LIBERATION THEOLOGY: The Theology of LIberatIon Is a concrete response to
the Church’s mIssIon of Integral EvangelIzatIon. LIberatIon Theology emerges
out of lIfe experIence, wIth a partIcular concern for the hIstorIcal gap between
the current sItuatIon of poverty and the message of the Gospel. It then reflects
upon the nature of God and the realIty of sIn, wIth an emphasIs on the meanIng
of salvatIon from sIn and death.
[ReadIngs: AwakenIng from the Sleep of InhumanIty; Poverty and
LIberatIon Theology; ConscIentIzIng as a Way of LIberatIng; Some Quotes on
EvangelIzatIon & JustIce]
 
 Concrete response
o Not just awakenIng from a dogmatIc slumber but from the sleep
of InhumanIty. AwakenIng to the realIty of an oppressed and
subjugated world
o Content of lIb Theo
 God Is a God of lIfe – the creator and the sustainer of life
over and against death
 Human nature as flawed and sInful – intrinsic egoism
and self- seeking that characterizes human beings is not limited
to personal transactions
 ChrIstIan doctrIne of Jesus ChrIst and salvatIon maIntaIns
that Jesus ChrIst Is the savIour of human exIstence from the
ravages of sIn and death In thIs world
 LIfe experIence
o I witnessed appalling poverty but even though I saw It with my
eyes, I did not really see It
o Allowing the world of one's everyday experience and the world of
religious faith to Interact
o Theology emerges of the experience of life In all Its facets
o Must have 2 qualities
 Reflective thinking - must ask hard questions
 The answers to the questions must be related to one's
own experiences
 Historical gap between the current situation of poverty and the message of
the Gospel
o Church has the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and
Interpreting them In the light of the gospel
o Stimulate our concerns about this Issue
o Jesus carried out the work of redemption and so must the church
o Evangelization In the modern world
 Witness of an authentically Christian life
 Proclaim liberation of millions of human beings
 It Is ImpossIble to Ignore the Importance of problems
 Nature of God
o God tenderly loves those dIspossessed by lIfe and IndentIfIes wIth
the vIctIms of thIs world
o A God who Is at the mercy of theIr torturers
o (*connected to thesIs 2) God Is a mystery that must be
communIcated "we cannot know what God Is, but only what God Is
not"
 RealIty of sIn
o ThIs world Is one gIgantIc cross for mIllIons of eople
o We call our world sIn because sIn Is that whIch deals death
o Death whIch Is slow at the hands of the ever present structures
of InjustIce and death whIch Is swIft and vIolent when the poor seek
to change theIr lot
o The world's poor are of no consequence to anyone
o People do not want to acknowledge or face up to the realIty of a
crucIfIed world
o We all had somethIng to do wIth brIngIng about such a crudIfIed
world
 SalvatIon from sIn and death
o The poor of thIs world contInue to demonstrate that they have
hope
o LIberatIon from sIn
 LIberatIon from personal sIn by conversIon and
repentance - God's boundless love accepts human beIngs as they
are
 LIberatIon from socIal sIn - turnIng to Jesus and takIng up
a pattern of lIfe sImIlar to hIs
o SalvatIon from death
 Take up the Ideals of Jesus and corporately work to resIst
and change the sInful socIal structures
 FInd In Jesus' resurrectIon the promIse of hope for our
ultImate future beyond our death
Other thesis statements
 Thesis 2 – it also draws from experience in such a way that it takes the
experience to a whole new level through methodology
 Thesis 3 – connection between the complex reality of poverty and the
reality of sin. Poverty is this cross that everyone carries and we all
somehow are responsible for bringing that in
 Thesis 4 - ???
LIBERATION THEOLOGY: LIberatIon Theology can be dIfferentIated from other
theologIes because of Its partIcular startIng poInt, the questIons It asks, the tools It
uses, and the methodology It follows. The realIty of poverty moves LIberatIon
Theology to Invoke a prophetIc and mystIcal theologIcal language.
[ReadIngs: LIberatIon Theology; ConscIentIzIng as a Way of LIberatIng;
CharacterIstIcs of LIberatIon Theology, Ang SIrkulong Pastoral sa Pagtuturo ng
Th141]
 
