This work is a presentation of the truth of Jesus Christ from the viewpoint of liberation - from Jesus's options for the poor, his confrontation with the powerful and the persecution and death this brought him. Building and expanding on his previous works, Jon Sobrino develops a Christology that shows how to meet the mystery of God, all God "Father" and call this Jesus "the Christ".
Jon Sobrino's qualifications as a theologian and the importance of his theological work are universally acknowledged, but the orthodoxy of his work and the orthopraxis of the activity it sets in motion are controversial. Sobrino responds to critics in this collection of articles on the theme of Jesus of Nazareth and his relevance to Christian life and faith in Latin America. The christology Sobrino argues for affirms belief in the divinity of Jesus and the centrality of Jesus' relationship with the poor and oppressed. It is, as Juan Alfaro says in the Foreword, a christology springing from Christian faith as lived in the historical situation of the Latin American people.
What Gutierrez has done for overall theological understanding, what Segundo has done for theological method, and what Miranda has done for biblical studies, Jon Sobrino has now done for Christology; He has provided a substantial and enduring theological contribution from a Third World perspective. This book will have long life, since it not only argues for the necessity of a Christology 'from the underside of history, ' but offers an extensive example of how such a Christology should be constructed, showing the basic connection between the radical historicity of Jesus and the suffering and pain of oppressed people. The thoroughness of the author's survey of other positions, the fullness of his documentation, and the pervasive power of his own affirmations make clear that 'Christology at the Crossroads' will not leave us stranded at the crossroads but will start us down exciting and demanding new paths. Robert McAfee Brown Professor of Ecumenics and World Christianity, Union Theological Seminary The publication of 'Christology at the Crossroads' in English is most opportune. It is not only the Christology presented in this book, but the Christology of the church at large (indeed of the churches) that stands at the crossroads at present. Those of us who have been working in this field know that in order to break through some deadlocked situations we need a Christology more soberly rooted in soteriology, more honestly founded upon the historical Jesus, and more realistically turned towards a future yet to be realized. Yet in the affluent and basically contented northern nations of the western world, this kind of Christology has not so far been written. To find it one must turn to the Third World theologians for the present, and among these Jon Sobrino's book is a landmark. Monika K. Hellwig Associate Professor of Theology, Georgetown Universit
How is it possible to live a spiritual life? What should the kernel of this spirituality be, in this world of crises, challenges, and change? From his immersion in the violent and struggle-filled reality of Central America, Jon Sobrino articulates a way to imbue the practice of liberation with spirituality--a dimension that critics often charge is lacking in liberation theology.
Invokes the memory and the challenge of the martyrs of El Salvador, including Sobrino's friends and colleagues of the Central American University and the poor and nameless who continue to suffer today.
"The essays in Sobrino's latest collection bear on one of the most pressing signs of the times: the existence of a "crucified people," the poor and oppressed of our world, whose suffering presents Christian faith with an urgent demand - that we "take them down from the cross." Writing from the Salvadoran context, he presents a "theology of mercy," reflecting on the principles of mercy and solidarity as the mode of Christian witness and discipleship in a world of conflict and suffering." "In a personal introduction that sets the tone, Sobrino describes the evolution of his own thinking under the impact of the Salvadoran reality. Part One focuses on the essential character of mercy, and on the importance of shaping the mission of the church and the task of theology. Part Two analyzes the crucified reality of the Third World with specific reflections on salvation, forgiveness, and the grace of being forgiven. Part Three presents two manifestations of mercy: the reality of priesthood and solidarity. Finally, in a moving Afterword, Sobrino focuses on his martyred fellow Jesuits of the Central American Universit
Jesuit theologian Jon Sobrino has worked with the poor and suffering in El Salvador for more than 50 years and was one of the original proponents of liberation theology. In 2006 the Vatican issued a Notification critical of aspects of his work. That event has inspired this collection of essays.
This landmark work in christology continues the magisterial work the Salvadoran Jesuit began in his earlier work, "Jesus the Liberator". Jon Sobrino writes from the reality of faith, as set in motion by the event of Jesus Christ, and from the situation of the victims of history--"the Crucified People"--With whom he works
Jon Sobrino's latest book takes its starting point from tragedy and violence: a devastating earthquake in El Salvador, the terrorist attacks of September 11, and the subsequent bombing of Afghanistan. The topic of suffering and death has traditionally raised questions about the nature and existence of God. But for Sobrino the primary question is addressed to ourselves: Who are we human beings? What does it mean to be human in a world of inequality, injustice, and barbarism? In examining the cruelty of history from the standpoint of the victims, Sobrino finds a challenge not just to find meaning, but to answer a call to personal conversion, structural change, compassion, and solidarity. Ultimately, Christian faith finds hope in the cross--a cross borne not only by Christ, but by Romero, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the poor: "Because of that hope, no matter how hard it is to live through catastrophes, terrorism and barbarity, we cannot rule out the possibility of resurrection."
