Sources: Gustavo Gutiérrez, A Theology of Liberation (1971); Leonardo Boff, Church: Charism and Power (1981); Jon Sobrino, Christology at the Crossroads; the Medellín Conference documents (1968).

Liberation theology (~1968 AD) emerged in Latin America at the intersection of Vatican II’s opening to the world, Marxist social analysis, and the reality of massive poverty and political oppression in Latin America. The second conference of Latin American bishops at Medellín, Colombia (1968) was the institutional trigger — the bishops formally committed the church to “a preferential option for the poor.” Key theological moves: (1) The preferential option for the poor — not an exclusive option, but a priority in reading scripture, doing theology, and organizing the church’s ministry; (2) Reading scripture from below — the Exodus, the prophets, and the Gospels read from the perspective of the oppressed, not the powerful; (3) Structural sin — sin is not only personal moral failure but inheres in social, economic, and political structures; (4) Base ecclesial communities — small groups of the poor reading scripture together and connecting it to their social reality; (5) Praxis — theological reflection arising from and returning to committed action for justice. Vatican opposition: the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (under Cardinal Ratzinger) issued two instructions (1984, 1986) criticizing liberation theology’s use of Marxist analysis. Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador (assassinated 1980 while celebrating Mass) and the six Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador (1989) are the movement’s most powerful witnesses. Pope Francis has significantly rehabilitated liberation theology; Romero was canonized in 2018.