Hugo Assmann facts for kids

Hugo Assmann (1933–2008) was a Brazilian Catholic thinker. He helped create and spread the ideas of liberation theology after the Second Vatican Council. He strongly believed that the Church should focus on helping poor people around the world. Assmann was a strong supporter of liberation theology. His work often meant he had to move between different countries in Latin America.

About Hugo Assmann

Hugo Assmann was born on July 22, 1933, in Venâncio Aires, Brazil. He studied philosophy and theology. He earned his doctorate in theology in 1961 and became a priest. His main paper was about "the social side of sin."

After his studies, Assmann returned to Brazil. He worked as a vicar and a teacher. When a military government took power in Brazil in 1964, things became difficult. A strict law was passed in 1968. Because of this, Assmann had to leave Brazil.

He lived in Uruguay, Bolivia, and Chile. During this time, he thought a lot about how faith could help bring about big changes in society. In 1973, he published an important book called Teologia desde la praxis de la Libertacion. This book showed his move towards liberation theology.

When the government in Chile changed, Assmann moved to Costa Rica. There, he and Franz Hinkelammert started a research center. They explored how religion and money were connected. This center became a key place for liberation theology ideas to grow. Assmann also helped start other important groups for religious thinkers.

In 1981, he returned to Brazil. He became a teacher at the Methodist University of Piracicaba. He taught about how ideas and communication work in education. Overall, Assmann spent 12 years living away from Brazil. He passed away on February 22, 2008, in Piracicaba, Brazil.

What is Liberation Theology?

Hugo Assmann was one of the first thinkers to support liberation theology. He believed that the main goal of Christian faith was to help poor people. He thought that poverty in many parts of the world was caused by problems in how capitalism worked. He felt this situation meant the Church needed to become a force for change.

Like many other liberation theologians, Assmann's ideas were shaped by a big meeting in Medellin in 1968. He argued that older ways of thinking about faith often just supported the way things were. To avoid this, he believed that new religious ideas must:

• Keep faith involved in public life.
• Show how faith has a political side.
• See the Church as a group that questions society.

He disagreed with the idea that the Catholic Church should be separate from the world. Instead, he insisted that the Church should work closely with humanity to build a shared future. Assmann thought that if the Church didn't get involved in politics, it was actually taking a political stand by letting problems continue.

The "Idolatry of the Market"

In 1989, Assmann's work focused on what he called the "idolatry of the market." This idea is explained in his book "A idolatria do mercado." He criticized the strong belief in capitalism that the market must always survive. He argued that this belief often led to people's lives and suffering being sacrificed for the market.

Assmann wasn't against markets themselves. He knew they were needed. But he criticized the idea that the market was perfect or like a god. He felt that in capitalist societies, the market became a kind of religion. Ideas like the "self-regulation of the market" seemed spiritual and natural.

Assmann was against all forms of "idolatry." He believed that focusing too much on anything other than God took away from one's connection to God. He even criticized this kind of "idolatry" when he saw it in some Christian or political groups on the left.

Assmann's Unique Approach

Assmann was one of the first liberation theologians to use ideas from social sciences. This helped him avoid getting stuck in old, rigid ways of thinking. His work often mixed different fields like economics, social sciences, communication, and education. He didn't just focus on old religious rules. Instead, he looked at how people could find spiritual and emotional happiness through actions that brought freedom.

As liberation theology became less popular over time, Assmann's work shifted more from religion to education. In the field of communication, one of his important books was “A Igreja electronica e seu impact na América Latina” (1986). In this book, he looked at how American TV and radio shows affected religious groups in Latin America.

Works

• "Teología desde la praxis de liberación. Ensayo teológico desde la América dependiente" (1973)
• "Marx, K & Engels, F., Sobre la religión" (1979)
• "A trilateral. A nova fase do capitalismo mundial" (1986)
• "A idolatria do mercado. Um ensaio sobre economia e teologia" (1989)
• "Clamor dos pobres e “racionalidade” econômica" (1990)
• "Desafios e falácias. Ensaios sobre a conjuntura atual" (1991)
• "Crítica à lógica da exclusão. Ensaios sobre economia e teologia" (1994)
• "Reencantar a educação: rumo à sociedade aprendente" (2003)
• "Competência e Sensibilidade solidária: Educar para a Esperança, em co-autoria com" Jung Mo Sung (2000)
• "Curiosidade e prazer de aprender." (2004)
• "Redes digitais e metamorfoses do aprender, em co-autoria com: Rosana Pereira Lopes, Rosemeire Carvalho do Amaral Delcin, Gilberto Canto e Getúlio de Souza Nunes" (2005)
• "Deus em nós: o reinado de Deus que acontece no amor solidário aos pobres, em co-autoria com Jung Mo Sung" (2010)

See also

In Spanish: Hugo Assmann para niños

• Leonardo Boff
• Catholic Church in Brazil