1. Loyola School of Theology
A Synthesis Paper
Mentor:
Fr. MOMOSE Fumiaki, SJ
Presented by:
CHAN Yiu Sing, Luke (Lúcás)
February 26, 2005

3. Reading the Creed anew with the liberating vision
A Liberating Creed
Reading the Creed anew
with the liberating vision

4. Our Starting Point: concrete human experience
Suffering

5. Christian understanding
Asian Context
Asian Sense
Third World
Asian
Liberation
Religions and Ideologies
Christian understanding

6. Liberation FROM suffering Liberation FOR betterment From what?
Liberation: A Two-step Process
Liberation
FROM
suffering
Liberation
FOR
betterment
Theological Reflection:
2 basic questions
From what?
For what?
SLAVERY OF SIN/EVIL
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
(in union with God)

7. The Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth
Our Creed
--the hinge that upon which everything in the Christian Faith turns--
I believe in God
A Loving God
Answers the questions about meaning/purpose of life
Offers a sharing of his divine life
Comes to meet man—reveals himself:
In history on the margins of the society and SS
his will to liberate us
Grants us the grace of Faith that liberates our hearts so that we may freely respond to his revelation
The Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth
The God who delivers
FROM: slavery
FOR: freedom and new life
A creative act: for a new heart and new spirit and new universe
Creation: the first act of God’s liberation

8. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord…
Jesus the Liberator: His words/deeds/ministry and life
FROM: physical suffering, social prejudice and sin
FOR: the kingdom of God
Paschal Mystery=perfection of his liberating action
Death: redemptive, from slavery of sins, universal
Resurrection: first fruit, principle and source of our resurrection
Efficacious sign of God’s liberation
I believe in the Holy Spirit
An energizing force in our process of changes and liberation
Grace of justification
FROM: slavery of sin, law and the self
FOR: sanctification and adoption
Guides all to perfection
Liberation includes the cosmic level

9. A Summary—The Triune God
A Trinitarian act
The immanent aspect of God:
a social paradigm and an exemplar of a truly human society
constitutes a call to liberation and building a genuine society
(I believe in) The Holy Catholic Church
Its sacramental and missionary nature
A continuation, sign/instrument of God’s liberation, by:
active presence, service to humanity
the example of her life and teaching
sacraments and other means of grace:
the first and foremost: Christian Initiation
more visible: Healing
The Church needs to liberate herself as well

10. The Communion of Saints
Communion finds its expression in solidarity
Calls for solidarity
Liberation takes concrete shape in the exercise of solidarity
The Forgiveness of Sins, the Resurrection of the Body,
and Life Everlasting
Our two basic questions
Parallel paradigm: Buddhism’s soteriology
FROM: the consequences of sin
FOR: the kingdom of God, which encompasses an everlasting life
(the goal of liberation, the object of our hope)
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
and born of the Virgin Mary
Mary as the mother and model of (and intercessor for) the oppressed
Mary as the promoter and supporter of liberation

11. A Liberating Creed Conclusion
Our Christian understanding of God offers a more satisfactory view of suffering and liberation
It is not just the alleviation of suffering but more importantly, liberation for the kingdom of God
Liberation is founded on His love
It demands Christian faith and hope
The liberation tone can be clarified: Incarnation
There is a caution: other facets of God and the ultimate meaning of liberation are not realized in this earthly life
The signs of our time tell us that we are on a journey of liberation
A Liberating Creed

12. The End