Reconciling the Cross in the Theologies of Edward Schillebeeckx and Ivone Gebara

Abstract

[The author explores areas of consonance and contrast in the backgrounds and methodologies of Edward Schillebeeckx and Ivone Gebara, especially as these are illumined in their respective approaches to the symbol of the cross. While both critique the ways that this central Christian symbol has functioned to contribute to oppression, they diverge in their views of its inherent redeemability. The juxtaposition of the thought of Schillebeeckx and Gebara on this issue reveals a fundamental tension in the Church and in theological thought today, even as it expresses a potentially unifying intuition.]