JOSEPH VELEZ WACO TX 76798 GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ THE POWER OF THE POOR IN HISTORY Translated from the Spanish by Robert R. Barr —— Maryknoll, New York 10545For Hugo Echegaray, unforgettable friend and , brother in hope, witness to the gladness of Easter Second Printing, October 1983 The Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America (Maryknoll) recruits and trains people fr overseas missionary service. Through Orbis Books Maryknoll aims to foster the international dialogue that is essential to mission. The books published, however, reflect the opinions of their authors and are not meant to represent the official position of the society Originally published as La fuerza historica de los pobres, copyright © 1979 by Centro de Estu- dios y Publicaciones, Lima, Peru English translation copyright © 1983 by Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY 10545 Allrights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America Manuscript editor: William E. Jerman Unless otherwise indicated, all New American Bible), ical quotations are from The Jerusalem Bible (NAB= Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Gutiérrez, Gustavo, 1928- The power of the poor in history. Translation of: La fuerza historica de los pobres. Includes bibliographical references. 1 Church and social problems—Latin America— Addresses, essays, lectures. 2. Poor—Latin America— . €88ays, lectures. I. Title. 4 HIN39.13G8413 1983 261.8°3'098 82-22252 ISBN 0-88344-388.0 (pbk.)Contents Foreword " Preface: After Ten Years by Robert McAfee Brown vi PARTI VIEW OF THE SOURCES OF LIBERATION THEOLOGY 1. God’s Revelation and Proclamation in History 3 God Reveals Himself in History 3 Jesus Christ, the Father’s Truth 12 The Poor Proclaim the Gospel 16 PARTIL FROM MEDELLIN TO PUEBLA 2. Involvement in the Liberation Process 25 Introduction 25 Confronting the Real Situation of Latin America 27 Creating a New Ecclesial Presence 30 3. Liberation Praxis and Christian Faith 36 From within the Praxis of Liberation 38 Believing in order to Understand 50 Toward a Church of the People 66 4. The Historical Power of the Poor 75 Dying before Their Time 77 The Right to Exist and to Think 90 PART IL PUEBLA JS. The Preparatory Document. for Puebla: A Retreat from Commitment 1 From Social Injustice to Secularism 111 Latin America and the West 113 iii