Contextualization Bibliographies
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Theologies: General Majority World

Biblio Format Annotation
Abesamis, Carlos H. "Some Paradigms in Re-Reading the Bible in a Third-World Setting." Mission Studies 7:1 (1990): 21-34. This biblical reading is (a) occasioned by the pastoral challenges of the Third World situation, (b) therefore relevant for our Third World situation today and (c) yet faithful to the original meaning of the biblical texts. All this is part of our theological effort in the Philippines today.
Abraham, K. C. "Emerging Concerns of Third World Theology." Bangalore Theological Forum 26:3/4 (September & December 1994): 3-14. The emphasis on praxis as the basis for theological reflection gives the various contextual theologies a common method of approach. This methodology distinguishes Third World Theology from other theologies. Today we face a new Third World situation, and newer challenges are brought to contextual theologies. This presentation is an attempt to highlight some of them and ask whether there is a marked shift in their methodology.
Ackermann, Denise. "Faith and Feminism: Women Doing Theology." In Doing Theology in Context: South African Perspectives, ed. John W. de Gruchy and Charles Villa-Vicencio, 197-211. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1994. Years ago, as part of the collect in a eucharistic service, I was asked to pray that I might grow to my full manhood'. This simple request jarred me into a new consciousness. What was happening?. The prayers were led by male priests; God was addressed almost exclusively as 'Father'; in the hymns we sang lustily about 'sons' or 'men' of God; and the sermon was preached by a man who relied for his interpretation of Scripture on men's experience of the world around us. There have been changes. However, nearly two thousand years of a male dominated church, backed by theology that is derived from male scholarship and experience, cannot be dealt with simply by ordaining women or a commitment to inclusive language, important as such steps may be. Profound changes are required. Feminist theology is one of the vehicles through which women express a critique of existing theology and religious practices, and contribute creatively towards the unfinished dimension of theology.
Amaladoss, M. "Cross-Inculturation of Indian and African Christianity." The African Ecclesial Review (AFER) 32:3 (June 1990): 157-68. Some familiarity with the state of African theology today has evoked in me, an Indian theologian, a dual reaction: an awareness of common experiences and problems, on the one hand; and on the other, a desire to dialogue, learn and ask questions, even to make suggestions. I think that the best way of dialoguing is to bear witness to oneself and respond to the witness of the other, with the hope that the exchange will be mutually enriching. In this perspective, I shall first of all speak about efforts made in India towards evolving an Indian Christian theology; and then share with you, the reader, my reactions to African Christian theology.
Bingemer, Maria Clara. "Jesus Christ and the Salvation of Women." In Third World Women Doing Theology: Papers from the Intercontinental Women's Conference, Oaxtepec, Mexico, December 1-6, 1986. ed. Virginia Fabella and Dolorita Martinez, 194-204. Port Harcourt, Nigeria: Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians, 1987. We believe that perhaps the primary task in this field should be to return to the biblical roots of the Jesus Christ event, trying to arrive at the messianic expectations of the Israel people in order to try and verify what, in such event, belongs to the essence of divine Revelation and what are cultural data which have imposed themselves down through history, sometimes even anachronically and inadequately. Although the Church has always stated that the Incarnation of God in Jesus Christ is Good News of Salvation for all "Jews and Greeks, slaves and free men, men and women" (cf. Gal 3:28) in all times and places,. we can see that in practice most of the time, this has not been true. The woman has been, through the ages, seriously discriminated against in the ecclesiastical community, not only at the ministerial level but also and above all at the theological level. We, therefore, believe that the feminine perspective of the New Testament salvation events may discover new aspects of the mystery of Christ and furnish us with more elements to state that Christology has an irreplaceable word to say in the process of women's liberation here and now.
Bosch, David J. "Contextual Missionary Theology from Orbis." Missionalia 13:3 (November 1985): 121-31. The overriding concern of Orbis is simply to give a hearing to those who speak on behalf of the marginal peoples of the earth, thus assisting the church world-wide to reflect anew on its mission. In the rest of this article I would like to offer brief reviews of some recent Orbis publications. This is not intended to lie more than a sample of the rich menu Orbis has prepared. I shall group the books according to the categories into which they fit best.
