Question Set 1

1. Discuss the first two stages of the Spirit-led movement of reform and renewal in the life of the
Catholic Church
First Stage: Second Vatican Council
● The purpose was to permit the Catholic Church to find a creative response to the
challenges of the modern world.
○ Because of modernization, historical and cultural changes, teachings of
the church were being questioned
○ Pope John: “open the windows of the Church and let the light and air
come in” call to engage in self criticism
○ Thus, the Catholic Church discovered a new sense of solidarity with
other religious communities
● They presented an outward-looking stance
○ They honored religious pluralism
○ They recognized something of God in other religions. All religious
believers deserve respect and they called Catholics to engage in
interreligious dialogue and find new ways for cooperation against
discrimination and towards social justice.
○ Church as a communion
○ Criticism: Church is too concerned with world issues and relationships
with others, “too horizontal”
● Pre-Vatican II vs Post Vatican II
○ Pre-Vatican II
■ Focused more on preservation of the Traditions of the Church
than going with the changing context
■ Church as an institution and hierarchy, an authority to comply
with
■ Church as sacrament of salvation for the world.
○ Post-Vatican II
■ Openness and dialogue with the world
■ Church as a community and for service
God’s redemptive grace is active in all human history

Second Stage: CELAM II sparked by fight of Latin America for liberation. From this,
emerged Liberation Theology.
● Context
○ Latin America was a third world region that the developed countries like
the US wanted to help
○ They encouraged businesses to invest with the idea and the hope that it
would start an industrialization that would give jobs to people.
○ What happened was that business invested in machines, hired non local
managers, and became a political force that does not advocate for the
betterment of their society.
○ Latin Americans were just further driven down so they began a liberation
movement.
○ Applying the New Testament to their current context, the Christians
began to realize a deeper meaning of God’s redeeming presence, which
is that it encompasses all aspects of human life.
 ○ Through these notions, an understanding of Liberation Theology
emerged
● What is Liberation Theology?
○ It promoted a kind of theology where reflection comes after experience.
○ Its starting point is human experience which involves a personal
connectedness with the poor, leading to an action on behalf of the poor,
leading to a reflection on the “structural nature of poverty and the
Church’s role in addressing it.
○ It is similar to the teachings of the Vatican in the acknowledgement of
Gospel’s calling for a temporal transformation and not just
transcendental. It’s different in that they view the whole situation from the
perspective of the poor and oppressed.
● Preferential Option for the Poor
○ Two dimensions: perspective for seeing the world and call for action

2. What was the theology of Vatican II that called the Church to renewal with regard to
understanding: a) faithfulness to Tradition and b) the redemptive and creative Presence of God in
the world?
● General
○ Their theology in this was that we are all equal in the eyes of God
○ Vatican II became more inclusive, taking into account different religious
groups and striving for interreligious dialogue to face current situations.
● Renewal in Understanding of Faithfulness to Tradition
○ Meanings of “tradition”
■ tradition - the Spirit-led life and activity of the Church
■ Tradition - apostolic tradition, the Gospel, the Word of God in
Jesus
■ traditions - ecclesial tradition, specific teachings and practices,
bearers of Tradition bound by historical and cultural contexts
○ By being more inclusive, they remove the notion of being too static and
clinging on to traditions from the past
○ Instead understanding faithfulness to Tradition as recognizing the reality
of the changing contexts and need for Tradition to be in dialogue and
integrated with the new contexts
○ This is important in the Church’s mission of spreading the gospel since
they become more relatable.
● Renewal in Understanding the Creative and Redemptive Presence of God in the
World
○ Affirms the universality of God’s offer of redemptive grace
■ Before Vatican II, they believed that God’s creative and
redemptive presence concerns only the people of the Church.
However, Vatican II changed this by acknowledging that it also
concerns all of humanity.
■ Redemptive grace is the inner transforming presence of the spirit
that allows us to grow to love and share in the redemption
realized for us by Jesus
○ Emphasizes how God’s redemptive and creative activity is renewing the
world and human history
 ■ God’s grace does not only involve all of humanity but transforms
all human aspects. Meaning, God’s will is our redemption in both
spiritual and temporal aspects. Thus, the Church must also work
towards the betterment of the poor and oppressed
○ Emphasizes Christian’s participation in renewal of the world
■ Christian faith should increase and stimulate our concern and
responsibility for the earth.

