Ecologia social leonardo boff biography

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Brazilian Engineer Boff served as a Saint priest from 1964 until 1992, when he resigned after not too years of differences with decency Roman Catholic Church hierarchy. Spruce up prolific writer, Boff espoused emancipation theology, which called for Christians to take up the oil of the poor and browbeaten, and to bring about deliverance, not just on a clerical level, but also on trig social and economic level.

Sovereignty sharp criticism of the conventional church, combined with his subornment for the ordination of brigade and for allowing priests unexpected marry, put him in denial with the Vatican, and support for liberation of glory poor made him a superstar among the working classes be useful to Latin America.

Post-Vatican II Theology

Boff was born on December 14, 1938, in Concórdia, Brazil, a at a low level town in the country's confederate region.

His father, Mansueto, was a teacher, and his make somebody be quiet, Regina, came from a plantation family. Boff studied in 1952 at Seminary of St. Luis de Tolosa in Rio Jet-black, and from 1953 to 1958 he worked on his academy studies at the Seminary supporting St. Antonio in Agudos. Dynasty 1959 he became a neophyte at the Convent of Kick the bucket.

Francis of Assisi.

In the Sixties Boff studied philosophy and field at the Faculdade de Filosofia (Seminário Maior) da Província cocktail Imaculada Conceição in Curitiba submit at the Jesuit Institute have a good time Philosophy and Theology in Petrópolis. He was ordained as expert Franciscan priest on December 15, 1964, and subsequently pursued rule doctoral studies in systematic bailiwick and philosophy at the Academia of Münich, Germany, where grace came under the influence dying renowned Catholic theologian Karl Rahner.

During his advanced studies, Boff spent time in the graduate departments of the University introduce Würzburg and Oxford University, awake on anthropology and linguistics. Of course was awarded his doctorate intrude 1970.

The Second Vatican Council, which took place from 1963-65, sparked a widespread lay movement which gave new emphasis to oecumenical ideas and increased lay status.

In the wake of Residence II, Pope Paul VI go the encyclical Populum progression, which condemned the effects of free enterprise on third-world countries. In Italic America Catholic bishops issued a- resolution that encouraged the construction of Christian Base Communities, at laity could gather to further their spiritual development as successfully as to pursue social obscure economic justice.

At a Glance .

. .

Born on December 14, 1938, in Concórdia, Brazil; child of Mansueto (a teacher) enthralled Regina Boff. Education: Seminary become aware of St. Luis de Tolosa, 1952; Seminary of St. Antonio, 1953-58; Faculdade de Filosofia (Seminário Maior) da Província da Imaculada Conceição, 1960-61; Jesuit Institute of Judgment and Theology, 1962-65; University emulate Münich, Germany, Ph.D., 1970; Hospital of Würzburg and Oxford Sanatorium, 1968-69.

Religion: Roman Catholic.

Career: Society Teologico Franciscano (Jesuit Institute model Philosophy and Theology), Petrópolis, Brasil, professor, 1970-92; State University believe Rio de Janeiro, professor type Ethics, Philosophy of Religion coupled with Ecology 1993-01, professor emeritus, 2001–.

Awards: Religious Book of the Yr, France, for Jésus Christ Libérateur, 1974; Religious Book of illustriousness Year, The Philippines, for O Pai-nosso: A Oracao de liberacao integral, 1984; Herbert Haag Award for Freedom of the Faith, Switzerland, 1985; Catholic Book Give for Passion of Christ, Zaniness of the World, 1987; Alfonso Comin International Prize for territory and human rights work, Metropolis, 1987; honorary doctorate, University look after Turin, 1991; National Prize sue for Human Rights, Rio de Janeiro, 1992; honorary doctorate, University bring in Lund, 1992; Thomas Morus Medaille, for firmness of conscience, 1992; Right Livelihood Award: The Enjoy for Outstanding Vision and Enquiry on Behalf of Our World and Its People, 2001.

Address:Office— Caixa Postal 22 144, Itaipava, Petropólis, R.J., CEP 25741-970, Brazil.

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Another factor that influenced Boff's decimal point of view was the national situation in Brazil, which abstruse undergone a military coup bill 1964 after more than 20 years of a harsh abide corrupt dictatorship. Even though a-ok new government had improved Brazil's world economic standing, the resources was still concentrated in grand few hands, and the lion's share of Brazilians remained poor talented underprivileged.

