Abstract
© 2024, [SAGE Publications Limited]. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self- archiving policy. The final published version (version of record) is available online at the link. Some minor differences between this version and the final published version may remain. We suggest you refer to the final published version should you wish to cite from it.
Seeing the world through the eyes of the marginalised has been a consistent theme in modern Latin American theology. When Latin American Liberation Theology first emerged, evangelical theologian René Padilla expressed a shared concern over the problem of poverty. But he also warned that certain elements therein clashed with evangelical hermeneutics. Consequently, he called for a circular approach that would maintain a tension between the crisis of the moment and the authority of biblical revelation. In the 21st century, liberation discourse has expanded into postcolonial critique on indigenous culture and identity, including a stream known as Liberation Pluralism. Evangelicals share many of the same concerns. But as they engage with the discourse, there is an ongoing need to heed Padilla’s warning. This article argues that evangelicals today can engage in postcolonial and liberation discourses, but that this should be carried out with that same circular hermeneutic which Padilla first proposed.
Seeing the world through the eyes of the marginalised has been a consistent theme in modern Latin American theology. When Latin American Liberation Theology first emerged, evangelical theologian René Padilla expressed a shared concern over the problem of poverty. But he also warned that certain elements therein clashed with evangelical hermeneutics. Consequently, he called for a circular approach that would maintain a tension between the crisis of the moment and the authority of biblical revelation. In the 21st century, liberation discourse has expanded into postcolonial critique on indigenous culture and identity, including a stream known as Liberation Pluralism. Evangelicals share many of the same concerns. But as they engage with the discourse, there is an ongoing need to heed Padilla’s warning. This article argues that evangelicals today can engage in postcolonial and liberation discourses, but that this should be carried out with that same circular hermeneutic which Padilla first proposed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 13 Aug 2024 |
Keywords
- Liberation Theology
- Pluralism
- postcolonialism
- Evangelical Missions