3. What are the principal thrusts of liberation theology that have been mainstreamed in the official
teaching of the Church?
● Three principal thrusts emerged from the reflection of Faith on human
experience. Why did God create human life with suffering and oppression?
● Nature of God
○ LT explains that God is a God of life. Not only a creator but a sustainer of
life
○ God is all good and just. His will is a good and just society
○ What creates the injustices in the world today are the human wills
opposing God’s will for goodness
○ We are therefore called to act on behalf of God’s good will.
● Nature of Sin
○ Sin is both personal and social
○ Personal in that human behavior is self-seeking. It can pursue ends at
the expense of other people.
○ Social in that the accumulation of the individual self seeking are solidified
into institutions and social structures that support dependences of people
at the expense of others.
● Nature of Salvation
○ God’s salvation is two-fold: Saved from both sin and death
○ Salvation from sin is understood in two ways
■ Liberation from personal sin by conversion and repentance
■ Liberation from social sin by living a life patterned to Jesus
Christ’s life. By living a life that confronts social structures in the
hopes that injustice and oppression would be eliminated
○ God’s salvation encompasses all of human reality: personal and spiritual,
social and temporal

Question Set 2
1. a) What is the Church mission of “integral evangelization” as articulated by PCP II?
● They re-articulate what the mission of the Philippine Church is and they call it
“Integral Evangelization”
● There are three distinct realities involved in the understanding of the Church’s
mission of integral evangelization
○ Salvation is the kingdom of God
■ In its future dimension is a transformation established at the end
of time
■ In its present dimension is a transformation that happens at
present as the Church follows the Way of Jesus.
 ○ Evangelization is the missionary life and activity of the Church
■ It is bringing the Good News to the people and through its
influence transform humanity.
○ Temporal Liberation is liberation from the oppressing structures and
realities of the world.
■ It entails a renewal of society, a development where the poor
and oppressed are not subjected to injustices.
● Integral Evangelization is the unity of evangelization and temporal liberation as
the participation of the Church in God’s Work of Salvation
○ Evangelization should include temporal liberation since God’s salvation
encompasses both spiritual and temporal human aspects.
○ It is not complete without the other.

b) Discuss how the articulation of PCP relates to any of ONE of the following three:
1. The message of Justice in the World
● Justice in the World
○ Says that action on behalf of justice and participation in the
transformation of the world is a crucial part of the Church’s mission of
proclaiming the Gospel
○ Participating in the liberation movements for saving the poor from
oppressive situations
○ Christian message of love and justice must show its effectiveness
through action
○ Basis of Church for justice is to promote human dignity and human
rights.
● PCP II’s integral evangelization and the message of Justice in the World both
promote the inseparability of temporal liberation from God’s redemptive grace.

2. The 3-fold mission of the Church according to McBrien

3. The mission of the Church according to the Federation of Asian Bishops Conference
(FABC)

2. Discuss the article “Jesus Christ and Justice”

● Discusses the two patterns of reflection or the two types of Christology, with
regard to how faith in Jesus Christ challenges the Christian to action on behalf of
justice in the world.
○ Not mutually exclusive
○ Different doctrinal and scriptural emphases
○ Pertain to the relation of Jesus Christ and Social Justice
● Descending Christology
○ Inspired by the mystery of incarnation or God’s coming down to earth
and being human in the person of Jesus Christ
○ Jesus did not only restore the broken link between God and people, He
also established an unbreakable link between God and the world, raising
the dignity and worth of human beings
○ With the realization of such human dignity, the Church is called to follow
the Way of Jesus Christ, which emphasizes the value of human beings.
 ○ The Church must promote the dignity that God elevated in us by
addressing the injustices of society. We are called not to abandon
humanity. It mandates a justice for all.
● Ascending Christology
○ Inspired by Jesus’ ministry in history and the mystery of His resurrection
○ God’s love and power is more powerful than death
○ Jesus’ ministry is centered on the proclamation of the coming of the
Kingdom of God, which is understood in two dimensions.
■ The kingdom of God in its future dimension is a transformation
established at the end of time, state of salvation.
■ The kingdom of God in its present dimension is a transformation
that happens at present as God wills for our well being, life fully
lived in peace.
○ Jesus ministry did not go about unopposed. He did everything to promote
justice.
○ When God resurrected Jesus, He was able to reveal that He is a God of
life, justice and faithfulness. God’s loving power is stronger than death.
○ This Christology promotes that to truly follow Jesus’ way of life, then we
must fight for justice the way Jesus did in his ministry.
● Both show the following of Jesus Christ and the commitment for action for the
love of neighbor.

