it can be explained by the fact that the document was rushed

through with a hasty approval at the end of the Assembly.

A revised version reached the plenary on the last day of the

Assembly, but the pressure of time on an already overcrowded
agenda made this one of several pieces of unfinished busi--
ness that were referred to the Dew Central Committee. Acting,
for the Assembly, the Central Committee subsequently agreed
that the substance of the revised report should be approved
and commended to the churches for study and suitable
action. 100

There is a lack of vitality and depth of interest W evangelization at

Vancouver.

As stated in the opening paragraphs of this survey, the purpose has

been to chart evangelization in WCC assemblies and documents for nearly

25 years. The attitudes and trends in evangelization have been noted

throughout the survey by way of summaries and comparisons. Two conclu--

sions will draw this survey to a close.

First of all, evangelization remains, for the most part, a sup-

pressed concept in WCC circles. There is a hesitancy to speak of'

evangelization. The word itself appears rarely; the words "witness" and

Sission" are employed instead. Due to its infrequent use, it is diffi-

cult to assess the importance of evangelization in the WCC. Certainly

some assemblies are more interested in evangelization than others, and

 213

it does not always correspond that the assemblies of the CWME give more

attention to evangelization. Bangkok is an example of a CWME Assembly

which exhibits little interest in evangelization, while Nairobi follows

after with renewed concern. It is not that evangelization is forgotten

in these assemblies; it is simply difficult to locate. A brief glance at

the documents will prove a disappointment if one is looking for the

actual word. This survey has been necessary in order to point out that

evangelization is a concern of the WCG, though sometimes a hidden one.

Second, it is possible to trace a development in the understanding

of evangelization throughout these 25 years. This development is that of'

a progression towards an increasingly holistic view of evangelization.

This is evident in several ways. First of all, evangelization is often

described as 'bringing the whole Gospel to the whole world by the whole

Church. ' This phrase, as it has been explained at several CODferenCeS,

puts evangelization in a holistic perspective, In bringing the Gospel to

the who](- world, evangelization interacts with every dimension and

realm. Secondly, evangelization is usually coupled with social action

which makes it more inclusive. It is certainly more than proclamation.

It includes word and deed, proclamation and action, and confession and

discipleship. Thirdly, the traditional aspects of evangelization --

proclamation, conversion and salvation - are also understood within a

more holistic framework. All three aspects are multi-dimensional, For

instance, as has been mentioned, conversion includes the individual and

the corporate, the structural and the religious, and the Church and the

society. In their own ways, proclamation and salvation are also com--
 214

prehensive as has been discussed in the survey. In these three ways,

evangelization has continua]Jy expanded througho ut these assemblies, The

understanding of evangelization which emerges at the end of this survey

is one that is inclusive of many aspects is holistic in its

and

approach. Evan gelization in the WCC includes the 'whole Gospel' and the

'whole world' and the 'whole Church. '

 -15

FINDNOTES

Or (amlo costas The Church if)(] -Its Miqsioii :A Shat.Aerifqr Cril i

,
f rom the Th ird Wor ld (Wheaton IIIj flo Tyndale House Publ ishers
II-), __ :
_jý.,,
1974 1). 267 .

2 Pli iI ip Potter, "Exange I is in and the Wor Id Com I ci I of Chi) r ell es The
Ecumenical ,"
Review 20 (Apri 1 1968) 1), 176.
,
1,
3,

4. fbid. At. the first, meeting of the cWME, the relationship be-tweell
ewing, e) i Zý-. Iti Oil and Mission Within the WCC wa,,,, to be a topic which the
CWME was to investigate. "The Committee asks that 1.1w relation between
'. H ;II Va 11 j ,-,At'itit. he wo rk of t-he T)ivisions ho
.isSi01j, i(I p el uId be a rnat--
ter of coll-t-inuirlp, study. " Commission on World Mission and Exangelism,
minlites of th Assembly Lj th,! ý International Mission Council, Novem-
ber 17-18, -1961 aod or the First Meeting of the Commission oD Wor-ld Mis
,; I,oti ild j,, KLaiqyelism of the World Council of Churches, December 7-8,1961
-. New (Gerieva:
at Delhi Commissioii on World Mission and ExangeNsm, 1961),
p. 32.

5 Ibid.

G. Martin Lehmnnn-"abeck affirms the thesis that the WCC presents a.

holistic evangelization in an article entitled, "Whollstic Evangelism: A
WCC Perspective, " International R-eview of Mission 78 (January 198d):
7 16. His article &ppr&TQ'-s _Tfi
e' s u'b jec, tr i' adif re ren t van Cage po int.
and uses a different methodology. His vantage point is primarily
theological. He cites and explains several theological concepts of
holistic evangelization, such as: Conversion, The Pattern of Jesus, The
Vocation of the Church, Evangelism as Onod News to the Poor. His method-
ology is to investigate these aspects of holistic This
evangelization.
present study bases its findings on the documents themselves whose con-
tents are analyzed and set in chronological order. Despite varying pur
poses and methodologies, it is important to note that both studies come
to a similar conclusion about evangelization in the WCC.

7. W. A. Visser 't Hooft, ed.. 7he New Delhi Report, The Third Assembly
of the World Council of Churches, 1961 (New York Association Press,
1962), p. 85. This is a recurrent phrase in ecumenical circles. Perhaps
it is best known for its use nt the Rolle meeting of the Central Commit
tee in 1951. It was used in this context to define the word, "ecumenK
cal. " "We would especially draw attention to the recent confusion in the
use of the word "ecumenical. " It is important to insist that this word,
is properly used to describe everything that to the whole
... relates
task of the whole Church to bring the Gospel to the whole world. It
therefore covers equally the missionary movement and the movement
towards unity, and must not he used to describe the latter in can-
 216

tradistinction to the former. " World Council of Churches, "The Callinp

or the Church To Mission and To Unity, " 1he Q-qu-meni-cyll 4 (October
1951), p. 67. -Revi-ew

S. As the
report from Mexico City "Reconciliation
says, of men to God
and men must in our day include not only persons but also institutions
and national and international life. This reconciliation is part of the
work of God in which he calls us to take part. " Ronald K. Orchard, ed.,
Witness In Six Continents, Records of the Meeting of the Commission on
World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches held in
Mexico City, December 8th to 19th, 1963 (London: Edinburgh House Press,
1964), p. 153,

9. Vi ý;,ser 't floof t. New M-110

, , 1). <26.
10. Orchard, Witness Tn Six Coni nenU s, p. 144.

11 Vissur ' t. flooft New Delhi pp. 85--86.

. , ,
12. lhid. pp. 86-87,
,

13. See f rl "I

ý .

14. Orchard, Witness In Six CODLigentg, p. 162. Elsewhere in the same

document, these lar -,
sim! words are Found, "We thus af f irm that thi sm is -
sionary ta sk is one and demands unity, It is one because the Gospel is
one. It is one because in all countries the Churches face the same
essential task. It is o ne because every Chri stian congreHation in all
the world is called to show the love of God in Christ, in witness and
service to the world at its doors. It demand s unity because it is
obedience to one Lord, " Thid., p. 174,
...

I5 Thi cl p 79

16. Mid., pp. 157-158. Both Mexiuo City and New Delhi that
asmert
God's actions in the present can be better understood by looking to
God's past actions in Lhe Bible. As the report from New Delhi asserts,
"The story of God's dealing with Israel is the clue for our understand
ing of God's will for all nations and his present work among them. " Vis--
ser 't Hooft, New j? ejji 1), 81, See also the q"ote in the text for this
footnote. -,

17. Orchard, Witness in Six contip( 14 4.

18. Ibid., V. 153.

19. Ibid, P. 148.

,

20. "In every age UP Holy Spirit makes possible the communication of'
the truth, hut often the new ways in which he seeks to lead Christ's
witnesses seem strange and dangerous to those who are accustomed to
traditional methods. " (Italics added) Ibid., p. 82. Later, in the same
docnmenk, it is written, "In a spiriL of penitence and of willingness N)
 217

be led by the spirit of God into new ways of witness. the whole Church
must recognize that her divine mission calls for the most dynamic and
costly flexibility. " (italics added) Ibid., p. 90.

21. fbid. p. 78. In these two sentences alone, the word "new" occurs
,
seven times.

22. Thomas Wieser, ed. Working Papers on the New

Quest For Missionary Communities (New York: The U. S. Conference for the
World Council of Churches, 1966), p. 221 . Hans Margul I, the WCC Secre--
tary for Studies in Evangelism who was responsible for initiating and
coordinating this study, offers a helpful comment about the integral
relationship between evangelization and congregational structures. "Oil
the one hand, experience has shown that the most serious problem if)
evangelism to-day is not modern man, but rather, the local congrega.
... -
tion, which should be the very agent of evangelism: and on the other
hand, the most serious problem with regard to the congregation is its
traditional structure, which in most cases makes it impossible for it to
become the true agent of evangelism. " Hans A Margull, "Structures for
Missionary Congregations, " International Review of Mission 57 (October
1963), p. 435.

23. Wieser, PlanniriR For Missi_on, p. 50.

24. Department on Studies in Evangelism, The Church For Others, and The
Church for the W!jrld, Final Report on a Quest for Structures for Mis-
sionary Congregations by the Western European Working Group and North
American Working Group (Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1968), pp.
16-17.

25. Several years after this study, Norman Goodall explains the impor-
tance of the secular world within ecumenical circles. "More and more it
[the secular world] is being seen as the sphere in which God himself is
at work. The Christian does not consecrate or sanctify it; he learns to
perceive God's presence in it In the new emphasis the movement is
...
from within the secular as a realm which is itself created by God,
within which his presence is to be discovered and his redemptive work
realized. " Norman Goodall, Ecumenical A Decade of Channe in
(London: oxford University Press, 1972), pp. 34;
37.

26. Wieser, Planning Fqj, MQsiqq, p. 55.

27. Ibid., p. 49.

28. Visser 't Hooft, Nyy_ppjhi, p. 85.

29. Department of Studies in Evangelism, Qe Church For Others, p. 18.

30. Ibid., p. 75.

31, True conversion is "a movement toward the world into which both
insider and outsider are called jointly to enter and in which they
 218

t()Wýt, IW I' I) eco ine part, ic i pants in Go (I Is mission. "r I) i d.

32. "In former times the Church was viewed as the ark, perilously
afloaL amidst the turbulent seas of this world; outside the safety of
this vessel mankind was going down to destruction and the only salvation
was to he dragged from the deep into the safety of the ecclesiastical
ship, In our study however we are more inclined to say that the
...
Church is a part of the world and that our thinking about the Church
should always start by our defining it as a segment of the world
Wieser, jltannipy, For JIM. ", p. 9.

33. Hans J. Margull, Hope in Action: The Church's Task_ in_ the W-r1q,
trans. Eugene Peters (Philadelphia: *
Muhlenberg Press, 1962), p. xi.
Margull defines evangelization in this way, "Evangelism as 'expectant.
evangelism' is solely participation in the activity of God with a view
to his great deed at the end. " Thid., p. xx.

34. Department on Studies in Evangelism, The Church For Others, p. 78.

35. "There is a burning relevance today in describing the mission of'

God, in which we participate, as the gift of a new creation which is a
radical renewal of the old and thv invitation to men to grow up into
their full humanity in the new man, Jesus Christ. " Norman Goodall, ed.,
The Upp, 114 Reporl 196y, Official report of the Fourth Assembly of the
World Council of Churches, Uppsala, July 4-20,1968 (Geneva: World Coun-
cil of Churches, 196B), p. 28.

36. Ibid.

37. Goodall, ý, p. 28. To the section on conversion in the

preliminary drafts for Uppsala, the emphasis is on the corporate and
socivtal understanding of turning from sin, not just the individual
turning from his/her sins, . it [conversion] also means liberation
...
from the past and from the forces and powers of evil. Such libera
...
tion has not only to do with individual sins, the moral wrong and evil
deeds of men, it equally concerns the forces of society and the cosmic
powers of the universe. Neither the scope nor the significance of con
version can be confined to the narrow personal sphere. " World Council of
Churches, Drafts Section s, prepared for the Fourth Assembly of the
World Council _For
Fhurý]Ws, -
Uppsala,
of Sweden, 1968 (Geneva: World Council
of Churches, 1968), p. 36.

38. As Paul Lbffler writes, "In the New and Old Testaments there is
absolutely no gap between turning to God and its realization in the per
sonal and social spheres. The consistent teaching of the prophets that
is carried further in the New Testament insists that a new relationship
with God and service to humanity belong inseparably together. There
...
is a clear recognition that 'service to humanity' is not only part of
Christ's ministry in its own right but is in itself an expression of a
reorientation to God. " Paul Ldffler, "The Biblical Concept of Conver-
sion, in Mission Trend No g: EvIngfqizatiorl, Crucial Issues in Mission
-s -.
Tod ed. Gerald ,aI H. Anderson and Thomas F. Stransky (Grand Rapids: Wm
_g
_y,
R. Eerdmans P"blishing Co., 1975), p. 40.
 2 19

Gooda IIp. 28,

,19.

40ý World CouncAl of' Churches, Drafts For Sections, p. 36,

41, Ibid., p. 29,

42. Ibid., p. 28. In the report. "The Holy Spirit and the Catholicity of'
the Church, " found in the Drafts Ir Sections, these words are found
about the role of' -the Holy Spiri t evangelism. "In giving this I ife
-in
the Holy Spirit brings sinful men through repentance and Baptism into
the universal fellowship of the forgiven; " Ibid., p. 13.
...

43. "Through that death on the Cross, man's alienation is overcome by

the forgiveness of God and the way is opened for the restoration of all
men to their sonship. In the resurrection of Jesus a new creation was
born, and the final goal of history was assured, when Christ as head of'
that new humanity will sum up all things. " Goodall, M§A19, p. 28.

44. Malcolm J. McVeigh, "Vatican 11 and Uppsala: A Comparison of Two

Missionary Documents, " Missig" 2 (July 1974), p. 332.

45. James A. Scherer, "Ecumenical Prospects For Fvnqc. ] ism, 12

(Winter 1973), p. 43.

46. A Roman Catholic and Protestant dounment, on common witness affirms

Philip Potter's statement quoted above about 'witness' being the favnr--
ite word. "Modern languages use several biblically derived terms which
denote particular aspects of the announcement of the Gospel in word and
deed: Witness, Apostolale, Mission, ConfessiOD, EVangCUSM, KCrygMa,
Message, etc, We have preferred here to adopt 'Witness' because it
oxpresses more comprehensively the realities we are treating. " Christian
witness is then defined as "continuous acts by which a Christian
proclaims God's acts in history and seeks to reveal Christ as the truc
light which shines for everyone. " Joint Working Group between the Roman
Catholic Church and the WCC, "Common Witness and Proselytism, A Study
Document, " The Ecumenical Review 23 (January 1971), p, 10.

47. PoLter, "Evangelism and the World Council of Churches, " p. 177.

48. Scherer, "Ecumenical Prospects, " p. 44.

49. World Council of Churches, Paq&ýjý Qjymply 191q, Minutes and

Report of the Assembly of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism
of the World Council of Churches, December 31,1972 and January 9-12,
1973 (Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1973), p. 88.

50. Ibid., p. 102.

51. Mortimer Arias, Salvacibn Es Liberaci6n (Buenos Aires: Editorial

LaAurora, 1973).

52. James Scheror, "Bangkok: A Lutheran Appraisal

1974), p. 139.
 220

53. Mortimer Arias,a participant at the Assembly, has this to say

about salvation at Bangkok: "I would say tlwL there was nothing
strikingly new, buL what impressed me was the conference's inclusiveness
- the Concept of salvation as something comprehensive in its personal
and social aspects, and in the historical and eschatological understand
ing of malvaLion. " Frederick Bronkema, "Interviews With Bangkok Con
ference Participants, " IDOC North America 52 (April 1973), p, 1.

54. "Our concentration upon the social, economic and political implica
tions of the gospel does not in any way deny the personal and eternal
dimensions of salvation. Rather, we would emphasize that the personal,
social, individual and corporate aspects of salvation are so inter-
related that they are inseparable. " World Council of Churches, Yngply,
p. 87.

55. "La gran

cuesti6n que se nos plantea es c6mo obra Dios su salvaci6n
en la historia.
humana? C6mo se hace efectiva ]a liberac! 6n por Cristo
en el acontecer de los hombres? Naturalmente, nuestra. respuesta m5s
...
inmediata es que la. Iglesia es el agente de Dins para la salvac! 6n del
mundo. " Arias, Salvaclon, pp. 54-55.

56, World Council or Churches, Bangkok As. embl 89.

, p.

57. Ibid., p. 105. Philip Potter comments on this in his speech before
the Assembly. "The Church would be the bearer of salvation today needs
itself to be saved, liberated from all that is false to the revolution-
ary, convicting and renewing nature of the Gospel. " Ibid., p. 5R.

58. Ibid., p. 76.

59. "There is therefore, on the other hand, absolutely no dichotomy

between 'conversion' and its realization in social action. There
...
exists a constant interrelation, which reveals the underlying unity of'
God's purpose for the world and the church. " Paul LUfFler, "The Biblical
Concept of Conversion, " f1py jý'jjý, oiifit. -1 (No. 2,1965), V. 99,
_cýr,
60. f I)J d.

(-,
) I- 110rId Counci I of' Churches Ban.gkok Assembly, 1). -101 .
,

62. See Costas, The Church and Its Mission, 1). 279.

63. Ibid., p. 99, Dr. Rossel, in his comments on Bangkok, underscores

the meaning of evangelization as including a call to salvation,
"Evangelism with its proclamation of God's salvation and its invitation
to commitment within a committed community provides the dynamics of
action programmes, witnessing to salvation. " Ibid., p. 68.

64. Scherer, "Bangkok: A Lutheran Appraisal, " p. 140. We do not agree,

however, with Sherer's ctmmenL thaL "No call to evangelism was issued at.
Bangkok. " Ibid., p. 140. Evangelization is present to some extent in the
discussion on salvation, liberation, and church growth, but in a hidden,
easy to miss fashion,
 221

65, David M. PaLon, ed. , Breaki ng Barriers, Na. Sobi 1975, The Off icial
Report of Lhe Fifth Assembly of the World Council of Churches, Nairobi,
23 November-10 December, 1975 (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1975), p.
52.

66 Ib i d. 1). 55.
. ,

67 p, 43. "Wi thou tcI car corifess i on of Chr i st our di s(ý ýjp'l (,,stj i 1)
.Tbid.,
("allno t he recogn i Zed; wi tholl t-I co", t ly di se i 1)1esh ip peop IewiII he"; 1tat: e
t0 be eve ou r con f es ý',i mi hi d. p. 44.
-11 -"r ,

68. "We ýtý,pj-orp cheap conversions, without consequences. We Peplore a

superficial gospel preaching, an empty gospel withont a call into per
sonal and communal discipleship. " On the other hand, "We Mjpn conver
sions without witness to Christ. " fbid., p. 44; 45.

69. Thid. 1). 52.

,

70. Ibid., 45. "Our confessing

p. Christ today would deny W4,
incarnation it wouldifbe limited to only some areas of life, It con
corns thewholeness of human ure: our words and acts; our personal and
communal existence; our worship and responsible service; nui particular
ond ec"menical ronLexk" [bid., p. 50.

71, thid 1). 53 ,

.,

72. The ronowing statements from Nairobi and New Delhi, respectively,
exhibit their similarity with regards to the Holy Spirit activating the
Church to uvangelize: "When the Holy Spirit empowers us to confess
Christ today " (Nairobi, p. 48) and "Above all else, the Spirit stirs
...
up the Church to proclaim Christ as Lord and Savior " (New Delhi, p,
...
81). In MUM to helping the church to evangelize, the Spirit also
aids the Church's service and discipleship, Again, these statements from
Nairobi and New Delhi, respectively, show the Spirit's role in the
Church's service: "Authentic Christians live the death and resurrection
of Christ by living the forgiven life in selfless service to others, and
believe in the Spirit by whose power alone we are able to live our UR
of discipleship " (Nairobi, p. 50) and "By the Spirit the Church is
...
moved to the service of neighbour without distinction or discrimination''
(New Delhi, p. 81).

72, Joint Workinjý GT'Oup bet. ween Ole Roman Catholic Church and I.Iie WCC,
-
"Unity and Common Witness, " stu(jv Pneouliter (NUmber 3,1975), 1). 1.

74. -11).i d.
, P,

75. As one observer commented about evangelization at the Nairobi

Assembly, "The pages inbetween repeat over and over again the primacy of
explicit evangelism " Martin Conway, "Lessons from Nairobi, " The
...
Churchman 90 (April-June 1976) p, 96,
fla COIRflIll
11 r ljý,, 1) it N7 F, vaiigcl i sot i ri F( lirliell i c; j I
,
P(, rs I) ect i ve, I.nter-n at i-o-na I Revj ew MJS,ý; i oil 6(3 (OcLobet, 1977) p. '34 t
-of ,
 222

77ý World Council of Churches, Y1o_ur_.

Ki_ng0q_M Mission Perspectives.
Report -Come,
on the World Conference on Mission and Evangelism, Melbourne,
Australia, 12-25 May, 1980 (Geneva: Commission on World Mission and
Evangelism, World Council of Churches, 1980), p. 218.

78. Ibid., p. 193.

79. Ibid., p. 194.

80. Ibid., pp. 171; 196; 172.

81. Ibid., pp. 175-176.

82. "Might it, not be that they have the clearest vision, the closest
fellowship with the crucified Christ who suffers in them and with them'?
Might it. riot, be that the poor and powerless have the most significant.
word for the rich and powerful: that Jesus must be sought on the
periphery, and followed 'outside the city'? That following him involves
a commitment to the poor? Who but the church of the poor can preach with
integrity to the poor of the world? " Ibid., p. 219.
Julio de Santa Ana coordinated a WCC study on the church of the
poor. This study also speaks of the importance of the poor in
evangelization. "If to evangelize means to make it possible to meet
Jesus Christ, then the poor are the people among whom Christ is present.
in unknown ways. They are also the evangelists who bear Christ. " Julio
de Santa Ana, ed., Towards a Church of the Poor: The Work of an Ecumeni-
cal Gr up on the Church'and- the_'Pý_§aryknlfKlirbis Books Ip
164

8"). World Council of' Churches, Your Kingdoin_, Come, p. 219

84. fbid., p. 195.

85. ''In a world of large-scale robbery and genocide, Christian

evangelism can be honest and authentic only if it stands clearly against
these injustices which are diametrically opposed to the kingdom of God
and looks for response in an act of faith which issues in commitment. ''
[Ibid., p. 218. ] The document continues with these words in the follow-
ing paragraph: "We reject as heretical any proclamation of a discarnate
Christ, a caricatures Jesus, who is presented as not being intimately
concerned with human life and relationships. Our evangelism must be set
in the context of structures for global mission. " Ibid.

86. Ibid., p. 181.

87. "The message which the churches proclaim is not only what they
preach and write and teach. If they are to preach Good News, their own
lifestyle and what they do - or fail to do - will carry a message. In
his earthly ministry, Jesus Christ was consistent in proclaiming Good
News by what he said, what he did and what he was. If the churches are
to be faithful disciples and living members of the Body of Christ, they
too must be consistent in what they say, what they do and what they
are. " Ibid., p. 177.
 223

88. Fmi t io Castro, "Editorial, " Internatiollal. Review of Mission 71

(OCtober 1982) 421
, p.
89. Jean Stromberg, ed., Mission and Evan elism, An Ecumenical Affirma
tion: A Study (New York: Division of overseas
ýational Council the
of Churches of Christ in the U. S. A.
1983), P. 38.

90. Jbid. 1). 18.

:
,

9: 1. Ibid. p. 28, Castro makes this observation on the subject, "The

,
document affirms the importance local
of planting congregations as the
fundamental Christian missionary strategy. " Castro, "Editorial, " 1). 425.

92. Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, "Memorandum From A Con-

sultation On MissjoD, " Review of Missio; 71 (October
1982), p. 460.

93. David Gill, ed. , ýj4tjjeredjRr_'QQ, Official Report VI Assembly

World Council of Churches, Vancouver, Canada, 24 July-10 August, 1983.
(Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1983), p. 31.

94. Ibid., P. 40.

95, Witnessing to children will not be discussed in this for twc

survey
reasons: 1. Due to its appearance only at this recent assembly, there K
no opportunity to chart its development or its importance to evangeliza. -
tion; and 2. It is not a theme of any interest to the four Protestant
theologians in this study. In addition, witnessing through worship will
not be discussed for primarily the same reasons.

96. Vancouver offers several explanations at this point. First, the

assumption is made that "Christ transcends all cultural settings. " Ibid.
Secondly, the church is exhorted to keep the Gospel transcendent of cul-
tures as Christ is. "We need to be aware of the possibility of our wit-
ness to the Gospel becoming captive to any culture, recognizing the fact
that all cultures are judged by the Gospel. " Ibid., p. 33.

97. Ibid., P. 40.

98. Ibid., 31.

99. There is
a striking absence of references to that it. is orjjy
study;
mentioned once and at the very end of the report under " Recommenda ti Of's
to member churches. " In contrast, the study, fjýtism, Eucharist and Min-
isýry, receives attention throughout Lhe report on unity. This lack of
input from the study on mission and evangelization was a criticism made
by assembly participants. See lbid., p. 31.

