Truth, Justice, and Forgiveness: Reconciliation in Jon Sobrino's Christology

This dissertation proposes that Jon Sobrino's Christology offers the basis for a Christian spirituality and a theology of reconciliation that promotes both the mending of historical reality and the reconciliation of human beings with God and among themselves. It also argues that such a spirituality advances the theological conversation on reconciliation by: prioritizing the perspective, role, and contribution of the victims in the process of reconciliation; insisting on the need both for personal forgiveness and for a social restoration of justice inspired by Jesus' merciful praxis and the values of God's Kingdom; and by arguing that Christian discipleship must foster a ministry of reconciliation aimed at the eradication of structural sin, the corresponding humanization of its victims, and the rehabilitation of the oppressor.

To this end, Chapter One offers a brief scriptural background on the topic of reconciliation before turning its attention to the current theological conversation on the subject as exemplified by the works of Robert Schreiter, Miroslav Volf, and John de Gruchy. Their theologies of reconciliation help frame the conversation and identify the key questions for this project.

Acknowledging the contextual character of all theologies, Chapter Two examines the development of Sobrino's theology within his historical context and intellectual history. The conflictual character of recent Salvadoran history, the development of Latin America liberation theology, the influence of Monsignor Oscar Romero and particularly Ignacio Ellacuria's intellectual legacy, all help explain Sobrino's theological method, his understanding of the purpose of the theological task, and his foundations for a Christian spirituality.

In Chapter Three I examine Sobrino's fundamental theologal spirituality which outlines the basic dispositions or spirit with which any human person should engage reality. Then, in Chapter Four, I move to explore how Jesus' life and spirit instantiate the appropriate manner in which Christians should engage reality. This instantiation describes, in general terms, what Christians should do as they strive to live a life of discipleship.

In Chapter Five, I move from a general Christian spirituality (the following of Jesus) to a more particular Christian spirituality of reconciliation (following Jesus in a situation characterized by conflict). I then offer a constructive proposal that illustrates how following the structure of Jesus' life--his incarnation, mission, cross, and resurrection--informed by a spirit that enables us to be open to the 'more' of reality, and to engage this in an honest and faithful manner, constitute a Christian spirituality that can effectively begin to heal and reconcile our conflicted reality. This Christian spirituality of reconciliation, in turn, lays the groundwork for a preliminary Christian theology of reconciliation that I subsequently bring into conversation with the theological projects of Volf and de Gruchy.