Toward a Politico-Theology of Relationality: Justice as Solidarity and the Poor in Aristide's Theological Imagination

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Abstract: This article argues that Aristide's theology of the poor should be construed as a robust theology of relationality; it calls for an ethics of participation and collaboration in the plight of the poor. In this sense, we situate Aristide's theological discourse not only in the liberation theology framework but also in the politico-theological and democratic tradition, what Douglass Sturm has termed “a politics of relationality.” A theology of relationality focuses on the horizontal relations between the poor and the theologian-activist. The horizontal aspect defines and shapes the ethics of democratic participation and collaboration by cultivating a dynamic alliance with the poor and fostering a genuine bond between the poor and theologian-activist. Hence, a theology of relationality promotes democratic values, rights, freedom, and the welfare of the oppressed and poor. This participatory approach to theology of liberation might be the zone for active collaboration with the collective poor, oppressive communities, and Third World countries. This article examines the concept of “the poor” in Aristide's theological discourse and explores his theology of relationality.