This current issue of Theologica Xaveriana is presented with the celebration of its 60th anniversary of foundation as backdrop. It was founded in 1951 with the name of Ecclesiastica Xaveriana, emblem and academic instrument of the ecclesiastic schools of Canon Law, Philosophy, and Theology. Since 1975, its name was changed into Theologica Xaveriana but its original numbering has been kept until this very moment in which we launch its issue 172.

To celebrate such an event, last September 14th an academic event took place in the Jaime Hoyos S.J. Auditorium, Universidad Javeriana. Its three main presentations were made by, firstly, Father Alberto Parra M., S.J., offering a portrait of the journal that is included in this issue; secondly, Father Victor Martinez M., S.J., director of the research team Didaskalia, presented the book recently published by this group of researchers, El quehacer teológico en la Facultad de Teología (1937-1978); in it, it is acknowledged the deep significance Theologica Xaveriana journal has had for the theological development in the teaching, research, and written production fields of this Faculty for most of its history. Lastly, Spanish moralist Francisco Moreno Rejón, C.Ss.R., presented a conference about the ethical sense of Theology. All three presentations were backed up by the welcoming introduction of Father Hermann Rodriguez O., S.J., and by the undersigned writer closing words, as editor of the journal.

Therefore, this current issue of Theologica Xaveriana, second semester 2011, has as its starting point the portrait made by Father Alberto Parra M., S.J., regarding its six decades of existence and continuous publication. Then, in its middle part, seven articles are presented as expression of finished or ongoing research processes that evidence the dynamism of Theology: three of them are work by teachers from our Faculty; the other four are research work by external investigators to the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia. In the Documents section, a reflection about the internal areas of Theology is presented, by Father Alberto Parra M. S.J.

Father Parra, Colombian Jesuit theologian, currently works as Director of the Postgraduate Courses Unit of the Faculty of Theology, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. He led Theologica Xaveriana from 1975 to 1987, and being its Director and Editor witnessed and was responsible for -if we may so describe it- the change of its name and orientation. Thanks to such a worthy experience and to his academic career, he has always been close to the journal, thus and by means of his "Portrait" contributing with a valuable reflection about the nature and character of Theologica Xaveriana. In it he revises its three periods and presents the historical and knowledge circumstances that have determined its identity and the diffusion of the theological knowledge across each one of them.

Professors Oscar Albeiro Arango and Julio César Ariza, along with students Diego Fernando Prieto and Billi Joel Moya, all of them belonging to our Faculty, in their article "Communities Reconstruction in Armed Conflict Contexts: Theological-Pastoral Guidelines from a Non-Violent Perspective" present the results of a field research and its subsequently theological analysis carried out by the group Synetairos from the Faculty of Theology, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, of which they are associates. Its aim is to closely understand the processes of violence and its consequences, intending to propose horizons of action that might open paths for the reconstruction of the community from a Christian perspective.

Juan Alberto Casas, Professor in our Faculty, in his article "The First Days of Jesus according to the Fourth Gospel. A Narrative Approach to Jn 1:19-2, 12" -advance from his MA in Theology ongoing research- explores the potential of narrative exegesis as hermeneutical methodology applied to a text from the Scriptures, and how through it the paradigmatic processes of faith can be appreciated. The starting point is the proclamation and the act of believing, to arrive to the encounter with and the affiliation to Christ.

Francisco De Aquino Junior, Ph.D., from Brazil, in his article "Current state of the Liberation Theology" explains the double meaning of the Theology of Liberation, as theological praxis and theological theory; the purpose is to evidence the presence, visibility, relevance, appropriateness, and challenges of Liberation Theology in the current situation of theology and the Church.

Germán Roberto Mahecha, Ph.D., Professor in our Faculty, in his article "The Sabbath: An Ecological Strategy from God", starts pointing out that -according to the Jewish tradition- the Sabbath, in essence the sacred seventh day of the week and, thus, the day to rest from work and to do religious worship, is not only a work break to meet God again, but also an strategy oriented to protect the nature.

Agostino Molteni, Ph.D., from Chile, in his article "To Envy the Grace Received by Others and its Implication for Christian Life", synthetically examines this topic, understood as sin against the Holy Spirit. His theological considerations, supported by ecclesial tradition, allow us to acknowledge that this topic points out to the nature of the Christian event and its reasoning, as well as to the nature of the ecclesial communion and its unity. This is, then, an issue strongly linked to fundamental theology, which can, in consequence, receive a useful contribution by means of this reflection.

William Elvis Plata, Ph.D., Colombian Historian and Professor from the Universidad Industrial of Santander, Colombia, presents the article "Religion and Social Movement: The Cédula del Común and the Insurrection of the Comuneros. Nueva Granada (1781)". This article intends to explore the relations between Christianity and politicalsocial change from the analysis of the so-called Cédula del Común, a leaflet written in verse and attributed to a Dominican friar, spread among the Comuneros during the insurrection of May, 1781. This leaflet might have radically influenced the subsequent process of independence. It proposes as its hypothesis that in societies marked by Christianity, religiousness plays an ambivalent role, as germ and motivator of movements for change, or as weapon used by authorities to contain and dissolve these movements.

Lastly, Eduardo de la Serna, Ph.D., from Argentina, in his article "Paul's Kerygma. A Look to the Pauline Ministry", presents the characteristics of Pauline preaching evidenced in each one of his Epistles, having as the main objective the faith of their recipients. In this way, it might be considered that Paul disappeared from preaching, exclusively concerned about the Gospel and the communities.

In the Documents section, we offer a text titled "The Internal Areas of Theology. From Past to Present", by Father Alberto Parra M., S.J. His starting point is what we could call Theology before Theology, in order to characterize its areas in the context of Patristics, the Middle Ages, the 16^th Century, and the 18^th and 19^th Centuries, coming to a particular stop in the 20^th Century. Such a journey disagrees with a non differentiated vision of Theology, different from the Christian concept of Theology itself, where there is a clear demarcation regarding the Theology of religion and religions, at least as internal disciplinary area of Theology according to its Catholic version.

With these theological research and reflection works, we want to contribute to the understanding and in depth learning of our readers regarding core importance topics for Theology and its influence in teaching, research, formation, and pastoral praxis.

Finally, we are glad to inform our readers that Theologica Xaveriana is already included in the bibliographical database Citas Latinoamericanas en Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, CLASE, as well as in the DIALNET database, the biggest newspapers and periodical publications archive of Hispanic scientific articles on the Internet.¹

José Alfredo Noratto Gutiérrez, Ph.D.
Editor

Footnotes