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Where Did Liberation Theology Come From?

Among Protestants, Liberation Theology was born within a group of theologians associated with the "Church and Society in Latin America" movement (ISAL in Spanish). Begun in 1962, ISAL determined to implement the social implications of the gospel for Latin America. Soon they began to believe that political revolution was the only answer to the ills; only a short step remained to the persuasion that revolution is the best way to express Christian love toward suffering neighbors. Later, believing that Marxism provided the only effective strategy for mass revolution, they concluded that God is using radical Marxist revolutionary movements to establish His kingdom of peace, justice, equality, and prosperity for Latin America. That belief is the essence of Liberation Theology in Latin America.

At the same time, a similar process of ferment and discussion took place among the area's Roman Catholic theologians at the Episcopal Conference of Latin America in 1968. They produced a document that analyzed many glaring problems in terms of Marxist philosophy and then proclaimed some of the basic beliefs of Liberation Theology. Although the Catholic church has exerted considerable pressure since that time to suppress the liberationist movement, it is still strong and growing. The Pope's attempts (*) at Puebla, Mexico, and later in Brazil to squelch the movement among priests and theologians have so far proved ineffective. Though Protestant theologians probably came up with the first primitive attempts at creating a theology of liberation, the Roman Catholics have now "taken the ball and run with it." It is now propagated in most major Protestant and Roman Catholic seminaries of Latin America.

What Does the Theology of Liberation Teach?

It is difficult to give a general picture that is really fair to the system's proponents. It is a new movement, and its advocates are still formulating their positions. One must look at each liberationist individually to understand his role. Three of the most important are Gustovo Gutierrez, Emilio Castro, and Jose Miguez Bonino.

Gutierrez is probably the most famous. His book, A Theology of Liberation, published in Spanish in 1971, remains the classic expression available in English. A Catholic priest and theology professor in the Catholic University of Lima, Peru, Gutierrez was influenced by Camilo Torres, the Colombian priest who left the Church to join Communist guerrillas warring against the Colombian government. The Colombian army killed Torres in a mountain shoot-out, but his belief lives on in the writings of men like Gutierrez. He taught that the only path for concrete expression of Christian love for Latin America's oppressed lies in joining the Marxist revolution.

In his books Gutierrez argues for Marxism's superiority over all other philosophies and systems, universal salvation (the belief that everyone will be saved), God's presence in the modern revolutionary movement, and the need for the church to work toward securing justice and social well-being for the oppressed.

Uruguayan Emilio Castro directs the Commission of World Mission and Evangelization of the World Council of Churches. More strategist than theologian, Dr. Castro stresses the need for participation in what he regards as the inevitable revolution in Latin America. As a universalist, he sees recruitment of people for involvement in bettering social conditions to be the primary task of the church, not evangelism as traditional evangelists teach. God works through Marxist revolution to bring all men together in Jesus Christ, he claims.

Jose Miguez Bonino is one of the most widely published liberation theologians in the world today, especially in English. He has written more than twelve books and sixty articles on the subject. From Argentina, he began his ministry as a Methodist pastor and was elected to the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches in 1975. Miguez believes that Marxism is the only scientific method to understand poverty and oppression. He also believes that Marxism offers the best way to express Christian love in modern society. He advocates violence for toppling repressive Latin American governments.***