Part 13. Social Responsibilty. Theological Musings.

A few rambling thoughts.  Probably disjointed, but then I make no claims to be a theologian, nor do I seek to influence anyone.  I declare my opinions openly. No wishy-washy ambiguities, no weasel words, no sitting on the fence. I am going to enjoy the journey into the theology of social responsibility. I hope you do.

My starting point is our old friend the second Great Commandment love your neighbour as yourself. We noted before that defining who my neighbour is may be construed broadly. My overall impression is of New Testament emphasis on individuals being supported (ambulance work) rather than structural change. In support of this I refer to the Parable of the Good Samaritan and also Matthew 25:31-46.  Both emphasise the duty on Christians to give freely assistance to those in need. Love in action.

Does this mean Christians do not have a responsibility to confront social injustice and the misery resulting from it? Far from it.  In an earlier post I noted that Jesus stated that all the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.  Passages in Isaiah expressly refer to social injustice and the wording of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5: 1-12) and passages in Luke's Gospel point to a Christian responsibility to press for change to end social injustice. In future parts I shall consider this in more detail and also the impact of Liberation Theology with particular reference to the Roman Catholic Church.