Why must Theology be political?

Why must Theology be political? Confronting divided and unreconciled Memories in Rwanda and Germany --- Lecture, Discussion and Reception mit Marcel Uwineza, Hekima University College, Nairobi/Kenia --- Relations between Europe and Africa are often filled with biases. The latter are a distortion to intellectual development and they often fill our memories which in turn need purification. Atrocities have been committed partly because of institutionalized biases. The Shoah and the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda are haunting examples. Regrettably, our inability to confront people’s biases leads to the minimization of guilt, unreconciled memories, and the inability to honor the victims of history. What role should political theology play? Theology is not merely a matter of faith, but also of culture. Its reference to the reign of God has political implications that must confront our biases because “it must address the problems of the oppressed and vulnerable.” It must be political.