José María Vigil (theologian)

He is known for his numerous writings, his editorial and online activity, his service to the Association of Theologians of the Third World (EATWOT), the coordination of Koinonia Services and the International Latin American Agenda, his theology of religious pluralism and, in recent years, his contributions to a ”new paradigms” theological perspective.

He worked in the Theological and Communications Department of the CAV, Centro Ecuménico Antonio Valdivieso, whose magazine Amanecer he directed for a time.

He participated in the founding of SICSAL, International Christian Secretariat of Solidarity with Latin America, under the auspices of Mexican Bishop Sergio Méndez Arceo, and collaborated with Brazilian bishop Pedro Casaldáliga on solidarity tours in Central America and Mexico.

Beginning in 1987 he participated in the meetings of the group of theologians who authored of a well-known international collection of Liberation Theology titles, sponsored by the Vozes publishing house in Petrópolis, Brazil.

He has directed the anthology series: «Along the many ways of God»[3] (Abya Yala, Quito, Ecuador), with the participation of more than 70 theologians.

It is the oldest website on the network to offer on-line a Spanish biblical service and a theological journal.

He has also been the invited speaker giving the lecture at many courses or international events, such as the international "Courses for empowering" for formators, organized by the CONFER of Peru (2011–2015) and the CIRM of Mexico (2015); the Multicultural Dialogue in Guadalajara, Mexico (2015); Regional Meetings of CEB's in Latin America, and the Congress of the Popular Christian Communities of Spain; the Christian d'Avui Forum (Valencia, Spain, 2013); the International Buddhist-Christian Conference (New York, Theological Union Seminary, 2013); the Religious Forum in Vitoria Spain 2014... among others.

From the privileged vantage point of "The Revolutionary Nicaragua" he accompanied the avant-gande militant Liberation Theology, the grassroots communities and the Church of the poor, working closely with his friend and claretian companion Pedro Casaldáliga.

Maintaining himself within the theology and the paradigm of liberation, he went on to adopt the well-known "Latin American methodology" (see > judge > act) that appears in many of his writings.

His book "Theology of Religious Pluralism"—A systematic course in popular theology—has been hailed by Paul Knitter as the most representative Latin American book on "The Theology of Religious Pluralism", and has been published in Spanish, Portuguese, English, Italian and German.

The up-shot of it all ultimately led to the imposition on José María of three years public silence (time now served-out) by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.