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No Salvation Outside the Poor: Prophetic-Utopian Essays
The provocative title of these essays plays on a traditional Catholic slogan: 'no salvation outside the church'. But as Jon Sobrino notes, salvation has many dimensions, both personal and social, historical and transcendent.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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About the author
Jon Sobrino
91 books31 followersJon Sobrino, S.J. is a Jesuit Catholic priest and theologian, known mostly for his contributions to liberation theology.
He received worldwide attention in 2007 when the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a Notification for what they see as doctrines which are "erroneous or dangerous and may cause harm to the faithful."
Life
Born into a Basque family in Barcelona, Sobrino entered the Jesuit Order when he was 18. The following year, in 1958, he was sent to El Salvador. He later studied engineering at St. Louis University, a Jesuit University, in the United States and then theology in Frankfurt in West Germany. Returning to El Salvador, he taught at the Jesuit-run University of Central America (UCA) in San Salvador, which he helped to found.
On November 16, 1989 he narrowly escaped being assassinated by the Atlacatl Battalion, an elite unit of the Salvadoran Army. By a coincidence, he was away from El Salvador when members of the military broke into the rectory at the UCA and brutally murdered his six fellow Jesuits, Ignacio Ellacuría, Segundo Montes, Juan Ramón Moreno, Ignacio Martin Baro, Amando López, and Joaquín López y López, and their housekeeper Elba Ramos and her 15-year old daughter Celina Ramos. The Jesuits were targeted for their outspoken work to bring about resolution to the brutal El Salvador Civil War that left about 75,000 men, women, and children dead, in the great majority civilians.
Investigated by the Vatican throughout his career as a professor of theology, he has remained an outspoken proponent of peace, joining protests in 2008 of the continued training of Latin American military officers in torture techniques at the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, GA.
Works
Sobrino's main works are Jesus the Liberator (1991) and its sequel, Christ the Liberator (1999), along with Christology at the Crossroads (1978), The True Church and the Poor (1984), Spirituality of Liberation (1990), The Principle of Mercy: Taking the Crucified People from the Cross (Orbis, 1994), No Salvation Outside the Poor: Prophetic-Utopian Essays (Orbis, 2008). See also Stephen J. Pope (ed), Hope and Solidarity: Jon Sobrino's Challenge to Christian Theology (Orbis, 2008).
He received worldwide attention in 2007 when the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a Notification for what they see as doctrines which are "erroneous or dangerous and may cause harm to the faithful."
Life
Born into a Basque family in Barcelona, Sobrino entered the Jesuit Order when he was 18. The following year, in 1958, he was sent to El Salvador. He later studied engineering at St. Louis University, a Jesuit University, in the United States and then theology in Frankfurt in West Germany. Returning to El Salvador, he taught at the Jesuit-run University of Central America (UCA) in San Salvador, which he helped to found.
On November 16, 1989 he narrowly escaped being assassinated by the Atlacatl Battalion, an elite unit of the Salvadoran Army. By a coincidence, he was away from El Salvador when members of the military broke into the rectory at the UCA and brutally murdered his six fellow Jesuits, Ignacio Ellacuría, Segundo Montes, Juan Ramón Moreno, Ignacio Martin Baro, Amando López, and Joaquín López y López, and their housekeeper Elba Ramos and her 15-year old daughter Celina Ramos. The Jesuits were targeted for their outspoken work to bring about resolution to the brutal El Salvador Civil War that left about 75,000 men, women, and children dead, in the great majority civilians.
Investigated by the Vatican throughout his career as a professor of theology, he has remained an outspoken proponent of peace, joining protests in 2008 of the continued training of Latin American military officers in torture techniques at the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, GA.
Works
Sobrino's main works are Jesus the Liberator (1991) and its sequel, Christ the Liberator (1999), along with Christology at the Crossroads (1978), The True Church and the Poor (1984), Spirituality of Liberation (1990), The Principle of Mercy: Taking the Crucified People from the Cross (Orbis, 1994), No Salvation Outside the Poor: Prophetic-Utopian Essays (Orbis, 2008). See also Stephen J. Pope (ed), Hope and Solidarity: Jon Sobrino's Challenge to Christian Theology (Orbis, 2008).
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Currently reading
February 10, 2009Everything I read or see about Jon Sobrino awakens me. For him following Christ means challenging the powers that be. Sobrino does not let us forget "That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course/Anyhow in a corner."
May 28, 2008
A life-changer, hopefully.
June 25, 2022
Those who have read Sobrino will be familiar with many of these ideas and because it is a collection of essays it’s not as coherent as his standalone works but still well worth a read. Especially impressive is his discussion of the idea that the poor hold the key to the salvation of humanity both by the movement to compassion engendered by their suffering and their way of being humble and seeking community. In this way the poor evangelize us and point the way toward universal salvation for humanity.
May 15, 2017
Reads, at times, like a "greatest hits" album. At others, like a valedictory address. Bright shining insights and incisive critique. A good first (or last) taste of Liberation Theology.
May 1, 2021
I met Sobrino briefly on a trip to El Salvador in 1990-91 and this book reminds me of the kind, gentle, and relentlessly prophetic follower of Jesus I experienced.
Read
September 2, 2022Poverty on a global level is complicated.
March 13, 2016
Great book on Liberation Theology
I thought the progressive view of Christology was very refreshing . His challenge to the traditional view of the Catholic Church was particularly interesting. He states that Cristo monism is dangerous and argues that a Christ taking down from the cross is a better approach . The downfall of the book, is that sometimes the translation makes the text hard to read.
I thought the progressive view of Christology was very refreshing . His challenge to the traditional view of the Catholic Church was particularly interesting. He states that Cristo monism is dangerous and argues that a Christ taking down from the cross is a better approach . The downfall of the book, is that sometimes the translation makes the text hard to read.
February 12, 2008
a bit challenging to read for the non-believers, but i really appreciate a jesuits devotion to learning so i gave it a whirl and i'm glad i did, because he put the smack down on the new christians. it also made me feel inadequate. like i'm not doing enough to help people, but at least i don't drive around and shop all day
December 3, 2013
Great book. The last sentence is the perfect summary: "To help make Jesus present today we have offered the life; the faith, and the love of Archbishop Romero, seen vigorously through the eyes of Ignacio Ellacuría."
Currently reading
August 5, 2011profound theological insights from one who knows
March 31, 2013
Gracias Dios por presentarme a la Teología de la Liberación
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews