A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation (15th Anniversary Edition with New Introduction by Author) [Paperback]

Gustavo Gutierrez (Author), Caridad Inda (Translator), John Eagleson (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1988

This is the credo and seminal text of the movement which was later characterized as liberation theology. The book burst upon the scene in the early seventies, and was swiftly acknowledged as a pioneering and prophetic approach to theology which famously made an option for the poor, placing the exploited, the alienated, and the economically wretched at the centre of a programme where "the oppressed and maimed and blind and lame" were prioritized at the expense of those who either maintained the status quo or who abused the structures of power for their own ends. This powerful, compassionate and radical book attracted criticism for daring to mix politics and religion in so explicit a manner, but was also welcomed by those who had the capacity to see that its agenda was nothing more nor less than to give "good news to the poor", and redeem God's people from bondage.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Spanish (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Orbis Books; Revised edition (March 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0883445425
• ISBN-13: 978-0883445426
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.9 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,400 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The fundamental book on Liberation Theology March 26, 1999

By [e-mail]

Format:Paperback

This is the first and probably the most crucial book on Liberation Theology to follow Vatican II and the Medellin conferences. It's not an easy book to read, but it will challenge you, as well as challenge what you think you know about liberation theology. For any student of modern theology this book is well worth the time and effort. Robert McAfee Brown's summary book is no substitute for the real thing.

32 of 39 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars This is where it started..... April 7, 2001

By Craig Chalquist, PhD, author of TERRAPSYCHOLOGY and DEEP CALIFORNIA

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

...penned by the man who coined the term "Liberation Theology," which later inspired Ignacio Martin-Baro's "Liberation Psychology," for which he was martyred by a Salvadoran hit team.

My impression was that this was written mainly for clergy getting their activist feet wet. In that sense the book is an invaluable milestone. Because of this, it poses liberation (in the sense of liberation from oppressive social conditions like poverty and tyranny) as an intellectual issue, historically and theologically. Correction: it appeals to an intellectual understanding of what the author obviously has lived and felt very deeply.

Having just read LOVE IN A TIME OF HATE, I bought this book expecting to read flesh-and-blood examples of liberation theology as brought into the streets. You won't find much of that here. It's more of an account of how the movement has gone on in circles theological. As such, it poses vital questions to believers and clergy alike--questions of conscience, questions of the relevance of Scripture and the risks involved in living a Christian life of service and conscience in perilous situations.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars From the Father of Liberation Theology November 17, 2011

By Lincoln S. Dall

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Gustavo Gutierrez changed the world with his articulation of a theology of liberation. I am now a Catholic priest, but before I entered the priesthood, I spent three years serving as a Catholic lay missionary in the jungles of northern Ecuador. The principles of liberation theology guided me through this process. I entered the missionary field without a specific plan. I met with the people in small groups. I listened to them, helping to empower them through the way God was calling out to them in the midst of the stark reality of their lives. I believed in liberation theology, in the way it spoke to the poor, in the way it transcended the academic theology that was born in the classrooms and universities of Europe. But an amazing thing happened in the process. Liberation theology liberated me. I was transformed from an extremely shy introvert to an empowered Christian who has truly found his voice. People who know me cannot believe the transformation. Gustavo Gutierrez and the other liberation theologians (Jon Sobrino, Leonardo Boff, Paulo Freire, Ernesto Cardenal, James Cone, Diana Hayes, Robert McAffee Brown, etc) have inspired me along the journey. I now serve as a priest in the Mississippi Delta, in one of the poorest areas in the United States. I came here with the hope of serving the poor and the forgotten. I am very involved in prison ministry here. A Theology of Liberation by Gustavo Gutierrez broke new ground when it came out, and it is still a revolutionary document today. One of the books that changed my life and help me find my voice.