6. Challenges: Liberation Theology and Marx

Challenges facing religious thought from areas such as science, secularisation, migration and multi-cultural societies and changing gender roles.

6.1 Content

• The relationship of liberation theology and Marx, including:
– Marx’s teaching on alienation and exploitation
– liberation theology’s use of Marx to analyse social sin
– liberation theology’s teaching on the ‘preferential option for the poor’

6.2 Knowledge

• alienation occurs when humans are dehumanised and unable to live fulfilling lives
• exploitation occurs when humans are treated as objects and used as a means to an end
• liberation theology’s use of Marxist analysis to analyse the deeper or ‘structural’ causes of social sin that have resulted in poverty, violence and injustice, including:
– capitalism
– institutions (for example schools, churches, the state)
• the view that the Gospel demands that Christians must give priority to the poor and act in solidarity with them, including implications of this:
– placing right action (orthopraxis) before official Church teaching (orthodoxy)

6.3 Issues as the basis of exam questions

Learners should have the opportunity to discuss issues related to liberation theology and Marx, including:
• whether or not Christian theology should engage with atheist secular ideologies
• whether or not Christianity tackles social issues more effectively than Marxism
• whether or not liberation theology has engaged with Marxism fully enough
• whether or not it is right for Christians to prioritise one group over another

6.4 Suggested scholarly views, academic approaches and sources of wisdom and authority

Learners will be given credit for referring to any appropriate scholarly views, academic
approaches and sources of wisdom and authority, however the following examples may prove useful:
• Boff, L. and Boff, C. (1987) Introducing Liberation Theology, Burns and Oates
• Gutierrez, G. (1974/2000) A Theology of Liberation, SCM Press, Chapter 4
• Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (1984) Instruction on Certain Aspects of the ‘Theology of Liberation’
• Wilcockson, M. (2011) Christian Theology, Hodder Education, Chapter 7

Additional Online Resources:

• Here is an excellent introduction to some of the significant writers on liberation theology, including Guiterrez.

http://www.affinity.org.uk/downloads/foundations/Foundations%20Archive/29_30.pdf

• Alistair Kee is one of the foremost writers and critics of liberation theology. Here is his excellent short article.

https://graceministrymyanmar.blogspot.com/2016/11/liberation-theology-by-alistair-kee.html