Herold Weiss is rioplatense by birth, a native of the River Plate region shared by Argentina and Uruguay. He identifies the gaucho (roughly “cowboy”) as the most important figure, traditionally associated with the facon, the knife he carries behind his back, and his constant drinking of the tea-like mate.
Weiss sees the gaucho especially characterised by a sadness he sees reflected in such cultural forms as folk songs (tristes), the tango, poetry (especially Martin Fierro by Jose Hernandez and Fausto by Estanislao del Campo) and novels (e.g. by Ernesto Sabato and Tomas Eloy Martinez) - all strongly expressing the fatalism informing the culture of Latin America, especially among those at the bottom of the socioeconomic pyramid.
By contrast upper middle class intellectuals are characteriseed by idealistic determinism based on romantic and positivistic views of history, partially realised in Uruguay at the beginning of the 20th century.
Weiss draws attention to the following features of Paul’s determinism:
- Romans 8:20-22: God has predetermined futility and corruption and beyond this the liberty of his children.
- Romans 11: The failure of Israel to believe in Christ is due to hardening by God and the positive response of Gentiles is also predetermined.
- Romans 9:19: Nobody can resist God’s will.
- Romans 1:18-32: God hands over sinners to wickedness, but this is also what they have chosen for themselves.
- Romans 8:29-30: The entirety of salvation for God’s elect is predetermined.
Weiss sees some points of contrast between Paul’s determinism and Latin American determinism:
- Paul is highly optimistic because he sees the gospel as the revelation of God’s justice (Romans 1:17). In Latin American culture determinism is typically associated with sadness and resignation, though for elites with triumphalism. Paul’s optimism is based on the cross and resurrection of Christ and the experience of what the Spirit has done and is doing in people’s lives.
- Paul’s emphasis on God’s power doesn’t lose sight of human responsibility, in contrast to Latin American deterministic triumphalism. Further, Paul is very much aware of the reality of evil spiritual powers.
- For Paul God’s triumph, in contrast to elite Latin American deterministic triumphalism, is not equatable with worldly success.
- Also for Paul, in contrast to Latin American determinism, history is not controlled by innate forces but by the power of the risen Christ.
While helpful there are a lot of gaps in this attempt to relate Paul’s understanding of determinism to Latin American culture. To capture the full force of Paul’s gospel in relation to fatalist and triumphalist expressions of Latin American determinism we also need to factor in such critical dimensions as:
- The power of sin to trap and enslave people and doom them (e.g. Romans 1:18-3:19; 6:17a, 19-23; 7:7-24). The fact that this is an inevitable consequence of our solidarity with Adam (Romans 5:12-14) provides some correspondence with Latin American fatalism insofar as it presupposes inescapable innate historical forces.
- The fact that sinners deserve to experience God’s wrath and judgment (e.g. Romans 1:18ff). This contrasts with Latin American fatalism that might resign itself to suffer the inexorable outworkings of innate historical forces.
- The absolute dependence of sin-enslaved people on a work of God’s grace, expressed in faith-obedience as the message of Christ’s lordship is encountered (e.g. Romans 1:1-5; 3:21-26; 7:25-8:4; 10:8-12). Ths contrasts with the attitude of resignation that may accompany Latin American fatalism. Here it should be noted that much of the determinism developed in Romans 9-11 is by way of highlighting the desperate need of people to experience the wonder of God’s grace (Romans 9:14-16; 11:32-36).
- The urgent need for the gospel to be communicated to those who are in such desperate need of hearing the news, the gospel, that brings salvation (Romans 1:16) as it communicates the lordship of Christ (e.g. Romans 10:14-15; cf. Romans 1:9-15; 15:15-19). This goes hand in hand with Paul’s understanding of God’s Word as God-breathed and, therefore, his immense stress on preaching and teaching God’s Word so that lives will be shaped by God’s Spirit and not left to so-called fate.
- The church community as the sphere in which fatalism and triumphalism are replaced with eschatological hope and the joyful celebration of God’s predetermined grace that transcend experiences of worldly success (e.g, Romans 12:11-14; 15:13; 1 Corinthians 1:7-8; 2:9-10).
- The importance of transparent lives that express hope and joy in the midst of persecution and suffering, demonstrating that the power of God and love of God make it possible to live lives that need not be lives of fatalistic resignation or shallow deterministic triumphalism (e.g. 2 Corinthians 4:718).
A more thorough analysis of Paul’s writings would pile up additional texts to bolster each of the above points. What this illustrates is that in relating Paul’s gospel to a particular cultural element, in this case Latin American determinism, it is crucial to relate that element to all major aspects of Paul’s gospel and not merely to some selected features.
Posted September 30, 2008
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