Liberation Theology

Abstract

In the 1960s, young Latin American theologians proposed that the circumstances of their continent—overwhelmingly poor and Catholic—raised questions that required their own theology. These questions arose from a pastoral context, but had political implications. They have pursued these questions through different contexts, especially the military dictatorships and the conflicts in Central America. In the 1980s, dozens of theologians worked together to develop major themes in theology (God, Christ, church) from a liberation standpoint. In the changed context of the twenty-first century, some theologians have continued their work, and have been pleased with the direction of the papacy under Pope Francis.