The Spiritual and Theological Roots of Freire's Concept of Hope

• In Event: Millennium Hotel Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: Paulo Freire, Critical Pedagogy, and Emancipation Roundtable

Abstract

Drawing on the personalist philosophy of Emmanuel Mounier, while integrating Marxist thought with the weaving in of his Christian faith position, and looking through a critical utopian lens, Paulo Freire was a man who lived in that space of hope. Within that space, however, Freire’s philosophy, faith, and politics were best brightly illuminated in his personal humility, which led him to authentically embrace the essential “unfinishedness” of all human beings. In that light, therefore, this presentation aims to explore the connection between elements of Freire’s spirituality, view of God’s role in history, liberatory praxis, and the notion of humility to better appreciate the notion of “unfinishedness’ and his persistent hope in the face of ongoing challenges.

Authors

• Drick Boyd, Eastern University

• James D. Kirylo, University of South Carolina