3. Choose either A or B
A. Discuss Church support and criticism (with the consequent clarifications) of the social
thrust of the Gospel
● The social thrust of the Gospel is that in proclaiming the Kingdom of God,
temporal liberation is a crucial element in order for the Word of God to be fully
realized.
● Support
○ In order to do their mission of proclaiming the Gospel, they had a new
understanding of their mission as participation to God’s work of salvation.
Thus, elaborating the meaning of the promotion of justice as integral
dimension of the service of faith.
○ In order to properly approach the injustices of the world and act on it
according to its context, one must (1) use the signs of time methodology
which essentially calls us to listen to the concerns of the current the
society in its historical and cultural context and then subsequently
interpret these in light of the Gospel.
○ In promoting the social thrust of the Gospel, one must also (2) face the
reality of social sin which can be understood as the accumulation of
personal sin and decisions which support the interests of people in the
higher social class at the expense of those in the lower class. These are
personal sins solidified into structures or institutions.
○ (3) Social thrust also focuses on new understanding of Christian love:
Faith -> Love -> Justice. It is a faith that does justice.
○ Another idea supporting the social thrust of the Gospel is that man’s
relationship to his neighbor is bound up with his Faith to God. Such faith
in God demands a Christian love of neighbor. This Christian love does
 not only promote justice, but is something that cannot be separated from
justice. For when we love, we recognize the dignity and rights of the
other.

● Criticism
○ Uncritical use of Marxist social analysis
■ Faith and economic political systems
○ Reductionism
■ Focus on horizontal dimensions of salvation at the expense of
personal and transcendent
○ Uncritical political participation of Church clergy
■ Partisan political involvement of clergy
■ Clarification: Church’s mission includes political involvement

B. In relation to the Church mission of integral evangelization, what are concerns raised by
globalization and neoliberalism in the world/Philippines today?

Question Set 3
1. a) Explain the nature and presuppositions of all theological discourse
● Theology Definition
○ Theology is critical reflection on contemporary human experiences in the light of
the Christian faith commitment. (CFC)
○ Method of correlation distinguishes then brings together in mutual dialogue the
pole of Judeo – Christian faith tradition and contemporary human experience so
that they mutually condition each other in generating an understanding of
Christian Faith.
● Definition of Presuppositions of Theological Discourse
○ Revelation – God’s self communication / self-disclosure, reaching out to us
○ Faith – human reception and response to God’s Self-disclosure, free commitment
to God (involves whole being: doing, believing, entrusting)
○ Scripture – spirit-inspired written record of foundational revelation – faith
experience.
○ Tradition – apostolic tradition – teachings and practices received from apostles
passed on from gen to gen in life of church (spirit inspired normative way,
manifest and make present foundational revelation-faith experience)
○ Church – the community of believers to whom foundational revelation – faith
experience has been entrusted.
● Overall goal of method of theology for believing Christian is that
○ 1. Theology proceeds from faith, guided by faith and aims to enhance faith.
○ 2. Theology is guided by Scripture and Tradition and is done within the life of the
Church
● Authentic Theology
○ Faithfulness to tradition
○ Meaningfulness to contemporary human experience
b) Can the pastoral cycle as “circle of praxis” produce theology that fulfills the criteria for an
authentic theology? Why or why not?
● Yes.
 ○ It affirms the theological presuppositions for theological discourse, looks at two
two criteria for authentic theology by reflecting on human contemporary
experience with the guidance of Christian teachings as faithful to Tradition.
● Pastoral Cycle
○ “circle of praxis”
○ praxis – concerned with personal participation of individual in the life of the polis
and the right ordering of human behavior in socio-political world
○ praxis in theology (accdg to Guttierez) human activities oriented towards the
promise of God’s gift of fullness of life in the kingdom / reign of God.
○ Involves the following major stages:
■ Experience/Dialogue of life – solidarity with poor and marginalized,
personal connectedness.
■ Social Analysis – critical appreciation of structural and historical
dimensions of social reality.
■ Theological Reflection – listening to the saving word of God in jesus
Christ in the life of the church, particularly in scripture and church
teaching
■ Action – discernment and living out of Christian moral imperatives.
■ All grounded on Faith Commitment – personal relationship with Christ,
our response through participation in sacramental / liturgical life of church
prayer and personal prayer life.

