What is Liberation theology?

[Andyk1987]

What is Liberation theology?
Some scholars have called it a mixture of Christian Theology and Marxist revolutionary ideas.
Is this right?
Should the Catholic Church be oppossed to it?
Should the Churchs have more socialist views on such things as wealth and capitalism?
Should Christians protest more against the government through such things as "Make Poverty History"?
Can Christans become freedom fighters using weapons?

Tell me your views and thoughts.

 

[SemStudent08]

Making this a Yes or No Question is kind of hard. Like any form of theology it has aspects that are Scripturally based, and consequently right, and aspects that rely upon interpretation and consequently fallible (not saying they are necessairily wrong, just that they could be). As for my OPINION, there are aspects of liberation theology that are wonderful (following Christ's example in standing in solidarity with the marginalized - eating with tax collectors), but if taken to the extreme it can lead to the exclusion of people (primarily the rich) from Salvation which I find difficult to do. In any event, I didn't vote. So I'll be quiet now...

 

[The Seeker]

Is liberation theology right? Yes and No - Yes, socialism is a good idea, No, God doesn't exist

</tongue in cheek>

 

[apenman]

Perhaps someone could give a brief description of this theology.

 

[tulc]

Perhaps someone could give a brief description of this theology.

Try here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_theology
or here:
http://www.landreform.org/boff2.htm
and there was this that sounded pretty accurate:

Liberation Theology:
the belief that the Christian Gospel demands “a preferential option for the poor,” and that the church should be involved in the struggle for economic and political justice in the contemporary world—particularly in the Third World. Dating to the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) and the Second Latin American Bishops Conference, held in Medellin, Colombia (1968), the movement brought poor people together in comunidades de base, or Christian-based communities, to study the Bible and to fight for social justice. Since the 1980s, the church hierarchy, led by Pope John Paul II, has criticized liberation theology and its advocates, accusing them of wrongly supporting violent revolution and Marxist class struggle.

tulc(trying to help!)

 

[freespirit2001]

Are you specifically asking for the definition of "LIBERATION THEOLOGY" or are you looking for the meaning of the word "LIBERATION" in what LIBERAL THEOLOGY is about?

LIBERATION THEOLOGY is a form of oppressive political socialism in the ministry of the Catholic Church in third world countries.

LIBERAL THEOLOGY, on the other hand, has LIBERATION in its freedom of thought and movement in the Spirit in modern Christian believers. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
I think liberal theology has its roots in rationalism with good question asking and information gathering in the christian ministry.

 

[CaDan]

Are you specifically asking for the definition of "LIBERATION THEOLOGY" or are you looking for the meaning of the word "LIBERATION" in what LIBERAL THEOLOGY is about?

LIBERATION THEOLOGY is a form of oppressive political socialism in the ministry of the Catholic Church in third world countries.

Oppressive?

 

[Calamari]

Liberation Theology is pairing the idea of redemption with real social and human necessities. According to them, people should help each other out of material misery and political oppression, a concept often opposed by Ratzinger, Reagan, Kissinger, etc... who see it endangering the plutocratic inequality system. They generally argue that redemption is promised in the next world, not this one, and that therefore social revolutionary ideas are blasphemous.

BTW, liberation theology offers interesting parallels to islam, where a portion of the zakat (traditional religious tax totalling around 20% of your income) should be used for enabling slaves to buy their own liberty.

 

[ZooMom]

Here is what I found at New Advent regarding 'Liberation Theology'. This is the Church's instruction on it.

Calamari, you are wildly misrepresenting your Church and her attitude towards the poor and oppressed. She is quite correct in denouncing certain forms and aspects of 'Liberation Theology'. Especially forms that advocate violence.

Peace be with you.

Sandy

 

[Calamari]

While violence is not good taken for itself, it can be necessary for liberating people from even greater harm. (ex: someone aggresses your wife on the street)

By denying latin americans the right of armed resistance to terrorist regimes, the church is in fact delegitimizing their struggle by assessing that their suffering isnt great enough to warrant violence. It's more than a spiritual statement on their suffering, it's the political delegitimization of their cause...

 

[ZooMom]

The Church is not denying the Latin Americans anything. But it is not her place or purpose to mobilize armies. And she is well within her rights to discpline those of her priests for advocating such. Has the Church denied the Sacraments to any LA revolutionaries? Has she cut them off for desiring their freedom? No. And she will not. But if you are waiting for the Church to start organizing these resistance armies or supplying them with weapons, you will indeed have a long wait.

 

[Calamari]

The church's responsibility goes far beyond supplying sacraments. Social morality are, according to the church, derived from God's will. Therefore the church has an inevitable responsibility in social dialogue, as an institution of interpretation of morality. But Ratzinger's text goes far beyond that : it is pronouncedly and pamphletarily anti-marxist. By that it already makes a political choice. It is not the absence of support for the revolutionary cause that i am criticizing, it is the direct opposition to social resistance movements that makes me, knowing the atrocities perpetrated by the capitalist dominion in latin america, cough.

Let's assume for a second that marxism, as Ratzinger puts it ( i just don't believe he's honest when saying that), is definitely and provably theologically wrong. Wouldnt it at least be in his christian responsibility to find a syncretic issue to the problem ? I'm missing that generous move.

 

[ZooMom]

Calamari, I am not a social or political analyst or expert. But it is obvious to me that you are not presenting the views or actions of the Church, *your* Church, accurately or objectively. You are presuming to project and/or subscribe sinister motives to Pope Benedict's (then Cardinal Ratzinger) position simply because he, and the Church, haven't fallen in with what *you* believe to be to 'obvious' course. I can't debate with you the pros and cons of Marxism. I don't know enough about it. But if the Church, in her authority, has declared the system to be flawed, then perhaps there's something to it. I think that there is much that both of us could learn. Do, please, give due consideration to the links I have given you, and do more of your own research.

Peace be with you.

Sandy

 

[Calamari]

I agree with you that this discussion is futile as long as Ratzinger hasnt adressed these concerns himself. The church's anticommunist engagement is (or should be) a remnant of the cold war, or else i'm waiting for a good explanation.