100.1 bi d. 1). 31
, ,
 CHAPTER TEN

MORTIMER ARIAS

Mortimer Arias is both a Methodist and an ecumenist. As a Meth-

odist, he was bishop of the Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia and

General Secretary of the Confederation of Evangelical Methodist Churches

in Latin America. As an ecumenist, he has been a member of the Commis-

sion on World Mission and Evangelism of the WCC and has participated in

many WCC assemblies. At the Bangkok Assembly, he chaired the committee,

"Evangelism and Relationships; " at Nairobi he gave a plenary address,

and he was a delegate to the Melbourne Assembly. Presently, he is Rector

at the Seminario Biblico LatinoamericaDO in San Jos& Costa Rica and

teaches intermittently at the School of Theology, Claremont, California.

Evangelization has been the primary subject for him for many years.

During his tenure as bishop, the Bolivian Methodist Church issued a

document in 1974 "A Bolivian Manifesto

entitled, on Evangelism in Latin

America Today. " This document consists of theses on evangelization.

Arias presided over the team that drafted the document an(] felt. that.

"his first and most important contributlon to the team and its future

task was to provide an inst. rument of reflection about. 'a holistic form

of evangelism, liberating,. humanizing and conscientizing. '"-I Then, a

year later, in a frequently quoted plenary address to the Nairobi

Assembly, Arias made this statement about. evangelization, "Let us say at

 225

once that all action that claims to be evangelistic will have to 'name

the Name that is above all names, ' attempt the crossing of the frontier

between faith and non-faith, and communicate the Good News in some way

or other and to some degree. "2 These two statements of his indicate the

direction he was moving. Evangelization was to be holistic and was to

name the Name of Jesus Christ.

With these preliminary qualifications in mind, Arias continued to

search for a "theological framework for a new formulation of evaDgeliza-

tion. "3 In his opinion, conventional, traditional evangelization bad

reached 4 Instead, be explored for

a moment of crisis. new avenues

evangelization, looking for a holistic evangelization that was also

biblical 5 When describing his he writes, "I

and contemporary. search,

felt strongly that what was needed. more than anything else, was a new

encounter with the gospel in our generation and in our particular situa. -

tion, leading to a new formulation of the evangelistic task today - if

possible without being conditioned by the traditional 'hang-ups. '"6

His search came to fruition in preparation for the Melbourne Con-

ference On the theme, "Your Kingdom Come. "7 He and others recognized the

reign of God as the theological framework for a new evangelization. As

he wrote in an article after the Melbourne Conference, "Even more I

believe firmly that the kingdom is what we need to give to our

evangelization an adequate biblical basis, a solid theological founda-

tion as well " His led

as continuing motivation and creativity. search

him to "kingdom evangelization. " For this reason, he defines evangeliza--

tion as "announcing the reign of God. "9

 226

"Kingdom evangelization" is based on Jesus' evangelization. Jesus'

evangelization is essential to consider since Jesus is the center of the

gospel and the first evangelizer. This makes Jesus' evangelization the

authentic pattern and the one to copy. 10 "Kingdom is

evangelization"

important because all that Jesus did, said, taught and preached was

centered on the reign of God. For Arias, the reign of God is "God's

absolute future and God's design for humanity. "11 The reign is a

dynamic, many-sided reality. It issues in a new order of love. It-,

affirms, defends and celebrates life. It is a gift of God. It can cause

the present order to be turned upside down. It is simultaneously joyful

and violent, a reign of hope and a reign of conflict. It demands a deci-

sion, either for or against; neutrality is not an option in God's reign.

It is not fully realized in human history. Human revolutions fall short

of fulfilling God's reign; they are penultimate whereas the reign of God

is the ultimate. 12

The purpose of "kingdom evangelization" is two-fold: to announce

the reign of God and to call to discipleship. As he writes, "La

evangelizaci6n despu6s de todo, no es otra cosa que un anuncio del Reino

- encarnado en Jesucristo -y un Ilamado a entrar en el Reino por medio

de un discipulado radical (Mt. 11: 12; Lc. 6: 16; Le. 9: 57-62). -13 He sug-

gests that evangelization announces God's reign in three ways: as Gift,

Hope, and Challenge.

Announcing the reign as Gift has the sub-heading of "Evangelical

Evangelization. " Evangelical evangelization announces "the liberating

good news of Jesus Christ. -14 Announcing the reign of God as gift means
 227

proclaiming Jesus Christ and tile consequent liberation available through

God's grace, God's forgiveness of' sins, and God's defense of lif'e. In

this way, evangelization makes known God's gift of liberation and for-

giveness and lif'e to humanity, particularly the "sinned- against" of

human i ty. 15

Evangelization announces the re-ign of God as Hope. God's reign has

come, and it will come. However, in tile meantime, while the reign is

coming, evangelization proclaims hope. This is done through annunc-ia-

tion, denunciation, martyria and consolation.

Annunciation proclaims the coming reign which fulfills Go(]',, -;

promises and purposes for humanity. Through annunciation, hopes and

dreams and visions for a better life are inspired. 16 Arias the
applauds

ministry of annunciation in Latin America which has been: "inspiring

dreams of things yet to be, awakening the thirst for justice, raising

and supporting the hopes of the poor and oppressed, accompanying the

people in its 'walking' (oaminhada) toward the city of God, searching

for a 'more human and a more just society, ' seeking the kingdom God
of

and his justice, -17 These hopes and dreams, by

awakened annunciation,

are true and will come to pass.

Denunciation, On the other hand, proclaims the reign of hope by

pointing out unreal, false hopes. Denunciation condemns illusory hopes

which are contrary to and a hindrance to God's program for humanity.

These illusory hopes in Latin American society are false ideologies such

as the national security ideoJogy, and false hopes such as governmental

lies. 18 The Church in its denunciation condemns these false hopes in

 228

order that people can instead hope for God's purpose, the reign of

God. 19 He summarizes denunciation in this way: "Part of the task of the

Christian messenger is to criticize false gods and false prophets, to

unmask the powers and principalities, to confront them, and to denounce

anything Lhat is against God's dream, against God's purpose. "20

Arias mentions briefly that an evangelization of hope will also

include the ministry of martyria and consolation. Being a martyr is

synonymous with being a witness. He defines the Christian martyr as

. someone who places his body there where his word is in the name of

Christ. "21 Being a martyr, witnessing to Jesus Christ to the fullest.

extent, is a sign or hope which makes visibte the coming reign. 22 Con--

solation is evangelistic ministry to the distressed, the poor and the

oppressed, the broken - to those who need the hope of God's reign.

Rvangelization proclaims God's reign as hope through annunciation,

dennneintion. martyria, and consolation. If all of these means are main-

tained in balance, then evangelization, announcing the reign as hope,

will be holigti,, 2,3

Evangelization also announces the reign as Challenge. The challenge

arises from the in-breaking reign which demands a choice, a response.

God's reign issues a challenge to which an answer must be niven, 24 A

positive response is called conversion. Conversion entails a two. roid

movement to God and to neigbbor. 25 With this double movement, conversion

forFeILs any sense of religious sentiment or individualistic gain. Like

the reign of God, conversion is holistic, encompassing the personal and

the collective, the turn to God and to neighbor, 26

 229

At the point of conversion, the other purpose of evangelization

emerges - evangelization leads to discipleship. "Kingdom evangelizatiOD''

recruits disciples for God's reign. Once again, Jesus' evangelization

provides the pattern. Jesus gathered a group of disciples who were wit-

nesses of God's reign and who were to continue Jesus' evangelization.

The same is true of the Church's evangelization; it calls people to dis-

cipleship. Arias uses the image of "bidding" in this context. "The

church, being entrusted with good news for the world, 'bids for people'

in its evangelization. The church however, doesn't bid for souls,

...

but for people, real people who are called to enter into the reign of

God. -27 This is discipleship evangelization, recr"iting people for God's

28
reign.

To summarize, the purpose of evangelization is to proclaim the

reign of God and to call to discipteship. Arias separates the proclama-

tion of God's reign into three parts: announcing the reign as Gift,

Hope, and Challenge. These parts underline the fullness of evangeliza-

tion. Evangelization also issues the call to discipleship in order to

recruit people for God's reign.

Evangelization is accomplished through various means. The means of

evangelization as suggested by Arias are verbal proclamation, living the

Gospel (witness), and the Church. These means are interdependent in the

evangelistic process for it is the Church who witnesses to and who

proclaims the Gospel. Verbal proclamation communicates and explains the

Gospel to the people. Living the Gospel offers an authenticity to the

process and an additional Sign Of the effectiveness of the message. Ver--

 230

bal proclamation and living as a witness of the Gospel are an

inseparable unity. In the Bolivian Manifesto on Evangelism, this unity

is stated in these words:

In order to preach the Gospel we must live the Gospel: to

live it in its totality, in constant conversion, personally
and collectively, in self-criticism and renewal; to live it
as definitive good news. To live the Gospel is not only
essential in order to back the proclamation, but it is also
indispensable in order to understand and to be able to
announce it as it really is. 29

And it is the Christian community who evangelizes through proclama-

tion and witness. This is part and parcel of being the Church. 30

Holistic, "kingdom evangelization" is done by means of verbal proclama--

tion and living witness of the Gospel by the Church community.

With "kingdom evangelization, " Arias endeavors to avoid all reduc-

tions. These reductions affect both evangelizatiori and the reign of God.

Evang elization is often reduced t-o only one of its many dimensions, for
.,

example either saving souls or social service. 31 The is that.

outcome

these reductions come to stand for the whol-e of evangelization, instead,

the Bolivian Manifesto affirms that "true evangelism is holistic: the

whole Gospel. for the whole mati and the whole of mankind, Evangelism

addresses man in the totality of his being: individual aiid social,

physical and spiritual, historical anti eternal.,, 32

Holistic evangelization possesses several characteristics which

ensure its fullness. Evangelization is contextual. Contextualization

takes seriously the people who are being evangelized and their historýi -

cal situation. His rhetorical question in this regard points out the

importance of contextualization. "How can evangelism be authentic unless

 231

it is faithful both to the Scriptures and to real people in real con--

tcýxts 33 Contextua. lization important for Fot- that

.,?,, each generation.
-is

reason, Arias contends that each generation has to contextualize

evangelization 34
anew.

Similar- to contexhialization, evangelization is To

-incarnational.

be incarnate implies a unity between word and deed, proclamation and

35 Acarnational is to ization
action. evangelization related contextual

for both are concerned with integrating the message with the particular

situatioD. The result of incarnation and CODI.extualizatiOD is that

"Evangelism cannot, therefore, be reduced to a formula which can be

uniformly applied to any situation or to tho mere verbalism of evangeli-

cal propaganda. "36

Evangelization is prophetic. Prophetic evangelization is related to

the two previous characteristics because it, too, takes into account the

particular situation. 37 Prophetic scrutinizes the situa---

evangelization

tion to determine is true is false. 38 It then to

what and what responds

the context in the appropriate way choosing among annunciation, denun-

ciation, consolation and martyria.

Evangelization is confrontational because it challenges institu-

tions and unjust powers in society. And evangelization is evangelical

because it announces the good news of Jesus Christ and his liberation.

All in all holistic evangelization comprises many characteristics; it is

contextual, incarnational, prophetic, confrontational and evangelical.

Along with evangelization, the reign of God is holistic. Again, as

with evangelization, the reign of God suffers from being reduced to only
 232

one dimension: "the transcendental kingdom in heaven or the inner king

dom of religious experience or the cataclysmic kingdom of the apocalyp

ticists or the political kingdom of a new social order or the

ecclesiastical kingdom of church expansion. "39 Yet "kingdom evangeliza-

tion" strives to envisage God's reign in all its dimensions - personal

and social, political and spiritual, transcendental and historical. Witt)

a holistic evangelization, the reign of God is displayed in its fullness

and vice versa.

In summary, then, the reign of God is the very center and founda-

tion of Arias' evangelization. He supports this by appealing to the

example and the ministry of Jesus. Like Jesus, "kingdom evangelization"

announces God's reign and calls to discipleship in the reign. The means

for "kingdom evangel i zation" are verbal proclamation, witness, and the

Church community. Many characteristice are essential to the reign of God

and to "kingdom evangelization: " several of these are holistic,

prophetic, incarnate, contextual, and confrontive. With these concepts,

Arias strives to overcome any reductions which -threaten the wholeness of

evangelization and the reign of God.

Arias has adopted many aspects of the WCC and its assemblies,

reports, and discussions on evangelization. Several influences can be

noted. First of all, as he acknowledges, he accepts Paul L617fler's find-

ings on the two-fold movement in conversion to God and to 40

neighbor.

Following from this, Arias includes a selection from Guti6rrez who

expands this notion of the two-way movement in conversion. According to

Guti6rrez, the neighbor towards which the convert moves must be the poor
 233

neighbor. 41 For Arias, this two-way outward expression of conversion

prevents a spiritual, individualistic, non-historical conversion. In

addition, he maintains a connection between conversion and the reign of

God. 42

Secondly, as has been already noted, the Melbourne Assembly theme,

"Your Kingdom Come, " unlocked the basic notion of evangelization for

Arias the reign of God. In his study in preparation for Melbourne, he

discovered that the reign of God was the theological framework for a new

evangelization. After Melbourne, "kingdom evangelization" comes to the

fore in his writing. The reign of God offers the fullness for a

theological basis which evangelization had previously lacked.

Thirdly, with Jesus Christ at the center of evangelization and

serving as the evangelistic model, Arias mirrors the christological

trend of the WCC. Since the Uppsala Assembly where Jesus' ministry is

upheld as the pattern to imitate, the WCC consistently stresses this

aspect of christology. At Melbourne, in particular, Jesus' evangeliza-

tion is the example for the Church. Jesus announced the reign of God,

evangelized the poor, and so must the Church in its evangelization.

Undoubtedly both Melbourne and Arias are influenced by the earlier Roman

Catholic document, EvangPID Nuntlandi, in which Jesus' evangelization

is the pattern because he was the first Evangelizer. (EN: 7)

Finally, in his holistic evangelization, Arias reflects the WCC and

its approach to evangelization. As the above analysis of evangelization

in the WCC points out, the move has been and continues to be towards a

holistic evangelization. 43 Each builds

assembly and report on the
 234

previous one in this manner. The first evidence of an interest in

holistic evangelization for Arias occurs in the Bolivian Manifesto oil

evangelization. 44 Then, from his Arias

own admission, endeavored to

develop a holistic evangelization in his plenary speech at the Nairobi

Assembly. 45 Finally, he adopted the God for

when reign of a theological

framework, he also found the means for a holistic evangelization. In

this way, Arias and the WCC have been traveling similar paths in a

mutual search for a holistic evangelization.

 235

F',NDNOTES

*1 MorLimer Arias, "A Bolivian Manifesto on Exangelism in Latin America

.
Today, " A_Moiitlilv Letter about EwanFelism 2 (February 1975), p. 2.

2. Mortimer Arias, "That the World May Believe, " International Review
of Missio_n 65 (January 1976), p. 17. With this statement, he categorized
evangelization as distinct from mission or any other task of the church
which is not explicitly evangelistic. In this, he was reacting against
the common tendency to say that "everything the church does is
evangelism. " He explains, "But when I was preparing my address to the
Nairobi Assembly, I was conscious that this was a living ecumenical
issue, that many churches were evading the question of evangelism, pro-
tecting themselves behind the affirmation that 'everything the church
does is evangelism. ' I felt called to say something more and to take a
step further from this inclusive concept. " [Mortimer Arias, "Contex-
tualization in Evangelism: Towards an Incarnational Style, " Perkins
ur, "J, 32 (Winter 1979), p. 16.
_Q, His speech at Nairobi was heavily and consistently criticized for
making evangelization more inclusive than MISSYD. The reactions
centered particularly on this statement of his, "All this is mission,
and it can be an integral part of true evangelism in the world today. ''
[Arias, "That the World May Believe, " p. 16. Richard Moore responds to
the speech and declares that Arias makes evangelization "the primary
category and mission the
sub-category " Richard Moore, "Witness: Christ's Mandate to the
...
Church, '' Lqý,!ýrnational Review of Mission 65 (January 1976), p. 34. See
also the response by Metropoi-itan Mar Osthathios, "Worship, Mission,
Unity - These Three, " International Review of Mission 65 (January 1976),
p. 39, who writes, ''The bishop considers evangelism to be more inclusive
than mission. "]
I disagree with these two comments as they misunderstand the
reasoning behind Arias' statement. He is not saying that evangelization
is more inclusive than mission; he is merely stating that mission,
particularly referring to the list he offers of the WCC activities, ; Aj,
indeed, be true evangelization it it Dames Jesus Christ. If mission
names Jesus Christ, then he considers it evangelistic. However, by
i. RCJUdiDg some aspects of mission in evangelization, he does not mean
that evangelization is the larger concept. His interest is in defining
what is evangelization and what is not, particularly what is evangeliza-
tion in the Church's mission and what is not evangelization.
A statement of Arias' in another context proves beneficial.
"Recently in the ecumenical discussion the need to define and clarify
the relationship between mission and evan elism has been raised. It.
seems to me that we can distinguish between them but we cannot separate
them. And the distinction is precisely in this intentionality of
evangelism, this specificity of 'naming the Name, ' " Arias, "Contex-
...
tualization in Evangelism, " p. 36.
 2,36

3. Mortimer Arias, Announciii- th Reý_gji 9f ýýq- Ev nýelization and the

-1 - 1--l
Subversive Memory of Jesus (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984), p. xiv.

4. From the proliferation of evangelistic activities in the 70's, espe-

cially in North America, Arias deduced that traditional evaDgelization
was at a crisis point. "I would suggest that all these movements and
activities are manifestations of a crisis in evangelism: a crisis in
definition, a crisis in motivation, a crisis in methodology and con-
tent. " [Arias, "Contextualization in Evangelism, " p. 3. ] He continues,
"I am not using the word 'crisis' in a negative or pejorative sense. The
Greek root of the word 'crisis' suggests the potentiality for change,
the critical point wherefrom you can develop in the wrong or in the
right direction, where the old is giving birth to the new. This is why I
speak of a crisis of conventional evangelism and the search for a new
evangelism. " [ibid. See also Arias, Announcing t Reign of God, p.

See Ibid. 1). x: i Ji.

,

fbid., p. xiv.

7. For the preliminary preparations for Melbourne, he wrote a book

using the same title as the conference - Mortimer Arias, Yq_qga i fýýi !! W
(ba memoria de Jes6s), Colecci6n: Prdxis Biblica (4) 'D (Mexico:
subversiva
Casa Unida de Publicaciones, S. A., 1980).

8. Mortimer Arias, "Melbourne and Evangelism, " A Monthly Letter About

Evangelism 5,6,7 (May, June, July 1981. ), Pp. 1-2.

9. Mortimer Arias, "Evangelization and Social Ethics - Some Reflec--

tions, " Perkins Journal 35 (Winter-Spring 1982), p. 40. His movement
from the former definition of evangelization, that which names the Name
of Jesus Christ, to the latter, announcing the reign of God, can be
easily traced. Arias has moved from naming the Name of Jesus Christ to
considering the evangelization of the one who holds the Name. Jesus
Christ is still the center of evangelization, and Jesus' evangelization
centered on the reign of God. Arias is consistent in moving from all
evangelization which names Jesus Christ to maintaining the Name along,
with incorporating Jesus' own evangelization into evangelization today.

10. See Arias, Announc-tnv. the Rci rpý Rf p. 2. There are reflections
of EvangeM Nantiandi in this statement where Jesus is portrayed as the
first Evangelizer (EN: 7) who proclaims the reign of God (EN: 8).

11 Ibid. 1). 39.

. ,

12. He writes, "La iglesia es una comunidad escatol6gica. Es decir, da

testimonio de una realidad suprahist6rica y transhist6rica, el Reino de
Dios. Un reino que no puede ser agotado ni plenamente realizado en la
historia. Ninguna revoluc-i6n humana puede equiparse con el Reino de
Dios. Ninguna revoluciOn humana ser6 la 61tima-, con relacj6n al
...
Reino de Dios s6lo puede ser penfiltima. " Mortimer Arias, "La Iglesia y
La Revoluci6n, " Cristianismo v Sociedad 31 (1972), p. 21.
 237

13. Arias, T-u Rei-no, p. 153.

-V'ep9a
14. Arias, "A Bolivian Manifesto, " 1). 4

15. For Arias. the

sinned-against are "those who are the victims of the
sins of others the poor, the outcasts, the marginals, the 'little
...
ones, I the sick, the despised and rejected Arias, Aýjyg ly
pt God, p. 79.

16. he writes, "The ministry of annunciation has to raise before the

people the vision of God's purpose for humanity. It should be a ministry
inspired by new visions and dreams for humanity. " Mortimer Arias, "Mini-
stries of Hope in Latin America, " International Review of Mission 71
(January 1982), p. 6.

17. Arias. Aynqqq1M 14, "Lj&q q- Qqd, pp. 91-92.

18. Ibid., p. 93.

19. He gives a specific example in which the Evangelical Methodist

Church in Bolivia critiqued the revolution. He names four steps which
the Church took in regards to the revolution - "1. Aprovechando de la
revoluci6n; 2. Acompahando A revoluci6n; 3. PreparAndose para la
revoluci6n; 4. Criticando la revoluci6n. " Arias, "La Iglesia y La
Revoluci6n, " pp. 22-27. In explaining the last step, that of the
Church's critique, he writes, "De este modo la iglesia estaba
desempehando un rol prof6tico al criticar cl proceso deshumanizante de
la sociedad, al juzgar los actos del gobierno a la luz de un evangelio
humanizador y liberador, y al ayudar a la gente a PeDsar por A misma e
inspirar la autodeterminaci6n del pueblo. " Ibid., p. 27.

20. Arias, "Ministries of Hope, " p. 7. Denouncing false hopes was part-
of Jesus' evangelization also. On this see Arias, VIng,
nga Tu ReI,, pp.
156-157. , _ ,

21. Arias, "A Bolivian Mari i festo, " 1). 5.

22. See Arias, "Ministries of Hope, " p. 8.

23. "But thisministry needs to be holistic in itself: there is not

real annunciation without denunciation, no real denunciation without
annunciation and consolation, no real martyria which is not at the same
time annunciation, denunciation, and consolation. " Arias, Announcina the
Qio Qf Go,d. p. 99.

24. He explains, "Frente a] Reino no se puede permaDecer neutral: se

estd en contra oa favor. La proclamaci6n del Reino hace violencia a
...
A situaci6n del hombre y de ]a sociedad. Implica juicio y trans-
formaci6n. Y requiere una respuesta y una deeisi6n. " Arias, T'P
Reing, pp. 109,112.

25. Arias acknowledges the influence of Paul L6ffler's study on conver-

sion for the WCC. This will be discussed under influences on Arias.
 238

26. He writes, "The in-breaking kingdom calls forth a radical change:

to turn lo God - and to the neighbor! [Conversion] is a turning
...
toward the kingdom in Jesus Christ and to our neighbor in service. It is
a historical movement with very definite personal and social manifesta-
tions. Here again we cannot separate the personal and the social. ''
Mortimer Arias, "Announcing the Kingdom, " Sojourner, 12 (September
1983), p. 19.

27. Ibid., p. 18.

28. "Discipleship evangelization, then, means recruitment invitation

-
to participate in the blessings of the kingdom, to celebrate the hopes
of the kingdom, and to engage in the tasks of the kingdom: discipleship
in the kingdom and for the kingdom. " Ibid.

29. Arias, "A Bolivian Manifesto, " p. 6. fie says the same words in
another context, this time referring to his Lime spent in prison and the
incarnation of the Gospel that context. "To communicate the firospel
-in
you have to live the gospel. " Mortimer Arias, "Evangelization from the
Inside: Reflections from a Prison Cell, " International Bulletin of Mi,, -.---
sionar Research 5 (July 1.981.), p. 98.
.......- ----- ly ---i-4-D-1
30. As he writes about the Church's proclamation, "The Church is the
'means' par excellenco of communication of the Gospel or it is not a
church. " [Arias, "A Bolivian Manifesto, " p. 4. ) As far as witness is
concerned, it is the Church who evangelizes in this way. "How can the
Gospel be communicated except through the congregation which lives out
the Gospel? " Arias, "That the World May Believe, " p. 23.

3t. See Arias' discussion in "Contextualization in Evangelism, " pp. 20--

29.

32. Arias, "A Bolivian Manifesto, " p. 3.

33. Arias, "That the World May Believe, " p. 21.

34. "Each generation has to appropriate, to contextualize, and to com-

mun-j*(;,jt(-- the gospel. But the problem is that the experience of one gen-
eration tends to become the norm for the next one. The time comes
...
when we have to break the flower pot, to recover the seed and to plant
it in our own contemporary soil. Which means, first of all, a new con--
frontation with the gospel, a new reading of the Bible, and as far as
possible without inherited eyeglasses. " Arias, "Contextualization in
Evangelism, " p. 4.

35. "A Bolivian Manifesto, " p. 4. In this same document, it states,

"True evangelism is incarnate: proclamation in words and deeds in a con
crete situation. The Gospel is eternal, but not atemporal or ahjsLori
cal. A addresses itself to the whole man in his context, " Ibid.

36.1 bi d.

37. See Mortimer Arias, "Contextual Evangelization in Latin America:

 239

Between Accommodation and Confrontation, " Occasional Bulletin of Mis--

r.Y, 2 (, January 1978), p. 23. Arias employs a definition of
-s"joln-a.
Shoki Coe's for prophetic evangelization: "a genuine encounter between
God's Word and his [Latin American] world, challenging
... and changing,
the situation Hirougli the roo te "ess i-n and c,orn,m-j tment tq a given his--
torical " IbId. 20,- -
moment. , p.

