Arnal, Oscar L. To set the captives free: liberation theology in Canada. Toronto: Between the Lines, 1998

Jensen, Gordon A.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 25Issue 1 Contextual Perspectives in Pastoral Care andCounsellingArticle 185-1-1999To set the captives free: liberation theology inCanadaGordon A. JensenFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationJensen, Gordon A. (1999) "To set the captives free: liberation theology in Canada," Consensus: Vol. 25 : Iss. 1 , Article 18.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol25/iss1/18Book Reviews 129“wait a little longer”. The effect in each case is the same.This is a fascinating book. It deals with what is central to biblicaltheology and the faith of the people of God. Read it! It will be an importantresource for preaching, teaching, and personal edification. Never has a(revised) doctoral dissertation been more readable and practical. The authorwill take you on a journey from the Blessing ofJacob (Genesis 49) to the endof the age (Revelations 22). He will explore with you the faith of the pre-exilicand the post-exilic prophets, the hope of the early and the later Jewishapocalypses, the exhortation of Paul and the Synoptic Gospels, and theeager longing of John of Patmos.But the author will do more. He will reflect with you on how essential itis for the Christian church to witness to that hope which is in us, and topersevere in that confidence precisely when we cry “Lord, how long?”Erwin BuckLutheran Theological SeminaryTo Set the Captives Free: Liberation Theology in CanadaOscar Cole ArnalToronto: Between the Lines Press, 1998230 pages, $21.95 SoftcoverOscar Cole Arnal, professor of the history of Christianity at WaterlooLutheran Seminary, provides a tantalizing glimpse into the history ofbackground and liberative theologies in Canada. This work includes anexcellent historical and social analysis of the Canadian context. It is a bookdirected to seminary students, social justice advocates, clergy, and all thosewho wrestle with Christianity and justice in the Canadian context.The first chapter sets the stage for his book, followed by a foundationalchapter on the liberation-oppression struggle in the Christian tradition. Hebegins with the Hebrew and Greek scriptures, and continues with a briefsurvey of liberation in the history of the church. Following Douglas JohnHall, Cole Arnal points a finger at the “Constantinian betrayal” of the church.He traces protest voices (echoing Hall’s “thin tradition”) from the earlychurch to the present. Revealed is a church with a poor record of caring forthe oppressed.The third and fourth chapters provide a social analysis of Canadiansociety. In chapter three. Cole Arnal names the economic elite as theoppressors in Canada, since they control the media, culture, and education130 Consensusin Canada. Cole Arnal proposes that the economic elites have shaped andmanipulated Canadian society for their own purposes.In the fourth chapter, the oppressed in Canadian society are named.They include the economic poor and the poorest of the working class, thoseaffected by patriarchy, the forgotten, and those who are marginalized insociety. There is an intricate web of interrelated oppression, supported by anintricate web of oppression.In the fifth chapter. Cole Arnal identifies communities who are fightingthese inequalities within Canada. He traces the background and history ofmany of the ecumenical coalitions and other organizations who are workingfor justice. These groups are signs of God’s gracious realm breaking in uponsociety. He follows this up in the final chapter with a description of therelationship between Christians and social and political coalitions. There arecandid appraisals of the mistakes, problems, successes, and potential forthese coalitions.This book is important for those concerned for social justice in Canadiansociety. Yet two things are missing in this otherwise excellent book. First,while the sub-title is “Liberation Theology in Canada", many examples ofoppression and injustice in North America in the first fifty pages are GS ratherthan Canadian stories. Second, the subtitle “Liberation Theology inCanada” is misleading. The book is more a history ofjustice movements anda social analysis of Canadian society from a liberative perspective than atheology. What are the theological issues in the Canadian context whichmake oppression and liberation more than just “themes” in the Christiantradition? The struggles for liberation are rooted in the very nature of God.This excellent historical survey and social analysis provides a welcomeaddition to Hall’s recent three-volume trilogy, and Bishop Remi De Roo’sseminal theological work, “Cries of Victims — Voice of God”.Gordon A. JensenArmena Lutheran ParishArmena, AlbertaMany Voices One God: Being Faithful in a Pluralistic WorldWalter Brueggemann and George W. Stroup, EditorsLouisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998ix + 202 pages, $22.50 SoftcoverThis book is a Festschrift in honour of Shirley Guthrie, Professor of

To set the captives free: liberation theology in Canada

Scholars Commons

https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1514&amp;context=consensus

To set the captives free: liberation theology in Canada

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Wilfrid Laurier University

Scholars Commons