Spirituality and Liberation: Overcoming the Great Fallacy

by Robert McAfee Brown

In Spirituality and Liberation , foremost theologian Robert McAfee Brown confronts a dilemma that has plagued Christians for the separation between the spiritual and the temporal, between prayer and social involvement. After a searching examination of the two spheres, he outlines a new vision of Christian wholeness.

Genres: Religion, Spirituality, Theology

164 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1988

About the author

Robert McAfee Brown was a minister in the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, a theologian, and an activist.

He earned a bachelor's degree from Amherst College in 1943 and was ordained a Presbyterian minister in 1944. Brown earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in 1945, and served as a United States Navy chaplain from 1945 to 1946. The recipient of a Fulbright grant, Brown studied at the University of Oxford before completing a doctorate in the philosophy of religion at Columbia University in 1951. He married Sydney Thomson, and had four children.

Initially, Brown taught at his alma mater, Union Theological Seminary, before accepting an appointment as Professor of Religion at Stanford University in 1962. There he became an international leader in civil rights, ecumenical and social justice causes. Brown campaigned against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and was a co-founder of the group "Clergy and Laity Concerned about Vietnam". He was also a Protestant observer at the Second Vatican Council.

Brown left Stanford in 1975 to return to Union as Professor of World Christianity and Ecumenism, but quickly found his new post unfulfilling. He resigned and moved back to the Bay Area, where he taught at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley until his retirement in 1984. Brown was the author of 29 books, and his papers are now held at the Graduate Theological Union. Brown died on 4 September 2001, survived by his wife. A lecture series is named in his honor.

Reviews

[Kirk Livingston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A blind spot in my own faith journey is the connection between loving God and loving my neighbor. McAffee works toward that, finally getting to it in Part Three, but certainly touching on it all the way through. I bought the book because I wanted to hear his story of "The Great Fallacy," which is that our bodies are separate from our spirit, a sort of dualism. I like the liberation theology approach of looking where power gets concentrated by a doctrine. This is a very readable book.

[Drick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brown begins by describing the "Great Fallacy" that spirituality and political activism do not belong together. He then draws on the work of several liberation theologians to show how in fact spirituality and liberation are inextricably tied together. While addressing many of the objections from both the side of spiritual mystics and political activists, he concludes by telling numerous stories of individuals and groups who have integrated spirituality and a concern for political liberation of the oppressed in ways that are instructive and inspiring. While he begins from the perspective of the Latin American situation, he does show ways that North American Chrisitians can and must be involved in the liberatory struggle.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

In the introduction, Robert McAfee Brown states that this book "aims to provide an approach through which spirituality and liberation can begin to be seen as two ways of talking about the same thing." While I do think he achieves this goal, the execution was not convincing enough. As someone who already agrees with the book's central thesis, I found myself wanting deeper theological insight. I had also hoped for a more direct practical guide or concrete steps, though admittedly this was not the author's stated intention. And perhaps the examples set by the many Christian liberationists mentioned in the text are what we should be following.

The writing style is very accessible, but it is so anecdotal that it often undermines the weight of his arguments. The book shines the most in moments of biblical exegesis, particularly in his treatment of passages like Micah 6:8.

Overall, Spirituality and Liberation succeeds as an introduction to overcome what Brown calls the Great Fallacy, but for people who already have some theological education, I would recommend something else

[Grant Gunston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find the big idea of this book helpful and good
- spirituality and liberation, action and contemplation, body and soul, inner work and outer work, politics and religion are part of a whole, not competing factions. If we are to be congruent and effective, we need to see them and keep them that way.

The book unpacks these things in an accessible and appealing way.

[David Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fair, detailed critique of dualistic thinking that Christians face in modern society. Detailed where it needs to be, and gets straight to the point.

[Jim Woolwine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert McAfee Brown writes in an engaging style that brings his scriptural citations to life adding context to make the Bible understandable in a modern context. The dilemma he addresses, The Great Fallacy, or the gap between spiritualism and actual boots on the ground results, is not only historically documented but eminently readable.

What is missing is the prescription for today's men/women of faith and their churches which espouse activist religion that is aggressively counter to the teachings of Jesus and the Christian faith. Or even more broadly, all religions.

We live in an age of continuious war, intolerance, and economic inequities - so much more advocacy by our religious institutions could help mitigate these injustices.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

His thesis is that spirituality is too often kept separate from liberation (and vice versa), but that's the "Great Fallacy" that he argues against. There's some helpful exegesis (eg, of Micah 6:8 - do justice, love kindness, walk humbly in God's name). This would be a good book for a church discussion group - it's a little too emphatic/dogmatic for me and it's dated, but it also has lots of good food for thought/discussion

[Neil Harmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable book to read. It explored Liberation theology and the tendency of many to misunderstand the role of spirituality in organized religion. This book was an assigned reading text in a social justice course but, while containing meat, it was a book that easy and pleasant to read.