38. See Arias, "Ministries of Hope, " p. 8.

39. Arias, Announcing the Reign of God, p. xv. See Arias, Ký-Pg4 I'll
also
Reino, 38-52 ---,
for - ----------
fUller discussion
pp. I of various reductions Of the
reign of God.

40. Arias, "CoDtextualization In PVaDgeliSM, " p. 37.

41. See Arias, "Contextualization In Evangelism, " pp. 35-36. See

Gustavo Guti6rrez, A lbeolpgy Rf Liberalloy History, Pol: tics Sal-
and
-Caridad-I&I-10-john
vati i, ed. and trans., Eagleson (Maryknoll: Orbis
Books, 1973), p. 204.

42. As he writes, "I wonder whether the reason why we have lost almost.
totally this double movement of conversion in our evangelistic witness,
and its histtorical dimension, is not because we have disconnected COD
version from any reference to the Kingdom. " [Arias, "Contextualization
in Evangelism, " p. 37. ] Wfler, too, relates conversion and the reign
of God, "Its [conversion's] center is on the Kingdom and not in the
individual or the church. " Paul Wfler, "The Biblical Concept of Con--
version, " in Missi Trends No. 1: jvanMiUtion, ed. Gerald H. Ander--
Thomas F. 'a
Stransky (Grand Rapids:
son and Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
1975), p. 40.

43. On this topic see also Martin Lehmann-Babeck, "Wholistic

Evangelism: A WCC Perspective, " 11ter"lional Review of Mission 73
(January 1984): 7-16.

d4. The Manifesto states, "True in listi

evangelism c: the whole
Gospel for the whole man and the -I- -
Evangelism
whole of mankind. addresses
man in the totality of his being: individual and social, physical and
spiritual, historical and eternal. We reject, therefore, all
dichotomies, ancient and modern, which reduce the Gospel to one dimen--
sion or fragment man who has been created in the image and likeness of
God. We do not accept the idea that evangelism means only 'saving souls,
and seeking exclusively 'a change in the eternal status of the individ--
ual'; these concepts are insufficient. We reject also the reduction of
the Gospel to a programme for service development
or social or to a mere
instrument of socio-political programmes. " Arias, "A Bolivian
Manifesto, " p. 3.

45. See Arias, App, ounc-ing t'he. R_eign_ o_f'_Go'd, p. xii. j.

 CHAPTER ELEVEN

EM-11,10 CASTRO

Emilio Castro, a Uruguyan Methodist, is presently General Secretary

of' the WCC. Ile has been in the midst of' ecumenical organizations for

many years. With the WCC, prior to his present position, he was Director

of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism and editor of' the

International Review of Mission for many years. In Latin American

ecumenism, he served as General Secretary of UNELAM (Latin American

Movement for Protestant Unity). He has also served pastorates in

Argent-ina. Bolivia, and Uruguay and was President of the Evangelical

Methodist Church of Uruguay. As Orlando Costas wrote of Castro, "Emilio

Castro is not just another liberation theologian, an engaged Latin

American Pastor, a passionate evangelist and an informed ecumenical mis-

siologist. fie is all of' them "l

...

The two themes of prominence in his writings are mission and

evangelization. Before delving into evangelization more fully, it is

important to clarify the relationship between mission and evangeliza---

tion. These terms are closely related because they have the same goal:

the reign of God. The reign of God is the goal, and mission and

evangelization are two means to work towards this goal.

For Castro, the reign of God is God's plan for the nations, for all

of human history. He writes, "Our understanding of the kingdom God's

as
 241

plan from the beginning of time and part and parcel of God's own mis-

sionary being, expressed in creation, liberation and redemption, cul-

minating in the ministry of Jesus -2 The reign of God encompasses

...

every aspect and realm of human life. 3 in fact, for him, the reign of'

God is foundational precisely because it surmounts all dichotomies. 4 The

Church is the servant and the witness of God's reign in history. In this

respect, the Church announces God's reign, invites people to join it,

watches for it in history, and works for it in the midst of human life.

Despite their having the same goal, mission and evangelization are

not synonymous, though they are inseparable. 5 Their be

relationship can

stated in these terms: mission is the wider all-encompassing concept;

evangelization is one aspect of mission. 6 He the

employs word, MiSSIOD,

to refer to two realities: 1. Mission is God's mission; and 2. Mission

is the Church's participation N God's mission. 7 First

of all, mission

is God's mission. 8 In this God has for

mission, a purpose all of

humanity -a new life for all of peace and justice, an incorporation of

humanity into the reign, and a gathering of "all things together in

Christ, the total recapitulation that implies the establishment of

shalom "9 For Latin America in particular, Castro designates God's

...

mission as a total transformation affecting communities, structures and

persons which will give the masses a chance for a human life. 10

Secondly, mission is the Church's service to God's mission. The

Church's mission can be separated into four tasks: "1. To d! SCePD the

presence of the Kingdom in history; 2. To identify with and to support

action in direction of the Kingdom; 3. To proclaim the presence of the

 242

Kingdom in the midst of history; and 4. To recruit for the Kingdom. "11

The last two tasks are under the domain of evangelization. Evangeliza-

tion encompasses the proclamation of and the recruitment of workers for

the reign of God. In this way, Castro delineates evangelization as a

distinctive part of the Church's mission. Mission has the larger task of

structural and community transformation, and evangelization assists this

task through proclamation and recruitment.

When answering the question, "How do you define evangelism? ", and

what is the goal of evangelism? ", Castro declares:

Evangelism relates to the God. kingdom So the goal

of of
...
evangelism is to
recruit people for the kingdom of God. That
has a very personal dimension, which traditionally we call
'conversion' But also evangelism involves announcing to
...
the wider community and to the whole cosmos that God in
...
Christ has entered dramatically and drastically into our
history, so as to change our course and call us to the
promised goal of the kingdom, which he is bringing in his
mercy. So in our evangelization, we are calling people not
simply to find a solution to their personal problem, but we
are calling them to forget about themselves and to enter
into the glorious purpose of God to transform the whole of
the created 12
order.

As stated above, evangelization consists of a proclamation of God's

reign and an invitation to join the 13

reign.

First of all, the proclamation entails a liberating announcement.

The evangelistic proclamation declares a God who acts in history in a

liberating way. God has acted in history in magnificent events like

creation, liberation, redemption, and ultimately in Jesus Christ.

Evangelization proclaims this active, liberating God.

0 sea que la evangelizaci6n, la comunicaci6n de las buenas

nuevas, es la transmisi6n de nuestra fe en un Dios que ha
efectuado actos salvadores en la historia de la humanidad,
que ha actuado supremamente en la persona de Jesucristo y
 243

que estfi actuando hoy en nuestra historia personal y en la

historia de nuestro pueblo. Es la transmisi6n de toda la
historia en la direcci6n salvadora y liberadora. Dios en
Cristo liberando de toda esclavitud, capacit6ndonos para
todo amor. 14

Secondly, evangelization also issues an invitation to join the

reign of God and become a worker for God's reign. Or to use other words

of Castro, evangelization issues an invitation to radical Christian dis-

15 The dimension this

cipleship. personal of evangelization occurs with

invitation. The individual must decide whether or not to become a dis-

ciple, whether or not to join the God and become 16 A

reign of a worker.

favorable decision results in conversion. He defines conversion as "the

reorientation of our lives based on acceptance of the pardon and salva-

tion which God offers us in Christ

...
"17 Yet, even conversion is not

solely personal; it also comprises a collective dimension. When an indi-

vidual is converted, the collective dimension impinges on the person who

is enlisted into the work of the reign of God. With a personal conver-

sion comes the work for God's reign, the labor of changing the world

according to the reign of God. Such labor requires a commitment to the

neighbor. At the point of conversion the personal dimension ends because

commitment to Jesus is a commitment to the neighbor. These two commit-

ments are interwoven. 18

Because of this, conversion, which "demands militant discipleship

in the service of our neighbor, "19 has ramifications for social trans-

formation. Through the rhetoric of asking questions, he implies that

conversion and the transformation of society is not an either/or. There

is not a choice between one or the other. "To seek the conversion of
 244

individuals or to seek the transformation of society, so that man can

live a truly human life? Is this a real alternative?,, 20 Thus, for

Castro, conversion is not primarily an intellectual decision or an emo-

tional feeling but a political action which brings the convert into new

relationships with his or her neighbor. 21

Conversion, accepting the invitation to Christian discipleship,

becomes the entry point into the arena of God's mission for the world.

The convert joins the ranks of those who discern God's actions, who

labor for liberation, and who cooperate with God in accomplishing God's

purpose for humanity. Evangelization knows no boundaries; it begins with

the proclamation of the reign and a God who is active in history, then

confronts the hearers with the decision of Christian discipleship (con--

version), and finally sends out the recruits (converts) to be trans-

formers of history. Castro explains the process,

In connection with our struggle for liberation, stirring

people to an acceptance of Jesus Christ, to discipleship,
means calling on them to join the ranks of those who strug-
gle to liberate human beings from all their limitations,
from all their enslavement. When our evangelical preaching
is synonymous with recruiting for a liberating militancy, we
are living the gospel as it ought to be lived in the daily
context of Latin America. 22

In this process of. societal transformation, Christian disciples

will inevitably be active in the secular community. While laboring

alongside someone who is not necessarily a Christian disciple, a witness

for Jesus Christ can result. 23 Deeds of liberation "speak" for them-

selves because through the silence of these deeds the message of Jesus

Christ acquires a credibility. In fact, precisely through these deeds of

liberation a disciple earns the right to evangelize verbally. 24 In the

 245

course of working for liberation in cooperation with the secular com--

munity, there is a chance for a conversation and a witness to Jesus

Christ. 25 Castro like happens

prefers evangelization this which in the

midst of daily life. His term for this is "natural" evangelization. 26

Even more, he suggests that Christians be released from "ecclesiastical

programs" which are "temporary, stop gap" measures in order that they

can witness in the community in a natural way. 27 Working for liberation

is an excellent way to promote social transformation and to evangelize

spontaneously.

There are three other characteristics of evangelization as sug-

gested by Castro which correspond to and which reinforce the preceding

discussion. These are: 1. Evangelization services the liberating process

(revolution)28; 2. Evangelization discourages an over-indulgence on

individual salvation; and 3. Evangelization responds to the culture.

Evangelization services the liberating process in several ways.

First of all, evangelization offers a way for Christians to maintain a

simultaneous commitment to liberation and to their faith. Evangelization

provides this integration by calling people to believe in Jesus and at

the same time to be active disciples in service to neighbor and society.

No choice need exist, for the Christian revolutionary. Castro underscores

Melbourne's support for such an integration when he said,

Melbourne affirmed that a Christian's participation in

development, in social justice, in any human struggle, is
not complete if it doesn't bring along the testimonial
reference to God in Jesus Christ. I cannot be just, another
secular participant in history. I bring to the situation
whatever expertise I might have as a persoD, but. I bring
also the experience of Jesus Christ. 29
 246

Secondly, the "faith" dimension, integral to Christian disciples,

is vital to sustaining the revolution in the face of setbacks and disap-

pointments. This deeper resource supports and gives sustenance to the

tedious struggle. Castro speaks of this characteristic of evangelization

in this way: "Es decir, al moLivar y al Ilamar personas para A servicio

politico a partir de su fe en Jesucristo, estamos entregando personas A

fortaleza interior que serdn imprescindibles en los momentos criticos

quo inevitablemente todo proceso de cambio tiene que enfrentar. -30

Thirdly, Christians serve the revolution by testifying to God's

action in the revolution. Because these disciples are aware of and look-

ing for God's deeds in history, they can discern more easily God's con--

temporary activity. They can point to God's activity and in this way

bolster the process and the morale. In addition, Christians know that

God has already been at work, from the beginning, for justice, libera-

tion and peace. With this knowledge, the revolutionaries can be assured

that they are not alone; God has and is and will be active even after

today's struggle has ended. "Here is where the dimension of faith comes

in, " states Castro, "when we realize that we are not jDVOlved in some

personal struggle, but in God's own struggle down the centuries to dig-

nify human existence. -31

Lastly, evangelization services the revolution by evangelizing the

entire community. With the Great Commission in Matthew 28 as his founda-

tion, Castro calls the church to go beyond converting individuals and to

evangelize "principal i ties and powers" which are the demonic structures

controlling, determining, and oppressing Latin America. 32 These

powers
 247

include: "las fuerzas del gobierno, las fuerzas del sindicato, las

fuerzas de las grandes corporaciories, las fuerzas que regulan las

relaciones del mercado, las fuerzas que regulan los medios de

producci6n "33 Through evangelization, these powers can be trans

...

formed to the benefit of the revolution. 34 Thus

evangelization serves

the revolution in significant ways which makes evangelization an invalu--

able participant in the liberating process.

The second characteristic of evangelization is that it is not

primarily for the individual ; Lhe Gospel. is not simply for the purpose

of personal salvation. Of course the individual is an essential factor,

in evangelization. Castro writes a statement about his motivations

-in
for evangelization that the personal decision is ari integral part of any

evangelistic message. "What I know as a preacher, as an evangelist, is

that I must call every creature to make a. personal decision for Jesus

Christ with the understanding that that. mearis conversion, forgiveness,

commitment of our life to the service of the Lord and hope in his mercy

f or 11 fe et(ýrjjaj 35 However-, he adamantly to der

ref uses consi

evangelization a private affair. He calls an individualistic evangeliza. -

tion by the 36 In his disarming

name of prosel yt-i sin. manner of' posing

questions, lie asks, " Qu6 estamos haciendo sino traicionando el

evangelio al dejar de contemplar las grandes obras que Dios ha hecho en

Cristo y laz, grandes obras que Dios est; d haciendo en toda la vida

humana, para concentrarnos en el inter6s egoista de nuestra propia sal-

vaci6D y de nuestra propia salud? -37 Sill is the cause of an overly indi-

vidualistic evangelization. It is sin which prompts the church and iodi. -

 248

viduals to hoard salvation and to preserve the Gospel as private prop-

erty. 38

On the contrary, in evangelization, the neighbor is always a fac

tor. This was seen earlier in the discussion on conversion; a convert

turns away from the self and turns towards Jesus Christ and the neigh-

bor. Castro cites two motivations for his own evangelization one is
-

the neighbor, the other is the world. EvaDgelization is not for himself

but for others.

So my motivation for evangelism grew out of two different.

sources: One, the pure, simple manifestation of love I saw
in the lives of those who came in the name of Jesus Christ
into my life. Such an outpouring of love that I could not
avoid being 'contaminated' and to feel from that moment on
that this experience of Jesus Christ could not be kept to
myself, it belonged to my neighbour. Second, that the person
and teaching of Jesus Christ was precisely the medicine that
our world needed, and that in order to participate in the
reconstruction of the world. it was absolutely necessary to
announce, to proclaim, to evangelize. 39

As is clear, to Castro, an individualistic evangelization is an

anathema.

The third characteristic of evangelizaLjOD is its responsibility

and faithfulness to cultures. Evangelization strives to unite the his-

tory of God in Christ with the history of each particular people. in

this way, evangelization "tells the story" with sensitivity to tradi-

tions, history, customs and language. 40 With this to

attention culture,

the Gospel gains credibility and access to the culture for its invita-

tion to Christian discipleship. In his speech to the Melbourne Con-

ference, Castro offers an interesting explanation of the way in which

evaDgeliZatiOn occurs in a culture. "EvangeJization happens in this way,

 249

planting the seeds of the Gospel of the kingdom in the soul of our cul-

Lure, where we already discern manifestations of the presence of that

kingdom. There, the Gospel will fulfill its role as salt, leaven, light,

by transforming, enriching, evangelising the very frame and structure of

the life of our nations. -41

All in all, Castro's evangelization can be summarized through its

connection with the reign of God. It is the proclamation of the reign of

God and the invitation/recruitmenL to join God's reign. It services the

liberation with the workers it recruits. These workers have been con--

verted personally and collectively, and they are sustained in the midst

of the struggle by their faith in God's historical activity. Evangeliza--

tion proclaims, invites, converts, serves the revolution, transforms

demonic powers, takes a special interest in cultures, looks to the

world, energizes, sustains and acts, all in the Dame of the reign of

God.

The influences of the assemblies, reports, and documents on

Castro's understanding of evangelization are apparent. Undoubtedly this

is the case due to his Position for many years as Director of the Com-

mission on World Mission and Evangelism. In this position he was

responsible for daily input into the areas of mission and evangelization

in the WCC. Perhaps it is more difficult to distinguish the direction of

the influence - whether Castro influenced the WCC's statements on

evangelization or vice versa. Nevertheless, his writings do reflect

evangelization as it is portrayed by the WCC.

These influences can be charted by decades. In the 1960's in the

 250

WCC there is recognition of God's activity in history. As Mexico City

states, the Church's role is to locate that activity and to announce its

whereabouts. 42 Castro the belief that God is human

adopts at work within

history. God's work in the world is bringing reconciliation, life, and

justice, and establishing shalom. Evangelization aids God's work in his.

tory by proclaiming this divine purpose and by recruiting workers.

Bangkok in the 1970's is the conference to which he refers most

often. At the Bangkok Assembly, Castro chairs the section entitled,

"Salvation and Social Justice. " In this section, he is undoubtedly

influenced by the comprehensiveness of salvation. Bangkok says this

about salvation: "The salvation which Christ brought, and in which we

participate, offers a comprehensive wholeness in this divided life.

...
It is salvation of the soul and the body, of the individual and society,

mankind and 'the groaning creation' (Rom. 8: 19). -43 His evangelization

reflects this comprehensive notion. Evangelization is for the conversion

of the individual and the community; it is for personal and societal

transformation.

Also at Bangkok, personal conversion is not preserved for the indi-

vidual; it is linked with social action. 44 As has been for

shown,

Castro, the benefit of conversion is not primarily for the individual

but for the neighbor and for the world. In yet another way, both Bangkok

and Nairobi challenge evangelization to consider the culture in its mes-

sage. Castro accepts this challenge and calls for a sensitivity and a

recognition of the culture in the evangelistic approach. As he explains,

this digging for firm roots in national cultural soil, is

 251

precisely a necessary condition for intel ligent and faithful evangelism

today. "45

lit the 1980's the Melbourne Assemb-ly solidifies the Jink between

evangelization and the reign of God. The centrality of God's reign

undergirds the whole Assembly. in Castro's writing, the reign of God,

including the specific connection with evangelization, comes to the fore

after Melbourne. The reign of God is the goal for both mission and

evangelization. Evangelization, in particular, serves God's reign by

proclaiming it and recruiting workers for it.

 252

ENDNOTES

1. Orlando Costas, "The Missiological Thought of Emilio Castro, " lnt e,r-
national Review of Mission 73 (January 1984): 86-105. For an extensive
bibliography of works by Castro, see Ibid., pp. 98-105.

2. Emilio Castro, Freedom in Mission: The Perspective of the KinRdom of

God, An Ecumenical -_
inguiry ý6e -- ,WCC Publications,
neva: 1985), p. 74.

3. Ibid., p. 143.

4. He explains his choice of the reign of God in these words. "The

theological symbol of the kingdom will help us to overcome all
dichotomies, separatiODS and divisions, Because it is the all-
...
embracing kingdom We are empowered to assume our particular mission--
...
ary vocations. All of them should contribute to the total economy of the
kingdom. Silence or proclamation, action or contemplation, resistance or
endurance -- many other seemingly contradictory terms could be used to
focus attention on the manifold possibilities open to Christians and
churches in the fulfilment of their mission. " Ibid., pp. 36 37.

5. He explains their connection in this way, "This means that mission

and evangelism are intimately bound up. in other words, although a
...
distinction may be drawn, the two concepts are wholly inseparable. ''
Emilio Castro, "Liberation, Development, and Evangelism: Must We Choose
in Mission? " Occasional Bulletin of Missionary Research 2 (July 1978):
88.

6. Castro makes this point on several occasions. In the following

sentence, he mentions evangelization as one aspect of mission: "In car-
rying out God's mission, we cannot opt permanently for one aspect of
mission or another, be it liberation, development, humanization, or
evangelization. These are all essential, integral parts of the mission
entrusted to us " [Ibid., p. 88. ] In another article the same point
...
is made: "The Christian community receives the gifts of grace from God
for the total fulfillment of its mission. Among these gifts is that of
evangelism. " Emilio Castro, "Evangelism in the Third World, " Review and
ExposjtpE 74 (Spring 1977), p. 51.

7. He specifies these two aspects of mission in the following passage:

"Primero, hay una misi6n de Dios, redentora, salvifica y liberadora, que
invita a la humanidad, en todo tiempo y en toda circunstancia, a una
nueva vida. Segundo, hay una acci6n especifica y una vocaci6n par-
...
ticular que le corresponde aA iglesia, una vez que estd al servicio
del prop6sito global de Dios para A bumanidad. " Emilio Castro, A' qjiý
Una Pastoral Latinoame ri, c--;, Colecci6n "Ig3esia y Misi6n, " no. 2 (San
Josk INDEF, 1974), p. 25.
 253

8. He writes simply, "Dios es A misionero. " (Ibid., p. 17.1 Elsewhere

he states that "mission is God's action, " [Castro, "LiberaLiOD, Develop-
ment, and Evangelism, " p. 88], and also that "mission belongs to God. ''
Emilio Castro, "Structures for Mission, " editorial, International Review
of, j"ion 62 (October 1973), p. 394.

9. Emilio Castro, Amidst Revolutio, p, (Belfast: Christian Journals

Limited, 1975), p. 43.

10. Castro explains how God invites the Latin American people to make
these changes, " existe la compulsi6n, la urgencia y la exigencia de
...
un cambio de estructuras sociales y humanas en nuestro continente; un
cambio que d6 a las grandes masas la posibilidad de una vida que pueda
Ilamarse realmente humana. El soplo de liberaci6n que mueve a las masas
y la exigencia de un nuevo nivel de vida es evidentemente una situaci6ri
que se acompasa, que se coordina, que Vertenece a los planes de Dios
para la humanidad. Me permite contemplar que estos hechos, este
...
moverse de las masas latinoamericanas y esLe fermento revolucionario se
dan en el MiSMO MOMentO eD que Dios envia seiales de avivamiento,
Wales de renovaci6n a su iglesia en nuestro continente. " Castro, Hacia
Una Pastoral, p.p 55-56.

Castro, Freedom in Mj--sion, pp. 146- IA7

12. Emilio Castro, "Mission Today and Tomorrow: A Conversation with

Emilio Castro, " International Bulletin of Missionarv Research 5 (, July
1981), 109. This definition ' differs from earlier
p. somewhat statements
on evangelization in which there was no mention of the reign of God.
Instead, the aspect which recpived the emphasis by Castro was the
revoluLion, or the work of liberation. Two examples will suffice. To
evangelize " es una importante forma de servir al proceso liberador
...
en Am6rica Latina. Que ]a integraci6n de personas a la comunidad
cristiana en cuanto se entiende esta comunidad como liberadora, es un
servicio a] proceso revolucionario. Evangelizar, siendo el anuncio de
una buena nueva liberadora, y siendo la convocatoria. al servicio de esa
liberaci6n, es un reclutamienLo para tin discipulado militante. Es una
invitaci6n a sumarse a las filas de quienes hacen suya la suerte del
pr6jimo y procuran cambiar. la para ofrecerle mejores posibi-lidades. En
consecuencia, la evangelizaci6n es importante servicio revolucionario
11 Castro, Hacia Una Pastoral, p. 91. Elsewhere fie writes similarly,
...
" Asi la evangelizaciOn so manifiesta en t6rminos de una convocatoria a]
discipulado cristiano. Quienes aceptan a Jesucristo come Sehor Sal
vador, son incorporados activamente a]. proceso de b6squeda de la
justicia y de construcci6n do la sociedad humana. La evangelizaci6n no
es oferta de un Onel de escape a los problemas del mundo sino
participaci6n en un poder que ha vencido a] mundo. " Emilio Castro, "La
Obra Pastoral en el Kairos Latinoamericano, " in Pastores del Pueblo de
Dios en America Latina, ed. Emilio Castro (Buenos Aires: Editorial La
Aurora, 1973), 1). 14.

13. "Christians are servants of the whole kingdom; but within the
world-embracing dynamics of the kingdom, the special vocation of the
church is to announce the kingdom and to invite people [o the kingdom. ''
 254

Emilio Castro, Sent Free: Missio" and Unitv in the Per-speclAve of the
KjMqM. The Wi no v 4"] WO!"Id COUIAC-il Of CbUrChOS, 1985
p. 90. This description oF the specia Vocation of the Church cor,
responds to the tasks assigned to evai lgel i za I- i oil

14. Castro, Hacia Una Pastoyl, p. 8

15. See A. 12.

16. Castro places the burden in this personal dimension on the decision
itself. Evangelization forces the hearers into a decision dis-
about
cipleship. "To be evangelized is to be confronted with the decision: to
join or not. It means a change of attitude, or perspective. in itseir,
in that it invites one to make a personal decision, evangelism is social
service, since it is a humanizing event; man is invited to manifest him
self. to choose. He is not taken as an object, but as a free subject,
responsible to Gnd. For a great many Latin Americans this has been the
great social service the Protestant Church has rendered: for the first
time people have been invited to decide something. " Emilio Castro,
"Evangelism and Social Justice, " The F imenical Rev_ý!-w 20 (April 1968),
p. 149.