Chow, Wilson W. "Biblical Foundation for Evangelical Theology in the Third World." In Biblical Theology in Asia, ed. Ken Gnanakan, 109-22. Bangalore, India: Asia Theological Association, 1995. According to Carlos Abesamis, the doing of theology involves "the activity of reflecting on the contemporary human life situation in the light of one's faith." If this is so, we must build a much closer relationship between the biblical text and the context than most evangelicals have so far been able to establish.
Costas, Orlando E. "Evangelical Theology in the Two Thirds World." Evangelical Review of Theology 11:1 (January 1987): 65-77. Costas traces the development of the two-thirds world evangelical theology. He argues that while the western theological development was more or less exclusively shaped by the formal principle of Reformation (the Sola Scriptura), the corrective from the two-thirds world is to use also the material principle of Reformation namely, salvation by grace through faith. Though one may not agree with all of Costas' interpretation, his conclusion, that 'The ultimate test of any theological discourse is not erudite precision but transformative power' cannot be sounder.
Costas, Orlando E. "Proclaiming Christ in the Two Thirds World." In Sharing Jesus in the Two Thirds World: Evangelical Christologies from the Contexts of Poverty, Powerlessness, and Religious Pluralism, ed. Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden, 1-11. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984. We are hard pressed to recognize the face of Jesus Christ as described in the New Testament among the presentations of Christ in the Two Thirds World. Cultural imperialism and the cultural reaction that an oppressive experience provokes have produced distorted reproductions of Christ. A new focus is emerging within the Two Thirds World on the historical Jesus and the active presence of Christ among the struggles of the poor, the powerless, and the oppressed. This new reflection will be of profound importance for faithful evangelism in the next decade.
Costas, Orlando E. "Proclaiming Christ in the Two-Thirds World." Theological Fraternity Bulletin (1982:3): 1-10. Without being exhaustive, this article outlines several aspects of the Christological problem embedded in the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the Two-Thirds World. This problem affects the entire life and mission of the church, the ethical behavior of Christians in the world and indeed the totality of our Christian faith.
Dickson, Kwesi A. "And What of Culture? An African Reflection on Minjung Theology." In An Emerging Theology in World Perspective: Commentary on Korean Minjung Theology, ed. Jung Y. Lee, 171-181. Mystic, CN: Twenty-Third Publications, 1988. I must confess at this juncture that I am operating under a severe disability: my knowledge of the Korean situation is very limited-it does not go much beyond what is revealed in these essays, hence my reluctance to make a detailed assessment of these essays in terms of the extent to which they do justice to the Korean situation. I am also unable to fully explore how far comparisons may be made between the analyses done in these essays and the culturebased approach adopted by a number of African theologians. Nevertheless, I discern in these essays a number of ideas which I would like to comment on given my own background. They include the differences in colonial history of Korea and Africa; the minjung treatment of culture; emphasis or favoritism of the poor and the powerful; and the cultural paticularity of biblical exegesis.
Dwane, Sigqibo. "Christology in the Third World." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 21 (December 1977): 3-12. In the West, theology has to cope with a situation in which, for very many people, life has gone out of every thing said or done in the name of transcendent reality. The task of theology in that situation is to help people to recover the sense of purpose and mystery in the universe. By contrast, theology in the Third World is seeking to make Christianity come home to a religious situation which is throbbing with vitality, and is awaiting the real Christ as its hope of fulfillment. So people in the developing world also have to attend to the humanity of Jesus, who has become a vital concern to them as the demand becomes pressing to meet him face to face, and not via the perspective of an alien culture and alien thought patterns. This article explores the issues involved in fleshing out this need.
Escobar, Samuel. "The Role of Translation in Developing Indigenous Theologies: A Latin American View." In Bible Translation and the Spread of the Church: The Last 200 Years, ed. Philip C. Stine, 81-94. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1990. Walls finds that in the history of Christianity there is a constant tension between, on the one hand, the "indigenizing" principle and, on the other hand, a universalizing factor that he calls the "pilgrim" principle. Both are present in the Gospel, because God in Christ takes people "as they are" (including their immersion in their culture), but takes them in order to transform them, making them aware that here they have no abiding city. It is within the frame of reference of the tension of these principles that we are to understand the validity and relevance of indigenous theologies. On the one hand the urgency to be open to the way in which the Third Church is exploring new theological territory, but also to be open to the dialogue that will bring mutual enrichment as the church universal looks backward in thanksgiving and forward in faith.
