Decolonizing Theology in Revolution: A Critical Retrieval of Sergio Arce´s Theological Thought

214 Pages·2018·1.83 MB·English

by  Ary Fernández-Albán

New Approaches to Religion and Power
DECOLONIZING
THEOLOGY IN
REVOLUTION
A Critical Retrieval of Sergio
Arce´s Theological Thought
Ary Fernández-Albán
New Approaches to Religion and Power
Series Editor
Joerg Rieger
Nashville, TN, USA
While the relationship of religion and power is a perennial topic, it only
continues to grow in importance and scope in our increasingly globalized
and diverse world. Religion, on a global scale, has openly joined power
struggles, often in support of the powers that be. But at the same time,
religion has made major contributions to resistance movements. In this
context, current methods in the study of religion and theology have
created a deeper awareness of the issue of power: Critical theory, cultural
studies, postcolonial theory, subaltern studies, feminist theory, critical race
theory, and working class studies are contributing to a new quality of
study in the field. This series is a place for both studies of particular
problems in the relation of religion and power as well as for more general
interpretations of this relation. It undergirds the growing recognition that
religion can no longer be studied without the study of power.
More information about this series at
http://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/14754
Ary Fernández-Albán
Decolonizing
Theology
in Revolution
A Critical Retrieval of Sergio Arce’s
Theological Thought
Ary Fernández-Albán
Seminario Evangélico de Teología
Matanzas, Cuba
New Approaches to Religion and Power
ISBN 978-3-030-02341-6 ISBN 978-3-030-02342-3 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02342-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018961379
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To the memory of my parents, Miriam and Ary
A
cknowledgments
This book is the result of many years of researching the work of Sergio
Arce, a Cuban Presbyterian pastor and theologian, whom I had the privi-
lege to meet, and who was my first contact with Christian theology and
one of my main influences as a theologian.
I thank God for the opportunity to be part of the Presbyterian-
Reformed Church in Cuba, and to be exposed to the teaching and witness
of pastors, theologians, and lay people who encouraged me to find the
concrete meaning of the Gospel in daily life.
I want to thank the Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba, which I
serve as a pastor, for supporting me with prayers during my doctorate
studies in Toronto. I appreciate the vision, courage, and faith of its leaders,
who gave permission to do postgraduate studies abroad, even though
there were not enough ordained ministers in the country to pastor
churches. I am very grateful to my mentor and dear friend, Dr. Reinerio
Arce-Valentín, former principal of the Seminario Evangélico de Teología, in
Matanzas, for trusting me, and for knocking the right doors that allowed
me to do a doctorate at the Toronto School of Theology. I think that with
this book, I can humbly reciprocate, in some way, the trust and unre-
stricted support he has always showed me.
I also want to acknowledge Emmanuel College and Knox College, in
the person of their principals Dr. Peter Wyatt and Dr. Dorcas Gordon,
respectively, and both faculties for their permanent and kind support. In a
similar vein, I sincerely appreciate the financial and logistic sustenance
received from The Presbyterian Church of Canada and The United
vii
viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Church of Canada for making it possible for my wife Dr. Beidy Casas-
Aragón and me to start and finish our programs.
I deeply thank my professor and thesis director Dr. Lee Cormie for his
critical observations and insights, encouraging comments, and wise direc-
tion, which went beyond writing this book. I also want to express my
immense gratitude to Dr. Néstor Medina for his unconditional friendship
and support, for his permanent willingness to engage in theological dia-
logue, and, especially, for his tireless help reading the manuscript and sug-
gesting very meaningful changes.
This list would not be complete without mentioning my wife Beidy
Casas-Aragón, to whom I feel very thankful for her love, companionship,
intellectual collaboration, and partnership in ministry, particularly during
these long years of studying, researching, and writing this book.
c
ontents
1 I ntroduction 1
2 Situating the Debates Between Worlds: Concerning the
Socioeconomic, Political, and Ecclesial Contexts of
Pre-revolutionary Cuba and the First Years of the Revolution 13
Introduction 13
Socioeconomic and Political Contexts of Pre- revolutionary Cuba 13
1959–1963: From a Triumphant Populist and Nationalist
Rebellion to a Socialist (Marxist- Leninist) Revolution 20
Cultural, Sociopolitical, and Theological Features of Cuban
Protestantism Before the Revolution 28
The Protestant Church(es) in a Revolutionary Situation 36
Conclusion 42
3 Sergio Arce’s Theology in Revolution: Main Influences and
Stages of Development 43
Introduction 43
Sergio Arce’s Intellectual/Ideological and Religious Formation 43
A Theological Itinerary: Sergio Arce’s Theology in Revolution 50
1961–1968: Emergence and Founding of a Cuban
Revolutionary Theological Perspective 51
1969–1978: Formalizing Theology in Revolution 58
1979–1989: Consolidation of the Theology in Revolution 66
1990–1999: Re-contextualization of Theology in Revolution 71
Conclusion 79
ix
x CONTENTS
4 Theology in Revolution: A Revolution in Theology 81
Introduction 81
Historical Praxis of Liberation and Theological Discourse 82
Salvation and Historical Projects of Liberation 89
History of Salvation or Salvation of History? The Historical
Character of Salvation and the Salvific Integration of History 90
The Integral (Holistic) Character of Salvation/Liberation 93
The Triune God’s Preferential Option for the Poor Through
the Revolution 97
The Cuban Socialist Revolution as a Historical Project of
Liberation 100
Work as Spiritual Fulfillment and Christian Witness 102
The Idolatrous and Anti-Christian Character of Capitalism:
The Denial of God and the Human Condition 106
Re-ideologizing Faith and Theology 109
The Prophetic Character of Marxist Atheism 114
Conclusion 117
5 Cuba and the Global Context Since the 1990s: New
Challenges, Voices, and Theoretical Developments 119
Introduction 119
Cuba and the Challenges of the New Global Scene 121
Panoramic Changes in the World Context 121
Cuba’s Reform, Re-creation, and Re-insertion into the Global
Scene 125
The Sociopolitical and Economic Dimensions 125
Sociocultural (Re)configurations 131
Theoretical and Theological Shifts and Developments 138
Proliferation of Liberation Theologies 138
The “Decolonial Turn” as a “New” Promising Epistemological
and Interpretive Framework for Liberation Theologies 142
Conclusion 149
6 Sergio Arce’s Legacy and Inspiration to the Renewal of
Theology Today 151
Introduction 151
Theology as Necessarily Practical and Pastoral 153
Theology as Concrete and Contextual 155
Theology as Biblical Hermeneutics in a Cuban Interpretive Key 158