What is Liberation Theology?

As I understand it, Liberation Theology is the idea that all of us should work for the "liberation" of everybody else. That is, liberation as in spiritual AND physical: free from sin, but also free from the things that get in the way of our spirituality, like poverty, ignorance, etc.

It thrives in Latin America, in those countries where poverty and injustice are rampant. Archbishop Romero worked really hard to bring the freedom of the gospel to the oppressed people he saw in El Salvador and other places. He was a strong proponent for Liberation Theology, and said that as long as I have all the food and physical necessities I need, it is my responsibility as a Christian to work to make sure that my brothers and sisters in poverty and oppression all over the world, have the same things.

Liberation theology was developed decades ago by Roman Catholic priests in South America who were frustrated by the grinding poverty of many in their flocks. They came to feel that merely speaking to the desperately poor about spiritual things was not really helping them. Rather, they, the clergy, felt that they needed to promote radical social changes if the people were to improve spiritually. Some even advocated revolution.

liberation theology was not the way Jesus went about helping the poor, and Jesus is the Great Exemplar for genuine Christians. (1 Peter 2:21) When Jesus was on earth, he lived among a people who were subjects of a colonial power and suffered at the hands of cheating tax collectors. The most helpless among them were often victimized by rapacious members of the ruling class. (Matthew 22:21; Luke 3:12, 13; 20:46, 47) Yet, Jesus did not get involved in political theorizing or social agitation to try to improve their lot. Rather, he preached “the good news of the kingdom.” Matthew 4:23.

Liberation theology is about oppression and those who live in opressive situations really undersatnd salvation and Jesus and His love for them, because He came for the poor in spirit and the oppressed. that is why in America, the land where we see the new God to be the $, it is hard for people to understand Jesus or even want Jesus . it is hard for people to open their hearts to His grace and His love for the poor and hurting.

Some more info...

http://www.liberationtheology.org/