January 27, 2005
by Henrike Müller

"Is it possible to live calmly and happily when you know that two-thirds of human beings are suffering, hungry and poor?" The Brazilian theologian Leonardo Boff, one of the founders of liberation theology, believes that the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth are real offences for any theology which struggles to bring about more justice. Boff was one of the guests at the World Forum for Theology and Liberation (21-25 January, Porto Alegre, Brazil). In this interview, given in German, he speaks about the prerequisites for a theology committed to social change and about his confidence that change is possible.

Reflections at the World Forum for Theology and Liberation do not concentrate on one single region but look at the whole world. Liberation theology however had its beginnings in the particular situation of Latin America. Is the call to liberation really being heard worldwide?

The protest of Liberation theology against suffering is not limited to a single region. Every kind of repression, every cry of the poor, of the oppressed, of the marginalised anywhere in the world is an appeal to theology. Of course this presupposes that the cries are heard. But is it possible to live in peace and happily when you know that two-thirds of human beings are suffering, hungry and poor? To be human we have to have compassion. This solidarity is really the defining factor of our humanity and is gradually being lost in a culture of material values. It's not only the cry of the poor we must listen to but also the cry of the earth. The earth and human beings are both threatened. We must do something to change the situation - there won't be a Noah's Ark to save only some of us.

Is change possible?

To meet people's fundamental concerns change is needed. The world as it is does not offer the majority of humanity life but rather hell. I believe that change is possible, because I cannot accept a God who could remain indifferent to this world, but only one who cares about the poor and the suffering. God's grace gives us strength to resist, strength to liberate, opens up new ways. Grace can be seen quite clearly in our world. The grace of the living God is at work everywhere that life is protected and defended.

The world has not changed for the better, and the desire for liberation is still there - all over the world. And yet in countries like Germany, liberation theology has taken a back seat. How do you explain that?

Liberation theology only serves a purpose if the issues of justice, of the fate of the poor and the oppressed become real challenges for faith. It presupposes that we have sensitivity to the relevance of the issues of today's world. If theology has no feeling for reality then it may perhaps be of some use for the church, for those interested in academic courses, for ensuring a certain intellectual discourse. But it has little to do with the living God who acts through history and it will contribute little to changing our world.

Can this kind of sensitivity be reawakened?

To do that you have to look at the way the world is going. For instance whoever sees television images of the world's poverty, of wars, catastrophes and economic crises, will be able to tell that our world has fallen into deep disorder and that we have to protest against that. Liberation theology and any theology committed to social change presupposes this spiritual rebellion.

Do you think that this kind of liberation theology committed to social change could take root long-term even in Europe?

Liberation theology takes quite specific oppression as its starting point. This can also be discovered in ones own context. What's the situation in Germany for immigrants? What security do they have? What's the situation for people who are poor and socially disadvantaged? How are they treated by the population and by social institutions? This is the immediate challenge of any engaged theology.

You have particularly highlighted the protection of creation as a key issue for contextual theology. Doesn't this mean that the options are further reduced for those who were originally at the centre of liberation theology's concerns?

Both are inextricably linked together. With the phrase "Justice, peace and the integrity of creation" the World Council of Churches found a metaphor that brought together the great ideals of the world. The three dimensions cannot be separated. Without justice life together is not possible. Peace means having good and just relations with other people, other cultures, with nature and with God. And integrity of creation is the foundation. If we destroy creation then all other projects are impossible. For me this triple affirmation is like a short summary of the good news of the gospel. And even if it is in the nature of utopia to never quite be achievable it nevertheless shows us the way forward like a compass and motivates us to not give up.

In a year's time the World Council of Churches will be holding its 9th Assembly here in Porto Alegre, with the theme "God, in your grace, transform the world." What do you see as the work of the world's largest ecumenical fellowship as it prepares for this?

I think it's important that religion awakens and nourishes people's spirituality. The spiritual dimension expresses the deep experience of the spirit, the experience of being and of God in the world. This spirituality is an innate part of every human being and is not the monopoly of organised religion. For me the task of religion is to open up spaces for human spirituality. If we can achieve that then humanity will be more compassionate, more humane, show more in solidarity.

World Council of Churches
Henrike Müller is a curate from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover currently working in the office for Media Relations of the World Council of Churches in Geneva.