Pastoral Theology of Hope: Listening in El Salvador

Abstract

Based on the experiences of people living in colonia 21 de mayo we find that an individual’s hope is reflected in his/her interpretation of past experiences, in human strengths, and in his/her understanding of the divine-human relationship.  The data showed that two ways of being hopeful in a context of poverty and violence are mantener and seguir, and that the individuals interviewed expressed consistency of these characteristics across areas of their lives.  Individuals who interpret past experiences as works of God, and who choose to put all concerns for the future into God’s hands are individuals who hope for continuation of the status quo: mantener. Research participants who persevere, who lift up human agency in past experiences, and who choose to be the hands of God working in the world for its salvation are people who hope for transformation for the betterment of all humanity.  The research challenged the position of pastoral theologian Andrew Lester, that one’s hopefulness is determined primarily by one’s future story; instead, the people of colonia 21 de mayo showed that they rely on their past story to ground their hope.