Liberation Theology

LIBERATION THEOLOGY

Liberation theology  is a political movement in Catholic theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in relation to liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions that prevail in our society. It has been described by proponents as “an interpretation of Christian faith through the suffering of the poor, their struggle and hope, and a critique of society and the Catholic faith and Christianity through the eyes of the poor”,  and by detractors as Christianized Marxism.

Although liberation theology has grown into an international and inter-denominational movement, it began as a movement within the Catholic Church in Latin America in the 1950s–1960s. Liberation theology arose principally as a moral reaction to the poverty caused by social injustice in that region. The term was coined in 1971 by the Peruvian priest Gustavo Gutiérrez, who wrote one of the movement’s most famous books, A Theology of Liberation.

Liberation Theology is an attempt to interpret Scripture through the plight of the poor. It is largely a humanistic doctrine. It started in South America in the turbulent 1950s when Marxism was making great gains among the poor because of its emphasis on the redistribution of wealth, allowing poor peasants to share in the wealth of the colonial elite and thus upgrade their economic status in life. As a theology, it has very strong Roman Catholic roots.

Liberation theology focuses on Jesus as not only Saviour but also as Liberator. Emphasis is placed on those parts of the Bible where Jesus' mission is described in terms of liberation, and as the one who brings justice. This is interpreted as a call to arms to carry out this mission of justice.

God is disclosed in the historical ‘’praxis’’ of liberation. It is the situation, and our passionate and reflective involvement in it, which mediates the Word of God. Today that Word is mediated through the cries of the poor and the oppressed.