The Convergence of Marxism and Christianity
THE CONVERGENCE OF MARXISM AND CHRISTIANITY: IMPLICATIONS FOR PHILIPPINE DEMOCRACY by Victor Aguilan, Th. D. Silliman University Divinity School Paper presented to the 35TH PHAVISMINDA CONFERENCE Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan May 24 – 26, 2012
In the struggle for Philippine democracy, two sectors have played a vital role: Christians and Marxists. During the Marcos dictatorship, the Communists led an armed opposition against the dictatorship with the objective of establishing a national democratic (ND) society. Progressive Christians1 opposed Marcos’ authoritarian regime because of grave human rights violations and demanded the restoration of democracy. Eventually, the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship led the two to converge. In their struggle for democracy and social liberation in the Philippines, Filipino Marxists and Christians started building alliances. A number of theologians began to reflect on these alliances between Marxism and Christianity. In 1982, the “theology of struggle” was the name embraced by a group of Christian activists in the Philippines, who committed themselves to social transformation of Church and Philippine society. It has appropriated Marxist critique of Philippine society, an ideology perceived as antithetical to Christian beliefs. Marxism has transformed the way theologians understand the nature of the Church, State, politics, and democracy. This paper will examine the relationship of theology and social theory that exists between the Theology of Struggle (TOS) and Marxism. The two main research questions of this paper are: 1) what are the convergence and divergence between the two perspectives?; and 2) what are the implications for Philippine democracy? To answer these questions, the paper will discuss the following: 1) Marx’s theory of religion and politics; 2) the contribution of Marxism to the Theology of Struggle (TOS); and 3) a proposal as to how the convergence of the two perspectives in ToS could enrich
In the struggle for Philippine democracy, two sectors have played a vital role: Christians and Marxists. During the Marcos dictatorship, the Communists led an armed opposition against the dictatorship with the objective of establishing a national democratic (ND) society. Progressive Christians1 opposed Marcos’ authoritarian regime because of grave human rights violations and demanded the restoration of democracy. Eventually, the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship led the two to converge. In their struggle for democracy and social liberation in the Philippines, Filipino Marxists and Christians started building alliances. A number of theologians began to reflect on these alliances between Marxism and Christianity. In 1982, the “theology of struggle” was the name embraced by a group of Christian activists in the Philippines, who committed themselves to social transformation of Church and Philippine society. It has appropriated Marxist critique of Philippine society, an ideology perceived as antithetical to Christian beliefs. Marxism has transformed the way theologians understand the nature of the Church, State, politics, and democracy. This paper will examine the relationship of theology and social theory that exists between the Theology of Struggle (TOS) and Marxism. The two main research questions of this paper are: 1) what are the convergence and divergence between the two perspectives?; and 2) what are the implications for Philippine democracy? To answer these questions, the paper will discuss the following: 1) Marx’s theory of religion and politics; 2) the contribution of Marxism to the Theology of Struggle (TOS); and 3) a proposal as to how the convergence of the two perspectives in ToS could enrich
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Philippines, Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT)-. "Theological Issues in the Philippine Context." In Religion and Society: Towards a Theology of Struggle edited by Mary Rosario Battung, Liberato C. Bautista, Ma. Sophia Lizares-Bodegon and Alice Guillermo. Manila, Philippines: Forum for Interdisciplinary Endeavors and Studies, 1988. Youngblood, Robert L. Marcos against the Church: Economic Development and Political Repression in the Philippines. Quezon City: New Day Publisher, 1993. 14 1 These are Catholics, Protestants, and Aglipayans clergy and lay who were social activists. 2 Karl Marx, "Preface to a Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy," in Karl Marx: Selected Writings, ed. David McLellan(New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 425. 3 Karl Marx, "Towards a Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right: Introduction," in Karl Marx: Selected Writings, ed. David McLellan(New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 71-72. 4 Ibid. 5 Frederick Engels, "On the History of Early Christianity," in Marx and Engels. On Religion(New York: Schocken Books, 1964); Frederick Engels, "The Peasant War in Germany (Chapter 2)," in Marx and Engels. On Religion(New York: Schocken Books, 1964). 6 Karl Marx, "The Communism of the Paper Rheinischer Beobachter," in Marx and Engels. On Religion(New York: Schocken Books, 1964), 82-83. 7 Marx, "Towards a Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right: Introduction." 8 Ibid., 77. 9 Ibid. 10 Marx believes that religion is a transitory phase in human psyche. In the document, “Draft of a Communist Confession of Faith (9 June 1847)”, Engels wrote: “Question 22. Do Communists reject existing religions? Answer: All religions which have existed hitherto were expressions of historical stages of development of individual peoples or groups of peoples. But communism is that stage of historical development which makes all existing religions superfluous and supersedes them.” in Frederick Engels, "Draft of a Communist Confession of Faith", Progress Publishers http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/06/09.htm (accessed 21 April 2012). 