Ideas like the "preferential option for the poor"-arguing that people marginalized by the economy have a claim to "special consideration"-have been among the most significant insights in twentieth-century Christian theology. Arising out of various theologies of liberation, options for the poor and for people at the margins of society have provided major new impulses for biblical studies, systematic theology, church history, ecclesial practice, and the academic study of religion. Opting for the margins continues to be an important issue at a time when the gap between rich and poor is growing at an alarming rate both in the United States and in many other parts of the world, and when other gaps (based, for example, on differences in gender or race) continue to linger. Recently, however, options for the margins have been challenged by postmodern shifts in intellectual, social, political, and economic realities that often replace preferential options with other emphases, such as general concerns for pluralism, otherness, and difference. Options for the margins are therefore (at best) reduced to the special interests of certain minority groups, or (at worst) rejected as antiquated and irrelevant for the twenty-first century. The essays in this volume show how some forms of postmodern thought and theology can mask patterns of oppression and provide an excuse for deafness to voices from the margins. The authors, writing from a wide variety of national, ethnic, and theological perspectives, seek to revive the preferential option for the poor for the postmodern world, showing how options for the margins can engage postmodernity in new ways and break new ground in religious, theological, and ethical, as well as social, political, and economic thinking. The essays connect philosophical and theological arguments to the concrete realities of the postmodern world and to uncover new sources of energy in the life and death struggles of people across the globe.

"This social biography describes the life of Padre Uriel Molina and his role in the Sandinista Revolution, interweaving history with personal recollections and perspectives. Compiled from primary sources and extensive interviews with Molina himself, it co

How can we speak of God as Father in a world that is inhumane? While many engagements with Gutiérrez's theology centre on such themes as the option for the poor, the role of praxis, or the Kingdom of God, in Gustavo Gutiérrez and the Liberative Sight of Christ Luke Foster explores the underlying theological convictions and commitments within which these concepts cohere. By developing an analysis that is attentive to the unity and coherence of Gutiérrez's thought, Foster resources a critique that is distinctive not only in its pertinence but also in the possibilities that it opens for the development of his project in the future. Innovatively offering a systemic account of Gutiérrez's theology, this book offers both an indispensable overview for those who are engaging with Gutiérrez for the first time and a distinctive analysis for those who are seeking to deepen their understanding of his work.

This book offers an introduction to the theological and historical aspects of the papacy, an office and institution that is unique in this world. Throughout its history up to our present time, the Petrine ministry is both fascinating and challenging to people, both inside and outside the Catholic Church. Gerhard Cardinal Müller speaks from a particular and personal viewpoint, including his experience of working closely with the pope every day as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He addresses, in particular, those dimensions of the papal office which are crucial for understanding more deeply the pope as a visible principle of the church’s unity. 500 years after the Protestant reformation, the book offers insights into the ecumenical controversies about the papacy throughout the centuries, in their historical context. The book also exposes prejudices and cliches, and points to the authentic foundation of the Petrine ministry.

This volume addresses the manifold conjunctures, interactions and disjunctures that occur at various levels of what has come to be rubricated under the buzzword of "globalization". While this term has the merit of reperiodizing our account of the capitalist dynamics, it simultaneously points to a crisis of representation both in political and epistemological terms. The contributions collected in this volume - being reflexive representations from the social sciences and humanities - assess some of the manifold aspects of this crisis.