HOPE & SOLIDARITY Jon Sobrino’s Challenge to Christian Theology Edited by Stephen J. Pope PART I Theology
Theology and Solidarity Learning from Sobrino’s Method
From the beginning, liberation theology emphasized that theological reflection presupposes a practical commitment that locates the theologian in the world of the victims of injustice. While liberation theologians have never claimed to have a monopoly on truth or an automatic advantage over other forms of theology, they have claimed that this commitment and location afford a privileged perspective for understanding both the truths of the faith and reality in the light of faith. Jon Sobrino has developed this thesis in especially rich ways. Before examining how he understands the role that solidarity plays in theology, let me first offer some preliminary reflections.
A Matter of Perspective Today, it is rarely necessary to emphasize that everyone’s understanding, and therefore everyone’s discourse, reflects a limited perspective depending, in part, on location. Particular perspectives involve both benefits and costs. While one perspective may reveal aspects of reality unavailable from other angles, comcomplementary perspectives can and should enrich particular, limited perspectives. When narrow perspectives widen, we have high drama. The Scriptures provide good examples. In Mark 7:24-30 and parallels, Jesus himself is challenged