Liberation Theology is in the news lately after Pope Francis invited the Rev. Gustavo Gutierrez to speak at the Vatican. Gutierrez is widely considered as the founder of the approach, described as "a political movement in Roman Catholic theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in relation to a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions." Writing in the Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Francis Schüssler Fiorenza notes that Pope Francis is " is much more open to individual liberation theologians," having not only met with Gutierrez, but "encouraged advancing the process for the canonization of Oscar Romero" and "consulted with Leonardo Boff."
Though rooted in the Catholic Church, Liberation Theology "has grown into an international and inter-denominational movement," and thus should be of interest to anyone studying the intersection of faith and economics. Rather than summarize existing resources, this post points readers to reviews of not only an updated version of Gutierrez's 1971 A Theology of Liberation, but more recent releases, as well:
"Toward a New Theology of Liberation"
"The goals of striving to reduce needless human misery and poverty and offering humanity hope in salvation from sin through Christ that Gustavo Gutiérrez outlines in A Theology of Liberation should be central to any theology that claims a connection to Christianity. Nonetheless, the means he chooses to advocate to achieve those ends raise significant concerns."
Review of Desire, Market and Religion by Jung Mo Sung and No Rising Tide: Theology, Economics, Individualism and the Economic Order and the Future by Joerg Rieger
"It is not inconceivable that liberation theology can add to the richness of the theological landscape and should not be ignored as such. Nonetheless, as proponents of this view, Rieger and Sung would be more convincing if they displayed a greater depth of economic knowledge."
Though rooted in the Catholic Church, Liberation Theology "has grown into an international and inter-denominational movement," and thus should be of interest to anyone studying the intersection of faith and economics. Rather than summarize existing resources, this post points readers to reviews of not only an updated version of Gutierrez's 1971 A Theology of Liberation, but more recent releases, as well:
"Toward a New Theology of Liberation"
"The goals of striving to reduce needless human misery and poverty and offering humanity hope in salvation from sin through Christ that Gustavo Gutiérrez outlines in A Theology of Liberation should be central to any theology that claims a connection to Christianity. Nonetheless, the means he chooses to advocate to achieve those ends raise significant concerns."
Review of Desire, Market and Religion by Jung Mo Sung and No Rising Tide: Theology, Economics, Individualism and the Economic Order and the Future by Joerg Rieger
"It is not inconceivable that liberation theology can add to the richness of the theological landscape and should not be ignored as such. Nonetheless, as proponents of this view, Rieger and Sung would be more convincing if they displayed a greater depth of economic knowledge."