A Contextualized Approach to Teaching Christology in a Latin American Setting

Abstract

Like the rest of the world, the person of Christ is attacked strongly in Latin America. There, he is often viewed not as the Risen Lord, but as a weak man who is in the process of dying. Many people do not believe that he holds any significant power whatsoever. Instead, they believe that it is the saints and the Virgin who hold the true power and are able to save. The goal of this thesis is to point out those most egregious problems which attack the person of Christ in Latin American settings. Then, the subsequent goal is to formulate a contextualized guide to teaching Christology in Latin American settings. This guide would show how to present Christ as the strong, comforting, and risen Lord, and not just as a weak man. Christ is not just someone who was born on Christmas and died on Good Friday. He is not someone who failed to appease the wrath of his Father in heaven. Rather, he is the omnipotent God, a dear brother, and the victorious Lord.