17. Emilio Castro, "Conflict and Reconciliation, " The Ecumenical Review
25 (July 1973), p. 290.

18. Castro protests about the kind of evangelization which seeks to

gain a commitment to Jesus first and only secondarily teaches the impor-
tance of service to one's neighbor. "Es decir, me parece Una 1111010gla
err6nea aquella que vnseha que hay un doble movimiento: un MOViM! eDto de
amor a Dios primern y "n movimiento de amor al pr6jimo despues. Si as!
F"era, en la predicaci6n evangel! sLica Ilamariamos a Ins hombres a una
relaWn vertical y Inego vendria la educac! 6n cristiana a ensehartes la
relacibn horizontal con el pr6jimo. " Castro, Hacia, Una Pas 1). 88.

19, Castro, "Conflict and Reconciliation, " p. 290.

20. Emilio Castro, "Conversion and Social Transformation, " in Christian

Ethics in a Chanvinp World, ed. John C. Bennett (New York: Association
Press, 1966), p. 351. in this same article he states that there is no
personal advantage attached to the concept of conversion.

21. See Castro, Hacia Una Pastoral, 1). 82. To use Castro's words: "But.
in so far as the call to evangelization becomes an invitation to
Christian discipleship in terms of following Christ in the midst of the
Latin American community, we are again faced with an act of great
political significance and or humanizing power. " Castro, Freedom inAlp. -
ARY, P. 189,

22. Ibid., p. 208.

23. He underlines this effective witness through mutual labor in the

following statement: "In solidarity with those actions which seek to
overcome the present limitations of our society and move it toward the
 255

goals of greater justice, we can point to Jesus Christ and give witness
to the full manifestation of the Kingdom in Jesus Christ only by stand-
ing in the midst of the struggle. " Ibid., p. 147.

24. He writes, "Es decir, se bace necesario un silencio que permita

ganar A derecho de hablar. " [Castro, Hacia Una PastoKyj, p. 87.1 He
states that entering the secular community puts the burden on the
Christian to ear the right to evangelize. " al entrar a militar en
In ...
los campos seculares, que al entrar en las situaciones sindicales,
cooperativas, juntas vecinales, politicas, etc., estamos entrando eD
nuevas situaciones evangelizadoras donde normalmente la pregunta que da
la oportunidad para el testimonio hablado la pronuneiarA el otro. Es
decir, entramos en situaciones donde debemos ganar A derecho a la
credibilidad del evangelio. " Ibid., p. 85.

25. "Pero en Ja proyeeci6n de nuestra servicio, en ]a proyeeci6n de

nuestro trabajo, tiene que surgir la oportunidad de la conversaci6n per-
sonal, la oportunidad de la discusi6n conceptual en la cual ]a palabra
viene a confirmar el testimonio de nuestro compromiso previo, viene a
esclarecerlo ya iluminarlo. " Ibid., p. 86.

26. Emilio Castro, "Evangelism in Latin America, " The Ecumenical Review
16 (October 1964), p. 454.

27. Ibid.

28. In his earlier writings, the word, revolution, is used. Evangeliza

tion is instrumental in the revolutionary process. Although he sub-
stitutes the word, liberation, or the liberating process, in later writ-
ings, to be fair to the scope of his writings, the word, revolution, has
been retained here also.

29. Castro, "Mission Today and Tomorrow, " p. 108.

30. Castro, Hacia Una Pastoral, pp. 91-92. This point about evangeliza-
tion liberation -
and and the previous one reflect Romero's concern for
Christians evangelizing politics. Both Castro and Romero recognize the
contributions which Christians offer to the revolution.

31. Castro, Freedom irt Wission, 1). 215

32. In an early work, he speaks about the power of these "powers. ''
"Tenemos que interpretar estor 'poderes' en el lenguaje del primer
siglo, como referencias a las estructuras de la sociedad que con-
diKODan, determinan, envuelven, la vida del hombre, estructuras que
tambi6n deben ser llamadas y traidas a reconocer la autoridad de
Jesucristo. " Emilio Castro, Misi6n: Pre; gnia y Djalo. q (Buenos Aires:
Methopress, 1964), p. 11.

33. Castro, p. 90.

34. Castro speaks of the transformation of these powers, " que tam-
...
Wn hay buenas nuevas para ellas, que tambi6n pueden ser transformadas
 256

en agentes de liberaci6n, que tambAn pueden ser convertidas a] dis--

cipulado do Jesucristo, que tambi6n pueden expresar la misma preoc--
cupaci6n liberadora de Dios para el hombre. " [Tbid., pp. 90-91. Castro
mentions benefits Christians bring to the revolution: *I "la
other which
critica profAtica a In situac! 6n imperante; acceso directo a ]as masas
creyentes de Am6rica, Latina, a trav6s de los simbolos de ]a fe
cristiana, proveyendo informaci6n, contribuyendo a In formaci6n y dando
un estimulo a la acci6n; ...
hay una tarea cristiana eclesial que es muy
pol6mica Volcar el peso de ]a instituci6n eclesial a favor del cam--
...
bio social. " Ibid., pp. 147-49,

35. Emilio Castro, A, Mqpttqy, yt. ter on Evangelism 1/2

(January/February, 168i), pp. 2- 3

36. "La evangeJizaci6n del hombre implica [a transformac! 6n del hombre

en sus eircunstanclas. Una evangelizaci6n que s6lo llama al hombre a un
cambio en su vida individual, pero que le deja fuera de la corriente de
la vida contempor6nea, no es evangelizac! 6n en el senLldo biblico del.
Ormino: es proselitismo, es mero aumento de miembros en las filas de
]as iglesias, pero no es cambio radical cn In. vida de los hombres
Emilio Castro, Migi6q, p. 52.

37. Castro, Hacia Una Pastoral, pp. 79-80.

38. "But let us not be blind to the ease with which our sin accom-
modates us to preserving the gospel for ourselves, for a minority, and
preventing the many who are struggling to find meaning for their life
and justice for others from discovering in Jesus Christ, God's promise
of new life. The sense of urgency will shake our attitudes and remind us
that the gospel can never be a private property; it always belongs to
our neigbbours. " Emilio Castro, "Editorial, " International Review of
Qq#-p 71 (October 1982), p. 423.

39. Castro, A_Month Q_Letter on Evangelism, p. 3.

40. Linking the

gospel with the culture is a concern of his which
appears at various times. One statement he makes on this theme is the
following: "We musL discover the possibility of proclaiming the name of
Jesus Christ in every culture. To tell his story, relating it to the
values and particular histories of each people. " [Castro, Freedom in
MisSipp, p. 146. ] Elsewhere he repeats this concern, "Todos reconocemos
la necesidad de vincular evangelio y cultura si deseamos un evange3io
capaz de hablar a todo el hombre. " Castro, Hq,q,i, a_,qpq_QQq; R1, p. 18.

41. Emilio Castro, "Your Kingdom Come: A Missionary Perspective, ''

view of 69 (July 1980), p. 258.
-Nisly"
42. See Orchard, Qyppss In Six Continents, pp. 157-158.

43. World Council of Churches, Bangka"§(_ýT! j p. 88.

44. See Ibid., p. 76. Paul Lbffler made the connection between personal
CODVerSjon and social action in preparation for the Uppsala Assembly. He
 257

writes, "There is therefore, on the other hand, absolutely no dichotomy

between 'conversion' and its realization in social action. There
...
exists a constant interrelation, which reveals the underlying unity of
God's purpose for the world and the church. " [Paul WOW, "The Bibli-
cal Concept of Conversion, " Study Encoui jr 1 (No. 2,1965), p. 99.1 At
the same time, he wants to pn irle the independence from
of conversion
social action. See fbid.

45. Castro, Freedom iyi_, M.issioyi, 1). 249.

 CHAPTER TWELVE

ORLANDO COSTAS

Orlando Costas described himself with these words, " concerned

...
with the whole problem how to be an evangelical both in heart and
...
theology, an evangelist, and at the same Lime to be committed to the

liberation of our continent from oppressive and domesticating

...
forces. "I He included himself among the "thousands of Christians who
have been committed to their historical situations with an equally

zealous concern for the leading of their fellowmen to a personal experi-

ence with Jesus Christ. -2 With these two self-portraits, Costas outlined

the perspectives which he encompassed, evangelical and committed to lib-

eration. Although he never called himself a liberation theologian, he

interacted with, debated with, and adopted many of the central assump--

Lions of Liberation Theology. 3 For this he is included in this

reason,

study of evangelization in the writings of Latin American Liberation

Theologians.

Costas was a person of two cultures, the North American and the
Latin American. He was born in Puerto Rico but emigrated to the United

States at a young age with his family. He was educated in the United

States and in the Netherlands. Much of his working life was spent in

Costa Rica as a missionary, teacher, and evangelist. During the last.

years of his life, before his sudden death in October 1987, he taught
 259

missiology and evangelization in seminarios in the United SLates. His

reason ror returning to the United States was Lo be a prophetic voice

calling for a two-way evangelization - evangelization by USA Churches to

cnltnral and ethnic groups within its borders and evangelization by

these c"Rural groups to the USA churches.

Turning again to his autobiographical sketches, these sketches pro

vide insight into his understanding of evangelization. Two words

encompass his evangelization as well as his person. The first word is

comprehensive. He, himself, was comprehensive, bridging North and Latin

America as well as an evangelical raiLh and a liberating praxis. His

comprehensive evangelization was stimulated by his reaction to the

" viLher/or mentality" of many Protestants in Latin America. 4 This

mentality strictly divides horizontal and vertical, spiritual and

secular, social action and evangelization, personal and social, individ-

"al sin and structural sin. Whereas this kind of evangelization

alienated people with its narrow and rednetionistic approach, Costms

attempted a comprehensive evangelization, one that proclaimed "a

holistic, comprehensive message oriented to man in his multitudinons

life situations. " As is through

evident, a comprehensive evangeliza

tion, he hoped to avoid false dichotomies. 6 An example this from his

of

own life was his use of the words "evangelization" and "liberation" side

by side when he spoke his Lo Latin Ameri,,, 7 Like his

or mission person,

comprehensiveness characterized his evangelization.

The second word which describes his evangelization is contextual.

This, too, is found in his seir-description where he declared his com--

 260

miLment to historical situations. especially those in his own continent.

As hP wrote about himself, "T write as a Latin American evangelical.

This means that behind my reflection the reader ought to bear in mind

the situation of oppression and repression, imperialism and colonialism,

starvation and poverty, power and powerlessness, frustration and despair,

which characterize Latin American society Loday. "B Evangelization must

be contextual. He defined context as involving

both the
presuppositions and the settings of understand-
1''
ing and communication. It refers not only to all the baggage
people bring with them when they share and interpret reality
to one another, but also to the situation wherein they
reflect upon their practice. reality in all its
...
dynamics. We all participate in it, actively or pas-
...
sively. Not one of us can claim to stand outside itl

In contextual evangelization. the goal is to incorporate the context

into the gospel message thus ensuring authenticity, relevance, and his-

toricity.

In order to he contextual, evangelization needs to consider the

particular culture, its value system, predominant ideologies, social

setting, prevailing problems and issues, and other like features. In

addition, contextual evangelization takes stock of the "spiritual" con

text by asking questions like: what is their understanding of the gospel

message, what is their state or lostness, what is their resistance to

the GosPet. 10 Contextualizotinn forces to be immersed in

evangelization

the world, thus preventing an abstract, ahistorical, individualistic

message.

one of the key problems with evangelistic programming (in

our region and elsewhere) is that churches fail to take into
account the concrete issues and circumstances of those they
set out to evangelize. They announce an abstract gospel to
 261

abstract person in an MUM state of sin. The result is

an evangelistic event that not only does not cause any
but that brings little "
offense, about effective change!

To summarNe these two characteristics, CoMs' evangelization is

both comprPhensive and conttwtnal. In its comprehensiveness, it

endeavors to integrate dichotomies and to proclaim an all-encompassing

mussage. In its conlext"alization, it is specific, direct, knowledgeable

and concrete. Keeping the words, comprehensive and contextual in mind.

A is necessary to look move closely at different aspects of Coglas'

evangelization.

He definud eva"galizoLion in its entirety as

el anunulo obra de
redintora de Cristo
]a y sus
-
implicaciones 1wra cada ser bumano. Ese anuncio se da no
s6lo v" forma verbal. sino UmbOn en forma no verbal, o
sea: en palabras y Lambidn on hechos LH finalidad de
... ...
vsa proclama es ser nn canal a Lrav6s dvl cual A Espiritu
Santo llama al perador a] arrepentimiento. le d6 A don de
A fc, de tal manera que poeda lener "n encuentro personal
Cristo transformaci6n Lotal. 12
con y as! experimenLar "na

The rvAmplive work of Christ is the good news that he was victorious,

through his death and resurrection, in the struggle against sin. Because

of his triumph over sin. salvation is availahle. SalvaLfon. as Costas

it, is inclusive 13 Salvation

understood comlwchensive, of many aspects.

is manifested in God's reconciliation of "all things" in Christ. In

quoting this Pauline phrase, Costas took tlw opportunity to explicate

the comprehensivenpss of 'all things' with these words: " no creo

...

que est6 habla"do en t6rminns geogrhficos. No creo tamporo que se est6

refiriendo exclusivamente a Lodos los hombres comn individuos. El

...

mensaje reconciliador del Pvangulio va, p"es, dirigido tanto al

individuo como a las estruct"ras soriales que forman A contexto de su

 262

interacci5n di,, i,, "14

The goal oF evangel WaLion is for puoplc to enter into the reign of'

God into its 15 The God is the

and work. reign of new order which will

triumph decisively over the present order. ft is a reign of justice,

16 Not is The God The

community and salvaLion. only reign of goal of'

evangel Nat ion, but also the reign or God is the goal or God's mission

in the 17 The key in this is "in the " God is

world. phrase quote world.

God's For Lhis "

committed to this world; plans and purposes are world.

Thr establishment or God's reign is taking place in this world.

Rvangelizaiinn helps this to happen hy working and recruiting for God's

reign.

In the evangelistic process. four parts are evident: proclaiming,

calling Lo conversion, bearing witnoss, and transr"rming Winn

Proclamation is announcing the good news of Jvsns Christ and the rvigil

of God; Lhesu two topics have been mentioned above. Along Wh announc

iiW thesv two aspects, proclamation declares Lhu good news or libera,

tion. For the most part. liberation has not been a theme of evangeliza-

tion in Win America. Because of Lhis. Lhe result is thaL Meru is only

the 19 Tn to this, Costas

a partial proclamation nF gospel. contrast

views the gnspel as "un grito de I ibertad, -20 ft is a cry of liberty for

the presen and the forgiveness of sins available now: at the same time.

it is a cry of lilwyly for the fuL"re and The coming of the reign to

establish juslicu, pence and salvaLlon,

VurLher, it is a cry of liberty which must result. in deeds of lib

eration. Proclamation cannot he merely verbal and spirit"al because it

 263

is directed towards the whole person - physical and spiritual, verbal.

and actlve, 21 In this way, proclaiming the good news of liberation is a

Form of social action if the proclamation becomes a reality in liberat-

ing actions. He writes:

one or the most perLinenL contributions which the Latin

American church can make to the quest For a new tomorrow is
to proclaim, without reductions or apologies, the gospel of'
liberating hope so as Ln aelp these masses cultivate the
expectations of a new day. Such a proclamation must take
flesh in concrete acts. It must heal, restore and quicken
the understanding so as to unable the suffering masses 'to
pluck and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow' the
objective and subjective, institutional and personal causes
behind their oppressive situation and help them to partiui--
pato in the building and planting (cf. Jer. 1: 10) of a more
free, fraternal and peaceful society, 22

Such liberating actions include: "participation in the human struggles

against economic and political imperialimm, mental and physical

infirmities, the ills of ignorance, poverty and hunger and of racial and

sexual discrimination. "23

Proclamation's message in for individuals, yet not only so. The

good news must also be announced to structures in society.

to communicate the good news relevantly, deeply, and

...
critically throughout the whole world we need to take
account of the institutions of society and contextualize its
message amid them. Failure to do so will make the gospel's
call to faith and repentance, its invitation to the
Christian fellowship, and its challenge to participation in
the transformation of history a spurious exercise. Those who
respond (immersed as all human beings are in the world of
institutions) will most likely do so with only part of their
self and will not be able to affect decisively their socio-
economic reality. When this happens, the gospel is trun-
...
caLed, its demands cheapened, and its saving power
dil,,, d. 24

Costas' comprehensive proclamation penetrates society's partitions to

anno"nce the good news to individuals, systems, communities and struc-

 21; 1

L"Pvs and Lo deeds of liberati-on.

In addilio", proclamation is to bc contextual. The specifics of the

context are to be addressed in proclamation. The gospel has a concrete

context with a social and cultural sUling; likewise, the proclamation

of the gospel must consider the context and the sett-Ing. As he writes,

"El evange1jo no se puede comparLir en nn vaclo sociocnItural. Todo

esfuerzo comunicativo M5 situado en una rvalidad concreta. "25 Like the

characteristics of evangelization, proclamation is context. "al and com-

prehensive.

Secondly, evangelizal-ion includes a call to conversion. A commit-

ment to Jesus Christ requires a conversion, and evangelization is incom-

p1ple if it does not issue a call to conversion. Conversion is a turning

away and a turning towards. Tt is a turning away from both "personal

sins and from alliances with the oppressive structures or this world. -26

And it is a turning towards God and neighbor. Therp will be concrete

signs or conversion: service to God and neighbor, active participation

in the struggles or society, and working For the of G, d. 27 Also,

conversion occurs within a socio-h! sLorical context. CosLas nuted this

when describing his own conversion. He remarked that conversion is "a

dynamic, complex, ongoing experience. profoundly responsive to parLicu

lar times and places and shaped by the context of those who experience

tt, 08

Hearing witnvss is a third part of the evangelistic process. A

Christian witness is sompono who tesMips to Jesus Christ and the truth

his ine 29 Following Jesus' bearing

of and work, after vxamplu, witness
 265

involves befriending the powerless, being Ln solLdarity with the poor.

and serving God and neighbor. A witness is also someone who strives to

make a reality, in the here and now, the truth about Jesus which he or

sbu has proclaimed. fn this way. bearing witness is most effective when

it is done in word and deed as Jesus did.

Evangplizatio" also comprises a fourth part transforming acLion

(praxi s) . Evangel izers are to be agents of transf orma t1 on in the 1r con -

text. He illustrated this with two biblical characters who were agents

Lransformation: in the Did Testament Esther. 20 in the New

or and

Testament jpsus. 31 When describing Esther's Costaý,

. evangelization,

wrote the following: "En esta perspectiva. la evangplizaWn implica

obediencia al reino de Dios, de tal manera q"e seamns heralclos

vivir en

de buenas y agentes He transformaci6n en toda mituac! 6n humana,

nuevas

particularmentc en aquellas dondv se atentm contra la vida y se sufre

injusticia y opresi6n. "32 CoNtas was rorthrighL in his insistence that

in order to he an agent of transformation, Mere must he a prior trans-

formation of raith in Jvsns Chrl, L. 33 Again, he avoided a false

dichotomy by combining a transformation in Jes"s Christ with transform

ing action.

To summarize, evangelization is composed or four parts, proclama

Lion, call to cnnvorsion, hearing witness, and transforming action.

Tndividually, these parts are comprehensive and contextual, and collec

tively. they contribute to an evangelization characterized by the same.

Several other chnryclurigLics of evangelization were important for

Costas. One characteristic is that there is to he integrity between the

 2(')G

message and the mestyu of the evangelist. For example, an evangelizer

who proclaims the good news or Lhp gospel without being fully lihcraled

from sin, including svr"Mural sin, is undermining the gospel and

greatly reducing its effectiveness. He writes, "This implies 11ml it is

impossible to bring good news of salvation in a poor and oppressed coil

Went if one is allied to structures that disregard life and perpetuate

liberation. It would mean sharing the liberating message of the

...

gospel with one hand and justifying domination and vxploitaL! on with the

other. "34

A second characteristic is thaU evangelization includes annuncia.

tion and denunciation. Again. these must be comprehensive in order Lo

avoid a dichotomy between the individual and the society. Too often

denunciation only condemns individual ethics, such as, the evils of Ijq

uor, tobacco, drugs and prostitutio", 35 LimiLing denunciation to per

sonal evils restrains its powerful potential. EnsLead, denuncintion

should be prophetic and target structural evils, such as: "las

pretensiones absoluttstas de las grandes oligarquias militares Y

politicas el desenmascaramiento de lo Pco"omla dv explotaci6n y

... ...

el despertamiento de la conciencla de los millones de latinoamericanos

que viven presos dc IN lynorancia. "36

Similarly, annunciation suffers from the same overindulgence on the

individual. "Por otra parte, hemos ueducido nuestro anunclo

uvangelizador a un profetismo desencarnado y privador Annuncia

_"37

tion, tno, should be characterized by its comprehensiveness.

A third characteristic is that evangelization depends "n the noly

 267

Spirit. Throughout his wriLings, he paid particular attention to the

Holy Spirit because its role was frcqnvntly overlooked by the Church,

38 The Spirit is in
and evangelization suffered as a res"It, active every

from the to the 39 in its

phase of evangelization cultivation conversion,

work, the Spirit builds on the evangelizing work of the Church. The

Church the the Holy Spirit does the 40 11,

proclaims gospel. and rest,

his recent book on contextual evangelization, the role of the Holy

Spirit was again highlighted. There he described evangelization as "Ibe

the Spirit, " he delineated four ip the

province of and areas which

Spirit's presence is manifested in evangelization:

Primero, ol Espiritu Santo despierta la concienchi

humana a la historia y el signiFicado de Cristo.
...
Segundo, el Espiritu de Dios hace que hombres y mujeres
sv conviertan do] pecado y la injusticia at reino do Dios y
Su justicia.
...
Tprcern, v! Espiritu anticipa U Futnra libertad de la
nueva vida en Cristo. ...
CuarLo, ol Espiritu hace quP la nueva vida sc convierta
en un signo de osperanza para el mundo. _42

Tn these ways, the Holy Spirit activAps evangelization from the first,

Lo the MI. and addresses the individual and the world.

Evangelization is a basic task of the Church; it is "the very cen-

ler of it, I if,, "43 Qa recent work, he called the church "la base de

W acrMn evangelizadora. "44 The Church, as the base of evangelization,

is to go to Lhe periphery of society with the gospel. Those on the

periphery are the oppressed and the marginal Wed. 11 is among these

peoples, among the powerless and not among the powerful, that the Church

45
establishes a basc ror Pva"gelization.

At this point, he enlarged this discussion and set it in a global

 268

context, The poriphQry refers to the outskirts of the nations where the

mnIMudes are. So, the Church, as the base of vva"gPlizaLion, has to he

presenL and immersed on the periphery of the nations. In this, the

Church learns from Jesns who evangelized "n the periphery in Galilee,

moved from Galilee to the nations, and then was crucified on a cross

the the 46 Evangelization is

outside gate, on periphery, conlvxlnal when

it is done by the Church from the periphery.

Ellos nos ha hecho Pvconocer que la, evangelizaci6n contex-

tual no es una simple aplicarihn del evangelio a una
situaWn dada, sino una presentaci. 6n del evangelin desdv la
base o 'el margen' Evangelizar, en dicha perspectiva,
...
implica devolver a las bases de la iglesim la obra
evangelizadura y darle opcibn prerero"cial aA
de las bases de A 47
evanvelizaWn sociedad.

Cos Uýls co ns tr uc ted as I-,I, ollj"-)- t'lloo I ogi co I hasc, f or eva n ge I izat i on

This was important for him because he once commented that the crisis of'

evangelization was a theological onn. dH Simultaneously, he outlined

pracLical principles for the Church's evangelisM program. In this way,

he provided ways of implementation along with theological foundatio"n,

This, too, is comprehensive.

The evangelistic program which received his fullest attention =-l

mobilization. The word, mobilization, comes from the evangelistic move-

ment of which Costas was a part in Latin America, "Evnngelism-In. nepth. ''

ue dertned in-depth evangelism as "an effort to mobilize the church or

Jesus Christ with all or her resources for a comprehensive witness it)

the world. It represents, at once, a dynamic Pvangelistic concept, a

comprehensive ntratvgir methodology and a coordinated, functional

program The strategy of in depth evangelism is detailed in four

_Qq
 269

to to to to 50 of
parts: motivate, recruit, organize and supervise, spe

cial importance is in-depth evangelism's challenge or the assumption

Lhat evangelization is most effective when done by one person, either,

the pastor or the congregation or the evangelist at a revival. In depth

evangelism mobilizes the laity to be "the stars of the show. "51

In this vvangelistic program in a local church, the pastor's role

is LhaL of a "mobilizing agent. " who gets the laity moving in their

52 On, to the laity is "to create a

evangelistic vocation, ,, mobilize

contagious eva"gelistic aLmospherv. "53 S"ch an atmosphere is fashioned

by everything that the pastor does in a normal day, acLiviLies like

preaching, praying, visithT the sick, leading a Bible study or leading

54 Along the Lhe laity is

worship. with atmosphere, recruiting a com

plementary task or the pastor. Recruitment entails enlisting the lay

people for particnlar aspvcts of evangelization depending on their gifts

and talents. Once the people have been recruited, it is up to the pastor,

to develop their gifts and implement them in a coherent plan for

55
evangelization,

Since it is the laity who are mobilized for evangelization,

undoubLedly they are integral to evangelizaLion. They are the

evangelizers in the neighborhood and in the world: they evangelize in

their day to day affairs. Without their mobilization, evangeltzation

would not happen. It is critical that the InRy understand the impor

tance of their witness. This req"Irns, according to Costas, a

"declericalization of evangelism, the transference of the apostolate to

the through he l, it,, 57

whole church-56 a conscientizoLion of
 270

A second straLegy for eva"gelizat [on is Lhat of a Mee -part,

program: rMlect-io", action and conNolidation. This strategy can he nmPrI

on its own or as part of anoLher evangelistic program, Reflection gives

the Lo ponder its 58 Through the

community a chance evangelizing mission.

study of Scripture. the Church concentraLes on Lhe reason, the message

and Lhe importance of evangelizaLion as well as on the context in which

it is evangelizing, Action consists of direct evangelization by the

laiLy be done in 59 Consolidation is Lhe bring

which can manifold Ways.

ing into the churrh of tbosp who responded to the eva"gellstlu action.

