We Drink from Our Own Wells

Overview

A new edition of the classic work on the spirituality of liberation.

"A significant event in the development of liberation theology. We Drink from Our Own Wells is the nuanced articulation of the Christ-encounter as experienced by the poor of Latin America in their struggle to affirm their human dignity and claim their true identity as sons and daughters of God."-Henri Nouwen

"A helpful manual for all Christians seeking to deepen the roots of their spiritual life while living and working in the strident world of the here and now." -Robert McAfee Brown

After more than twenty years, We Drink from Our Own Wells remains a classic expression of Latin American spirituality by a pioneer of liberation theology. Starting from St. Bernard of Clairvaux's counsel to root spirituality in one's own experience, Gutierrez outlines the contours of a spirituality rooted in the experience of the poor and their struggle for life. His aim is to reflect on the contemporary road to holiness, the passage of a people through the solitude and dangers of the desert, as it carves out its own way in the following of Jesus Christ.

Gustavo Gutiérrez (1928-2024) a Peruvian priest and Dominican theologian, was widely regarded as the father of liberation theology. His groundbreaking work, A Theology of Liberation, was published in 1971 (in English 1973), and it inspired a whole library of books from Latin America, and in time from around the world. His many works (all translated by Orbis Books) include We Drink from Our Own Wells, The Power of the Poor in History, On Job, The Truth Shall Make You Free, and The God of Life. Fr. Gutiérrez served for many years as a parish priest in Rimac, Peru. He also taught at many universities, and served as Cardinal John O’Hara Professor at the University of Notre Dame. His many honors, included induction into the Peruvian Academy of Language, the Legion of Honor from the French government, and the Prince of Asturia award in Spain. Upon his death he was recognized by Pope Francis as “A man of the Church who knew how to be silent when he had to be silent, who knew how to suffer when it was his turn to suffer, who knew how to carry forward so much apostolic fruit and so much rich theology.”