 PartIcular startIng poInt
o The non-human person
o Non- belIevers In order to rovoke faIth and belIevers In order to
foster faIth
o Non- person who Is not recognIzed or treated as a person, holds a
depersonalIzed and dehumanIed self- Image
o Theology for lIberatIon and from oppressIon
o Should also Include polItIcs and IdeologIes
 QuestIons It asks
o How are we to speak of God In face of the sufferIng of the
Innocent
o LIberatIon theology Is also dIfferent bec. It asks how faIth can be
reasonable to these nonhuman persons – very dIffIcult actually
 ThIs shows that nonhuman persons also pose the
challenge of lIb theo
 How would you proclaIm a God that Is mercIful, has
uncondItIonal love, and for the poor to the nonhuman,
sufferIng poor? – mentIon thIs agaIn In languages part
because the languages Is the answer to thIs questIon
 Tools It uses
o SocIal scIences - provIde the analytIcal tools for uncoverIng roots
of the problem
o It gIves us a complex vIew of realIty and socIety
o It serves as a base
o It thus helps us become more aware of the realIty of the
nonhuman lIfe
o Uncovers the hIstorIcal roots of the experIenced InjustIce
o 3 thIngs It wants to gaIn:
 unexamIned presupposItIons that shape our opInIons,
actIons, thoughts, etc
 human InteractIon
 freedom In establIshIng structures In socIety
 dIstInguIshes who benefIts and who are
excluded
 perpetuates the InequalIty
 Methodology It follows
o Pastoral cIrcle Other thesis statements
 InsertIon/ ImmersIon
 SocIal analysIs
 TheologIcal reflectIon
 Pastoral actIon - put Into actIon what could be done to
change the socIally analyzed and theologIcally reflected sItuatIon
of InjustIce and Insert agaIn In the communIty
o Methodology of lIb theo
 A prIorI and basIc faIth commItment to God In the
person of Jesus ChrIst
 Fundamental choIce for lIberatIon and a preferentIal
optIon for the poor
 ScIentIfIc socIal analysIs
 TheologIcal reflectIon
 PurIfIcatIon, reInterpretatIon and revItalIzatIon of
ChrIstIan doctrIne practIces
 DIscernment and formulatIon of moral ImperatIves for
concrete actIon - reflectIon on the ImplIcatIons of the purIfIed,
reInterpreted and revItalIzed ChrIstIan doctrInes
 OrthopraxIs - verIfIcatIon of the purIfIed, reInterpreted
and revItalIzed ChrIstIan doctrInes
o CIrcle of praxIs
 ExerIence
 SocIal analysIs
 TheologIcal reflectIon
 Reflected actIon
 RealIty of poverty
o IrruptIon of the poor
o Those who untIl now were absent from hIstory are becomIng
present
o We are becomIng IncreasIngly aware of what Is at stake
 ProphetIc and mystIcal theologIcal language
o ProphetIc
 Denounces the sItuatIon of InjustIce
 WIthout mystIcIsm, thIs can harrow Its vIsIon and
weaken Its perceptIon of that whIch makes all thIngs new
o MystIcal
 Acknowledges that everythIng has an orIgIn In Gods love
 WIthout prophecy, thIs runs the rIsk of detachment from
the hIstory In whIch God Is actIng and In whIch we encounter
God
o The languages aIm Is to communIcate the gIft of God's reIgn as
revlealed In lIfe death and resurrectIon of Jesus
  Thesis 1- look at thesis 1
 Thesis 3- both talk about the reality of poverty but they complement each
other by describing both the power that the poor is capable of and the
different facets of poverty
 Thesis 4- power serving value, coercion theory
VALUE WITHIN LIB THEO: The PreferentIal OptIon for the Poor Is a response by
the Church to the complex realIty of poverty. ThIs preferentIal optIon
manIfests Itself as a preferentIal love for and by those who are oppressed by
poverty. It Is lIved out through one’s attItudes, concrete choIces and lIfestyle.
[ReadIngs: PreferentIal OptIon for the Poor; Proper and Improper PartIalIty and the
PreferentIal OptIon for the Poor; MultIdImensIonal Aspects of Poverty; Poverty In
LIb Theology]
 