2. The origin of the pastoral cycle is liberation theology. How is liberation theology different from
traditional theology? Discuss “the move to praxis in theology” - as catalyzed by liberation theology
- with its implications for understanding and living out the Christian faith.
● Liberation Theology has ignited this circle of praxis or pastoral cycle.
○ Context: Liberation Theology arised from the struggle of Latin America.
○ CELAM II: concretized the emphases of LT.
○ People’s personal connectedness with poor, action for the poor, structural sin,
debate and unrest
○ Thus the methodology of Vatican II of beginning theological reflection with a
survey of contemporary human situation.
○ Taught new worldview of “option for the poor”: looking at history and social reality
from the perspective of the poor and oppressed.
● Liberation theology vs Traditional theology
○ Traditional theology
■ Transcendental theology: led to the privatization of one's faith
● Responsible for today's apathy to the suffering of the poor
● The me and God conversation only.
■ Neo-scholastic theology
● Understanding of the content of Christian revelation, correct
doctrine (orthodoxy), fidelity to the magisterium of the Church,
obedience to Church authority
■ Neglected correct practice (orthopraxis) focused on orthodoxy (correct
doctrine)
■ Tend to emphasize the next world, the institutional aspects of the
Church, and individual or personal morality
○ Liberation theology
 ■ Starting point: the concrete historical situation of poverty and oppression
which needs change
■ Critical reflection on historical praxis in the light of Christian faith
■ Also attempts to be part of the process of social change itself; social
morality.
■ Emphasizes social practice and the public/social dimension and
implications of the Christian faith
■ Emphasizes the importance of this world, the experience, and problems
of mankind and social rather than individual morality “this worldly”
● Move to Praxis in Theology
○ Liberation theology placed emphasis on praxis in theology.
○ Theology as a critical reflection on contemporary human experiences in the light
of Christian faith.
○ ​Liberation theology orients the human activities towards the promise of God’s gift
of fullness of life
○ Focal Point: the life of the historical Jesus and his proclamation of the coming of
the reign of God.
○ Performative understanding of faith