Reflection, acLion and consolidalion is another straLegy for an

evangelistic program.

Costas also had a world wide strategy for evangelization. He envi-

stoned an evangelistic partnership among the Christian Churches. Such

partnership would he immeasurably advantageous in combining the mnlIV

tudinous gifts which oach Church possesses, A worldwide partnership is

necessapy for reaching the vast number of people who have not yet heard

the ,,,, l. 60 These partnvrships could Me different shapes

geographical, socio cultural, ecumenical; they could exist for shorter

or longer lengths of time. The possibilities of size and shape and Inca

tion limitless; 61 the important is the joint for

are aspecL cooperation

evangelization. As a Win American, Costas was especially concerned

about his own conLinent, and in his estimation, an evangelistic part.

nership provided the only hope for the evangelization of Latin America.

Only as the total Christian (Cal-holic and Protestant) com-

munity jointly mobilizes its resources - manpower, finances,
talents, imagination, contacts and opportunities will Ibe
gospel be able to penetrate the frontiers of nonbellef, in
 271

Latin America -,in(] around the world. The time is quickly

drawing upon the People of God in Latin America, indeed it
is already here, when neither Catholics nor Protestants will
be able to bear an effective wjtne,;,, for christ exeept as
Christians. 62

in conclusion, comprehensive and contextual obaracterize Costas'

evangelization. Evangelization's message is comprehensive in its

integration of faith and action, spiritual and social, individual and

societal. its message is contextual as it is directed to people,

institutions and systems in their concrete situation. Its processes are

comprehensive, combining the proclamation, the call to conversion, the

bearing WADCSS in word and deed, and the transforming action. In addi-

tion, these same parts are related to the context. Its goal is the

incorporation of people into the reign of God and into its work here and

now. Its interest is in the periphery of society where the marginalized

live. By fashioning a comprehensive and contextual evangelization,

Costas enriched and enlivened evangelization in the present and for the

future.

The movement most influential on Costas' evangelization is the

Evangelism-In-Depth program. Its philosophies dominate his evangeliza-

tion. First of A], the comprehensive nature of his evangelization is

reflected in Evangelism-In-Depth. When writing about Evangelism-In-

Depth, Costas noted four areas which were comprehensive: the view of the

the the the Church, the 63 The

world, message, view of and methodology.

first two areas are particularly evident in Costas' evangelization.

For the Exange Ii sm- In -Depth movement, a comprehensive view of the

world is one that includes individuals, cultures, structures, and the

 ? 72

interdependency these. 64 CosLas this

of all of adopted comprehensive

view and coupled 1V with vont-Muoliration which specifies and

particularizes evangelization rur the concrete situation.

Under a comprehensive message, Costas illustraLod it with a discus-

sion of the reign of God, Hr wrote that Evangelism-In-Depl-h's "quest

into the theological roots of eva"gelism has led to the rediscovery of

the Gospel of the kingdom or God as the central Must of the

evangelisLic Certainly Costas 1"Legrated God's reign into

his evangelizaLlon as Lhe goal of evangplizaLion.

Secondly, the evangelistic program Or Lhe local ch"rch ontlinpd by

Costas employed every facet of Evnngei isman nppth from the role of the

pastor to the mobilization A the laity. Mobilization is ! he key word.

The phrase of R. Kenneth Strachan, the Founder of Evangel ism-fn-Depth.

encaps"lated The 1hr"st of the movPment: "total moblization for total

evangelization. "60

The influnuce nf the WCC is responsible for uuArlining and

encouraging a tendency already present in Costas the striving For an

integrated, holistic evangelization, He noted the Nairobi Assembly Hlonjý

with two other organizations of Christians in the 70's who stressed a

comprehensive evangelization - the evangelicals in the Lausanne Covenent

and the Roman Catholics in EvangeM Nunliand!, 67 Clearly Nairobi pre

spnLed a comprehenstve evangelization which brought together action and

proclamation, evangelization and social action, confession and dis-

cipleship. This fullness was opposed to the 'either/or' mentality which

Costas lamented. Like Nairobi, his evangelization embraced multifaceted

 273

d tmens tons. He ref used to r(` (I iI Cf. ý OVýl III' IýI i7ýlt iO II ý-,O t- IIQS I) i, 1- it Ud t, tAW

illd i%7 j(jjjjj 10 1

r'

Coshis was an advisor Lo the Melbourne Assejnbljlý This Aý,sflmbly is

reflected in his lat. e,,ýt wril ings and his discussion of evangitlization oti

the per i phe I ýy , Ale I I) Our IwII sos H Iv ý;(, sil IIIo wor (Is Wfici I dw-; (; I. it) iI lP,' Jes usI

in in i stry .

we have been led to study the significance of the

-
crucifixion of Jesus outside the city wall. We see this as a
sign, consistent with much else in his life, that he who is
the cenLre is constantly in movement from the centre towards
the periphery, towardR those who are marginalized, victims
of the demonic powers, political, economic. social, cultural
and twen or especially religious. Tf we take this model
spriously, we find LhaL we m"st be with Jesus at the
Impiphery, on the margins or society, for his priorities
were clear. 68

Coqtas adopted this view of Jesus outside the gate and entitled a col

leclion of essays, Christ Outside the Gate: Mission Beyond Christendom.

Certainly the influence of Melbourne prompted Coslam to consider

evangelization on the puriphvry and evangelizaLion among the powerless,

the places where Jesus evangelized.

 274

F,N1)N0 THIS

I. or I arldo COS La"; "I"Ivarlge Ii sm and the Gospe I of Sal va ti on I nler'na

,
ti ona I Rev i ow of M iss i on 63 (January 1,974) 1). 26,
,

2. [1)1(1.

3. These themes will only be mentioned at this point, but they will
receive attention throughout this analysis. The themes of Liberation
Theology which he embraced are: commitment to liberation, the Church',,,
solidarity with the poor, the combination of faith and praxis, and the
centrality or the concrptp, historical sitnalion.

4. "Weed in many parts of the world during the first two decades of
the second half of the twentieth century, Protestant Christianity, a(.
least, bogged down in an either/or mentality. Hence it can be said that
the 1950s became Lhe evangelization and spirituality decade, while the
1960s turned out to he the social action and secularization years,
Fortunately a nhifL began to take place in the early years of the 1970S
in practically all the continents. This shirt can he described as a
movement toward a more holistic approach to mission and evangelism. At
the heart of this trend seemed to be a deep and sincere longing Eor the
recovery or the wholeness of Lhr gospel. " Orlando Coslas, Christ Outside
the Gate: Mission Bevond Christendom, (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1982), p.
162,

5. Costas, "Kangelism and the Gospel of Salvation, " p. 25.

S. "These dichotomies are as false as they are sensetess. ff sin is

personal and social, spiritual and historical. then what is accomplished
by thnse dichotomies is to cut its trunk and dilute its effects. ff sal-
vation is personal, cosmic. and public, present and future, spiritual
and corporal, to set, one dimension against the other or to subordinate
one to the other is to limiL Us unity and efficacy, For evangeliza-
-
Lion to be authentic and deep, it must set aside such false dichotomies.
taking seriously LhP wholeness of salvation and the radical nal"re of'
sin. " CosLas, Christ Outside the Qqje, p. 38,
--- -------___
7. See Orlando Costas, "Ecumenical Experiences of an Hispanic Haptist, ''
Journal oF Ecumenical Studies 17 (Spring 1980), p. 123.

8. Costas, "Evangelism and the Gospel of Salvation, " p. 25,

9, Costas, Christ nutside the GqQy, pp. 4-5.

10. The "spiritual" context difrerential-es betwevn those who have never
heard the gospel and those who profess Christianity but have never made
a personal decision. These differences in Lhe spiritual context effect
vvangelization in a marked way, See Orlando Costas, "Churches in
 275

Evangelistic Partnership, " in TheNew Face-of Evangelicalism, An Intel.,

i 1
Sympon "m on the Lciusinýlný, 'Foýenan ARATj 17 6W Padi IIa,
nat onal ,
(Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1976), pp. 149,152-54.

11. Orlando Costas, "Evangelism in the Third World: A Latin

American/Caribbean Reflection, " (Mimeographed. )

12. Or I ando Costa s, Su Misj on (Buenos

Aires: Editorial La Aurora, 197l), -ppATA.

13. His understanding of salvation was greatly dependent on the Bangkok

Assembly of the WCC. In his book, El Protestantismo en Am6rica atjLýLi,
he quoted the four part description of salvation included in Section 11
(Salvation and Social Justice) of the Bangkok Assembly. [See Costas, K!
Protestantism(;, pp. 128-129.1 He added his own interpretation in these
words: "La salvaci6n que trae el reino no se limita, sin embargo, a ]a
iglesia. Va se ha dicho que es una salvaci6n comprensiva, que trasciende
la dimensi6n personal. Opera tambihn en Ks dimensiones nociales y
colecLivas de la vida. " ! bid., p. 128.

14. Orlando Costas, Jý: vý 1ý ? (San Jos6: Pub-

licaciones 1NDEF, 1973), -S 16 17. Elsewhere he writes
pp. similarly:
la misi6n de Dios no se limitu a una reconciliaci6n individualista y
privadora, espiritualista y estramundana, desencarnada y alienada de la
opresi6n que ha snfrido el mundo como consecuencia del pecado. Antes
hien, se trata de una mistbn comprensiva que ofrece una salvaci6n 'del
alma y del cuerpo, del individuo y ]a sociedad, la humanidad y U-t
ereaci6n que gime a una (Ro. 8: 19)'", Orlando Costas, El Protestantismo
En Am6rica Latj_qg, q9y: tq; qyM jjjjo (1972 -1974)
,(I,
"Iglesia y Misl6n", N6mero 3, (San JosV Publicaciones INDEF, 1975), pp.
121-22.

15. He writes, "Antes bien, la evangelizaci6n tiene como meta final dar
a conocer el reino de Dios de modo que los p"ehlos entren en su
Trbita', experimenten su gracia y poder y glorifiquen a Dios. De esta
manera, la evangelizaci6n prepara el camino para la manifestaci61t
definitiva del reino de Dios. " Orlando Costas, EvAgggliza cibn Con tex,. -
tual: F"ndamentos teol6 (San Jos6: -
SEBILA, -
1986),
cos y paslyry', P.
83.

16. In an WAR entitled, "El mondo es A parroquia, " he lists three

characteristics of the kingdom: justice, community, and salvation. Jux--
tice is to be the rule in every realm of this world, even and especially
in the political and economic realm. rSee a Full description of this rule
of justice in Costas, 11 Prowstayjoyo, p. 1231 This rule of just ice is
to be pursued by the Chiiii'l-y-lil being in favor of justice, by its
standing against injustice, and by its being in solidarity with those
working for justice. rlbid. ] Often it is difficult, though, to decide
what constitutes justice in the midst of worldly and daily events. The
Church is aided in its discernment of what is just and what is unjust by
Scripture, by the Holy Spirit, and by the obedience of faith.
In the following fragments Laken from Costas' writings, he
explained the role of Scripture, the Holy Spirit and the obedience of
 27G

filith ill discornment'.

Puse a PlIo, Dios nos ha dad" rocursos para ayudarnos a dis
ceruir Ins rormas que
as"me A reino en In historla. y tomar
decisiones que respondan a su exigencia de justicia. Este es
por lo menos "no de los moLi. vos que podemos atribuirle a],
don del Espiritu Santo. Al hacer presence a Cristo en
situaciones concretas e iluminar nuesLra mente para entender
la Palabra tvnvmos que buscar el discernimiento del
..
Espiritu en u"a confrontaci6n seria de ]a Hiblia, con los
acontecimientos diarlos (funci6n de [a prensa) y ]a intor-
pretaci6n critica de la realidad que ellos nos describen
(funci6n de Ins ciuncias sociales). us que en In
...
obodlencla de Q fe us donde se disciernen las formas que
toma el reino en In historin, Tanin In obediencia de In Q
como In manifestaci6n del reino se suscitan y se dan en
medio de situaciones de crisis para las q"P se necesita
sabiduria y valor. [Mid., pp. 124 25. ]
Community is a second characteristic of the kingdom. Community N
founded. on God's act of love manifested in God's coming to the world
through Jesus Christ. The Church, itsm, was born in this act of love,
and the Church has the responsibility to be the paradigm community of
love. [See Ibid., p. 126. ] Through its love, the church witnesses to
God's love.
Salvation is a third characteristic of God's reign. Salvation is
possible because of God's making peace. God made peace through the crea-
Lion of a new person and a new society. The Church witnesses to thW;
peace through its conduct and action.

17. Costas writes, "La meta do In misi6n do Dios un ul mnDdO UP, PUCS,
nada. menos que el est-ahlerimlentn do su reino. " [Thid., V. 122. ] It fol-
lows, then, that the Church, which is 1hp missionary agent of God in Lhe
world, has as its mission the reign of God. "Porque si blen es clerto
que el reino Us ]a meta hacia, In coal so muevv In misi6n de Dion.
...
tambi6n es igualmente cierLo q"e a la iglesia le corresponde darlo de
conocer. " [Thid., p. 129. ] Q his article, "El mundo es m! parroquia, ''
he entiLles a section: "La Iglesia Comn Agente Misjonero De Dios En El
Mundo. " In this section, he mentions three ways thaL the Church fulfills
its role as the missionary agent for God: La iglesia como paradigma del
reino on el mundo, La iglesia comn portadora do la Palabra dc Dios al
mundo: denuncia y anuncio, La iglesia comn sierva de Dios en el mundo:
solidmr-idad y servicio. [See Jbid., pp. 129 140. See also the section
enLitled. "The Church as the Agent of God's Mission. " in Orlando Costas,
The Church and ILs Mission: A Shat. tering Pritique from the Third World,
(Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1974), pp, 7-8. ]
A brief word on the relationship between mission and evangelizal-ion
is necessary. Costas specifically addressed this question in an early
work entitled Q jgje_; jq ý EvaKlUe 11APgry published in 1971
_y ,t _on .
Rvangelizalion has nlready been defined using this work. in this same
place, he defined mission as "vl Ilamamienio do Dios a una empr"sa
redentora. Ahn m5s. Us el mandamienio quo Dios IP ha dado H S" pupblr)
Ps In do proclamar ol evangelin de Dios en todo el mundo, " [Costas,
...
27.1 Thus, For him, mission and evangelizal-inn are
dos' ladns de ]a misma monerim. La moneda us Dios y Sn actividad redentorn
 277

on favor do todm la humanidad. Evangolismo es el anuncin do Psa ohra;

MIS Kn un PI wNndwmiento que nos comPele a poner on acci6n ese anunci",
rl-bid. ] Thus he affirmed the interrelatedness and overlap of these
two terms.

18. Costas, El Prot u ; J'All jj,, PP, 115 122. The reign of God is pro
"Todn is-lo-10-p-lica
world: q"p el reino no es un ghetto, ni un monasterio
Psuapista, sino on lugar de ,ýcrvicio Ibid., p. 122.

19. "Fn Latin Amurica and the Caribbean the gospel has simply not beet)
proclaimed and taught in ! is fullness as the liberating reign or the
Father thro"gh the cross of the Son and Lhe power of his resurrection
and made dynamically present by the Holy Spirit. This has led to the
...
limiLation of evangelism to the sphere of a privatistic I-thou relation
ship. " Costns, "Evangelism in the Third World, " p. 10.

2n. Cos tas, Qut jM111pq §ypRgqjjaE Qqy?, p. 39.

21. Costas, The Church and Its ýýIss, 1), 1,1 1

22. Orlando Costas, jhqolj? U pf 1he Crossroads in Conte mporary Latin

'PLI. missiology A-Binline ' (WATerdam:
Py
Editions Rodopi. N. V., 1976), pp. 343-344.

23. Orlando Cost-as, Tjjý-, _LjLt,p_Uý

- Ij. af jjnj[Ry The Tuner Life and Out
Church ,-_
(New York: _y
reach of the Harper & Row, Publishers, 1979), p. 75,

24 Costas, Ch_r,1.s_t oult-s''i-de, Gyp, p. 168

'the
25. Costas, 25ý

26. CosLas, Christ Outside the Gqjq, p. 14.

27. Orlando Costas, "Conversion as a Complex Experience A Personal

Case Study, " in Down to Earth: Studies in Christiani and Cultuy,
edited by Robert T. Coote and John Stott, (Grand Rapids: William B.
Rerdmans P"blishing Company, 1980), pp. 173 191,

28. Ibid., p. 173. This description of conversion is in opposiLion to

the traditional evangelical understanding of conversion as "a static,
once for-all, private experience. Furthermore, it is viewed as a trans-
cultural, non-contextual event. as though it were the same everywhere
ror all believers, at all Limes. " fbid. In his insistence on recognizing,
conversion as occuring in a social and historical context, Costas mir
rors Migupz Bonino. Sep Miguez on conversion,

29. "An evangelistic witness (Krtus) is, therefore, a person who

Lestifies warturnu) rrom within a personal knowledge (experience) of'
Jesus Christ as the cruciCied and risen Son of God and therefore as L&
embodiment of God's reign. This testimony (martarla) is sealed by the
readiness of the witness to stand by his or her affirmation, even at the
cost of death. " [Costas, ChKsL Ouls, iqq ty; If, p. 184. ] Costas dif
fernnUates between two types
of witnessing in the New Testament. One Is
 278

merely giving the factual as in the gospels.

account, The other is "the
interpretation of the theological
significance or that account from the
perspective of a personal ronvirt-jon, In this sense, to witness N
...
to confess one's conviction about the the"logirml Lruthruiness or the
history of Jesus Christ. " [Mid. ] This latter type of witness comes from
Acts, the Johannine literature and the Pauline literature. This IaLte).
type of witness is preferable to CoKas.

30. gee Cos-Las izac! 6n Contextual pp. 29 44

, -- ---- - ------------------- ,
31. See Ibid,, pp, 15 72.

32. Ibid., p. 90,

33. "Los agentes humanos do Q evangplizacibn deben ser en A mis=ý

personas trnnsformadas por A podpr salvador de Jesucristo. Ninguna per,
sona que no evidencie (por el amoy) Pas transformaci6n puede dar
testimonin del evangplio. Participar en ]a transformarl6n del mundo
implica, en primera instaucia, hahor expPrimentado ]a grauia do Dios, A
perd6n, la resMucihn y la liberaci6n para PI servicio. " Ibid., 24.
p.

34. Costas, Christ Outside the 011p, p 37.

35. See Costas, El ProtestantismC, p, 134.

36. Ibid., pp. 134 135.

37. rhid., p. 135.

38. See his assessment of this in Costas, 1; 99.

39. He writes, "La obra evangplizadorn del Espiritu eg la preparaci6n y

el cultivo del terreno, la conviccibu dv pecado, el reconocimiento de
Cristo como ]a sol"ci6n del problemn del pecado yW persuasi6n a unn
fesarlo como Salvador y Senor. " Ibid- p. 101.

10. lbid.

41. Costas, EvangplizorlAn contcxlLg4l, p. 78.

42. Ibid., pp. 78-79. These two understandings of the work or the
Spirit written almost 15 years apart reveal some change of emphases. In
the earlier definition, (See A. 39), the emphasis is on the work of
evangelization, itself, the cultivation, the conviction, the recognition
and the persuasion. The later definition emphasizes something completely
different; it stresses the rojactive view or the process with the
words, "men and women" and "the world. " Secondly, in the later derin!
tion, evangelization has additional ramifications along with individual
salvation. Now the new 1UP in Christ accomplished through evangeliza
lion becomes a sign of hope for the world Thirdly, the scope of'
evangelization is enlarged with the collective wording, and with the
references to God's reign and the future liberty in Christ. The view of'
the work of the Spirit is fuller and richer in the latter explanation.
 279

43. Orlando CosLas, ed., Hacia Una Teologja de la Evangelizacion

(Buenos Aire Q Aurr
s: Editorial )ra, 1973f, V. M

44. CosLas, KyqpMjjjqcj 6n c0 "IvNjqqj, p. 92. nr defined a base as Wl

fundamento, la in "6aest-r"ctura,
el engranaji ' el sector que garantiza
(porque hace posible) la acci6n de un organismo; es W realidad mds con
creta y espe cifica de esu organismo. Sin ]a base, se distorsiona la
realidad " [bid.
-

15. He explains that Me Church only has two choices of where to begin,
either with the powerful or with the oppressed. When the Church begins
to evangelize the former, it is reduced to a private, cerebral message.
[See Fbid. I On the contrary, if evangelization begins Mh the
oppressed, then it is prophetic and liberating. [see rhid. ]

46. In a sermon on Hebrews 13: 2, Costas wrote: "The death of Jesus not
only changed the location or salvation, but almo clarified the nature of
mission. By shfFting salvation to the periphery, the mission or the
people of God has undergone a complete abont-face. Hearing witness
...
to God's saving grace means going to the crucified Son of God, outside
[be gatv of our sacred compounds, to share in his suffering death for
the world,
...
Since jusns died outside the gate, mission has become the crossing
of the walls and gates of our secured and comfortable compounds, the
continuous movement toward him to bear 'the ahnse he endured' for the
world. " Costas, Christ: Outside On, 192,

47. Costay, Evanvolizaci6n contegp1l, p, 106. With this use or the

word, conti-ýxtuaJ he expands his earl ier def in! Lion quoted on p. 259,
,

48. SeQ Costas, "Evangelism and the Gospel or Salvation, " p. 37.

49. Orlandn Costas, "Depth In Evangelism An Interpretation of 'fn-

Depth Evangelism' Around the World, " in Let the Earth Hear His Voice,
fnternational Congress on World Evangelization, Lausanne, Switzerland,
ed. J 1), Douglas (Minneapol isr World Wide Pnblicat ions, 1975) p. 675.
,
50. A brier summary of Lhose four parLs will suffice. To motivate: "to
get it [a congregation] going in the direction of its witnessing voca
Lion, to get it to share its faith with others. " To recruit: "to recruit
believers and their resources, personal and collective, for witness, " To
organize: "a coordinated effort into which each can fit and have a
part. " To supervise: "to be on the lookout for trouble areas in the
practical outworking of the evangelistic effort. It means to be ready to
adjust and adapt programs to new sitnallons. It mvans spending time with
believers, particularly, helping Lhem do their task effectively. ''
Costas, The I! Ljc1; 1, iýj y ! )f Mission, 1). 26.
1-.- 1-----------
51 Coshls, "I)CIAll In Eviln,,aellsm, " 1). 686,

52, Cost, as, 5-itl Ii fj (',a J,ivwjp(ý -I j7,,ýjj- 110 7?, p. 47

53. Ibid,
 280

54. TI) i d.

55, Ih i (1,

56, Costas, The lllto-griýy of P7.

57. Theconsclentization of the laity "awakens the evangelistic con

scien ce of the people of God. To he mobilized, God's people must be made
aware of their missional call ing. They must be made aware of their per-
sonal rvsponsibility as members of a community called from darkness to
light and, directed by God to bear witness to h is love in Jesus Christ, ''
Ibid, Also, u"nscivntizat ion "helps them to get rid of the false notion
thal God's mission is somehow to he carried out by religious profes
siona ls. " ibid.

58. Reflection provides a deeper understanding of evangelization. As

ONO Lener que admitirJo, pero partP dvI fracaso evangellstico de
muchas iglesins se debe a su falta de reflex0n. Un pneblo qne no se
conoce aA mismo, A se preocupa por analizar la situaci6n de aquellos
a quienes desem evangelizar, no puede sino Lermi-nar en la super-
ITiu0 lid ad yeI fr ac as o, " Cos,I. it ý;, Qji,Lý ii, Lj ", I Zýa1
44-45,

59, "La acei6n evangetAtica pnede Lomar mAltiples dirucciones: el

hestimunio Mural y espuntdneo del crisHano en su vida diaria; la
creaci6n do grulmm con Weruses homog6neos (grupus de j6venes,
matrimonias, do discusi% informal, dc oraci6n y estudio b1hilco); ]a
participaci6n responsable en actom [Wradores Lalus como Plases de
alFabeLizaci6n, proyectos agron6micos, do saInd, do vivienda y Was
p6blicas, cooperativas de connumo y eflulas Wditu,
sindicales, grupos
est"di ant! I es y has ta organ MAU espocif ica do prolestas p6b I Was
c"ando ]a AWAY as! lo rpquipra; y IN proclamaci6n verbal del
evangeliv por medlo del pAlpito, As medjos do difusi6n cNecLiva, el
drama y IN m6sica.. " Ibid., p. 4W

00, Costas assumes that many people have not yet heard the gospel. As
he says, "... partnership is needed because of the AII ions around the
world who have not yet had the opportunity of receiving the Good News
and resPODding favourably or unfavourably to its call Lo repentance and
faith. One cannot 'pay lip service' to the biblical imperative of world
mission and remain unmoved by the fact that arter 2,000 years two Lhirds-
of mankind have yet to have a chance to consider the Gospel as an option
for their lives, " Coslas, "Churches in Evangelistic ParthershiP, " p.
149.

