The Revelation and its Peripheries

This article argues that Ivan Illich’s thought offers an indispensable theological resource for developing a theology from the existential peripheries. Rather than attempting to reconcile Illich with institutional Christianity or to appropriate his legacy, it reads his work as a critical instrument for understanding the sensus fidei fidelium and the Church’s relationship with those who remain at its margins. The essay identifies the Incarnation as the theological core from which Illich’s critique of modernity, development, and ecclesiastical institutions emerges, showing how his “Epimethean” perspective challenges triumphalist and centre-oriented models of theology. It contends that theology should not seek to integrate the peripheries into pre-existing frameworks but rather learn from their irreducible otherness. By revisiting Illich in dialogue with contemporary ecclesial concerns, the article proposes a renewed understanding of theology as attentive listening to the margins, where revelation continues to disclose unexpected forms of grace.