Overview

The Englewood Review of Books

Ten Theology Books to Watch For 

June 2023

"This is an important book for clergy, theologians and educated lay people.  As a Canadian theologian I am challenged by it to do theology as a vocation, in the service of the crucified and risen Christ, in pursuit of the coming reign of God while listening to the voices of the poor, rather than as a career in pursuit of academic honours.  Every seminary library should have it."  - Don Schweitzer, Saskatoon, Canada, Touchstone 42/1 (February 2024), 67-9.

"I warn readers that Theology without Deception could lead to your own awakening or, at least, a stirring and challenge — are we a Church of the poor today? This is a book for all followers of Christ and particularly for our bishops, leaders and aspiring leaders."- Chris Farrelly, Tui Moi, November 2023, Issue 287

"This skillfully edited volume constitutes a real epilogue to Jon Sobrino’s life as a theologian. In an accessible, intimate text, this determined follower of Jesus of Nazareth, like Jacob, is found wrestling with God. His personality jumps from the pages with memorable phrases and shrewd commentary. This is pure Jon Sobrino!” —Julian Filochowki, chair, Archbishop Romero Trust

“A one-of-a-kind reflection on Jon Sobrino’s eighty years of following Jesus at the crossroads of Vatican II and global Christianity. There is something for every reader here: private conversations with Pope Francis and Karl Rahner; key moments from three years as theological advisor for Archbishop Oscar Romero; crises of faith and their resolution; the meaning of Ignatian discernment and the role of a university in a world of injustice; stories of a community of saints and martyrs awakened from the ‘sleep of inhumanity’ by God’s ‘preferential option for the poor.’”—Robert Lassalle-Klein, editor, Jon Sobrino: Spiritual Writings

In this theological memoir, drawn from conversations with journalist Charmo Mármol, Jesuit Jon Sobrino relates the story of his journey from Spain to El Salvador, and how his confrontation with the poor and oppressed—those his fellow Jesuit and future martyr Ignacio Ellacuría called “the crucified people”—shaped the development of his theological work.

Sobrino’s memories are strongly shaped by the witness of the martyrs, particularly Jesuit Rutilio Grande, Archbishop Oscar Romero, and the members of his Jesuit community at the Central American University who were assassinated in 1989 by Salvadoran troops.     

For all who are familiar with Sobrino’s work, and all who struggle with the meaning of faithful discipleship in a world marked by violence, injustice, and suffering, Sobrino’s frank and soul-searching reflections are essential reading.

Jon Sobrino, SJ, a theologian at the University of Central America, San Salvador, El Salvador, is one of the foundational figures of liberation theology. His many Orbis titles include Jesus the Liberator, Christ the Liberator, No Salvation Outside the Poor, Archbishop Romero, and Witnesses to the Kingdom. With Ignacio Ellacuría he edited Mysterium Liberationis.

Click Here For The Table Of Contents

Click Here For The Prologue

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