Goba, Bonganjalo. "Three Christological Models in Third World Theology." Theologia Evangelica 15:2 (1982): 60-67. In this brief essay I want to explore three christological models in third world theology. Such a topic can only be understood within the context of third world theology as a whole. Before we move on to discuss these three christological models, let us then examine briefly some of the issues emerging from third world theology. Third world theology has been described as doing theology from the 'underside of History'. It is an attempt by third world theologians to articulate a theology which reflects their struggle against the ongoing forces of Western imperialism which continue to foster economic, political and cultural oppression in their respective countries. This theology today is promoted mainly by the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians which has members also in Southern Africa. This essay was inspired by some of the issues which were raised at the New Delhi Conference which I attended last year,
Herrera, Marina A. "Third World Theology for the Third Millennium." In Theology Toward the Third Millennium: Theological Issues for the Twenty-first Century, ed. David G. Schultenover, 61-82. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen, 1991. Herrera, a Hispanic theologian, brings to the discussion a forceful reflection on the contribution that Third World theologies and especially liberation theology can and need to make to the theological issues facing the Church as the world moves toward a new understanding of power, community, and human rights.
Koyama, Kosuke. "The Role of Translation in Developing Indigenous Theologies: An Asian View." In Bible Translation and the Spread of the Church: The Last 200 Years, ed. Philip C. Stine, 95-107. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1990. The Bible is the literature in which the two languages: that of discontinuity, "The Lord sees not as man sees" and that of continuity, "Man sees as the Lord sees", are in extensive and profound dialogue (controversy). The purpose of this dialogue is to inspire humanity to become free from the power of idolatry. This is a vision for a universal theology which derives from the nature of God presented in the Bible. There is a shepherd who goes after the one lost in idolatry. While history as we know it continues, there will be idolatry. There the shepherd will be also. This is the basic "heat"--tapas in Sanskrit--of human history as Christian theology understands it.
Levison, John R. and Pope-Levison, Priscilla. "The Use of the New Testament in Third World Christologies." Biblical Research 37 (1992): 32-46. Emergent Christologies in Latin America, Asia, and Africa utilize the New Testament in innovative and diverse ways. Liberator, ancestor, and cosmic Christ, among others, represent a creative fusion between ancient biblical texts and contemporary contexts. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the use of the New Testament in the emerging contextual Christologies of Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
Lindley, Susan Hill. "Feminist Theology in a Global Perspective." Christian Century 96 (1979): 465-469. The women's movement and feminist theology have frequently been castigated for their preoccupation with the concerns of white, middleclass North American women. In some cases, the criticism is voiced by adamant opponents who seek to discredit feminist efforts; in other cases, it comes from those sympathetic to women's rights. Both kinds of critics argue that in comparison with the scandal of world hunger, with human rights violations and the plight of political prisoners, with oppressive regimes of the right or left, the real or imagined oppression of white, middle-class American women seems a secondary, even trivial, concern. What response is possible to such criticism? Feminist theology's call to other liberation theologies is for them to take seriously the oppression of all women--especially the double oppression of poor, minority, and Third World women.
Migliore, Daniel L. "Christology in Context: The Doctrinal and Contextual Tasks of Christology Today." Interpretation 49 (1995): 242-254. Christology today lives in the tension between continuity with the church's doctrinal tradition on the one hand and, on the other, openness to the new experiences and understandings of Christ arising out of the particular contexts of suffering and hope. In the past quarter century, there has been an unprecedented awakening of local or contextual Christologies that speak of Christ and salvation in strikingly new ways. These contextual Christologies are making a significant impact on all christological reflection. At the same time, the recent outpouring of works in systematic theology, ranging from single to multi volume works, is a sign of a deeply felt need to identify and affirm what binds all Christians together and to express this common faith in a full and coherent manner. These two concerns--the doctrinal concern for the unity of faith in Christ and the contextual concern for expressions of that faith appropriate to particular situations-stand in tension with each other, as every pastor can attest. But these concerns are not mutually exclusive; ecumenical christological doctrines and local Christologies can strengthen and correct each other in the task of theology and ministry today. In this essay, I will consider several contemporary efforts in Christology that refuse to choose between classical doctrines and contextual understandings. Whereas each effort manifests a commitment to do Christology in context, the intent is by no means to diminish the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. On the contrary, all these efforts aim to underscore in new ways the uniqueness of Christ's person and the universal significance of his saving work.
