Liberation Theology

Overview

Liberation theology is an interpretation of Christian faith through the poor's suffering, their struggle and hope, and a critique of society and the Catholic faith and Christianity through the eyes of the poor." - Phillip Berryman

Liberation Theology is an ideology that considers the relationship between the Catholic Church and political activism. The areas most commonly investigated are social justice, human rights, and poverty. The supporters of this movement base their views on passages in the Bible refering to Jesus's belief in and tenderness for the poor and the outcasts of society.

Much of their ideology is drawn from the portions of the Bible where Jesus is acting as Liberator. They believe Him to be the one who will bring them up out of their poverty, who will help them gain respect in their communities. A number Liberationists also draw from Marxist works.

History

The first wave of Liberationism in Latin America started in the 1960s. It began with an idea. The idea that the poor should not be shunned and ignored by the church, but empowered and liberated from class struggle. The first wave also heavily stressed the need for a socialist as opposed to a capitalist state. There were countless writers and preachers of liberation theology, both of the clergy and lay persons. Liberaton Theology spread throughout Latin America and then throughout the world. That is not to say that supporters did not meet opposition along the way, however. The more conservative members of the clergy felt that the movement was too similar to Marxism. This was the reason that the Vatican condemned it in 1984 and 1986. Several liberationist members of the clergy were brought to Rome to be reprimanded; some were prohibited to teach, and others were excommunicated.

Liberationist did, however, have quite a few important and successful events before their theology was condemned by the Pope:

• The congress at El Escorial, Spain, in July 1972 on the subject of "Christian faith and the transformation of *society in Latin America."
• The first congress of Latin American theologians, held in Mexico City in August 1975.
• The first formal contacts between liberation theologians and advocates of U.S. black liberation and other liberation movements-feminist, Amerindian, etc.
• The creation of the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT) in 1976 and the congresses it has held: Dar es Salaam in 1976, Accra in 1977, Wennappuwa, Sri Lanka, in 1979, Situ Paulo in 1980, Geneva in 1983, Oaxtepec, Mexico, in 1986.
• The international theological review Concilium (published in seven languages) devoted a complete issue (vol. 6, no. 10, June 1974) to the subject of liberation theology, with all the articles coming from Latin American liberation theologians.

Activists

There is a wide spectrum of activists for liberation theology: lay people, writers, pastors, reverends, ministers, volunteers. Between the late 1960s and the early 1980s there is an abundance of literature on the beliefs and the goals of the liberation movement. One of the most prominent of these activists was Gustavo Gutiérrez(pictured above). He wrote many essays and articles that focused on religion and liberation and how the union of two could help the poor significantly. Some of these works include: "A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, Salvation," "We Drink from Our Own Wells," and "Las Casas: In Search of the Poor of Jesus Christ." According to Gutiérrez, true “liberation” has three main dimensions:

• First, it involves political and social liberation, the elimination of the immediate causes of poverty and injustice.
• Second, liberation involves the emancipation of the poor, the marginalised, the downtrodden and the oppressed from all “those things that limit their capacity to develop themselves freely and in dignity”.
• Third, Liberation Theology involves liberation from selfishness and sin, a re-establishment of a relationship with God and with other people.

The Liberation Theology movement has thousands of supporters, both public and private. From a man like Gustavo Gutiérrez, who became one of the public faces of liberation theology, to the priests, ministers, and pastors who preached to their congregations and worked with the poor in accordance with the theology ideals, each supporter was important in furthering the movement. They are the reason that liberation theology did not disappear after its condemnation.

Liberation Theology: Today and Tomorrow

Liberation Theology originated as a movement that proposed a closer look at the relationship that the Catholic Church should have with society; in particular, with the poverty stricken. This closer look did not focus on the collection of alms for the poor or for prayer for a better afterlife, but on the role of the people within the church. The movement pushed the Church to not only defend and assist those in need, but also to put their trust in them and consider them active participants in religion, society, and politics. The wave of Liberationists in the 1960s tried to take on too much at once by trying to defeat capitalism itself using unions, popular movements, riots, and protests. The activists in today's movement understand that the biggest victories are won with many small battles. The new set of goals are simple and are summed up by Rev. Arturo Piedra Solano: '"We as churches could to a lot to alleviate the suffering of people. We don't need to be a socialist state...We need local organization. And since religion in Central America is part and parcel of the life of the community...we need to take advantage of the aspect, day-to-day life at the community level."' So, today, pastors, ministers, reverends, and other activists are working with the communtity and better daily life as much as is humanly possible. One such example is Rev. Julio Lancelotti who works with the both the homeless and children with AIDS in Brazil. He says:

"It is important to work with them, to let them know . . . they are also children of God," he said. "We are thinking of the church from their point of view. That principle is still alive." - Rev. Julio Lancelotti"