Gl See h is (I isclission of' the var-ioll; ol" part. nersbips lhid. 159.
. , , 1),

62. CostWS, TheoloPy Of' the Crossroad,,,, p, 355.

63, Soo Costas, "Depth In

Evangelism, " pp, 675 682 Costas acknowledged
that this article represented his own perspective on this evangelistic
movement and not "the official word of the movement. " [See Ibid., p.
675. ] ThereFore, he concludes that the report will un doubtedly be
 281

influenced by his own agenda. However, this supports the attempt of this
analysis to find influences on his evangelization. Whatever he incor
porated into his own theological and evangelistic framework from
Evangelism-In-Depth is obviously an influence on him.

64. "This conception of the world lays as much emphasis on the skys--
craper as on the bush, on the solitary individual as on groups of'
people. It also complicates the evangelistic enterprise, for it places a
tremendous burden on the witnessing community. if the world to which the
church is sent is a conglomerate of peoples, places, and relationships,
its evangelization must involve a matching comprehensiveness in
resources, methods, and strategic action. " [bid., p. 676.

65. Ibid., pp. 676-677.

66. R. Kenneth Strachan, (Gra"d Rapids: William

R. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1968), p, 111.

67. "What is interesting about all of these efforts is the fact that.
they represent a quest for a fuller, deeper, and more integral.
evangelistic action. " Costas, Mjs., t. de, jQ, Rqte, p. 174.
_Ou_tsi.
68. World Council of Churches, Your )Li Perýýpectives
Report on the World Conference on Mission and Evangelism, Melbourne,
Australia, 12-25 May, 1980 (Geneva: Commission on World Mission and
Evangelism, World Council of Churches, 1980), p. 210,
 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

JOSE MIGUEZ BONINO

UK Miguez Bonino is a Methodist liberation theologian front

Argentina who is involved in several dialogues. One dialogue is with

theologians from North America and Europe. A particularly famous inter

change took place between Miguez Jirgen Moltmann. I Miguez

and charged

Moltmann and others of failing to take their theological conclusions to

their fullest and most radical extent. The result, in Miguez's opinion,

is that the First World theologians remain neutral in the face of

oppression 2 Moltmann to Miguez in letter

and poverty. responded an open

in Crisis. 3 A dialogue in MIguez

and second which partici--
_Christ_ianil_y
pates is the ecumenical dialogue. He was as a Methodist observer at

Vatican 11, the only Protestant from Latin America, and he has been it

President of the WCC. A third dialogue of special interest to him is the

Cbristian-Marxist dialogue. His book on the topic is entitled,

Christians and Marxists. These dialogues have shaped his thinking and

his theology.

Miguez's desire for a new society with better human conditions and

with just structures permeates his writings. in his depiction of this

new society, he is influenced by the vision of the group, "Christians

for Socialism. "4 He incorporates into him work the basic elements of

what is termed a Latin American socialist project of librrationj Fol--

 283

lowing the example of "Christians for Socialism, " he calls Christians to

be active in transforming society. 6 He the Christian

values COD-tribution

to social change and cites an example of the importance of Christians in

this change. Only new persons can produce a new society, and Christians

are ripe for the task because they are 'new persons., 7

Miguez states without hesitation that such involvement by

Christians will be political; in fact, it must be political. Any altera

tion or change in the is 8 He defines

structures political. politics as

" action through which the human community assumes and completes
-the

its duty of planning their lives, determining their goals, and organiz

ing themselves to achieve this "9 Politics, understood in this way,

...

is part of being a Christian. A Christian is to engage in such action

aCkDowledging its 10 In Christians

political ramifications. actuality,

are presently politically active in Latin America due to a new Christian

11 He Camilo Torres Dom Heider Camara for

consciousness. credits and

being the Christian leaders with this new consciousness and proceeds to

sketch Christian groups and individuals in Latin America who are

descendants of these two men. 12

This new Christian consciousness and the Christian contribution to

social change raise a basic question for him - is there a relationship

between human history and God's history? He forms the question in this

way: "One of the theological questions that inevitably emerges in our

Latin American attempts to assume, from within our faith, a commitment

to the history of our people, is the old question concerning the rela--

tion between God's action his saving deeds - and our human actions,
-
 284

projects, ideologies and conflicts. -13 Q another place, he poses the

same question in this way: "Do historical happenings, i. e., historical

human action in its diverse dimensions political, cultural, economic

-

have any value in terms of the Kingdom which God prepares and will

gloriously establish in the Parousia of the Lord? "14 When asking the

question in this way, he uses the term, the reign of God, a term of

importance in his writings.

For Miguez, God's history is encapsulated in the term, the reign of'

God. The reign of God is God's historical project which God builds

within human history. He describes the reign of God in these terms:

it refers to a humanity that has been transformed on a

...
renewed earth. Tt is a vision of a world in which the crea--
tive plan of God is finally fulfilled; where hunger,
poverty, injustice, oppression, pain, even disease and death
have been definitively overcome; it is a world from which
evil has been rooted out forever. Where the love of God is
'all and in all, ' where the human love manifested in Jesus
Christ has penetrated all humankiDd and therefore fulfills
God's plan for creating a humanity which manifests his love
in a harmonious world which they themselves work, cultivate,
and make fruitful. 15

And God's reign is a dynamic, surging force within human history, one

that is "constantly pressing to manifest itself in history. "16

Yet, he does not linger on a description of God's reign or on the

what and where of this reign. Instead, the essential aspect of God's

reign is not that it is to be awaited or described, but that it is

dependent on human activity. With this, he answers t he question raised

in the above paragraph. Yes, human history and God's history are

related. Yes, human works and human history have an impact on the reign

of God. God's reign is incomp lete, and it depends on , even impels per--
 285

sons to labor for its realization. Such labor has eternal status. He

states, " every act, action, or plan, whicb, here and now on this
...

earth, realizes God's plan, even A only partially, will have an eternal

future. -17 God requests humanity's input in the reign, and God endows it.

with eternal significance. Thus, MQuez does not ask the question, where

is God's reign or what is God's reign, but "How can one join in the

activity of the kingdom? "18

Evangelization enters the discussion when that practical question

is raised about how to join in the activity of God's reign. Evangeliza

tion is an activity related to the reign of God. He defines evangeliza-

tion as: " el annunclo del levangello, ' la buena nueva de que Dios ha
...

intervenido en Jesucristo a favor de todos Ins hombres, y nos ofrece la

libertad - el perdon - de ser hijos de Dios y participar con el en A

preparacion de su Reino - el reinado de la justicia y la solidaridad. "19

Without this connection to God's reign, evangelization is not Christian

20
evangelization,

Jn order to be an activity of God's reign, evangelization, the ver-

bal announcement of the good news, must be concrete and located in his--

tory. Historicity is essential for effectiveness in all the composite

parts of evangelization. These parts are: proclamation, call to conver-

sion, and action. First of all, the proclamation and the call to coDver

sion are to be historically accurate. That is in order to be meaningful,

the evangelistic announcement must be pertinent to the times and the

particular situation, In this regard, Miguez criticizes the proelamation

of a stock formula which is frequently used in evangelistic campaigns. 21

 28G

Instead, proclamation must address Lhis question: "whal does it mean.

concretely and specifically, in thought and action, today, to follow

Christ? -22 He continues, "For this call to he meaningful it has to Q

articulated in the terms or a prohlemutics that corresponds to the needs

and hopes of the human beiiq today, both personal and collectiv, l,, "23

In an earlier article, he stal-Ps similarty that an important part of the

mission work of the church is to be knowledgeable about the historic

circumstances. This knowledge enables a comprehension of the good

24
,,,,,

The natural outcome of an historically reliable call to conversion

is a conversion which is concrete and related to the surro"ndings. In

this way, proclamation and the eva"golistic oppral, whun done within

actual hisLory, lead to a conversion, rooted in history. For Miguez, a

in history is 25 To
conversion a tr"e conversion. summarizo, relevance,

specificity, and hisLorirify are characLoristics of an a"thentic

proclamation in evangelization. Without these, vvangel Nation and the

to conversion are empty. 2C)

call

Secondly, such a proclamation resul Ls in concrete tasks in history.

An historic proclamation inspires actions, Proclamation and action

belong together. "To become wil, "esses to Jesus Christ, the liberator, in

the struggle for the libpration of man and the transformat-ion of'

society, Ls to be called to concrete tasks, "27 These concrete Lasks arc

named obedience and discipleship. Through cnnversion, a person is urged

towards obedivnce. (Medivncv has a specific meaning for Mig"ez.

obedience means "parLicipatinn in an ecrort, to change the struct"rn,,,

 287

which create oppres3ion and misery "28 Only lhrou, h obedience can the
,, .

God's be determined. 29 Actions

whereabouts and activity or reign can

which are obedient have a two-Fold significance; they imme the future,

which is Gnd's reign, and vorinespond to it,

Along w[th obedience, Christians are called to the task of dis

cipleship. Discipleship, like obedience, brings a person into the midst

or the struggle where transformal-ion and liberation are happening. To be

is in jesus, 31 Discipleship,
a disciple to share the sufferings of

enables radical changes to take place because a disciple is MIKE LO

go Lo the extent, that Jesus did, to death and martyrdom. "Tt seems to us

that only a fatth Lhat transcends deaLh can responsibly undertake the

awful decision or indispensable but costly transformations "22 Obedience

and discipleship are two concrete HcHons which take place in the midst,

or history and participate in hislot-iral transformation.

Proclamation and action are hrought togAher by way or propheth;

luglimo"y. Propheliu testimony in vcvbal hot it is also, and most impor

LaKly, 33 Two testimony help for

g, sfo, examples of propheLic are

refugees fron political or religious persecution and help For a com

IN 34 Actions be
munity organizaLion on mNrgins, can considered

prophetic tostimonies Q they comply with the Following requirements:

ýquo muestran claramente la realidad negativa que tratan de corregir;

que creen y acrecienten la esperanza, es decir que conduzcan a un mayor

compromiso para corrvgir esm siLuacion; que envnelvan a aquellos a

quienes se sirve en una participacion autiva ... q"v creen

solidaridad. -35 Prophetic testimony brings LoguLher proclamation and

 8)'-')

action with emphasis on the latter.

History the key ratior in evangelization because it is in his

-iN

tory that God is working, it is in history that the reign of God is

established. Besides vvangelizalion, the Christian mission is also to

operate historically. Often, mission is undertaken without considering

'where' 'in time' it 36 Instead, Miguez for

and what pxis[,. calls all

historical mission. "Ella marca hoy el impulso crisLiano mAs vigoroso on

18 sociedad latinuamericana. S"s Le6logos y pasLores, sus lideres laicns

y comunidades de base, estAn 're creando' una misi6n prorundamente his

WNW aq"! y abora. "37 in the larger arena, that of Christian praxis,

history is to be, once again, the essenti. al aspeK, Un defines Christian

the that is done by the Christian 38 This

praxis as all action communit,.

"operate historically. " Therefore, in in its

praxis must every way,

evangelization, its mission and its overall Christian Vraxis, the Church

should acknowledge I-Im hisLorical reality and labor within that realm,

in his emphasis on history, he I-s influenred by liberaLi-on theology and

its interest in in transforming history, 40

working and

Along with the importance of history in Miguez's evangelization and

theology another overarching theme is that of the poor. The location of

the ChrisLian in history is to be with Lhe poor. Even though being with

the poor is only once linked directly with evangelization, since the

poor are at the core of his theology, the connection between evangeliza-

tion and the poor can he assumed. Underlying his emphasis on the poor is

his lwl Of Ilmt they imsmess urivi Vyes in the Christ ian faith. They are

Lhe privileged addressees of the "Word of promise and a call to the

 289

Reign. "41 Moving from this central assumption, Miguez calls Christians

to be converted to the poor. In order to be converted, Christians must

be in solidarity with the poor, enter into the conflicts of the poor,

and, important for this topic, be evangelized by the 42 This

poor, can

all be summarized in his statement that the theological and social loca--

tion the Christian is with the 43

of poor.

To summarize, in the overall scope of his theology, Miguez does not

give prominence to evangelization. His references to evangelization are

minimal. However, the references which do appear connect evangelization

to the reign of God as a practical way to work for the reign in history.

Evangelization in its proclamation, call to conversion and action is to

be historical, to take seriously the concrete situation. In Latin

America, to be historical in evangelization is to be with the poor and

to be evangelized by them.

On(! of' the strongest influences on Miguez Bonino's theology is Mar

xism. On evangelization in particular, the influence of Marx is clear in

his emphasis on history. When Miguez asks the question, "What is, there-

fore, to be found in Marxism of permanent and indispensable significance

for a revolutionary movement? ", 44 his first answer is an emphasis oil

history. Specifically, Miguez adopts Marx's belief that history can be

transformed by human 45 Evangelization is

activity. a task which trans--

forms history in line with God's activity in that same history.

A second influence on the importance of history is found in the

documents of the WCC. In the 60's, the assemblies and study reports

referred to God's activity in past history and particularly to God's

 290

work in present history. fn the study Witted. "The Missionary Str"c

lure or the Congregal. ion, " nod's overarching design which "is always

leading history ouL of the old and Wo the npw, "46 is called Lhe missio

Dei. Miguez uses the biblical term, the reign of God, instead of missio

DO, as Lhe name for God's plan for history. And he adopts Lhe ecumen!

cat Lhinking Lhat God is at work in history building Lhis reign. Alonp,

with this, Miguez is i"I'luenced hy tlw WCC's positive view of the world.

The world is the place where God is est-Ablishing God's reign.

He is also influenced by Lhe WCC's connection of evangelizal-ion

with the reign of God. This first appears in the Melbourne Assembly

where the theme is, "Your Kingdom Cnmp, " In This document, proclamation

of the good news includes the announcement of the reign of God. This

same proclamation A tied in with the poor for whom God's reign has a

prefurence. Miguez incorporates the rpign or God into his evangelization

after Melbourne. This is clear because before Melbourne he defined

evangelization without, reference to the Mon of G, d, 47 Then, in his

latest. definition of evangelization, quoLed above, evangelization is

inauthentic and nnChristia" unless it proclaims and works for the reign

of God.
 291

P'INDNOTES

1. Miguez cites Mollmann am the theologian to whom liberation

theologians are most in debt. See Jos6 Miguez Bonino, 'EtL(!jjj, LýLy
a Revolutionary f3ittiat i(In, ConfronLation Books, ed, William H- Lazareth
.- -1-1-1 --- -------
(PhiladelDhia: Fortress Press, 1975), p. 144.

2. See Mlyucz'n discussion of Mollmann, Ibid., pp. 144 149. At the

climax of this point, Miguez writes: Why is it, therefore, that at the
crucial point, MolLmann and mosL European theology - draws back from
thvsv 'materializations' and finds refuge in a 'critical function' which
is able to remain above right and left, ideologically neutral, ! ndepend-
cat of N structural analysis of reality? " Ibid., p. 149.

1. See Jiirj)-(ýfl Moltmillill'', 1(11-1ýof' hi chri-, tialli and Crisis, March 29,
1 97G.

Fol a complok. aceollný. or "llis, group, See 'John Flafslcý; ml, ed.
ChrIsLians and S"Walism: DocumenLatiou ur the Christians For Socilalism
Movvment in Lot 1n Amer i q, Lrans. Jolm Drnry (Marykno II: Orbi s Book s,
1975). See also Miguez's reporL on the first mucting of this group in
Miguez Boni no. a Revo I ul i ýýry xxi
xxiv.

5. Thid., pp. 39 40. These elements are: 1. A breaking away from capi
tallst countries; 2. A revolution in the social structures of Latin
American societies; 3. A strong centralized state for a certain time; 4.
A conscientization of the people; 5. A concentration on the political
dimension; 6. A uniquely Latin American socialism; and 7. An emphasis on
the human dimension. Thid.

6. In one pINce he writes, "What then 'most' (sic) the churuh do? It,
must operate within 'a realistic approach, ' trying to improve exist-ing
conditions and to moralize the use of power, Josh Miguez Bonino,
-"
Towýtrd a Christian Political (Philadelphia: Fortress Pres
1983) W),

7, He explains the Lwo-f"ld diubotomy Vrvsv"t bvLwvcn tra"Sformiog

structures and creating In new person. ' "Una desaforLanada dicnLomIa nos
ha Ilevado a contraponer, como A se excluyeran, la b6squeda do 'un hom
brP nuevn' Y de 'una nueva sociedad', aduciendo en un caso q"e s6lo A
cambin do estr"cturas sociales permite una renovacibn do la vida humaný-)
y on A otro quo s6lo hombres nuevos pueden crear una nueva sociedad. ''
[jos6 Miguev Bonino, "Vocaci6n y misibn do Ins Cristianos en WPM)
Patina on ]a dAcada de los ochentas, " Cristianismo y Sociedad 20 (Nn. 3ý
Jansformation
1982), p. 10.1 He continues by vxplaining the complete
which occurs in n 'new person. ' "Es la nueva existencia hecha posible
por Jesucristo - de ah! q"c se habla de 'un nuvvo nacimiento' o de
1morjr y resuritar' con Cristo o de 'una nueva creaci6n', So quivre asT
 292

setmiat, ta radical, idad (it, osf, ý cambio [to O's (Illi-I 1110r, reforflul, correc-
ciOll o cmbe] lechniento de rmcýJra Imm"ill. i(bid ,ýino 1111o Lriinsforni, ici6n que
va ilý la"ý raices mismas dc mwtý[, ro f, JsLe)wia.,,
3: [Ibid -1 Tt, i'ý jjl'cciýwly
ý-'Iie"w new Person's Who ran chang(" st I'llc tillres In Order t.o create a new
s.oc i ety.

8, He writes, "The transFormation oF human conditions in a complex

society like ours, is a political task. Thus, obedience to the CreaLor's
mandate is unavuidably passed on today through political action. " Jos6
Miguez Bo"ino, Room To Be People, trans. Vickie Leach (Philadelphia:
---- -----
1979) ------ ----- -^
41.
Fortress Press, p.
,

9, Ibid., p. 42. Several sentences later he writes this about politics:

"politics is the attempt at retrieving the world for people, at seizing
power from the irrational, from the high handedness of an unhuman
system, and of then restoring it to its Mginal proposit-ion to Serve
the enrichment and fullness of the human community. " Ibid.

10. He writes, "And this is a fundamental Christian obligation. Vou

can't be a Christian without accepting it, because you can't be a human
being without doing it. " fbtd. In dialogue wtth Marxists, he raises this
pertinent and related question, "Is it legitimate from a Biblical point,
of view to locate the field of action of the Christian faith at the hký
topical level of social and polit-Ical life? " Jos6 Miguez Bonino,
Christians and Marxisty: The Mutual Challenge to Revolution, (Grand
17-0-Thmans 1976), 28, Him
Rapids: WillfaM Publishing Company, p. answer
to Lhis question, as will be shown below, is affirmative.

11, He lists several theses which help to explain this new Christian
consciousness. They occ"r in the midst of a discussion of the theology
of liberation. These theses on the new Christian consciousness are: " 1.
A new Christ On consciousness is emerging in Latin America as a growing,
number or Christians become involved in the struggle for liberation.
111. A Christian consciousness related to liberation represents a
qualitative change in the relation oF Christianity to the Latin
Anmeriuan society. 7t is an attempt to overcome a Christianity projected
into purely mythical and subjective dimensions and to move towards a
piwjection in historical and polit Wal ones. TV. 7his now Christian
,..
consciousness requires a new form of thoologizing which assumes histori-
cal praxis as the matrix of theological reflection. " Jos6 Miguez Bonino,
"Five Theses Towards an Understanding of Lhe 'Theology of Liberation'''
Thq Mository nmcs 87 (April 1976), pp. 196-198,

12. See Miptjoy, flonino, Do-injý Thcolo pp. 43- 58.

-I-,--- ---mi
13. Jos6 m1fluez Bo I ii no, "Co I IV ors i on New Creature an (I Coinini tmont.
,
Ititel, nat ional Review ()f Miss ion 72 (July 1983) p. 324
,

Migm,. Y. Boliilio, Do',int ýý-jeoloey, 1). 139

15. Miguez Bonino, Room To Be Pecdýtt, p. 54. The ovvrwhelming emphasis

in this description is o'n and the world. The reign A God is
not an otherworldly concept. TI occurs within human history and it
 29",

renews h"maniLy and world.humanity's

This is also evident in Lhe two
tv rms wh i (T cha rac I er i ze Lhe im i gn, ppare "nd ins Ii cc. Both of these
forms correspond to people and the new relationships available to them
in God's reign. "Justice is Lhu restoration of the proper relationship
between people and Lheir dominion over the earth, their concern for the
rights or the dere"scipsm and their protectio" or life. Peace is the
condition of both personal and communal fulfillment. Peace is the cond!
tion of the family in which each
member lives comfortably and happily,
working and relaxing in that great home Mich is the world. " (Italics
mine) Ibid. Continuing on this theme of right relations, he defines sal
valion in tvrms of relaLionships; in this way, salvaLion is related to
justice. "God acts in righLeousess when he establishes and reesuablishes
right relationships, restoring those who have been wronged in their,
legitimate claims as members of the covenant. S"ch action is the eq"iv-
alent of 'salvation. '" M7guez Boninn, Toward a CbrisLian Political
Ethics, p. 85.

16 (I .
.Ibi

17. Miguez Ronino, Yoom To He pqq0q, p. 55. See also Jas6 Mfguez
TAxis " in Frontiers
Bonino, "Historical and Chriltian Faith, of Theo].
L)Uy LLi_tip America, ed. Rosino Gihvllini (Maryknoll: Orbis Books,
'ýiq 'following demonstrates the eternal
, 679), p. Pýý7111ho- quote nnt only
quality but also the freedom given to humans to "create" what is to
come: "But God has invited us to begin to create the future and has
promised to guarantee and certify for eternity what we create through
personal and collective love, " MQuez Bonino, 12cýmqo To 11ýe 7.
ýBe
18. Miguez Bonino,

19. Mlgupz Honino, "Vnraci6n y misj6n, " p. 13. An earlier definition

differs from this one, Instead of the reign of God, Miguev includes the
believer's incorporation into the church which is not included in the
above definition. He names three elements which comprise evangelization:
(1) Proclamao; Mn al individuo ya las comunidadvs, do Jesucristo,
quien libra, al hombre de Ws consecuenclas y el poder del pecado; (2)
respupsta a Psta proclamac! 6n en la forma do ]a conversi6n y (3) incor
poraci6n mediante el bautismo a ]a comunidad de los creyentps. Dons,
...
falte uno do estos tres Mementos ]a obra de evangelizaci6n, no ha sido
cumpl. i da. " JW Miguez Boni no, od.
Catolicismo Romano y ProtesLantismo en la America Latina (Rio de la
Plata: Centro De Estudios Cristianos, 1966), p. 50 Thus, in his later
definition of vvangelizallon, the reign of God replaces the believer's
incorporation into the church which is found in his earlier definition.

20. He writes, "Una evangelizaci6n desvinculada del Reino de Dios no es

evangelizaci6n crisLlana. " Miguez Bonino, "Vocaci6n y misi6n, " p. 13.

21. "The goal of conversion is not just the reception of a conceptual

message or the Formal acceptance of a doctrinal formula, but 'the crea
tion of a new creature'. This is a commonplace that few would dispute
today. But it is constantly contradicted in the evangelizing process as
it frequently takes place in reality. In such a process people are
 294

expected to conform to usually very standardizod forms or responsp,

accepting a verbal communicolion, " Miguez noni"o, "CoHvc"Won, New Croýj
We and Commitment, " p. 33V

22. thid., p. 332.

23. Ibid,, p. 230.

24. "A part of our missionary obligation is to know the world in which
we live our Latin American world as well as our world community - its
-
modes or thought, its interests and concerns, its dreams and hopes and
disappointments. Such knowledge is essential, not in order that we may
cut the Gospel to the mvasuro of the human heart, but that we may
proclaim the eternal Gospel of what God has done in Jesus Christ ill
terms which men will understand. " JW Miguez Bonino, "Obedience and
Freedom in Christian Theology, " International Review of Mission 50
(January 1961), p. 9K

25. See Miguez Bonino, Chr, ist, ian_s and Marxisjj, p. Ill

26. See Mlguvz Bonino, "Convurvion, Nrw CreaLnro and Commitment, " p.
331.

27. Jos6 Miguez Bonino, "The Present Crisis in Mission, " in Mly oil
Trends No 1, ed, Gerald H, Anderson and Thomas F. Stransky (New -I- Yolk:
Paulist Press, 1974), p. 45.

28. Miguvz Bo"ino, Christians and Marxists, p. 42.

29. Mignez Bo"Ino, "Historical Praxis and Christian, Faith, " p. ? 7V

30, Ibid., p. 274.

