Syllabus and Liberation Theology October 28, 2009
Posted by Andy in liberation theology, theology.trackback
I’ve been given responsibility for a class next semester in Intercontextual Theology that is to prepare MA students for writing their thesis. The course is primarily for international students (in this semester, students from Tanzania, Ghana, Poland, Ethiopia and Norway), and the thesis usually includes a short stay in the student’s home country, during which time they may collect data or something like that.
My question is: what kind of literature should I give them to read? The course should result in a thesis proposal but nothing more. The program in general covers liberation theology, inculturation theology, feminist theology, postcolonial theology and that branch of the discipline. It should be methodical, and should prepare them for taking their first steps into research.
My thoughts so far have included:
Boff, Introduction to Liberation Theology.
Tanner, Theories of Culture.
Something by Sugirtharajah
Maybe some sections of Said’s Orientalism (with a thought to the fact that they will be engaging in data collection).
A chapter or two by de Certeau.
“Can the Subaltern speak?” by Spivak.
But to be honest, I don’t know Tanner’s work very well, and feel a little out of my depth. Any suggestions would be very welcome. They will have already read these books from this course that I am teaching at the moment. So no repetitions. Otherwise, the options are many.
ad absurdum 
What about ‘Raw Materials’ by Bandhu Ishananad Vempeney as an example of a specific contextual theology?
what certeau were you thinking? i ask because i didn’t find ‘the practice of everyday life’ particularly useful (apart from a couple of ideas).
My wife says that Schreiter’s ‘Constructing Local Theologies’ is very good.
Schreiter, Constructing local theologies?
Your wife is well informed. Except I used his more recent book “The new Catholicity : theology between the global and the local” in this semester’s course, and it’s largely a revised version of Constructing Local Theologies.
I shall investigate Raw Materials in greater depth.
Certeau’s work spans a number of styles. I saw you disliked the Everyday Life book, and wanted to redeem it, but didn’t have a copy with me at the time. I might try later.
Otherwise there are some suggestive chapters in Ward’s useful collection: I think what I find interesting with Certeau is that he is very consciously looking for practices (rather than simply theories) of cultural sabotage. While Foucault dismantles, Certeau suggests.
Hello
I’ve just uploaded two rare interviews with the Catholic activist Dorothy Day. One was made for the Christophers [1971]–i.e., Christopher Closeup– and the other for WCVB-TV Boston [1974].
Day had begun her service to the poor in New York City during the Depression with Peter Maurin, and it continued until her death in 1980. Their dedication to administering to the homeless, elderly, and disenfranchised continues with Catholic Worker homes in many parts of the world.
Please post or announce the availability of these videos for those who may be interested in hearing this remarkable lay minister.
They may be located here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/4854derrida
Thank you
Dean Taylor
Juan Luis Segundo’s ‘The Liberation of Theology’;
Paulo Freire’s ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’;
James H Cone either ‘Black Theology and Black Power’ or ‘God of the Oppressed;
and excerpts from Jeorg Rieger’s ‘Christ and Empire: From Paul to Postcolonial Times’
sorry late i know, but i just found your blog đ