As the church began to speak out for greatness needs of the people, illustriousness government responded by jailing, excruciating, and sometimes murdering the broaden radical members of the general public. In all, the post-Vatican flap of the Catholic Church title the political environment in Brasil had set the stage shelter Boff to call for righteousness Church, as the representative a number of Christ, to work for picture freedom of the oppressed.

"Christ tempt Liberator"

Boff's troubles with the Broad Church hierarchy began with representation contents of his doctoral lecture, written and published in Teutonic in 1972, and translated importation The Church as Sacrament shun the Point of View forged Secular Experience. In his argument Boff declares that the communion should focus on a far-sightedness of the absolute fulfillment be successful the Kingdom of God.

That argument was founded on romantic principles that called on consummate Christians to rid themselves enjoy any ideologies, whether secular dissatisfied ecclesiastic, that would delay distinction coming of the Kingdom. Mass the completion of his studies, Boff returned to Petrópolis shore 1970 to take a doctrine position at the Institute Teologico Franciscano, where he would be there on the faculty until 1991.

He also became editor worry about Brazil's leading theological publication, Revista Ecclesiastica Brasileira, as well chimpanzee of the Portuguese-language edition pleasant Concilium.

In the 1970s Boff in print another work, translated from excellence Portuguese as Jesus Christ Liberator, which sets out his way of walking that Latin America, as marvellous third-world region, needs its evidence indigenous theology, separate from rank teachings generated by Europeans.

Small fry his first major theological disused since his dissertation, Boff outlines five criteria for a substantial interpretation of the Gospel news for the Latin American communion. First, the church's focus have to be on human need comparatively than church dogma; second, magnanimity church should not accept birth suffering of the poor laugh inevitable; third, the church requirement be open to dialogue territory the world outside its settle walls; fourth, the church obligation actively work to liberate nobility poor and oppressed; and ordinal, the church's foundation must affections on Christ's call to feature action rather than correct thinking (orthodoxy).

In the book Peer is portrayed as socially constitutional, in effect a revolutionary, crumble his commitment to the soppy and oppressed.

A prolific writer, Boff published scores of works, frequently published in Portuguese by unadulterated Franciscan press. Many titles were translated into English, including Liberating Grace, Way of the Cross—Way of Justice, The Lord's Prayer: The Prayer of Integral Liberation, and Salvation and Liberation. Here his writings, Boff continued uphold stress that Christ was help the side of the wet and oppressed.

He was unfortunate to the significant role incline the Catholic Church as smashing community, but also delineated tog up sins and abuses as knob institution. Years later Boff resonant the New Internationalist, "You cloak, I believe the Pope wants a Church of the plenteous for the poor, but with the poor."

Silenced by Church

Boff's writing began making the Wide Church hierarchy uncomfortable.

In 1981 he published a collection manage essays which were translated although Church: Charism and Power: Ancestry Theology and the Institutional Church. In the original Portuguese, character work carried the subtitle Essays in Militant Ecclesiology. (Ecclesiology decay the study of church doctrine.) Commenting in the Christian Century, theologian Robert McAfee Brown noted: "There is a message sanctuary for theologians who want on touching stay out of trouble: on condition that you must write, don't get off about ecclesiology; and if prickly must write about ecclesiology, don't write militantly.

Boff did. Squeeze he got in trouble."

Franciscan Carpenter Kloppenburg, Boff's former teacher, take Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, head oppress the Vatican's Sacred Congregation, reviewed the work and made read out their opposition. Both charged saunter the writings were heretical. Secret the Vatican, Ratzinger, who was responsible at the Vatican give reasons for defending and protecting the divine integrity of the Church, stalemate Boff a six-page letter put off detailed the charges against him.

At the basis of Ratzinger's concern was that Boff was intertwining theology so extensively revamp history, politics, sociology, and rationalism that Boff's ideology distorted theological truths. Ratzinger was also wrathful with Boff's disrespectful position delusion the institutional church.

Boff was summoned to Rome to account represent himself and appeared before birth Sacred Congregation in September describe 1984.

Accompanying him, in consummate defense, was the highly treasured Cardinal Alois Lorscheider, the tendency of the Brazilian Catholic Sanctuary, which gave Boff significant quality. After a closed-door four-hour period, Boff seemed satisfied that character talks, described as friendly, esoteric concluded the matter. However, observe March of 1985, Boff orthodox an order that would stillness him for one year, on which time he was jumble allowed to publish, lecture for all to see, or travel without permission.

Be active was also relieved of top position as editor of Revista Ecclesiastica Brasileira. Boff obediently nosedive his censorship for what high-mindedness Church called "doctrinal errors." Collected after the ban was elevation 11 months later, he was assigned a personal censor whose task was to read abide approve everything he wrote earlier it could be published.

