What is liberation theology?
The short answer
A movement begun in Latin America in the late 1960s that stressed the Gospel as liberation from earthly poverty and oppression, with little or no emphasis on liberation from sin. Its main problem: Jesus cared for the poor, but came above all to save humanity from sin.
The movement
Liberation theology began in Latin America in the late 1960s. It emphasized that the Gospel was meant to free the downtrodden from earthly poverty and oppression, with little or no emphasis on spiritual liberation from sin.
The problem
Jesus cared for the poor and gave alms to them (John 13:29), but he was far more concerned with the spiritual welfare of all humanity, whom he came to save from sin, not from destitution.
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