Miguez Bonino, Jose. "A Latin American Looks at Minjung Theology." In An Emerging Theology in World Perspective: Commentary on Korean Minjung Theology, ed. Jung Y. Lee, 157-168. Mystic, CN: Twenty-Third Publications, 1988. A couple of books and a few papers read, along with a visit to Korea of five days, may be more than enough to awaken a deep interest in and sympathy for minjung theology, but is hardly sufficient to justify writing a paper about it. . . . We should resist the temptation to arrive at premature syntheses or resolutions of our pluralities of experience, interpretation, and reflection. Nevertheless, we need to explore such pluralities in order to learn from them, to test our interpretations, to deepen and enrich our reflection. It is in this spirit that I venture to reflect on what I have seen in minjung theology, in my admittedly limited and insufficient encounters. The structure of this paper is built around what I perceive as three main foci in minjung theology: 1) minjung (the people), 2) han and 3) messianism. I am trying in this way to avoid forcing the concerns of minjung theology into my own framework. I hope this can help in the kind of "active reception" which I think is necessary for fruitful dialogue.
O'Connor, June. "Liberation Theologies and the Women's Movement: Points of Comparison and Contrast." Horizons 2 (1975): 103-124.
Padilla, C. René. "Toward a Biblical Foundation for a Two-Thirds World Evangelical Theology." Theological Fraternity Bulletin (1982:4/1983:1): 29-36. If theology is to fall in line with the purpose of equipping the man of God for every good work (2 Tim. 3:17), besides being biblical in a narrow sense it must also be communal, pneumatic, contextual and missiological--it must be biblical in a wider sense. In other words, it must take into account the whole process through which the Word of God is made flesh in the people of God within a particular historical context by the power of the Holy Spirit. It will have a biblical foundation not only in the sense of responding to a grammatical-historical exegesis but also in the sense of being in harmony with the purpose of biblical revelation. The present paper is an attempt to look at the various dimensions of a biblical foundation (and therefore of hermeneutics) in the light of God's purpose in revelation and with special reference to theology in the Two-thirds World.
Padilla, René. "Christology and Mission in the Two Thirds World." In Sharing Jesus in the Two Thirds World: Evangelical Christologies from the Contexts of Poverty, Powerlessness, and Religious Pluralism, ed. Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden, 12-32. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984. The images of Jesus Christ imported from the West into the Two Thirds World are inadequate for the life and mission of the church in situations of poverty and injustice. A search has begun for a Christology which will provide a basis for Christian action in contemporary society. Padilla gives a detailed summary and critical evaluation from an evangelical perspective of the contributions to this search by Jon Sobrino's "Christology at the Crossroads," Choan-Seng Song's "Third Eye Theology," and Albert Nolan's "Jesus Before Christianity." Their Christologies stress the historical nature of the Christian life and challenge us to commitment to Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Roberts, J. Deotis. "Black Theology and Minjung Theology: Exploring Common Themes." In An Emerging Theology in World Perspective: Commentary on Korean Minjung Theology, ed. Jung Y. Lee, 99-105. Mystic, CN: Twenty-Third Publications, 1988. This discussion is an exercise in cross-cultural theological conversation. In this paper I explore some common themes in two theological traditions which may be designated generally as "liberation theologies." . . . This brief excursion into comparative theology has been a challenge. It is highly suggestive of the rich possibilities toward human understanding which could result from vigorous activity on this theological frontier. In a comparison of black and minjung theologies, we note important differences. But our concern has been to highlight the similarities. We have drawn upon the affinity of worldviews among AfroAmericans and Asians. There is also a cluster of similar factors in both backgrounds which result in a holistic ethico-religious outlook. When we translate this into biblical terms, it leads to a view which blends social justice concerns with the healing dimensions of the gospel. In both instances the exodus theme points to the message of the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures who denounced oppression and advocated justice as well as mercy. Again, both black and minjung theologies seek to find the historical Jesus and the secular meaning of the gospel for human liberation. This in no way dilutes the meaning and power associated with the cross-resurrection event. The Christ of faith is Lord, but he is also Liberator. In these and other ways black and minjung theologies may open new doors to cross-cultural understanding and the ecumenical dialogue and mission of the church of Jesus Christ.
Roberts, J. Deotis. "Contextual Theology: Liberation and Indigenization." Christian Century 93 (1976): 64-68. In this time of World History, theology must move from the particular to the universal. In this era of liberation from oppression no "universal" may be imposed upon a people without their creative response. This means that Christian theology must arise out of the varied experiences of peoples around the world. Christ is the Center of the Christian faith and must remain so, but God's revelation is also manifest in the whole creation and in all of history. Even though God's saving revelation may be encountered through our culture, he is not captive of any culture. What we need now is a theology of human liberation for each and all.