 Complex realIty of poverty
o Not just the rural or urban poor or those who lack the
fundamental needs for human lIfe
o Poverty caused by human freedom, by whIllIng or the lack of It
o A socIal condItIon
o MargInalIzed In a socIal, psychologIcal, polItIcal, economI and
cultural way
o 3 perspectIves
 Income poverty – defined by the poverty line
 BasIc needs – deprivation of material requirements
 CapabIlIty – absene of some basic capabilities to function
o SEPS
 SocIal
 EconomIc
 PolItIcal
 SocIal psychologIcal
 PreferectIal optIon
o GIve prIorIty to those who lack fundamental needs for human lIfe
and choosIng to do It wIllIngly
o 3 poInts
 ChrIstIans are called fIrst to lIsten to, learn from and be
converted by the poor
 Full partIcIpatIon of all people wIthIn the polItIcal,
socIal and economIc lIfe of local communItIes
 AffIrmatIon of both God's preferentIal care and
unIversal love
o 3 grounds
 EthIcal
 RecognItIon of human solIdarIty
 We all Influence each other wIthIn each socIety
as well as wIthIn a global framework
 Reflex of a certaIn negatIve sItuatIon should not
be
 Human beIngs should not be allowed to suffer
so much
 ScrIptural
 StraIghforwardly place concern for the poor
 Follow the example of the prophets and how
Jesus lIved
 TheologIcal
 God loves us equally, poor or not
 There Is a preferentIal optIon because the poor
are In need more
 DespIte the egalItarIan nature of God's love,
God loves most who are most In need wIth respect to
theIr poverty bacause they are the most In need
 For and by those who are oppressed by poverty
o Who carrIes out the preferentIal optIon
 The optIon of the church for the poor Is the optIon of the
whole church
 ThIs Is a church that Is not merely an InstItutIon of prIests
but a church as the people of God
 The church carrIes out Its task of speakIng out for the
poor
o Make or Implement the optIon
 DIvIsIon of labor wIthIn socIety and wIthIn the church,
and that by and large, no professIon or honorable way of lIfe Is
IntrIsIcally hostIle to an optIon for the poor
 As a ChrIstIan, one should be supportIve of all efforts on
behalf of the poor
 All should dIsplay a concern for the poor
 AttItudes, concrete choIces and lIfestyle
o how else are we to be genuIne about our POFTP but through our
own lIves
o ATTITUDE – Informs our perspectIve of the poor
o CHOICES – In whIch we manIfest that perspectIve
o LIFESTYLE – way to lIve out our desIre for a better world
o the best way to lIve out POFTP Is through moral InclusIveness –
IncludIng them In our lIves, acknowledgIng that they are humans stIll,
thIs wIll gIve them hope
Other thesis statements
  Thesis 4 - complex reality of poverty and the methodology that attempts structures perpetuate
to study the social situation of the poor InequalIty

WHO LIB THEO ADDRESSES: SocIal analysIs Is an essentIal part of the methodology Power values Power servIng the value Values serve power
of LIberatIon Theology that attempts to obtaIn a more complete pIcture of the
socIal sItuatIon by descrIbIng the socIal structures operatIve In the sItuatIon. Why InequalIty  MotIv  Imbalan
There are dIfferent frameworks used In socIal analysIs whIch produce exIsts atIon ce of opportunItIes
contrastIng InterpretatIons of the problems of poverty and socIal InequalIty.  Talent  Monopo
[ReadIngs: SocIal ScIences In LIb Theo; SocIal AnalysIs and SocIal Change In / natural gIfts ly of resources
the PhIlIppInes; “The VoIce of the Persecuted” from NolI Me Tangere]
SocIal change  Top  Bottom
 
down change up
 Methodology of lIb theo
 UnIty,  People's
o SocIal analysIs helps gIve a more complete pIcture of the socIal
stabIlIty and partIcIpatIon
sItuatIon In Its hIstorIc and structural contexts
dIscIplIne  More
 SocIal structures - basIcally understandIng dIfferent perspectIves
 Adjust radIcal change to
o Person Is shaped by socIety
ments to socIety socIety
o Persons are socIal beIngs
o Human freedom creates structures and InstItutIons that we are  
Immersed In  ContrastIng InterpretatIons of the problems of poverty and socIal
 DIfferent frameworks InequalIty
o Consensus theory o Why Is there a socIal system?
 Power has greater Influence than human values o Ibarra
 Role assIgnments, rules, structure  They are there to protect the people, they are a
 There are thIngs because of natural capacItIes, abIlItIes necessary evIl
and gIftedness  ReactIon to crImInalIty, speak to people In madrId,
o CoercIon theory change upon adjustments
o ElIas
 Values are moe Important than power
 Sees the room for change, for the betterment of  They are there to abuse common cIvIllIans and use
humanIty power for themselves
o It Is Important that both work together  ThIs abuse creates crImInals
 CoercIon gIves us a broader perspectIve, but that alone  Change upon an authorIty comIng from the people,
won't brIng about that change It wants because we are at a comIng from below
consensus envIronment. That change Invloves changIng Other thesis statements
consensus. For cercIon to achIeve what It wants, It must work In  Thesis 1
solIdarIty wIth consensus Other thesIs statements
o ThesIs 1
CONSENSUS COERCION o ThesIs 2
OrganIzatIon of  Comm  Power  Methodology of lIb theo
socIety onalItIes, shared relatIons --> favor  A prIorI and basIc faIth commItment to God In
goals those at the top the person of Jesus ChrIst
 What  Where  Fundamental choIce for lIberatIon and a
are the shared Is the InequalIty? preferentIal optIon for the poor
values?  What  ScIentIfIc socIal analysIs
  TheologIcal reflectIon
 PurIfIcatIon, reInterpretatIon and revItalIzatIon
of ChrIstIan doctrIne practIces
 DIscernment and formulatIon of moral
ImperatIves for concrete actIon - reflectIon on the
ImplIcatIons of the purIfIed, reInterpreted and revItalIzed
ChrIstIan doctrInes
 OrthopraxIs - verIfIcatIon of the purIfIed,
reInterpreted and revItalIzed ChrIstIan doctrInes