The faith and justice in theology and in praxis Christian in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

This essay examines how the synthesis of faith and justice that took shape at the Second Vatican Council has been reinterpreted in Latin America and the Caribbean. This process found expression in Christian theology and practice beginning with the Second Conference of the Latin American Bishops in Medellín in 1968. In Latin America and the Caribbean, this change was driven by the following factors:

1. The failure of development and economic growth models, which bolstered the proposal of revolutionary popular movements offering a just and equitable society.

2. Prolonged military dictatorships, de facto governments, coups d’état, and the counterproposal to build a democratic, representative society that respected citizens’ rights and the institutional framework of the state.

3. The shift that occurred in the Church with the Second Vatican Council, the change in ecclesiology from a vision of a perfect society to a conception of the Church as the people of God, engaged in dialogue with modernity and willing to take on the challenges posed by the modern, enlightened, scientific, and developed world.

4. The implementation of the Second Vatican Council at the Episcopal Conferences of Medellín (August 24–September 6, 1968), Puebla (January 27–February 12, 1979), Santo Domingo (October 12–28, 1992), and Aparecida (May 13–31, 2007).

5. The impetus of theologians who made the shift from traditional theology to a progressive and liberating theology in that context, which took shape after the Second Episcopal Conference of Medellín held in 1968.

We will now begin to explore the aspects mentioned above, but it is important to note that there are topics we will address in future reflections.