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Saliga är de fattiga

Witkowsky Bengtsson, Johannes LU (2020) TLVM76 20192
Centre for Theology and Religious Studies
Abstract
In this thesis, I investigate the use of the concept of the poor within Latin American liberation theology, with the aim to construct a common point of orientation for the different contexts of academic liberation theology. Drawing on Clodovis Boff's observation that there is a fundamental dissonance between liberation theologians’ discourse on the poor and the theologians’ conversation with the poor, I highlight the difference between the academic liberation theology's use of the poor as a theological term and the theologians’ encounter with the poor person. A basic problem that the present thesis aims to clarify is that these are two different phenomena. By maintaining a strict boundary between academic, pastoral and popular liberation... (More)
In this thesis, I investigate the use of the concept of the poor within Latin American liberation theology, with the aim to construct a common point of orientation for the different contexts of academic liberation theology. Drawing on Clodovis Boff's observation that there is a fundamental dissonance between liberation theologians’ discourse on the poor and the theologians’ conversation with the poor, I highlight the difference between the academic liberation theology's use of the poor as a theological term and the theologians’ encounter with the poor person. A basic problem that the present thesis aims to clarify is that these are two different phenomena. By maintaining a strict boundary between academic, pastoral and popular liberation theology and by refining the poor as a theological term, I attempt to clarify that academic liberation theology works with abstractions, while pastoral and popular liberation theology works with people.
Furthermore, I argue that the poor as a theological concept should be understood and used as a common mental construction – what sociologists term a ”figure of thought”. As such, the figure of thought should be comprehended as a fixation image in which several intertwined figures could be read out. Despite this diversity of potential motifs, I contend that two motifs dominate this figure of thought: a “motif of lacking” and a “motif of resonance”.
Finally, by discussing how the figure of thought could be used within academic theology, I outline the basic features for how an academic liberation theology could be designed in the twenty-first century, including what challenges and potential conflicts such a project could be facing. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Witkowsky Bengtsson, Johannes LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Om tankefiguren som orienteringspunkt i befrielseteologisk metod
course
TLVM76 20192
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Befrielseteologi, De fattiga, Tankefigur, Per Frostin, Gustavo Gutierrez, Elsa Támez, Clodovis Boff, Jobs bok, Alienation, Resonans
language
Swedish
id
9030648
date added to LUP
2020-10-12 11:06:07
date last changed
2020-10-12 11:06:07
@misc{9030648,
  abstract     = {{In this thesis, I investigate the use of the concept of the poor within Latin American liberation theology, with the aim to construct a common point of orientation for the different contexts of academic liberation theology. Drawing on Clodovis Boff's observation that there is a fundamental dissonance between liberation theologians’ discourse on the poor and the theologians’ conversation with the poor, I highlight the difference between the academic liberation theology's use of the poor as a theological term and the theologians’ encounter with the poor person. A basic problem that the present thesis aims to clarify is that these are two different phenomena. By maintaining a strict boundary between academic, pastoral and popular liberation theology and by refining the poor as a theological term, I attempt to clarify that academic liberation theology works with abstractions, while pastoral and popular liberation theology works with people.
Furthermore, I argue that the poor as a theological concept should be understood and used as a common mental construction – what sociologists term a ”figure of thought”. As such, the figure of thought should be comprehended as a fixation image in which several intertwined figures could be read out. Despite this diversity of potential motifs, I contend that two motifs dominate this figure of thought: a “motif of lacking” and a “motif of resonance”.
Finally, by discussing how the figure of thought could be used within academic theology, I outline the basic features for how an academic liberation theology could be designed in the twenty-first century, including what challenges and potential conflicts such a project could be facing.}},
  author       = {{Witkowsky Bengtsson, Johannes}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Saliga är de fattiga}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}