Christian Theo in the Americas

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course will explore the reflections of Christian theologians in North and South America on the challenges of poverty, gender and racial discrimination, and damage to the earth and the community of life on this planet, with attention to the experiences of traditionally marginalized persons. The course will begin by exploring Peruvian theologian Gustavo Gutierrez, who helped to launch the worldwide movement of liberation theology by approaching Christian theology from the perspective of the poor in Latin America. The course will also explore the broader history of Latin American theology, including women’s experience, ecology, and religious pluralism. The course will survey a variety of American Indian and African American theological perspectives on Christianity in light of the history of violence and grace in North America. The course will conclude with Thomas Berry’s meditation on care for the earth and the entire community of life on this planet in light of American Christian experience in dialogue with other religious traditions.