Order ID:89JHGSJE83839 | Style:APA/MLA/Harvard/Chicago | Pages:5-10 |
Instructions:
Latin America Three Responses to a New Historical Situation
RICHARD SHAULL
Professor of Ecumenics Emerìtus Princeton Theological Seminary
As poor people in Latin America rapidly emerge as a new social class, they are creating a new situation that calls for the church to become a “church of the poor.”
L ATIN AMERICAN PEOPLE and nations are living through very troubled times, as one attempt after another to achieve Western style economic development and establish democratic institutions has failed. In societies with tremendous concentrations of wealth and power in the hands of a very small elite, the poor majority become more impoverished every year, while those in power tend to rely on repression to maintain the status quo.
Still, in the midst of all this, an increasing number of poor women and men are becoming acutely aware of what is happening to them as well as what is causing their suffering. They are coming to a new sense of their worth as human beings, developing a new personal identity, and realizing that only they can change their situation.
As they come together in a variety of popular movements and learn to work together to transform their world, they are emerging as “the new historical subject.” Those who once were passive objects, acted upon by history, are now becoming active agents. Constituting a new social class, they are beginning to articulate a vision of a new society that goes beyond both the Western capitalist and the Marxist models, and are laying the foundation for it by the initiatives they are taking in economic and political reconstruction at the local level.
These factors combine to create a new historical situation, in which the church is called to become a “church of the poor,” proclaiming good news
261
capable of sustaining and transforming the lives of the poor, and standing in solidarity with them in their struggle. Here I want to examine briefly three responses, on the part of both Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches, to this challenge.
T H E FAILURE O F MAINLINE PROTESTANT CHURCHES
F UNITED STATES ORIGIN
During the latter half of the nineteenth century, missionaries sent to Latin America by mainline Protestant churches in the United States found a great deal of interest in their preaching and teaching as well as in their educational and social work. A new social class was emerging, made up of those who were eager to liberate themselves from the limitations of a static and closed society sustained by the Roman Catholic Church, to create democratic institutions, and to explore new possibilities for economic development. Many within this social class were searching for a spiritual foundation for their lives and struggle that they had not found either in Catholicism or in the new liberal political ideologies.
For a significant number of these men and women, Protestant preach- ing, together with the study of the Bible, had strong appeal. This reinterpre- tation of Christianity provided them with a new perspective on what was happening around them and seemed to support, rather than condemn, their new aspirations. It offered them a more intimate experience of God in a dynamic community of faith, which made it possible for them to reorganize their lives around a new center and experience a profound moral transfor- mation. And, as Jean-Pierre Bastian has pointed out, Protestant preaching offered a new road to salvation for those who could no longer conform to the status quo.1 It gave a voice to those who had no voice and provided a new conception of the relation between individual and society. Those who participated in a new community of faith were transformed into “individuals,” members of a society of equals. The social rupture produced by conversion carried with it a vision of a new society and motivated participation in struggles for social transformation by agents of a new democratic legitimacy.
As they succeeded in responding to the needs of those seeking a new spiritual and moral foundation for their lives, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist churches grew rapidly during the first half of this century and seemed well on the way to becoming a dynamic force in Latin American societies. During the late forties and early fifties, what stood out was the vitality of these
1 See his Breve historia del protestantismo en América Latina (México Casa Unida de Publicaciones, 1986) and Los Disidentes sociedades protestantes y revolución en México, 1872-1911 (México Fondo de Cultura Económica, 1989)
RUBRIC |
||||||
Excellent Quality 95-100%
|
Introduction
45-41 points The background and significance of the problem and a clear statement of the research purpose is provided. The search history is mentioned. |
Literature Support 91-84 points The background and significance of the problem and a clear statement of the research purpose is provided. The search history is mentioned. |
Methodology 58-53 points Content is well-organized with headings for each slide and bulleted lists to group related material as needed. Use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. to enhance readability and presentation content is excellent. Length requirements of 10 slides/pages or less is met. |
|||
Average Score 50-85% |
40-38 points More depth/detail for the background and significance is needed, or the research detail is not clear. No search history information is provided. |
83-76 points Review of relevant theoretical literature is evident, but there is little integration of studies into concepts related to problem. Review is partially focused and organized. Supporting and opposing research are included. Summary of information presented is included. Conclusion may not contain a biblical integration. |
52-49 points Content is somewhat organized, but no structure is apparent. The use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. is occasionally detracting to the presentation content. Length requirements may not be met. |
|||
Poor Quality 0-45% |
37-1 points The background and/or significance are missing. No search history information is provided. |
75-1 points Review of relevant theoretical literature is evident, but there is no integration of studies into concepts related to problem. Review is partially focused and organized. Supporting and opposing research are not included in the summary of information presented. Conclusion does not contain a biblical integration. |
48-1 points There is no clear or logical organizational structure. No logical sequence is apparent. The use of font, color, graphics, effects etc. is often detracting to the presentation content. Length requirements may not be met |
|||
You Can Also Place the Order at www.collegepaper.us/orders/ordernow or www.crucialessay.com/orders/ordernow
Latin America Three Responses to a New Historical Situation |
Latin America Three Responses to a New Historical Situation