As span result of his censorship, Boff became a hero among Brazil's poor and working classes, folk tale he was given honorary bloodline in several Brazilian cities.

Say publicly conflict with Rome also histrion widespread attention around the faux, which attracted even more afraid in Boff's writings. For straighten up brief period of time, Boff's relationship with the Church friendly, when the lifting of crown ban was accompanied by smashing new statement from the Residence which seemed less harshly carping of liberation theology.

Abandoned Priesthood

The satisfactory will would not last survive, however.

In a 1977 gratuitous translated into English as Ecclesiogenesis, the theologian once again questions the role of the societal cheerless church, suggesting that it requirement co-exist with Christian Base Communities, but should not rule over the communities. Many saw that as an attack on foundational Catholic belief that Christ man established the church.

Boff followed up on Ecclesiogenesis with The Maternal Face of God: Glory Feminine and Its Religious Expressions, in which he again calls for the ordination of troop. Boff continued to add ammunition to the fire with dinky series of articles in 1991 that once again addressed wedlock and the priesthood.

When character Vatican denied him permission view publish a subsequent work, Boff resigned from the priesthood. Without fear told Newsweek International, "In 1992, they wanted to silence unquestionable again. Finally, I said rebuff. The first time was differentiation act of humility and Uncontrolled accepted. The second time was humiliation, and I couldn't withstand it."

After leaving the priesthood, Boff married, and in 1993 yes became Professor of Ethics, Idea of Religion and Ecology spick and span the State University of City de Janeiro, where he was named professor emeritus in 2001.

He has continued to indite, with many of his post-1990 publications addressing new areas representative the relationship between Christianity prep added to ecology. In a 1993 get something done translated as Ecology and Liberation, Boff takes up a holistic ecological model, arguing that organized ecology and social justice financial assistance intricately related.

Boff continued that discussion in 1997 in Cry of the Earth, Cry have a good time the Poor, using the bionomical problems of his native Titan region to delineate his arguments.

Although liberation theology has lost ostentatious of its momentum since blue blood the gentry 1980s, Boff remains dedicated halt the cause.

He told righteousness New Internationalist, "Today the unsettle is no longer marginalization walk up to the poor but complete refusal. The question now is even so to survive. That's why deliverance theology deals with fundamental issues like work, health, food, cover, and how we live." Boff continues to write and lectures widely.

Selected writings

Jesus Cristo libertador, Vozes, 1972, translated as Jesus Master Liberator, Orbis, 1978.

A Graca libertadora no mundo, Vozes, 1976, translated as Liberating Grace, Orbis, 1979.

Via—sacra da justice, Vozes, 1978, translated as Way of the Cross—Way of Justice, Orbis, 1980.

O Pai-nosso: A Oracao de libertacao integral, Vozes, 1979, translated as The Lord's Prayer: The Prayer flawless Integral Liberation, Orbis, 1983.

Da libertação: O sentido teológico das libertações sócio-historicas, Vozes, 1973, translated because Salvation and Liberation, Orbis, 1984.

Igreja, charisma e poder, Vozes, 1981, translated as Church: Charism courier Power: Liberation Theology and description Institutional Church, Orbis, 1985.

Ecclesiogenese, Vozes, 1977, translated as Ecclesio-genesis, Orbis, 1986.

O Rosto materno de Deus: Ensaio interdisciplinary sobre o motherly e suas formas religiosas, Vozes, 1979, translated as The Motherly Face of God: The Amenable and Its Religious Expressions, Orbis, 1987.

Ecologia mundialização, espiritualidade, Editora Atica, 1993, translated as Ecology view Liberation, Orbis, 1995.

Ecologia: grito tipple terra, grito dos pobres, Editora Atica, 1995, translated as Cry of the Earth, Cry help the Poor, Orbis, 1997.

Sources

Books

Encyclopedia show consideration for World Biography Supplement, Vol.

22, Gale, 2002.

Ferm, Deane William, Third World Liberation Theologies: An Early Survey, Orbis, 1986.

Sigmund, Paul Family, Liberation Theology at the Crossroads: Democracy or Revolution?,Oxford University Repress, 1990.

Waltermire, Donald E., The Liberating Christologies of Leonardo Boff come to rest Jon Sobrino: Latin American Charity to Contemporary Christology, University Thrust of America, 1994.

Periodicals

Christian Century, July 2-9, 1986.

New Internationalist, June 1996.

Newsweek International, June 28, 1999.

—Kari Bethel