3. Explain the starting point, 7 point methodology and goal of liberation theology and the pastoral
cycle.
● ​Starting point
○ Contemporary human experience.
○ The life situation and experience of the poor and marginalized: those who are
considered non-persons of society.
● Methodology
○ Critical reflection on historical praxis in the light of Christian faith
○ Theology as a second act ( first act = commitment and action on behalf of the
poor and marginalized as a Christian moral imperative, second act = reflection on
experience as a result of first act)
● 7 Point Methodology
○ Prior and basic faith commitment to God in the person of Jesus Christ
■ Personal relationship with Christ. Participation in sacramental/ liturgical
life of Church, personal life in prayer.
○ Fundamental choice for liberation and a preferential option for the poor
■ Solidarity with the poor and marginalized, insertion into their life situation,
“dialogue of life” personal connectedness
○ Social analysis
■ Critical appreciation of structural and historical dimension of the life
situation of the poor and marginalized and our participation in it (use of
resources of social sciences to gain understanding or a more
comprehensive view of broader dynamics of society)
○ Theological reflection
■ Critical reflection on the life situation of the poor and marginalized in the
light of Christian faith commitment (how does God speak to us in the
midst of their life situation in the context of our solidarity with them in
 response of faith to which we are called to as a community of disciples in
Christ)
○ Purification, reinterpretation, and revitalization of Christian life (doctrine, moral,
worship)
■ Including critique of church beliefs and practices that contribute to the
perpetuation of poverty and marginalization
■ Renewal of church beliefs and practice sin faithfulness to the judeo –
christian faith tradition and in accord with the liberating message and
spirit of the gospel particularly on behalf of the non-persons of society
○ Discernment and formulation of Christian moral imperatives for action
■ In the context of our particular personal professional and institutional life
situations
○ Orthopraxis
■ Living out of Christian moral imperatives, actions for justice, christian
service and witnessing in solidarity with the poor and marginalized.
● Goal of Liberation Theology and Pastoral Cycle:
○ Liberating Christian praxis:
■ Deepening of Christian faith life and spirituality in the context of
conscientization and action
■ towards transformation of dehumanizing social structures that perpetuate
poverty and inequality
■ Widening participation in the goodness of God’s gift of human life meant
for all
■ Other words: liberate Christian praxis to deepen Christian faith life
(through 7 step method which requires action) so that we can transform
the social structures (which perpetuate poverty and inequality)

Question Set 4
1. a) Explain and critique the dynamics of the “conversion to justice” described by McVerry
● McVerry states that we are all called to this process of “conversion to justice”. It is urgent
as it matches the preaching of Jesus to follow him and participate in the Kingdom of God
● Conversion to Justice involves 3 crucial elements:
○ Conversion of the Head
■ New way of seeing things
■ Coming to see the world in a new way
■ We are called to analyze and look beyond ideological
presupposition/assumptions and recognize structural sins
■ See the root cause of suffering and how we partake in it
○ Conversion of the Feet
■ New experiences
■ Sharing in the experience of the poor to widen my own view
■ Have their point of view
■ Have face-to-face relationships
○ Conversion of the Heart
■ Radical change
 ■ Involves a personal response as it calls us to question our own personal
circumstances
■ Involves a political response as you realize it not only affects yourself.
Challenge the status quo
● We are continually called to conversion as it is a never-ending process
● Criticisms/Point of Disagreement
○ One-sided “black and white” argumentation
■ Poverty and suffering is caused by structures that are imposed by the
rich on the poor
■ All social structures are unjust
■ Rich are the oppressors, poor are the victims
■ Rich are the only ones called to conversion
■ Poor can do nothing, only wait
○ Lack of nuancing with regard to the reality of social sin
■ Social sin - structures and institutions of society that, in varying degrees,
perpetuate poverty and inequality, favor some social groups at the
expense of others
■ Structures that manifest social sin are entirely harmful and our
participation in such structures make us sinners
● It must be pointed out that social sin is not a black and white
reality in terms of its:
○ Objective dimension - the structure themselves with their
impact on the well being of people, the degree to which
such structures have a negative versus a positive impact
on the well-being of people
○ Subjective dimension - the moral culpability of people
who participate in such structures
● Points of Agreement
○ Conversion is a continuous lifelong process
○ Key elements is critical awareness of societal structures and the reality of social
sin

b) How is this “conversion to justice” related to the “balanced spirituality” described by Dorr?
● Balance Spirituality
○ Brings together religious experience and social justice
○ Contains three key elements: the personal, interpersonal and socio-political
■ These correspond to prophet Micah’s to act justly, love tenderly and walk
humbly with your God
■ To walk humbly with God implies a religious conversion in which we are
gifted with a sense of loving and caring providence of God and a sense
of the Lordship of Jesus Christ
■ To love tenderly implies a moral conversion in which we enter more
deeply into relationships with others, with trust and fidelity
■ To act justly implies a political conversion in which we commit ourselves
to understanding how society works and to correcting the justices within
it
● There are certain points from McVerry’s conversion to justice that are similar to Dorr’s
balanced spirituality
 ○ Implications of political conversion as constituting a spirituality of justice
○ Awakening to social structures