11 Karl Marx, "Theses on Feuerbach," in Karl Marx: Selected Writings, , ed. David McLellan (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 173.‘The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however is to change it’. 12 Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, "The Communist Manifesto (Chapter 4)", Progress Publishers http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ch04.htm (accessed 21 April 2012). 13 Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, "The Communist Manifesto", Progress Publishers http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ch01.htm (accessed 21 April 2012). 14 Marx, "On the Jewish Question," 51. 15 Ibid., 54-55. 16 Frederick Engels, "Preface to 1883 German Edition of the Communist Manifesto ", Progress Publishers http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/preface.htm (accessed 21 April 2012). 17 Karl Marx, "The Class Struggles in France," in Karl Marx: Selected Writings, ed. David McLellan (New York Oxford University Press, 2000), 313-324. 18 Hal Draper, The "Dictatorship of the Proletariat" from Marx to Lenin (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1987). 19 Marx himself used these terms interchangeably. 20 Eleazar S. Fernandez, Toward a Theology of Struggle (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1994), 23-24. 21 Edicio De la Torre, "A Theology of Struggle," in Currents in Philippine Theology: Kalinangan Book Series Ii(Quezon City: Institute of Religion and Culture, Phils., 1992), 61-68. 22 Karl Gaspar, "Doing Theology (in a Situation) of Struggle," in Religion and Society: Towards a Theology of Struggle ed. Mary Rosario Battung et al.(Manila, Philippines: Forum for Interdisciplinary Endeavors and Studies, 1988), 45-46. 23 De la Torre, 64-65. 24 Levi Oracion, "How Emerging Theological Consciousness Comes to Expression," in Currents in Philippine Theology: (Quezon City Institute of Religion and Culture, Phils., 1992), 100-101. 25 Levi Oracion, God with Us: Reflections on the Theology of Struggle in the Philippines (Dumaguete: Divinity School Silliman University, 2001), 4-5. 26 Karl Marx, "Provisional Rules of the International," in The First International and After: Vol 3. Political Writings ed. Karl Marx and D. Fernbach(Penguin, 1974), 84. 15 27 Fernandez. See also Robert L. Youngblood, Marcos against the Church: Economic Development and Political Repression in the Philippines (Quezon City: New Day Publisher, 1993). 28 Fernandez, 187. 29 Alice G. Guillermo, "Myths in Religion and Politics," in Religion and Society: Towards a Theology of Struggle ed. Mary Rosario Battung et al.(Manila, Philippines: Forum for Interdisciplinary Endeavors and Studies, 1988). 30 Everett Mendoza, Radical and Evangelical: Portrait of a Filipino Christian (Quezon City: New Day Publishers, 1999), 13. 31 Ibid., 173. 32 See Mendoza, “It is for this reason that imperialism cannot be reformed. The only recourse open to a people oppressed by imperialism is to overthrow it. In the context of imperialist domination liberation praxis takes the form of revolution: a violent seizure of political power by the powerless in order to effect radical changes in the society’s economic, social and cultural configuration.” Ibid., 160-163. 33 Feliciano V. Cariño, "Violence, Class Struggle and Faith," in Religion and Society: Towards a Theology of Struggle, ed. Mary Rosario Battung et al. (Manila, Philippines: Forum for Interdisciplinary Endeavors and Studies, 1988). 34 Oracion, God with Us: Reflections on the Theology of Struggle in the Philippines 237-238. 35 Edicio De la Torre, Touching Ground, Taking Root : Theological and Political Reflections on the Philippine Struggle (Quezon City, Philippines: Socio-Pastoral Institute, 1986), 61-101. 36 “The content of a nationalist and democratic program is a reasonable, realistic and viable solution to alleviate, if not end, the social miseries inflicted upon the vast majority of the Filipino people.” Mendoza, 210. 37 Feliciano V. Cariño, The Sacrifice of the Innocent: Themes on Christian Participation in the Philippine Struggle. ( Hong Kong: WSCF AP, 1984), 55-73. 38 Carlos Abesamis, "Jesus: An Asian Perspective," in Global Bible Commentary, ed. Daniel Patte(Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2004), 335. Louie Hechanova, "The: Christ of Liberation Theology," in Theology in the Third World: Church and Social Transformation Volume I(Quezon City, Philippines: Socia-Pastoral lnstitutue (SPI) Series 1982). 39 Rene E. Ofreneo, Capitalism in Philippine Agriculture (Quezon City (38 Panay Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines): Foundation for Nationalist Studies, 1980). 40 Henry B. Aguilan, Diwang Buhay: Living Thoughts on the Concept and Meaning of Development (Philippines: Quezon City, 1988). 41 To name a few: Feminist theology, Latin Liberation theology and eco-theology. 42 Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT)- Philippines, "Theological Issues in the Philippine Context," in Religion and Society: Towards a Theology of Struggle ed. Mary Rosario Battung et al.(Manila, Philippines: Forum for Interdisciplinary Endeavors and Studies, 1988).133. The paper was written by Elizabeth Dominguez, Mary John Mananzan, Virginia Fabella, Mary Rosario Battung, Carlos Abesamis, Feliciano Carino, and Karl Gaspar for the discussion on Commonalities and Divergences in Third World Theologies at the Second EATWOT General Assembly in Mexico City, December 7- 14, 1986. 43 There several legal Leftist organizations (BAYAN, BISIG, AKBAYAN, PM, and PKP,) and illegal (armed) Marxist parties (Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front-New People Army and The Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa (RPM-P), whose armed component is the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) 16