31, Svc Mignez Bonino, ChTj jj, qj and Marx i pp. 1,19 140,
_Q,

32. Ibid., p. 138.

33, He explains, "Este testimonio [profhLico] no debe referirse exclil

sivamentp a lo que In iglesia 'dice' - lo que a veces se ha llamado
'denuncia p. rof6tica' (de ]a injusticia,
violencia, do la
dp la
inmoralidad, etc. ) sino tambi6n a 'acciones' q"e tienen el cal-Acter do
1gestns' que a la vez qne roalivan un prnpAmito " MTguez Rn"Ino,
...
"Vocaci6n y misi6n, " p. 18. The verbal element is mentioned by him but
never explicated. The examples which he viLes are all action not verbal.

34, Ibid.

35. Ibid.

36. He explains, "La primera rpriamN P! carhuter de una conresi6n y

auto critica: por mucho tiempo grandes sectores del pueblo evang6lico oil
Am6r! ca Latina han concebido su WAS casi SiD toner on cuenta 'd6nde'
y len quh tiempo' Lonla lugar los hombres vran 'almas' individualeR,
 295

c.cinf rontadas ' int-, emi)oralmente I con un Salvador - que no inO taba a.
rl iI iFfin comprom iso I iist-6ricci que, exce (I iora la inora I ind iv idua I. " Mf guez
Ilonino, "Vocaci()n y misi(in, " p. 8.

'37 I bi d
.

38. In Christian
praxis, hv includes aspects such as: "worship,
suffering, action of the Christian community. ''
proclamation, structure,
See Jos6 Miguez Bonino, "The Struggle of the Poor and the Church, "
Ecumenical Review 27 (January 1975), p. 40.

39.1 bi d.

40. See Miguez flonino, 72.

41. This is in the

midst of the following sentences: "Ili
statement
that the suffering to hope, and oppression to lib--
order poor may relate
there must be a word of promise and a call to the Kingdom. What
Pration,
the Bible tells us is that the poor - because God is especially and
the God of the poor are the privileged addressees of that:
resolutely -
Word This is the epistemological privilege or the poor. " Jos6 Miguez
...
Ronino, Onverty As Curse, Blessing and Challenge, " jh_e 1'-IQf".. RPvjPq 34
(Fall 1977), p. 10.

42. ''We (,.,-in only be deJivered by a transformation of the conditions of

life, by the creation of a new world and a new day for all of
our
It is in the hands of the poor of the world. All we can do
mankind. ..,
is to enter into their struggle, to make their cause our own - to be
evangelized by them! " Ibid., p. 11.

43, See Miguez Bonino, Toward Christian P-olitical Ethipt, p. 44. When
As, IaA
(though it be for all
speaking about theologi can generalized
Christians in general as he does in the quote included in the text)
Miguez that location is not determined only by fate; it is,
states social
the theologian (the Christian) makes. Despite one's birth
a choice which
one can choose to be located anywhere, and for Miguez,
and education,
the only choice is to choose to he with the poor. The effects of one's
social location are the following: "I. It determines one's perspective;
2. It points for reflection; and 3. It help to define the
out priorities
goal and purpose of theological enterprise. " See Josh Miguez Bonino,
"Doing Theology in the Context of the Str"ggles of the Poor, " Mi4jt"
20 (October 1981), pp. 370-371,

44. Miguev. Bon itto Christians and Marxists, p. 91

.

45. He writes, "The main point here is that history is not primarily
the unfolding of man's consciousness or of his ideas but the dynamics of'
his concrete activity, the main form of which is the work through which
he transforms in to respond to the totality of his needs. ''
nature order
[Tbid., 92. ] In the final document of "Christians for Socialism, ''
p.
there is a paragraph which discusses the importance of Christ's libera--
tion for human history, "Our revolutionary commitment has enabled us to
the import of Christ's liberative work. That work gives human
rediscover
 296

history its underlying unity. Framing political liberation in a broader

and more radical context, it enables us to grasp its true sense and
import, Christ's liberation necessarily shows up in liberating events of
history, but it is not limited to such events. It indicates the Jimita-
tions of these events and, even more importantly, leads them towards
their complete fulfillment. The real reductionists, who diminish
Christ's work, are those who want to separate it from the pulsing course
of history where individuals and social classes struggle to liberate
themselves from the oppression to which other individuals and classes
subject them. The real reductionists are those who are unwilling to
recognize the fact that Christ's liberation is a thoroughgoing libera--
WD from every sort of exploitatiOD, plunder, and alienation. ''
Eagleson, Christians and Socialism, pp. 162-163.

46. Wiesey-, Planning For, Mission, p. 50.

47. See A 19.

 CHAPTEIR FOURTE. FN
I

PROTESTANTS ON EVANGrLIZATTON:
A SUMMARY

A summary of these four ProtesUnt: liberation Lhenlogians oil

(wangelivation, Mortimer Arias, Emilin Castro, nrlandn Costas and Jos6

Miguez Bonino, reveals basic similarities in their understandings. These

similarities revolve around such foundational issues of evangelization

am the purpose, the process, and the characteristics. This is undoub

tedly due to their familiarity with each other's ideas as is apparent by

the frequent references back and forth. in addition, -their contexts are

comparable. Each one is a Prntestant, a Methodist except for Costas, a

LON American, a participant in the ccnmunical movement, a frequent

visitor to other countries especially in the First World, and a pastor,

tvacher, and theologian. With this overall common base, the similni-Itics

are understandable. Still, each theologian emerges as an individual witil

a distinct demarcation from the others in various areas. These

divergences are noteworthy as they reveal a breadth in evangelization.

The bulk of this summary will entail looking at the concepts which

t1w four 1-i;

iv(- i, ti common. Then, aspecJs 0 ovalip, I ization shared by at
-.

](! ast. t,11,70of' the ('01jr. will be noted. Uol owi I if', hiý;, areas Where an

hidi, vidu; tl. eroergeýý dist from Lho o the rs Will be itivest-igated.

Viý)ally, tll(, orl these Hwolog aw-,, wi I he compi-If'd mid coill

pif rod.

All fonr theologiaw; hicludc severa has i c, collc(! pt. ý. of (ývallRuliza

t-
 298

lion in thpir writings. These roncevls are the romwin: 1. Evangeliza

tion is linked with Lbe rvig" or God and is derined through this connec

Lion; 2. Evangelization consists of this process proclamation, call to

conversion, and action; and 3. Evangelization is contextual and com

prehensive.

First, QvaugeliyWo" is linked with Lhe reign of God. Evangelizo

tion benefits and promotes God's reign, Tt cannnL be "nderslood or

defined outsid e or this primary and roundalional connection. As MQuez

states s imply, evangelization is not Christian evangelization without

its link with the reign or GoV A simple definition of evangelization

is a pro clamat ion and a rall. to work on behnir of God's reign.

The reign of God is God's nvw order, God's plan. Words such as

pence, love, jusLice and salvation porLray the reign oF God. God labor. -,

and toils within human history to bring about this reign. A particular

emphasis of these writers is prveiNply this intimate connection between

the reign of God and human history. CosLas pronounces that God's reign

is pro-world; it is being forged and established in this would. Miguez

accents the necessity of human activiLy in God's reign. Not only does he

believe thaL God works in human history, but also he contends that human

acLivity accompanies divtne activity.

Arins and Castro emphasize the holistic, comprehensive nature of'

God's reign. This reign encompasses every realm and dimension - per

snnal, social, political, spiritual, historical and Lranscendant.

Because of the reign's r"ilnpss, Lhesp two Lheologians accept it as the

foundational Meological for 2 The

concept evnngelizat-ion. multi
 299

dimensional nnture of the reign of God protects the fullness of

evungHization.

For all four theologians, evangelization is defined by its rela

tionship to the reign of God. Evangelization proclaims and works for

God's reign in the midst of history.

Secondly, evangelization consists of three parts. These parts are:

proclamation, call to conversion, and action. Proclamation is intrinsic

to evangelization; it is the ramiliar and obvious way to evangelize.

However, the individuality of these theologians arises when the content

of proclamation is considered. For Arias, proclamation announces the

reign of God which then is divided into three headings: announcing the

reign as Gift, Hope, and Challenge. These headings encompass the full-

ness of the gospul and God's reign, The reign as Gift proclaims Jesus

Christ and the liberation available through God's grace; the reign as

Hope announces the coming reign which awakens hopes and dreams. And the

reign as Challenge demands a decision, either for or against. En this

way, proclamaLlon broadcasts the gospel message in its entirety.

Castro's proclamation announces a God who acts in history in order

to liberate. As God has acted in history to liberate through creation,

Exodus, and Jesus Christ, so God is accomplishing liberaLion in the

present. The evangelistic proclamation tells forth this liberating God.

For Miguez, proclamation makes known the good news or the gospel; yet,

the particulars or the message are determined by the actual, historical.

sitnation. By being attentive to and knowledgeable about the concrete

situation, proclamaLlon becomes historically meaningful.

 11
300

Proclamation, for Costas, declares the good npwv or salvation in

Ivs"s Christ and 11w gOod n(Ms OF the reign or God. About Jesus Christ,

Lhe proclamation Lells Forth his victory over sin, Through this victory

over sin, there K liberolion in the present. About the reign of God,

proclamation announres Lhv new order which will triumph over the old

order. With this triumph, there is liberal-ion to come. The good news of

11beraLlon is an essential yet often overlooked aspect of proclamation.

Upon comparing IN content of proclamation, several common ihvmp,,

emerge. The good news or liberation is part or the proclamation for,

Arias, Castro, Nnd WHY, hut Cnstas, alonu, specifivs lihrroljon For'

the present and For the f"t"re, CosLas and Arias approach proclamation

geeking to mLyess its many dimensions and its Fullness. Cast-ro proclaims

a God who has acted and is act[ng in history. And all of them include

the good news or God's reign 111 Lbe evangelisLic proclamation. In these

ways, proclamation is both similar and diverse for these theologians.

Following after proclamation thvrv is a call Lo conversion. Conver

sinn is not individualWOR or solely ror personal gain, For Arias,

Castro, and Costas conversion haN a collective dimenminn which most be

linked with the personal dimension. Costas and Arias view conversion as-

a two Fold movement to God and nPighbor which in and of itself nullifies

any purely personal benefits. Costas expands this double movement and

inrludes not only a turning to God and neighbor but also a turning away

From sin, This turning away also possesses a do"hle dimension; a convert

From MY from 3
turns away personal and away sinful structures,

Likewise, Castro includes the collecLivp dimensinn by stating that con

 301

varsion is the Wry point Pop enlisting Hs Worker fo r God s re igII.

This work Womaliually WAR a commitment oI he nei ghbor Because of

this movement to the neighbor, Castro states tliý.tt convecsion Ims

ramifications for social transformation, and he calls conver-sioll a

political acL! on, 4

Further, Miguez and the others recogniz( that- coflver! ýJoll is his

torical and concretp. Conversion occurs in history and is related to the

surrounding setting, Tt lakus acco"M of the neighbor, the allegianiv to

structures from which "nP is converted, and the work for the reign of

God. A statement by Arias summarizes conversion in these words,

conversion is not merely a change of religious feelings and a

privatistic transaction im our souls It is a historical movement

...

with very deffnitp persorral and social manifestations. "5

Another part of the evangelistic proress is action. Action benefits

the rcign of God. Three of the rour theologians, Arias, Castro, and

Mig"ez, call Lhis actin", dimcipleship. Discipleship requires a commit.

ment Lo the struggles of God's reign in history. Castro describes dis

ciples as the transformers or history. Similarly, for Mig"ez, dis

Wpleshlp enables radical changes to ensue because of the disciple's

total commitment. Such commitment revults in transformation.

Although Coslas does not use the Lerm, discipleship, he neverLhe-

less includes transformiiq action, or libvrating deeds, in his

evAngelivation, These deeds benefit the proclamation by working to make

it a rpality. Those who do these deeds of transformation most hv trans

formed themselves in Jes"s Christ,

 302

Miguez and Castro have larger visions of the effect or these

d"Lions. MIguvz hopes for a new society, and evangoliMir actions help

to hring about this colossal change, Castro comments repeatedly that,

Christians benefit the revolution, Without a doubt, a revolution Maik;

widespread changes, and Chrinfians part 1cipatv in and effect these

changes through discipleship,

One other part, of evangplization is cited by Arias, Castro, anti

Costas, that is - hearing witness. Rearing witness is done by Christians

who hNve responded to the gospel and who are at work in the world. Both

Arias and Costas intpgrate witness with proclamaLion. Bearing witness

orfers authenticity to the proclamation; it strives to make tO

proclamation a reality. Castro refines this oighm Hnd orfprs an exam

ple of a witnessing siLuaLion. He aNsumes Lhdt Christians will be active

in the world rm whaif or the revolution. Thrnugh such activity, " wit

ness Lo ipsus Christ- can occur in two ways. either silently or verbally,

The work, il-self, is a silent witness; it needs no verIal omhellishmeN.

On the other side, in the midst of work in the world, a Christian has

the opport"nity to witness to Jesus verbally while laboring alongside i,

person. As with Costas and Arias, the deed makes the verbal witness

crediblp. Thus, hearing witness is done through proclamation, deeds, and

silence, all of which testify to Jes"s Christ.

These four theologians suggest characteristics which evangelivation

is to possess. The two most frequently mentioned characteristics fit

into the general calegorivs or rontuxtual and comprehensive. Although

different terms might be employed, the meaning is similar. All four,

 303

Protestant theologians put rorth d contextual ev mil'yo Ii za ti on 110t 11 Ar i ;it

.
Coslas the t fley
and use word, contextual, nnd by that Illf-all lirl

it
evangelization which considers the situation Hud fm riIarsa

integrates these into evangelization. Contextual ev aIi ge IzýIi () Iiiý;

raithcui to "real in " For

people real contexts. CosLas, uril ike [fle

others, the MAP context comprises Me spiriLua sit ull t On as, We II i), ý

the it,, Ii,,, 7

physical

Miguez and Castro use different but related t-(ýrnls irlshý-Id of, con-

textual. Castro takes one aspect nr the context and makes it primary

the culture. For him, Oval, plization is to be MUNI In the culture.

Rvangelizatinn proclaims the gospel message acknowledging and integrat

ing it into the particular culLnrv. Through attention to the culture,

avangelization gains credibility and anthe"Licity. Mig"ez cneourages

evangelization to be hist-orical. History is the key word for his

evangelization. EvangelizaLion must he historically aware and histoH

cally located. DespiLe varying terms, all those theologians underline

the necessity to consider the context or some part of the context in

evangelization. What is important ror them is that evangelization not be

ahistorical or abstract; it must be pertinent- to the contexK

The second characterisHu or evangelization which three A the

theologians, Arias, Castr", and Cuslas, adopt is comprehensive or

holistic, in choosing this characLerisLic, Arias and Costas, in particu

lar, were motivated by the divisive and reductionistic mvntality typical

of Latin American Protestantism. Costas calls it the "either/or

mentaliLy. "8 This mentality rpulurus evangelization to either horizontal

 004

or vPrl 1cal spiritual or secular, proclamation or act ! on, individual or

,

sociMl. In opposition to this, Arias and MON votleavor to ovPrc"me

all roductions and dichotomies and to present evangelization in its

Wirely. The Bolivian Manifesto states this about holistic eva"gOiza

Lion, "tr"o evangelism B holistic. the whole nospni ror the whole mail

and the whole of mankind. Evangelism addrusses man in the totality of'

his being: individual and social, physical and spiritual, historical and

ol imna I. "9

Castro tak"s up oiw of the mtwv familiar reductions and exhorts,

evangelization to refrain from an over indulgence on the individual.

Evangeumi(m in not merely a private arrair hrocen the soni and God;

this is a sinful preoccuputiom, 10 On the

contrary, evangelization calS

persons to the service of others. The neighbor should be a part of Lhe

evangelistic proclamation from the beginning. Arias, Castro, and CosW;

all encourage a comprehensive, holistic, non individual evangelization

which retains its many dimensions and features.

To summarize, the basic parts of evangelization for these

I Iwo I ogi ans aro al ike in many ways. Evange I izat i on is def i nvd as a

proclamation and a call to work for the reign of God. The evangelisti(-

proccam consists of proclamation, a (All to conversion, and action. Con-

texL"al and comprehensive are the two most frequently stated character-

istics or evangelization. These similarities are widespread and comprise

much of evangelization. Still, individual variety within thp banic

framework 1" Pluar aid providos ilinminat ing contrans.

Other Aspects or evangelization are shapQd by at RAW two of the

 305

four theologians. Due to the nature of Lhese aspects and their impor-

tance, they warrant some attention. one aspect is the place of the poor

in evangelization. For Miguez, the poor are central to his theology.

Christians are to be in solidarity with the poor and to be converted and

evangelized by them. He states without hesitation that Christians are to

be with the poor in history. Undoubtedly this includes the location of

Christians in their evangelization, but this can only be assumed. Only

once does he connect evangelization and the poor in his statement that

Christians are to be evangelized by the poor. Still, considering the

centrality of the poor, the assumption about the connection between the

poor and evangelization is convincing. Costas is more specific than

Miguez as he directs the Church to build a base of evangelization on the

periphery of the nations. it is among these that an evangelistic base is

established. On the periphery are located the poor, oppressed, power-

less, and marginalized. This acknowledgement of the periphery in

evangelization is a recent development in Costas' writing, and even

though Miguez writes quite a bit on the poor, the connecLion between the

poor and evangelization has to be pieced together. All in all, the place

of the poor in evangelization is not as prominent for these Protestant

theologians as for the Roman Catholic theologians.

Costas and Arias exhibit two other aspects of evangelization which

the others do not. One is annunciation and denunciation. Both Costas and

Arias include annunciation and denunciation as parts of evangeliZatiOD.

Costas calls for a comprehensive annunciation and denunciation that

includes society as well as the individual. Stemming from the either/or

 306

tendency, Protestants have relegated annunciation and denunciation to an

individualistic stance. Instead, both annunciation and denunciation need

to confront structural, collective evils. For Arias, annunciation and

denunciation focus on the reign of God. Annunciation proclaims the com

ing reign which inspires an authentic hope, and denunciation points out

false hopes which interfere with God's coming reign. In this way, annun

Nation and denunciation reinforce each other in regards to the hope of

the reign of God.

Also, for both Arias and CosLas, Jesus established the evangelistic

model . Arias is forthright in his assertion that Jesus is the pattern

for "kingdom evangelization. " Jesns, who was the first evanfrelizer, did

"kingdom evangelization. " The reign of God was the core of Jesus' mes--

sage an(] of' his evangelistic process. Thus, Arias nqPs "kingdom.

evangelization" which follows the evangelistic example of Jesus. Costas

employs Jesus' evangelistic model at various times in evangelization.

Jesus is the example when Costas discusses bearing witness. Bearing, wit-
.

ness is accomplished through word and deed like Jesus did. As Jesus

cared for the poor and the outcast, so, too, bearing witness includes

such deeds along with the proclamation of the good news. Also, Jesus
-is
the example for, evangelization on the periphery and evangelization out-

le the gate.

Orlando Costas mentions two other aspects of' evangelization which

the others do not. These aspects are the Holy Spirit and evangelistic

programs. nie role of the Holy Spirit :i! -,. essential to Cost. as,

evangelization. The Spirit is active in every part of the evangelistic

 307

process. The Spirit builds on the evangelistic efforts of the Church and

brings Lhem to fruition. Due to its importance, the Spirit is an

integral part of any evangelistic program of the Church. He suggests

several programs such as: mobilization based On the in-depth evangeliza

Lion model, and the three-part program of reflection, action, and con-

solidation. In both of these models, the laity have a major role. III

addition, Costas also describes a world-wide strategy for evangeliza--

tion. ParLicularly in Latin America, an evangelistic partnership among

the Christian Churches would be unparalleled for combining the variety

of gifts. In these ways, Costas goes beyond the others in his writing or)

evangelization.

Also, Castro is unique in his presentation On the role of

evangelization serving the revolution, fie is not a.lone ill detailing the

Christian contribut. -ion to a societa-I revolution; Miguez is, interested in

this contribution also. However, Castro is alone in giving evangeliza

-(-AoD a major role in this rcvolut: ion. fie describes evangel ization, ý,

input into the revolution in four ways: 1. Evangelization provides a way

for Christ-Jams to be committed simultaneously to faith and to libera

tion; 2. Evangelization's emphasis on faith sustains the revolution in

the midst of disillusionments; 3. Evangelization encourages Christians

to testiffy 11
-G IAokIIZ
1A '3 act ity
k J*Vl in bringing alb-o-ut the revolution; and 4.

Elvangelization evangelizes the entire community individuals, powers,

-

and structures. For Castro, evangelization is of principal importance to

the revoluLlon which will transform society in accordance with God's new

order.
 308

The influences of the WCC and its discussions n" evangelization are

apparent on these Lheologians as has been noted in each individual anal

ysis. Several WCC themes stand out am being ones that had a wider

innuence Lhan others. CasLro and Miguez influenced by the 1960's

are

d0c"ssion or God's acLivity in history in order Lo accomplish God's

purposes and plans. Both the New DPlhj and Mexico City Assemblies as

well as the study, "The Missionary Structure of the Congregation. ''

develop this theme, For Castro, this active God is to be announced AD(I

proclaimed in evangel 1zaL ton. For Mlg"ez, God's acLivi Iy in hi story is

Lo be accompanied by human activity. Evangelization is a rorm or this

human activity.

TO comprehensiveness or Lhv Nairobi Assembly is an important'.

infl"ence. Nairobi, in tine with other documents at the Lime such the
as

Lausanne Covenant and Evangelji Nuntlandl, prcmvntud a holistic, com-

Vrehpnsive view of evangelization. As has been mentioned, this is all

essential characteristic for these Protestant theologians. A holistic

evangelization inrludes thp link between proclamation and action,

evangelization and social action which they adopt.

Lastly, the Melbourne Assembly is reflected in their writings.

Almve all, the theme of the reign of Sod comes to the forc after Me]

hnurne. Evangelization is now defined primarily by its connection to the

reign or God. The reign or God is the central theological foundation For

evangelization, and it is simultaneously IN focus of all evangplist-W

efforts,
 ()()

F MIN0,17"S

migue/, Bollillo, "Vocýlci6tl y lilkirm'',

2, See Castro, Freedom in Mission, pD, 36 37. Sep Arias, "Mplho"rnp and
Evangelism, " pp, 1 2,

3. Orlando Costas, Christ Oulkido the Cate: Mission Beyond Christendom

(Maryknol I: orb is l3oo-ýs', -'1982-)', -1 - -----

1. See Emilio Castro, Hacia Una Pastoral LaLinoamvricjyq, p. 82. See

Emilio Castro, Freedom in Missioll, p. 189.

5. Murt Nor Arias,

KJAPRAITF J, UIt
jj!! ý jN4-,, ý0, p. 50. Cost. as also
writes, is "profoundly ý9-( to particular times
conversion responsive and
placpq and shaped 1, the context of those who experience it. " Costas,
"Conversion as a Complex Experionce Personal Case Study, " p. 173.
-A

6 Arlaq, "That the World May Believe, " p. 21,

7. He writes that context"al evangelization should take stock of the

spiritual context by asking questions like: what is their understandilil',
of the gospel message, what is their Kate of lostness, what is their
resistance to the Gospel. The spiritnal context separates those who have
never heard the gospel and those who profess Christianity but have never
madp a personal decision. These differences in the spiritual context are
important for conLextual evangelization. Costas, "Churches Q
Evangelistic Partuvrship, " pp. 149,152 154.

8. Costas, Christ Outside the Gat-,q, p. 162.

9. Arias, "A Bolivian Manifesto on Evangelism in Latin America Today, ''

Ij . 3.

10, SC(' C; I S11"o, "'F (I i to I- kil 1), 4, )3

,"
 CONCLUSION

This study has provided a detailed investigation into the concept

of evangelization in the writings of ten Latin American theologians who

do theology from a liberation perspective. The writings of each

theologian have been analyzed and set into the framework of documents

from the Roman Catholic Church and the WCC. In addition, summaries of

the Roman Catholic theologians as a group and the Protestants as a group

have furnished a list of common denominators us well as individual dif--

ferences. What remains is to compare all the theologians from both

traditions in order to set out a view of evangelization within Latin

American Liberation Theology. This view of evangelization is possible

due Lo the similarities between these theologians. As will be shown, the

similarities are more numerous and more significant than the dif--

ferences.

Surely the similarities are due, among other reasons, to the

influence of these theologians on each other. As there is dialogue and

interchange among the Roman Catholic theologians and among the

Protestant theologians, there is also cross-fertilization between all of

the theologians. In other words, the similarity in their understandings

of evangelization is not a mere coincidence. These theologians are

familiar with, interact with, and quote from each other's writingw.

The Protestants, in parOcular, exhibit a thorough knowledge of the

 311

Roman Catholics and are strongly influenced by the latter. The Roman

Catholics began to develop Liberation Theology before the Protestants,

and certain books by Boff, Guti6rrez, Segundo and Sobrino are standard

references for the Protestants. A quick glance at the references in the

Protestant writings points this out; the Roman Catholic theologians

dominate the list. These ideas have been digested by the Protestants and

incorporated into a Protestant framework. All in all, it is natural that

these theologians in a Latin American context, using themes of Libera-

tion Theology and being familiar with each other's writings would set

forth a similar view of evangelization.

This conclusion will be arranged by topics. The major topics of

evangelization as presented by these theologians will be Compiled and

compared. These topics are illuminating in and of themselves as they

provide a recapitulation of what is pertinent to evangelization in Lib-

eratinn Theology. The procedure for the conclusion will be as follows:

those topics that the majority of theologians have in common will be

discussed first; then, those topics which are similar to some

theologians from both traditions will be analyzed; and finally, those

topics which represent significant differences between the Roman

Catholic and Protestant theologians will be presented.

