DREAMS OF JOSEPH: CHALLENGES OF DOING CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGY
Keywords:
Celebration of Life, Contextual Theology, Dream, Family, Marga Theology, Marriage, Mystical Theology, St JosephAbstract
The creation of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) represented a unique reception of the Second Vatican Council, positioning the Latin American Church as a Source Church for today’s process of reforms. The General Conferences, hosted by CELAM, such as Medellín (1968), Puebla (1979), Santo Domingo (1992), and Aparecida (2007), cannot be reduced to mere texts. In the specific case of Medellín (1968), presented in this paper, the way in which this Conference proceeded gave rise to a spirit of convergence among bishops, priests, religious, and laypeople that took shape in the working method. This inaugurated a unique ecclesiality inspired by a collegial practice and completed by a Synodal Spirit that advanced the ecclesial model of People of God of the Second Vatican Council in Latin America. In this paper, we will present the key elements to understand how Medellín gave shape to a synodal style and practice, more environmental than thematized, that led to a new way of being Church in Latin America.
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