Notes for a Theology of Liberation
An article of 1970 in which the Peruvian theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez sets out, in his own words, what he means by a theology of liberation, two years after the bishops’ conference at Medellín.
The article is signed from Lima. It defines theology as critical reflection on the church’s presence and action in the world, a reflection that comes after commitment and not before it (pp. 244–245). It argues that “liberation” names the hopes of poor and dependent peoples better than “development” does (p. 247), and distinguishes three levels of the word: the political liberation of oppressed peoples and classes, the liberation of humanity in the course of history, and liberation from sin (p. 248). It cites the Medellín documents repeatedly.
It is cited here as a primary statement of the author’s case, in a form that can be read freely. His book Teología de la liberación (1971) is in copyright and no open edition was found, so this wiki does not cite it. See Medellín and Liberation Theology.
Cited in
- 24 August 1968, firm date