The indigenous as a locus theologicus: In dialogue with Jon Sobrino’s proposal to advance in an Amazonian Rite

Abstract

This article examines the possibility of recognizing the indigenous subject as a locus theologicus within contemporary Latin American theology. While the category of the poor as a theological locus has been extensively developed by Jon Sobrino and liberation theology, the specific recognition of indigenous peoples as a differentiated historical and cultural subject remains insufficiently systematized. The study adopts a bibliographical and analytical-hermeneutical approach, articulating liberationist Christology, contributions from Indigenous Theology, and recent magisterial reflections on inculturation, particularly in the Amazonian context. It also engages critically with Latin American decolonial thought, especially Aníbal Quijano and Walter Mignolo, in order to situate the discussion within a broader critique of the coloniality of knowledge. The article argues that recognizing indigenous peoples as a theological locus does not replace the normative sources of faith but expands their hermeneutical horizon in coherence with the logic of incarnation, the preferential option for the poor, and the Church’s pluricultural catholicity.