Sometimes I wonder what liberation theologians would think about the idea of God's preferential option for theology students in the developing world. The so-called christian academy has created a ladder of prestige that is no different than business schools and medical schools. The top of this ladder for the academic track is teaching at a N. American school. Subsequently, students who don't make it to the top are forced to teach at developing world schools as if this is some kind of demotion. I appreciate scholars like Dale Bruner who spent significant time overseas teaching before finding a job in the states with predominantly privileged upper-middle class students.
The Latin American theologian Jon Sobrino (technically from Spain) speaks about a Horizontsvererschmelzung (fusion of horizons) between the “faith of victims, peasants, simple men and women, and that of more learned religious leaders, pastors, and thinkers.” (Christ the Liberator, 7). I hope that "we" affluent students can get a fresh vision for what it means to be servant-scholars to parts of the world and our neighborhoods that lack adequate access to theological education.
Amen!
Amen!
Submitted by sagely (not verified)
on Mon, 03/09/2009 - 15:16