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Leonardo Boff
Leonardo Boff was born 14 December 1938 in Concrdia, Santa Catarina state, Brazil. He is a theologian and writer, known for his active support for the rights of the poor and excluded. He currently serves as Professor Emeritus of Ethics, Philosophy of Religion and Ecology at the Rio de Janeiro State University.
Studies as a priest
Boff entered the Franciscan Order in 1959 and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1964. He spent the following years studying for a doctorate in theology and philosophy at the University of Munich, which he received in 1970. Boff's doctoral thesis studied in what measure the church can be a sign of the sacred and the divine in the secular world and in the process of liberation of the oppressed. He has since published his thesis as a book available in German, entitled Die Kirche als Sakrament im Horizont der Welterfahrung.
Liberation theology
He became one of the best known supporters (along with Gustavo Gutirrez) of the early Liberation theologians. He was present in the first reflections that sought to articulate indignation against misery and marginalization with promissory discourse of the faith, leading to Liberation theology. He continues to be a controversial figure in the Catholic Church, primarily for his sharp criticism of the church's hierarchy, which he sees as "fundamentalist", but also for his past critical support of communist rgimes.
Political views
He is critical of secular power as well of American foreign policy. He opposed the Iraq War and considered George W. Bush and Ariel Sharon's leadership to be similar to that of "fundamentalist terrorist states." He also criticizes despotic rulers in the Middle East: "Those [emirs and kings] are despotic, they do not even have a constitution. Though extremely rich, they maintain the people in poverty."[1] In November 2001, discussing the September 11 attacks with an interviewer for "Comunit Italiana", Boff said:[1] For me, the terrorist attack of September 11 represents the shift towards a new humanitarian and world model. The targeted buildings sent a message: a new world civilization cannot be built with the kind of dominating economy (symbolized by the World Trade Center), with the kind of death machine set up (the Pentagon) and with the kind of arrogant politics and producer of many exclusions ... For me the system and culture of capital began to collapse. They are too destructive. In the same interview he said that "One of the worst fundamentalisms is that of neoliberalism".[1]
Leonardo Boff
Works
Evangelio del Cristo csmico. 2009. ISBN 978-84-9879-087-0 El guila y la gallina. Una metfora de la condicin humana. Cuarta edicin 2006. ISBN 978-84-8164-514-9 Ecologa: grito de la Tierra, grito de los pobres. Cuarta edicin 2006. ISBN 978-84-8164-104-2 Femenino y masculino. Una nueva conciencia para el encuentro de las diferencias. 2004. ISBN 978-84-8164-689-4 La voz del arco iris. 2003. ISBN 978-84-8164-589-7 El cuidado esencial. tica de lo humano, compasin por la Tierra. 2002. ISBN 978-84-8164-517-0 Mstica y espiritualidad, junto a Frei Betto. Tercera edicin 2002. ISBN 978-84-8164-102-8 tica planetaria desde el Gran Sur. 2001. ISBN 978-84-8164-412-8 Gracia y experiencia humana. 2001. ISBN 978-84-8164-498-2 El despertar del guila. 2000. ISBN 978-84-8164-409-8 La dignidad de la Tierra. Ecologa, mundializacin, espiritualidad. 2000. ISBN 978-84-8164-363-3 La opcin-Tierra: la solucin para la tierra no cae del cielo. 2008. ISBN 978-84-293-1762-6 Los sacramentos de la vida. 1977. ISBN 978-84-293-0491-6
Notes
[1] Interview to the Comunit Italiana (http:/ / www. comunitaitaliana. com. br/ Entrevistas/ boff. htm): "[Os USA] fizeram alianas esprias com os emires e reis. Estes so despticos, sequer possuem constituio. Embora riqussimos, mantm o povo na pobreza." November 2001
Cox, Harvey (1988). The Silencing of Leonardo Boff: The Vatican and the Future of World Christianity. Meyer-Stone Books. ISBN0-940989-35-2. OCLC 18193194 230967924 (http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/ 18193194+230967924).
External links
Official home page (http://www.leonardoboff.com/) Works by or about Leonardo Boff (http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n79-43691) in libraries (WorldCat catalog) Right Livelihood Award (http://www.rightlivelihood.org/recip/boff.htm)
License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/