Liberation Theology...again

“The Theology of liberation attempts to reflect on the experience and meaning of the faith based commitment to abolish injustice and to build a new society; this theology must be verified by the practice of that commitment, by active, effective participation in the struggle which the exploited social classes have undertaken against their oppressors. Liberation from every form of exploitation, the possibility of a more human and dignified life, the creation of a new humankind-all pass through this struggle” Gustavo Gutierrez

The basic ideas and principles surrounding Liberation Theology have been in place since as early as the Exodus tale. Bits and pieces of its principle doctrines have surfaced in various times and places throughout history. In the contemporary world we can see the glimmer of its timeless truths in the American Civil Rights movement and in the concepts which guided the Social Gospel some decades earlier. We can see it in the struggle against Apartheid in South Africa and the struggle for human rights in South America, it is all around us.

The theology’s origin in its modern incarnation may have stemmed from the actions of Dietrich Bonhoffer, a German theologian opposed to the repressive Nazi regime in place at the time. But it did not take off with the wildfire like speed as that ignited by it’s Latin American proponents, such as Gustavo Gutierrez or Leonardo Boff. The basic teaching of Liberation which presents Jesus not only as Savior but also as Liberator of the human condition was initially warmly received by CELAM (Latin American Episcopal Conference-of the Roman Church). CELAM reduced its role in actively promoting Liberation when the Vatican declared it to be in opposition to the Church’s teachings. But, the fire took hold and intellectuals and individual clergy across the Latin world took up the banner. Through their efforts it has spread across the globe.

Liberation Theology is a theology concerned with the plight of the Poor and the socially and economically oppressed, although many of its tenants have been co-opted by members of academy in privileged nations. The Poor as defined by Liberation Theology are not only the fiscally dispossessed as typified by panhandlers, the homeless, or the proletariat of the secular left. But a broader, more inclusively defined Poor, the popular classes which also includes workers exploited by capitalism, and the underemployed.

In Liberation Theology the Poor come together, discover the root causes of their oppression, and act in a coordinated fashion. First, they lay claim to everything that their present society can give though political activism, labor movements, and by drawing the attention of others to their plight. Through these, and other similar actions, they hope to acquire: Better wages, working conditions, health care, education, and housing; then they collectively work towards the transformation of present society towards a new one exemplified by a better and more just balance among social classes. They hope to accomplish this seemingly utopian ideal through direct transformation of the political and economic systems under which they live, sometimes by the application of violent revolutionary action.

Liberation Theology concerns itself with the suffering of the masses and seeks to alleviate their sorrows through the praxial application of Jesus’ revolutionary message. They see suffering and despair in the world on an appalling scale:

*500 million persons starving

*1.6 billion persons whose life expectancy is less than 60 years

*1 billion persons living in absolute poverty

*1.5 billion with no access to basic healthcare

*500 million with a per capita income of less than 150 dollars per year

*814 million who are illiterate

*2 billion with no water supply

Liberation theologians find themselves filled with righteous anger at such injustice, and imagine a church committed towards the elimination of the causes of poverty and social injustice. A church committed to the revolutionary politics found in the gospels, the story of the Exodus and many of the Hebrew prophets, crying out against the unjust treatment inflicted upon the defenseless by those in authority over them. A church that leads rather than one that stands aloof, focusing on intangible metaphysics, that in reality does little or nothing to treat the causes of their suffering. Scripture, when read through the lens of revolutionary social action, is rife with other examples and citations in support of such revolutionary activity. Although to remain consistent with the broader Christian message, these activities must adhere to the teachings in the gospels, and remain wholly and completely non-violent.

Liberation Theologians do something very few leaders of the religious left have been willing to do; they have enacted a theology of revolutionary praxis. They have rejected the notion prevalent in some mainstream religious circles that the church must stand aloof from politics, or worse, collaborate with the forces of oppression to subjugate the Poor which is an act of conspiracy with the forces of injustice and oppression. They reject the tendency of religious establishments to support the political establishments in which they operate. By which, they are promoting the maintenance of the status quo, and the preservation of their own power and authority. They call for Christians to follow the dictates of scriptures such as Exodus or the Gospels and side with the Poor and oppressed. They call for an overthrow of the existing social order and for a new, more just, egalitarian society to be built upon its charred remains.

The path of a Liberation Theologian is a dangerous one, rife with threats. Between 1966 and 1991 over 100 clergy and members of religious orders and more than one hundred thousand laypeople were martyred. The leaders of Liberation Theology found themselves marginalized and under sanction. Gutierrez coined the phrase “preferential option for the poor” meaning that no one, even those on societal margins, is outside the love of God. This is especially important for those in societies which see the rich and powerful as favored by God. This sentiment was echoed by John Paul II on many occasions, although he seems to have favored “preferential love for the poor”. Despite this, the Catholic Church itself began persecution of Liberation Theology’s adherents, fearful of its perceived connection to Marxist theory. “It’s emphasis on justice and peace on earth, it’s perception of Latin American and capitalist societies as unjust and violent, it’s indictment of northern capitalist societies as deeply responsible for under developing the third world, and it’s call for Christians to take sides with the oppressed and their efforts towards integral liberation,” may be the real reasons the establishment church is wary of its influence. Liberation Theology’s actual connections with Marxism are tenuous at best. The Theology of Liberation is guided by Christian theological concerns rather than Marxist logic; although, Marxist logic has expressed a powerful pull upon many followers of Liberation Theology who seem drawn to its tenants, as it speaks to their condition more effectively than militaristic or capitalist propaganda prevalent in their own societies.

Liberation Theology seeks to truly free the individual from the oppressive forces which dominate them and provide real relief from the woeful socio-economic conditions afflicting the Poor. Perhaps in time audiences from the nations of the industrialized western on otherwise privileged nations will tire of petty social bickering and focus upon the root causes of suffering in their own countries, the nature of the societies in which we live.

Liberation Theology has the potential to be a great force for good in the world. Within its teaching lay the potentiality of a new era for mankind. It may contain the secrets which might allow the Church to become fully relevant in the lives of the Poor again. It faces opposition upon all sides. Opposition from its own mother church, opposition from the oppressive establishments it seeks to overthrow, opposition from governmental entities, including our own. Its message has yet to be taken up by any major denomination. Yet, it speaks a biblically based message that if proclaimed, could not help but attract followers. The language alone offers up a new paradigm for consumption by the faithful, a paradigm that might awaken the revolutionary egalitarianism of the early church.