This article discusses the social dynamics of basic Christian communities using insights derived from the social sciences. Drawing from critical social theory, the author first analyzes the ideological forces at play among marginalized people. He then discusses how these oppressive forces can be and are overcome by the community of committed Christians. Underlying the discussion is the assumption that contemporary social analysis has much to offer our understanding of ecclesial communities and that the lived faith of poor Christians provides a dynamic model of resistance to oppression which must likewise be taken into account by committed social theorists.
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