Roberts, J. Deotis. "Liberation Theologies: A Critical Essay." Journal of the Interdenominational Theological Center 9 (1981): 85-89. We have attempted to describe the situation that has given rise to liberation theologies--the network of oppressions and the new political consciousness. Then, we explored the contexts in which these theologies are emerging--class, sex, race, as well as traditional religions /cultures of the Third World. And, finally we discussed methodology. We have suggested an open dialogue with Third World theologians in which Western theologians would be good listeners and learners. This last suggestion will be most difficult for Western theologians who have been the makers and transplanters of theological systems. But it is most. important that this path be pursued--it appears to be the best way forward.
Roy, Ajit. "The Socio-Economic and Political Context of Third World Theology." In Irruption of the Third World: Challenge to Theology, ed. Virginia Fabella and Sergio Torres, 87-112. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1983. Accumulated pressures, accentuated contradictions, aggravated tensions--in short, unresolved problems of historical evolution--are challenging humankind today and demanding conscious intervention for intelligent resolution. The multiplicity of issues and their particularity notwithstanding, all these basic questions are closely interrelated and they have to be grasped and grappled with within a worldwide framework. This is the challenge of history at this hour. First, humankind is today faced with a dire choice between survival and annihilation--that is, between effective control and gradual elimination of nuclear weapons on the one hand, and nuclear cataclysm that would obliterate all traces of civilization from this planet on the other. Secondly, society is fast entering into a period when the need for the establishment of a proper balance between humankind and nature will reach a point of no return. Imbalance will then entail humankind's massive capitulation to physical and mental disease and deformity and the destruction of its natural habitat by toxic accumulations, its vital resources having first been pillaged and then squandered away in mindless wastage. Thirdly, and most importantly, the two foregoing sets of global alternatives are organically interrelated with four sets of interdependent sectoral alternatives enumerated and discussed in the rest of the article.
Ruether, Rosemary Radford. "Feminist Theology in Global Context." American Theological Library Association: Summary of Proceedings 44 (1990): 130-136. Feminist theology has often been seen as a white Western women's movement, while liberation theology is seen as springing from the anti-colonial movements of Latin America, Asia and Africa. However, increasingly women from Latin America, Asia and Africa are discussing what Ghanaian feminist theologian, Mercy Amba Oduyoye called "the irruption within the irruption"; that is, the irruption of third world feminist theologies within liberation theologies. What are the distinctive issues of third world feminist theology? How do feminist religious leaders from such diverse regions as Brazil and Mexico, India, Korea and the Philippines, and Ghana, Nigeria, Cameron and South Africa contextualize feminist reflection in their ecclesial, social and cultural situations? Despite this enormous diversity, there are many similarities between feminist writings on Christology, God-language or church and ministry coming from these many regions.
Russell, Letty M. "Minjung Theology in Women's Perspective." In An Emerging Theology in World Perspective: Commentary on Korean Minjung Theology, ed. Jung Y. Lee, 75-95. Mystic, CN: Twenty-Third Publications, 1988. In this response I try to stand in solidarity with the minjung theologians as I listen and learn from their work. I also seek to reflect critically on minjung theology from a feminist perspective by sharing points of convergence and difference that I consider important in the development of both rninjung and feminist theologies. Lastly, I attempt to highlight the ongoing concerns and work of Asian and Korean women theologians.
Samuel, Vinay and Sugden, Chris. "Current Trends in Theology--A Third World Guide." (Part 1) Missionalia 10:2 (August 1982): 63-74. Reflections on the encounter of theology and the contemporary world from the Indian context. Part 1 deals with cultural anthropology, sociology, social change, and how to derive the meaning of Scripture in light of today's world.
Samuel, Vinay and Sugden, Chris. "Current Trends in Theology--A Third World Guide." (Part 2) Missionalia 10:3 (November 1982): 106-12. Reflections on the encounter of theology and the contemporary world from the Indian context. Part 2 deals with foundational topics which have emerged as major areas for reexamination in light of the challenges presented in part 1. These topics are salvation, ecclesiology, and Christology.
Slater, Peter. "Christ Through Dialogue: Local and Global." Sewanee Theological Review 40 (1997): 409-430.