From the compilation of these theologians' writings on evangeliza-

i ion, three topics provide a common understanding of and foundation for,

evangelization. These topics are: the reign of God, proclamation, and

action. The reign of God emerges as the foundational theological concept

in which evangelization is grounded. All the Protestant theologians and

 312

the majority of the Roman Catholics connect evangelization with God's

reign. This connection is primarily that of furthering God's reign in

history through evangelization. God and humanity endeavor to form this

reign in history, and evangelization assists this task. Evangelization

is an activity which labors for God's reign within the present Lime and

situation. The Protestants state this clearly by assigning evangeliza-

Lion the task of recruiting workers for God's reign. Through evangeliza-

tion, "kingdom" workers are enlisted.

The two ways in which evangelization works for God's reign are

proclamation and action. Proclamation, or annunciation as it is referred

to by the Roman Catholics, declares God's reign. To announce this reign

is to proclaim the coming reversal of the present order. The reign will

replace injustice with justice, oppression with liberation, poverty with

plenty, alienation with community, and death with life. Proclamation is

the most accepted and familiar way of evangelization.

The second way evangelization works for the reign of God is through

action. A unity exists between proclamation and action. Proclamation

leads to and motivates action. in turn, action concretizes proclamation

and makes the proclamation a reality in the here and now. For several.

theologians - Boff, Sobrino, Arias, and Costas - Jesus serves as the

model of this unity between action and proclamation, word and deed.

BeariDg witness is an example of an evangelistic action which combines

word and deed. Other actions include: practicing justice, making the

poor a neighbor, poliLiual action, conscientization, and struggling

against economic and political oppression. in these ways, action strives

 313

to make the good news of the proclamation a reality in history.

These three topics furnish an outline of the most common features

of evangelization. This outline needs to be filled out by those topics

shared by several Roman Catholic end Protestant theologians. These

topics are: conversion, comprehensiveness, contextualizaLion, denuncia--

tion, and the example of Jesus.

The first three topics - conversion, comprehensiveness, and contex--

tualization - are ones cited by all the Protestants and several of the

Catholics. Conversion is a topic which is central to evangelization for

the Protestant theologians and three Roman Catholic theologians, Hoff,

Gatilea and Romero. Certainly the interior aspect of conversion is main--

tained, but it is balanced by the col-lective dimension of conversion.

This balance is stated in various ways. Romero called for a two-fold

conversion, individual and societal, since sin pervades both arenas.

Conversion is the remedy For sin. Arias and Costas underline the double

movement to God and to neighbor in conversion, and Castro views conver-

sion as the entry point for the work of God's reign. Similarly, for

Galilea, conversion is an interior liberation which manifests itself in

exterior, collective liberation. Boff approaches conversion from the

vantage point of practice rather than belief. Conversion effects a

change in relationships so that they reflect the reign of God. Thus,

conversion, as an aspect of evaDgelization, is personal and collective,

individual and societal, interior and exterior, and moves toward God and

neighbor.

Secondly, an integral or comprehensive evangelization is an impor

 314

tant topic to the Protestants and to Galilea, Sobrino, and Romero. A

comprehensive evangelization is one that brings together aspects which

are considered opposites. For the Protestants and Galilea, a com--

prehensive evangelization combines the individual and the collective. In

this way, an over-indulgence on the individual is avoided. Romero and

Galilea balance the political and the spiritual. Evangelization is

active in the spiritual sphere for conversion and in the temporal,

political sphere for liberation. In still another way, Sobrino unites

the historical and the transcendant for an integral evangelization. The

transcendent accompanies the historical, and the historical concretizes

the transcendent. Evangelization works in both these spheres. The

motivation behind a comprehensive evangelization is the refusal to

reduce evangelization to one aspect or another and in so doing to

destroy its richness. It is precisely this fullness of opposites and

dichotomies which evangelization from a Latin American liberation per-

spective offers as a corrective to a" either/or view of evangelization.

The third topic which all the Protestants as well as Romero support-,

is the contextualization of evangelization. Briefly, for the

Protestants, contextual evangelization considers the situation, the cul-

ture. the historic, economic, political, and the spiritual context and

in order to avoid generalities. Romero, too, was very aware of the con

text in his evangelization. His evaDgelization was specific and applica--

ble to the situation, the people, the needs and the issues. He evangel-

ized the people in their context the rich and the poor, the baptized

and Lhe unbaptized. And he evangelized the issues in their context -

 315

unjust structures, absolutizations of various kinds, popular political

organizations, and Christians entering politics. Contextual evangeliza-

tion is direct, historical, specific, and relevant.

Denunciation is the next topic; it is mentioned by theologians from

each tradition - Arias, Costas, Boff, Guti6rrez, Romero, and Sobrino. In

general, denunciation condemns injustices Of all Varieties, and the

existence of sin in persons and structures. For Arias, denunciation

points out false hopes which interfere with the coming reign of God.

Romero names these false hopes as: absolutizations of wealth and private

property, national security, and organizations. Indicative of the

Protestants, Costas calls for a comprehensive denunciation, one which

condemns both personal and structural evils. Denunciation accompanies

annunciation and assists in the evangelistic process.

Another topic is the example of Jesus as the prototype of'

evangelization. This is a topic which the majority of Roman Catholics

embrace as well as Arias and Costas of the Protestants. Jesus is the

model evangelizer who is to be imitated. The Roman Catholics enumerate

these aspects of Jesus' evangelization which serve as a standard: pref

erence for the poor, liberation of the poor, preaching, denunciation,

action for God's reign, integration of word and deed, and integration of

contemplation and commitment. In addition, for Costas, Jesus is the

example of a witness who evangelized on the periphery. Arias calls

Jesus' evangelization by the name of "kingdom evangelization" and adopts

it as the evangelizing pattern. In these ways, Jesus' evangelization

serves as the model of evangelization.

 316

Two significant topics of evangelization from the Roman Catholic

porspective still remain; these are: evangelization implements change

and evangelization's relationship to the poor. They are two focal points

of evangelization among the Roman Catholic theologians, yet the

Protestants discuss them minimally. For these Roman Catholic

theologians, the purpose of evangelization is to implement change. A

frequently used term for change is liberation. Hoff, Galilea, Guti6rrez,

and Romero agree that liberation is to benefit the poor and the

oppressed. In addition, all six describe a change on the societal level

which evangelization hvlps to happen.

The Protestants view evangelization as furthering the reign of God:

however, except for Miguez and Castro, the ramifications for society or

structural change are not spelled out. Castro uses the word, revolution

which implies a radical societal transformation. Evangelization serves

the revolution in various ways. Miguez speaks of a new society which he

subsequently tinks to the reign of God and to evangelization. However,

in Miguez the role of evangelization in the new society is not as

forthright as the Roman Catholics; perhaps this is because his writing,

on evangelization is scattered and slim. In addition, rarely does the

term, liberation, so indicative of Liberation Theology, appear in the

Protestants' works. The few references to liberation in their writings

do not dominate as is the case For the Roman Catholics. What this means

is that while evangelization is responsible for major changes, such as

the liberation of the poor, for Lhe Roman Catholics, this is not so evi-

dent in the Protestant writings.

 317

The second topic is the relationship between evangelization and the

poor. Again, this is a crucial topic for the Roman Catholics. They

portray the place of the poor in evangetization in a variety of ways.

For instance, the poor are the privileged addressees and doers of'

evangelization, the poor are priority receivers of the announcement of

God's reign which has a preference for them, the poor are the place of

an encounter with God from which evangelization emanates, and the poor

receive God's word in history. The poor are a priority in evangeliza-

tion.

Miguez and Costas are the Protestants who mention the poor. The

poor are central to Miguez's theology, but they are not central to his

evangelization. The relationship of the poor to evangelization must be

assumed, although there is sufficienL evidence for this assumption. In a

recent book, Costas depicts the poor, those on the periphery, as

privileged in evangelization. Among the poor and the outcasts a base of'

is to be constructed. Since this is a new theme for him,

evangelization

it has not been fully developed.

What are dominant topics for the Roman Catholics receive only

slight attention by the Protestants. Whereas the former integrate the

poor in varying and meaningful ways into evangelization, for the latter,

the poor remain on the periphery of evangelization. Whereas the former

view evangelization as furthering liberation, the latter are reticent on

this point, It is evident, then, that these two topics, liberation and

the poor, are incorporated into evangelization by the Roman Catholics to

an extent which the Protestants do not equal. Perhaps the Roman Catholic.
 318

emphasis on these two particular topics, unlike the Protestants, can be

explained by the fact that Roman Catholic documents support the inclu

sion of liberation and the poor into evangelization. Evangelij Nuntland-i

opens wide the relationship between liberation and evangelization from

which the theologians then further the connection. Also, Medellin stands

behind a preference for the poor, and Puebla combines the preference of

the poor and evangelization. Whatever the reason, it is noteworthy that

these two prominent themes of Liberation Theology do not receive more

attention by the Protestants who have read and digested the Roman

Catholic theologians. This will be discussed in detail under thesis

five,

To conclude this section, evangelization is a concept around which

these ten theologians, Roman Catholic and Protestant, can unite. The

undeniable similarities form a strong bond for shared interchange and

dialogue. fn particular, the relationship between evangelization and the

reign of God is a SOUDd, firm basis for their unity. Longstanding

theological differences recede into the background as they write with a

common mind on evangelization and its activity on behalf of God's reign.

in addition, it is significant that the topic of evangelization,

which has caused tremendous conflict in Latin America, provides the

potential for uniting these theologians and others who share their

views. The evangelization which they set out is not proselytism, the

charge often leveled against evangelization in Latin America. On the

contrary, the focus of this evangelization is much larger and all

encompassing. It crosses denominational and theological barriers and

 :3-19

sets aside Church structure and hierarchy. Evangelization's focus js

none other Man building the reign of God within human history.

One task remains in this study. That task is to draw some addi--

tional. observations/theses about evangelization. These observations con--

sider the larger Vict"re surrounding evangelization. Even more, they

underscore the importance of this topic for the study of Latin American

Liberation Theology and for the study and practice of evangelization.

For the first time a view of evangelization in this theology has been

set forth, and theologians and evangelists will need to reckon with the

findings of this study. The observations will be limited to six.

1. Evangplization is a central thome of Latin American Liberation

TheoloM. For many, this is unexpected and might even seem cDntradi(.

Lory. But, as this study makes clear, these theologians are concerned

about, interested in, writing on, and doing evangelization. First of'

all, the sheer volume of wriLten mat-Prial on evangelization from these

theologians reveals its significance. Both the Roman Catholics and the

Protestants have made evangelization a priority. Although evangelization

might he expected from the latter, the former are creatively and suc

cessfully integrating evangelization into their writings. Secondly, its

importance is evident through its connection with the major themes of

Liberation Theology. Evangelization has ramifications for liberation,

the poor, social change, Church structures, Christians in politics,

annunciation and denunciation, and action.

More importantly, however, evangelization bridges the theological

and the practical in this theology. One of the foremost concerns of

 320

Latin American Liberation Theology is that theology not only be an

academic exercise of intricate thonght processes. Theology is to be

integrated with praxis. Evangelization is an example of a concept which

bridges theology and praxis; it is neither a mere notion of the head,

nor praxis without theological grounding.

Without a doubt, their writing on evangelization is well-grounded

theologically. Evangelization is not out on its own as an afterthought

or a hasty addition. It is integrated into this theology by its close

and thorough connection with God, Jesus Christ, the reign of God, the

human situation, and the Church.

Along with theology, evangelization is praxis. Evangelization

entails Proclamation. action. denuncintion, solidarity with the poor,

societal and structural transformation, and physical and spiritual lib

eration. Evangelizers are active with the poor, the Church, the has(!

communities, and the ruling powers. In this way, evangelization provides

a way to achieve that which is discussed theological-ly. For example,

evangelization concretely furthers liberation and the reign of God as

well as being related to them theologically as has been shown.

Therefore, evangelization in Latin American Liberation Theology is

certainly not theological for the sake of theology or praxis separated

from theology. Evangelization is a concept which unites theology and

praxis and serves as a bridge between the two. This is an important con-

tribution as a corrective to those who evangelize without any theologi-

cal framework and for those who theologize without considering praxis.

With evangelization these theologians have achieved a central synthesis

 321

in their between
methodology - the unity praxis and theology.

2. Evangelization is grounded biblically in the model of desns'

evangelization. The predominant example for evangelization is the minis--

try of Jesus. His model serves as the focal point for both Roman

Catholic and Protestant theologians. His proclamation of the good news

of God's reign forms the basis of the evangelistic announcement. His

prophetic denunciation is incorporated into evangelization also. His

actions and teachings, his concern for the poor and the outcasts, and

his bringing together word and deed are paramount in these writings. Not.

only is this the case for the theologians but Evangelij Nuntiand! and

the Melbourne Assembly of the WCC also exhibit this interest in Jesus'

evangelization.

Interestingly, the Great Commission, the touchstone for evangeliza-

tion, receives little attention. Gut! 6rrez does the most with Matthew 28

in his booh, The Poor and the Church in Latin America. His conclusion is

that Jesus' words describe a mass-directed evangelization on the teach--

ing of God's preference for the poor. Castro expands this scripture to

include principalities and powers, not just individuals, who must be

evangelized. Other than these examples, the Great Commission. which has

served as a motivating passage for the activity of evangelization, is

not discussed. In addition, any Pauline influence on their evangeliza-

tion is missing except for a brief reference by Costas. He uses Paul's

phrase, "the reconciliation of all things, " to define salvation, the

hope of evangelization. Then, he continues by expanding the notion of

"all things" to include both individuals and structures. In addition,

 :322

Costas discusses Esther's evangelization because she was an agent of

transformation in her evangelization. In this way, the Old Testament is

employed in the discussion. However, other than these brief references

to other biblical material, evangelization is fashioned after Jesus'

example.

This use of the biblical writings can be criticized for favoring

one section without any attention to any others. These theologians pre--

fer the Synoptic Gospels for their evangelization above all other writ-

ings. Yet, their evangelization would be richer for integrating other

biblical examples, like Costas did with Esther from the Old Testament,

and other biblical writers along with the example of Jesus.

3. There is a rociprocal influence between the official documents

and the theologians' writings on evangolization. The writings of these

theologians on evangelization reveal an exhaustive knowledge of these

documents. They contain frequent quotations from the documents. Yet

there is not only a knowledge but also an influence. Two examples of

this influence will be cited, though many more exist. One example is the

link between evangelization and liberation. In EvangeM Nuntiandi,

several sections are devoted to this question. Because of this, the

document opened the way for liberation to impact evangelization and vice

versa. After Evange7jj Nuntlandl, the theologians unhesitatingly con-

sider liberation as part of evangelization. Further, Evang; eM Nuntiandi

appears as a watershed document for evangelization in Roman Catholic

discussions and writings. The bulk of material on evangelization is pub-

lished after the document, and undoubtedly, EvanguM Nuntiandi is the

 3 23
,t
major reason For the Puebla Conference's focus on evangelization.

A second example revolves around the Melbourne Assembly of the Wcc.

The theme of Melbourne was "Your Kingdom Come. " The reign of God

permeated the entire assembly. After Melbourne, the reign of God becomes

the theme of evangelization for the Protestants. Now evangelization

focuses on God's reign. Arias directly acknowledges Melbourne's

influence in his own search for a new evangelization; Melbourne led him

to "kingdom evangelization. " These two examples suffice to point out Lhe

influence of the assemblies, conferences, and documents on the discus

sion of evangelization from the JiberaLion perspective.

On the other hand, there is a reciprocal influence: liberation

theologians have influenced the official documents. This reversal of'

influences is apparent in Roman Catholic and WCC documents. The disLinc-

tives of Liberation Theology are Obvious in the MedeJlIn documents which

simu]LaneousJy served to launch Liberation Theology. Several of these

themes are a preference for the poor overall and in evangelization, a

recognition of the role of base communities, and a consideration of the

social, political, economic, and religious context. Moving on to

EvangNif Nuntiandi, this document reflects a prevailing interest in

IihEvaL, on and its relationship to evangelization. This interest is due

to the growing consensus among some Roman Catholic IhnnIngiang in LaLK

America that liberation is a central theme of the Gospel. Because of

this, Rvangelli Nuntiandi attempts to provide guidelines for the incor-

poratinn of liberation into evangelization. At the Puebla Conference,

the liberation theologians influence the documents despite their non

 -24

official status. A case in point is the spulion. "A Prerepontini nptinf,

for tho Poor. " in which the prominent themes or hilverNion Theology per

vade the paragraphs.

fn Me WCE documents, the influence continues. At Bangkok, salva

lion is disc"sspd in terms or liberation. Arias' books Mtps the rpla-

0 11s 1) int be si flip IIi -insIv; j ri on F,; Ii ho rij (.,i tm i 1ý1-rez i

(if, I eýr;t tf, to tho t As in1)1y Lii trat Mo I bou riw t twim-, of La Iin Amcýri co n
-1
1,i h(, ra (. i oll Thoo I ()ýýy dom i Ila t (! I lic A-, somb Iywi t'll arl i 11h, roý, -I i rl thl, t. (ý i ý'.Il

of God, vvangplization In and by IN poor, Fpsus' example of evangeliv,

tion. and evangelization ou 11w p vriphery. Theref ore, it can be stated

that the inn"enco is two way, Fr nm documents to theologians and Will

theologians to documents.

Another factor in the intcre hange bet-weep Me documents and the

Spologinns is that 8omptimes IN latLer rodicali zP I& findi ngs of the

former. An vxample from Vvangplii Nontiandi is in order. This document

opens the door for the relationship between evangelization and 11hera

Lion with the stipulation that liberation is a secondary element of'

evangelization. These theologians rush through that open door with gusto

and promote liberation as a primary element, indeed a priority element.

or evangolization. This is a noteworthy step beyond the document and is

indicativv or another way in which these documents are used by these

theologians. The documents serve as references and guidelines, but they

aip not boundaries beyond which the theologians will not move. On the

contrary, ideas in the rinc"ments frequently prompt the theologians 11,

dvvclop and to probe rwher beyond thu wording or the document.

 '325

4. Evangplization, from a liberation perspective, uses different

terms from those normally associated with OVOPPOINHtiOD. Missing from

their writings, for the most part, is the use of terms such as sin, the

Holy Spirit, and non Christians in the context of evangelization. Even

though sin is mentioned by several, it is included under this heading

because of the little attention it receives and even then only by it

minority of theologians. Costas is the only Protestant to speak of sin

in the context of evangelization. For him, sin is that from which one

turns away in conversion. This is also true For Galilea. Conversion

entails an interior Jiberation from sin. Romero is the most direct about.

sin. Both individuals and society suffer from sin and its effects. The

basic sin of society is the structures which perpetuate injustice.

Again, conversion destroys sin in both arenas. Still, the references are

minimal, and as a result, the goal of evangelization is not primarily

For the deliverance from sin as much as for the creative working out of

the reign of God in history.

The role of the Holy Spirit in evangelization is discussed only by

Costas. For him, evangelization depends on the Holy Spirit from start to

finish. The Spirit awakens the conscience to the gospel message, it con-

verts from sin, and it insures that the new life in Christ becomes a

sign of hope for the world. He highlights the activity of the Holy

Spirit precisely because the Church continually neglects its importance.

The existence of non-Christians are recognized by Romero and

Segundo alone. Romero distinguished between those who were baptized, the

people of God, and those who were not baptized, the people in general.
 32G

The people of God was not a term of privitege but one requiring
phrase,

service and responsibility. Segundo states that there are practicing

Catholics who may he unbelievers, and he calls for their evangelization.

According to him, the present pastoral action of the Roman Catholic

Church does not acknowledge that there are non-Christians, and as a

result, non-Christians will remain as such.

These three terms - sin, the Holy Spirit, and the non-Christian -

have traditionally been linked to evangelization, particularly in the

Protestant perspective. It is noteworthy, then, that Costas is the only

Protestant to incorporate these aspects into evangelization, and no

Protestant even refers to non-Christians. It is Romero and Segundo,

Roman CathoAjcs, who include the noD-Christian as needing evangeliza-

tion, Instead, these theologians introduce terms not usually associated

with evangelization, like liberation. the poor, politics, structural

change, denunciation, comprehensiveness, collective dimension. and

action. This is an example of the way in which they are expanding the

horizons of evangelization and moving into new frontiers. The associa-

tion with these newer terms and concepts, if recognized, will change the

look of evangelization. This is a significant contribution of

evangelization from a liberation perspective.

5. The Roman Catholics develop certain aspects of evangelization

further than the Motosfa"ts- several observers of the Puebla Conference

remarked about the novelty of evangelization in the Roman Catholic

Church. UangeliZWOD was not a famMar subject or concern for them.

However, since Vatican If, as is clear from the historical survey, there
 327

has been a substantial increase in the importance of evangelization it)

the Roman Catholic Church. These Human Catholic theologians offer ;i

provocative and carefully considered understanding of evangelization.

Their evangelization reflects a thoughtful theological foundation.

In addition, they take evangelization into areas where the

Protestants have not yet explored. This is true in the areas of'

evangelization and liberation and evangelization and the poor. These

themes liberation and the poor are significant for they are at the
-

core of Liberation Theology. They also represent a new venture for

evangelization. The Roman Catholics have deeply merged the poor and M)

eration into their evangelization whereas the Protestants are still

scratching the surfuce of these themes. A question worth asking is - why

do the Protestants, who are heavily influenced by the Roman Catholics,

not discuss these themes in their evangelization? is it because the

majority of poor in Latin America are Catholics and the Protestants are

more middle class? These questions and their answers warrant investiga

tion in a fuLure study. Yet, whatever the reason, these are important

instances where the Roman Catholics are more radical in their

evangelization than the Protestants.

Along with this, evangelization has larger ramifications in society

for the Roman Catholics. They are forthright about evangelization's

impact on societal structures, Church structures, and the political

realm. They concentrate on social, economic, political, and religious

groupings. The individual is mentioned only by Galilea and Segundo, and

even there the individual is to influence the collective grouping. In

 328

contrast, the Protestants are still in the process of moving away from

an over-induJgence in evangelization on the individual. This is the

emphasis for them, not so much the larger groupings of society,

Imlitics, economics, and so forth. Still, there is evidence of the

Protestants being influenced in this direction by the Roman Catholics.

Miguez, the Protestant most like the Roman Catholics, considers the

larger arenas, but he needs to integrate evangelization more Fully into

these arenas. Castro integrates evangelization into the revolution, buL

he needs to clarify the extent and goals of the revolution. CosLas is

moving in this direction in his recent writing of the periphery as the

base for evangelization, not the powerful centers.

Thus, despite the newness of evangelization to these Roman Catholic

theologians, they are creative, bold and adventuresome with the topic.

Perhaps it is precisely the novelty without traditions or evangeliza

tion, as for the Protestants, which allows them the freedom to expert-

ment.

B. These theologians are paving the way for a novel understanding

of evangolization. Evangelization is receiving a face-lift from these

theologians. They have unearthed evangelization from its traditional

connotations and boundaries as AaLed under thesis four. In these writ-

ings evangelization is confronting new horizons. These new horizons

threaten to alter the thrust of evangelization from its traditional

understanding of bringing people within the boundaries of salvation to

an understanding of liberating the oppressed, instigating structural

change, and working for God's reign. With the incorporation of these now
 1329

frontiers, old fetters are loosening and bursting.

In addition, the richness of evangelization captured by thuse

theologians is remarkable. They have reclaimed For this central task of

the Christian Church a fertile diversity and an unparalleled profundity.

Evangelization stands at the core of this theology in a connectedness to

countless ideas and activities. Through Latin American Liberation Theol-

ogy, evangelization gains new perspectives as well as offers a challenge

to implement its goals in the working out of the reign of God in this

time and on this earth.

Any future writing and practice of evangelization has to consider

this study of evangelization in Latin American Liberation Theology for

several reasons. First of all, these theologians talk of evangelization

with a unified voice. They are combining Forces, Roman Catholic and

Protestant, for evangelization. Their similar views from a vast con

tinent are too powerful to ignore. Second of all, these theologians are

evangelizing with their lives. They are writing about and living a

costly evangelization. For several of these same theologians,

evangelization has been costly. Boff was silenced by the Vatican, Arias

was put in prison, Segundo's center, the Peter Faber Center was closed,

and Archbishop Romero was assassiDated. In the midst of death and

despair, these theologians lift a united, excited voice which cries out

for a new evangelization. Their evangelization is powerful, it causes

conflicts, it challenges the status quo, it questions and demands ans

wers, it never ceases. This evangelization challenges the rest of the

world to listen and to learn from it. if it is heard and heeded, their
 330

understanding of evangelization can refresh a worn out and weary

evangelization. No longer can evangelization be boxed in and kept within

certain limits for it will break out in unexpected areas - on the

periphery, among the mnrginalized, and in the witness of the poor as

evangelization strives to build and to further the reign of God in his-

tory.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

SELECTED PRIMARY LITERATURE

PROTESTANT THEOLOGIANS

Arias, Esther and Mortimer. The Cry Of My Peoply Out of Captivity

in Latin America. New York: Friellhip Press, 1.980.

Arias, Mortimer. "Announcing the Kingdom. " Plourners 12 (September

1983): 17-19.

Announcing the RQgq Q qqq: Evangelization and the

-- , Pýýikdelphia: MAT
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