2. In liberation spirituality as a “balanced spirituality”, what is “religious conversion” and how is it

related to “moral conversion” and “political conversion”?
● Liberation theology has helped in the renewal of the mission of the church today which is
integral evangelization.
● Having a balanced spirituality is one of the ways of understanding the call to follow in the
Way of Jesus in the context of the mission of integral evangelization of the Church
● Having a balanced spirituality entails a conversion to justice, and a conversion of the
three dimensions of human life: religious conversion (intrapersonal), moral conversion
(interpersonal) and political conversion (metapersonal)
● Religious Conversion
○ Awareness of God’s loving providence in our lives
■ Accepting the invitation of God to grow
■ Participating in the liturgical life of the Church grounded with personal
prayer
■ Commitment to transformation of the world according to the values of the
Kingdom of God
○ Growth in self-knowledge and interiority
■ Reflective silence and prayer
■ Growing self awareness
■ Knowing our limitations, our brokenness and being in touch with yourself
● Moral Conversion
○ In relation to religious conversion, is the healing of personal brokenness through
authentic sensitivity and openness to fellow human beings.
○ Participation in the growth of communities of authentic human fellowship
● Political Conversion
○ In relation to religious conversion, moving out of our comfort zone and changing
the human context of our lives.
○ Solidarity with those who are poor and oppressed
○ Awareness of societal structures, social sin

3. Discuss: For the Christian living in the midst of our social context today, the depth and
authenticity of any one of the conversions of a balanced spirituality (religious, moral and political
conversion, respectively) depends on the depth and authenticity of the other two.
● The three are interlinked.
○ Proper balance and integration of all three is the basis for a truly Christian
Spirituality
● Lacking in Religious Aspect
○ Allowing false Gods into my life
○ Ego Self > Essence Self (where the call of God is, the deep desire for the good
will of others)
● Lacking in Moral Aspect
○ Being distrustful and closed off to others
● Lacking in Political Aspect
○ Assuming religion is simply an interpersonal affair
○ Condones structural injustices
● People concentrate on one or two
○ Examples
● Spirituality must be rooted not in just one or two aspects of conversion but in all three.
● It is a distortion of Christian faith to neglect any of them or to fail to work for a full
integration of the three. These three may be separate but all pertain to a person’s
spirituality. These three affect each other.
● Personal Experience
Solidarity Movement in the Church
-Reading 1: The Solidarity Movement in the Church
● 2 Phases: Second Vatican Council & Experience of Latin America
● Liberation Theology
● Preferential Option for the Poor
-Reading 2: Poverty and Liberation Theology
● Liberation Theology
○ Theology Emerges Out of LIfe Experience
○ The Experience of Poverty
○ The Content of LIberation Theology
■ Nature of God, sin and salvation
-Reading 7: Acts and Decrees of the 2nd Plenary Council of the Philippines
● Evangelization and Liberation
● Social Transformation
● Church Political Involvement
-Reading 8: The Mission of the Church
● Proclamation
● Signification
● Service
-Reading 9: A Letter on Neo-Liberalism in Latin America
● Globalization

Pastoral Cycle
-Reading 3: The Method of Correlation
● Two poles: contemporary experience and Christian sources
-Reading 4: Liberation Theology Within the Philippine Context Today
● The Christian Faith and Liberation Theology
● Characteristics of Liberation Theology
○ Methodology
-Reading 5: Jesus Christ and Justice
● Christology and Social Justice
● Descending Christology
● Ascending Christology

Liberation Spirituality
-Reading 10: Sin and Conversion
● Conversion of the Head
● Conversion of the Feet
● Conversion of the Heart
-Reading 11: A Balanced Spirituality
● Walk humbly
● Love tenderly
● Act justly
● Religious conversion, Moral conversion, Political conversion
-Reading 12: The Gift of the Ateneo Education: Lighting the Three Candles
● Tabernacle candle
● Birthday party candle
● Candle for peace