Tepedino, Ana Maria. "Feminist Theology as the Fruit of Passion and Compassion." In Third World Women Doing Theology: Papers from the Intercontinental Women's Conference, Oaxtepec, Mexico, December 1-6, 1986. ed. Virginia Fabella and Dolorita Martinez, 205-212. Port Harcourt, Nigeria: Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians, 1987. Feminist theology in the Latin American context is born out of the realities of daily life and 1) Seeks to know them . by means of personal experience, as well as through human and social sciences; 2) Seeks to interpret them in the light of the Bible (based on the interpretation that God's Revelation was given to human beings and articulated in human language, therefore dependent on a culture in time and in space. Accordingly, A can both oppress as well as liberate). We have to discover the sense that the Spirit reveals to us today through. the ancient text of the Bible; and 3) Tries to recuperate and give a name to the experience of women in a patriarchal society in order to redeem the past, transform the present and prepare for tomorrow. Therefore, feminist theology has to be based on certain methodological steps: First, suspect: do not just accept the text passively. Maintain applied hermeneutic suspicion to the biblical text and contemporary interpretations. Second, proclaim: instead of a hermeneutic of historical, discover what is liberating in the text and proclaim it. Third, rediscover what women have accomplished throughout history and memorize it. Fourth, update creatively on the basis of the historical context in which the text was produced, rework it creatively, so that the memory does not get lost.
"The Seoul Declaration: Toward an Evangelical Theology for the Third World." International Bulletin of Missionary Research 7:2 (April 1983): 64-65. Eighty-two delegates and observers from Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands met together in Seoul, Korea, from August 27 to September 5, 1982, in order to consider our theological task. Having as its central theme, "Theology and the Bible in Context," this consultation was organized with a fourfold purpose: (1) to deal with theological issues which are vitally related to evangelism and church growth and which are common to churches in developing countries; (2) to exchange ideas and information among evangelical theologians in the Third World; (3) to encourage fellowship and cooperation among these theologians; and (4) to learn from the church in Korea. The present document is a brief summary of our discussion.
Thunberg, Lars. "Third World Theologies and the Appeal to History." Studia Theologica 40:2 (1986): 95-113. Third World theology is by intention contextual and occasional, it does not want to build great theological systems, since this is precisely what the Third World theologians are accusing Western classical theology of doing, by its claiming, as it were, that theology can be timeless. Now, the last point is precisely what interests us here. All Third World theologies contain more or less - an appeal to history. it is contextual theology 100%, or at least it claims to be. Now in Latin America particularly, contextuality means awareness of history, less so in Asia, and still less in Africa. Nevertheless, this element is there all the time, even though we shall have to gather most of our examples from Latin American theology.
Tiessen, Terrance. "Christian Theology in the Third World: A Look at the Issues." Didaskalia 5 (1993): 39-53. Concludes: Clearly, much is going on in the work of Christian theologians in the third world which will make western evangelicals uncomfortable. It will no doubt produce the same reaction in many evangelicals in the Third World, particularly those who are the fruit of western missionary activity. It is encouraging, however, to see evangelical third world theologians grappling with the major issues in their regions, interacting critically with the work of non-evangelical theologians and endeavoring to speak the Christian message in a way that is faithful to biblical revelation and relevant to their context. Syncretism is a danger there. as it is in the west. but to avoid the hard work of grappling theologically with contemporary issues and ideologies, Out Of fear of syncretism, is guaranteed to make the Church irrelevant and ineffective. Happily. Jesus Christ is building his Church around the world and that Church is increasingly doing the perennial task of theology in ways that enrich the faith of all of' us, however different our own context.
Torres, Sergio. "The Irruption of the Third World: A Challenge to Theology." In Irruption of the Third World: Challenge to Theology, ed. Virginia Fabella and Sergio Torres, 3-15. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1983. It is in God's name that we come together for the fifth international conference of the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT), following those held in Sao Paulo (1980), Wennappuwa (1979), Accra (1977), and Dar es Salaam (1976). We must be conscious of the responsibility that we assume. We are accountable to the masses of our countries who suffer deprivation and oppression. We represent groups of Christians who share the hope of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are committed to articulate a theological synthesis that will include our similarities and differences in dialogue with other world religions. At the very beginning, I want to draw attention to the overarching twofold theme that we shall be addressing: the irruption of the poor as a challenge to the present international economic order, and as a challenge to theology.