1. By the end of today’s lesson you will:
Be able to define ‘liberation theology’.
Understand the political, ethical and religious basis of South American liberation theology with reference to Gutierrez and Boff.
Know the response of the Roman Catholic Church to South American liberation theology.

2. Theme 4: Religious practices that shape religious identity
AO1 – Knowledge and Understanding
AO2 – Issues for Analysis and Evaluation
F) Religious identity through responses to poverty and injustice:
The basis (political, ethical and religious) of South American liberation theology with reference to Gustavo Gutierrez and Leonardo Boff
Roman Catholic Church responses to South American liberation theology
Whether the political and ethical foundations of liberation theology are more important than any religious foundations.
The extent to which liberation theology offered a cultural challenge to the Roman Catholic Church.

3. What is ‘Liberation Theology’?
TASK: Read p164 to (the top of) p165
Challenge:
Define ‘liberation theology’ in your own words in one clear, concise sentence.
State one contribution to liberation theology from Gutierrez and Boff.

4. What is ‘Liberation Theology’?
Liberation Theology grew from South America in the 1960s as a response to deep inequalities in society
It was popularised by Bishop Oscar Romero, who was later shot
It holds the belief that God is a partisan God and is on the side of the oppressed
This means that God HAS A PREFERENCE (which is quite a controversial statement)
It suggests that special love and privilege should be given to poor and oppressed Christians – many of whom lived in south America.
It was initially regarded as heresy by popes, including cardinal Ratzinger who claimed that the ‘promised land’ is in heaven not in this life. Ratzinger promoted orthodoxy not orthopraxy.
However, Pope Francis is more sympathetic to liberation theology and orthopraxy

5. The Basis of Liberation Theology
Political
Religious
Ethical
* Socialist rulers such as Fidel Castro and Che Guevara
* Jesus upturned the temple against unequal trading (Matthew 21)
* It is against exploitation
* Has roots in communism – but it isn’t a communist movement per-se
* In Luke 4 it states ‘he has brought me good news to send to the poor’
* It combats material poverty – people not having clothes / food / goods
* Fights against the injustices of capitalism
* In Exodus , God led the Israelites away to liberation
* It combats spiritual poverty – the spiritually poor should be liberated
* Has roots in Marxist theology
* Acts 2 – the early Christian Church was a form of commune which gave to the poor
* Voluntary poverty – The church should empty itself (kenosis) and choose to be poor to be sympathetic with the poor

6. What is ‘Liberation Theology’?
Gutierrez
Theology should be critical reflection IN PRACTISE
Believed liberation theology was apostolic activity (acts of the apostles – communes)
There is indissoluble unity between god and human kind because God was a human who suffers himself
Rejected capitalism and was influenced by Marxist practise
Suggested pastoral activity should focus on the poor
Sympathetic towards communist revolutions
Issued a statement urging Church to be on side of the poor
Stated that man should ‘come of age’ of wake up to injustices

7. What is ‘Liberation Theology’?
Boff
Brazilian scholar who studied with Karl Rahner
Was a liberation theologian
Like Gutierrez understands the importance of base communities and orthopraxy
Uses Exodus to prove that God leads people away from oppression (Moses leading people away from Egyptians)
States that the new testament ends in the apocalypse – therefore the aim of life now is to put Christianity into PRACTISE and free people who are in oppression today
Aims to transform the Catholic church to be on the side of the oppressed and more universal
Is different to Gutierrez in that he PRIMES ORTHOPRAXY

8. What is ‘Liberation Theology’?
Capitalism =
Communism =
Orthopraxy =
Orthodoxy =
Base Communities =

9. The response of the Roman Catholic Church
TASK: Read the section on the response of the RCC on page 170 and answer the following questions:
Name the two key conferences in Latin America that supported liberation theology.
Why was Pope John Paul II concerned about liberation theology?
Summarise the 4 ways in which Ratzinger criticised liberation theology.
In what ways might one argue that Pope Francis’ attitude to liberation theology has softened.

10. Liberation Theology and Marxism
Marxism was coined by Karl Marx
He wrote a communist manifesto
Stated that conflict between upper and lower classes was needed to create change
Conflict lies in money (economics)
The upper class are ruled by self – interest and the lower classes are exploited for this
Gutierrez hardly mentioned Marx but concludes that the poor will discover a better life through rejecting capitalism
Boff notes that there are similarities between Marxism and Liberation theology: both aim for a society with no rich/poor BUT states that they are dissimilar in that Marxists are atheists and lean towards dictatorships.

11. AO2 Evaluation Questions
“Political and ethical foundations of liberation theology are more important than any religious foundations.” Evaluate this view. [30 marks]
“Liberation theology has had a significant impact on challenging the culture of the Roman Catholic Church.” Evaluate this view. [30 marks]