A study in Christianity, Marxist ideology and historical engagement with special reference to the liberation theology of José Miguez Bonino

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dc.contributor.advisorDe Gruchy, John Wen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBorman, Johnen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-08T06:59:38Z
dc.date.available2015-12-08T06:59:38Z
dc.date.issued1982en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis study examines the seminal thought of a leading Protestant exponent of Latin American liberation theology, Jose Miguez Bonino. It shows that, by a dialectical use of Marxist theory he is able to rediscover a basic and essential Christian understanding of history which requires that Christians be actively engaged in its shaping. Miguez Bonino's choice of the biblical category of the Kingdom of God is examined and is seen to constitute a departure from and an improvement on the conventional model of the Exodus used by most liberation theologians. The Marxist critique of idealism in traditional theology is accepted and serves as a starting point for a revised Christian interpretation of history. The unity of history is traced as originating in the prophetic teaching which linked political happenings with divine sovereignty. The crucial rediscovery of apocalyptic in contemporary European political theology is seen as an important step in the direction taken by Miguez Bonino as is the theological reflection on "thinking in two spheres" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The use which Miguez Bonino makes of the concept of the Kingdom of God to emphasize the eschatological significance of human historical action is also outlined. The Marxist emphasis on human responsibility for historical initiative is taken as the point from which to expound an understanding of the Kingdom of God in which the account of the tension between the present age and the future age in apocalyptic is important as is the contrast between continuity and discontinuity in the Pauline concepts of "body", "Resurrection" and "works". Again, Miguez Bonino's indebtedness to Bonhoeffer, this time in his polarity of the ultimate and penultimate is acknowledged. Miguez Bonino's distinctive exposition of the Kingdom as a call to effective action to articulate Christian love is also examined and compared with other models. Political engagement is seen to require mediations in the form of social analysis, theological interpretation and ideology. Sacralization and fanaticism are avoided by the application of ethical criteria and the submission of the mediations to divine judgement. In this regard Miguez Bonino's preference for Marxism is scrutinized and an alternative suggested.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationBorman, J. (1982). <i>A study in Christianity, Marxist ideology and historical engagement with special reference to the liberation theology of José Miguez Bonino</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Religious Studies. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15674en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationBorman, John. <i>"A study in Christianity, Marxist ideology and historical engagement with special reference to the liberation theology of José Miguez Bonino."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Religious Studies, 1982. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15674en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBorman, J. 1982. A study in Christianity, Marxist ideology and historical engagement with special reference to the liberation theology of José Miguez Bonino. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Borman, John AB - This study examines the seminal thought of a leading Protestant exponent of Latin American liberation theology, Jose Miguez Bonino. It shows that, by a dialectical use of Marxist theory he is able to rediscover a basic and essential Christian understanding of history which requires that Christians be actively engaged in its shaping. Miguez Bonino's choice of the biblical category of the Kingdom of God is examined and is seen to constitute a departure from and an improvement on the conventional model of the Exodus used by most liberation theologians. The Marxist critique of idealism in traditional theology is accepted and serves as a starting point for a revised Christian interpretation of history. The unity of history is traced as originating in the prophetic teaching which linked political happenings with divine sovereignty. The crucial rediscovery of apocalyptic in contemporary European political theology is seen as an important step in the direction taken by Miguez Bonino as is the theological reflection on "thinking in two spheres" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The use which Miguez Bonino makes of the concept of the Kingdom of God to emphasize the eschatological significance of human historical action is also outlined. The Marxist emphasis on human responsibility for historical initiative is taken as the point from which to expound an understanding of the Kingdom of God in which the account of the tension between the present age and the future age in apocalyptic is important as is the contrast between continuity and discontinuity in the Pauline concepts of "body", "Resurrection" and "works". Again, Miguez Bonino's indebtedness to Bonhoeffer, this time in his polarity of the ultimate and penultimate is acknowledged. Miguez Bonino's distinctive exposition of the Kingdom as a call to effective action to articulate Christian love is also examined and compared with other models. Political engagement is seen to require mediations in the form of social analysis, theological interpretation and ideology. Sacralization and fanaticism are avoided by the application of ethical criteria and the submission of the mediations to divine judgement. In this regard Miguez Bonino's preference for Marxism is scrutinized and an alternative suggested. DA - 1982 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1982 T1 - A study in Christianity, Marxist ideology and historical engagement with special reference to the liberation theology of José Miguez Bonino TI - A study in Christianity, Marxist ideology and historical engagement with special reference to the liberation theology of José Miguez Bonino UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15674 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/15674
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationBorman J. A study in Christianity, Marxist ideology and historical engagement with special reference to the liberation theology of José Miguez Bonino. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Religious Studies, 1982 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15674en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Religious Studiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherReligious Studiesen_ZA
dc.subject.otherLiberation theologyen_ZA
dc.titleA study in Christianity, Marxist ideology and historical engagement with special reference to the liberation theology of José Miguez Boninoen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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