An Introduction to Liberation Theology

The oppressed people often use religion as a means of protest against the unjust economic conditions and upsetting the status quo. In the past few decades, in order to deal with the poverty, suffering, and oppression, some of the Christian religious leaders and ecclesiastics adopted a system of views which was later called "liberation theology". This concept is applied to a synthesis of Christian principles and political pragmatism. The liberation theology is one of the twentieth century movements, which is concerned to bring about unity among the poor and increase their knowledge by appealing to some of the Christian teachings. The liberation theology calls for the equality between man and woman in all cultural, religious, and social affairs; it also calls for the actualization of equality and social justice in all societies, especially those of the Latin America. The present paper is an attempt to examine the role of religion in the formation and development of this movement; it is also concerned to find a response to those thinkers who accuse this movement of Marxist tendencies. In other words, this paper considers the different aspects of liberation theology; these aspects are as follows: its definition, the formation of the general theological principles, its relationship with tradition and modernity, its prominent figures, the status of women in this theology, and its present status.