A sacramental theology of the poor centred on the Eucharistic liturgy from Coptic and Latin American perspectives

The integral liberation of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalised (henceforth ‘the poor’) can be conceived as a deep sacramental act that Christians are called to realise and experience in history. In light of this concept, this interdisciplinary study explores the sacramental dimension of the theology of the poor (TP) and its eucharistic and liturgical applications from Coptic Orthodox perspectives and Latin American Liberation Theology perspectives. The main purpose is to investigate the grounds on which a sacramental theology of the poor (STP) stands and analyse its liberationist features and dynamics.

The study is primarily based on a dialogue between Coptic theologians and Latin American liberation theologians. It brings their writings into a guided open-ended conversation on key topics regarding the TP, its sacramental foundations, and its eucharistic and liturgical expressions. More precisely, it delves into the Christo-pneumatological aspect of the STP, the expected holistic transformation, and the place of eschatological imagination.

This dialogue demonstrates that both theologies share numerous areas of agreement albeit using different terminologies. It also reveals distinct areas of emphasis and in some cases diversion for each theology. The study argues that both theologies can be complementary to constructing a comprehensive STP.

Towards the end of this project, the opinions of liturgiologists, sociologists, and anthropologists of religion are introduced to the conversation to build an image of a liberating eucharistic liturgy, a liturgy of the poor. This image is afterward used – and tested – to analyse the current Coptic liturgical text.

The study bridges two distinct rich theologies for the sake of the poor. It uncovers an intrinsic relationship between integral liberation and eucharistic liturgy. It also offers a vision for a liberating liturgy and a tool to analyse critically and constructively a given liturgy practiced in a certain context from the perspective of the poor.