Solidarity in the Struggle for Liberation

Abstract

Constructive conversation among the third world theologians was the primary objective of EATWOT’s initial years and it largely succeeded in bringing an end to the debilitating isolation of the third world theologies. To ensure space for creating solidarities and mutual understanding, EATWOT concentrated on regional and international conferences for the first five years. These conferences were important to introduce various theological discourses that emerged from the third world and lacked visibility within the third world and in the larger theological world. These gatherings above all assisted the third world theologians in constructing strategic solidarities in their attempt to offer a theological companionship to the emerging third world political formations. The conversation convincingly established the fact that there is an urgent need to build on the successes of the initial years and to engage in a serious search to construct new epistemologies that reflect the wisdom and deeply felt need of the marginalized for freedom and fuller humanity. The challenges for setting up specific commissions to deepen the understanding of the emerging theologies first came from the women members, who were concerned about the lack of sensitivity among the male members to the plight of women in the third world and thus warned everyone to be “watchful of the language about and in front of God.”