There, it became the political praxis of theologians such as Frei Betto, Gustavo Gutiérrez, Leonardo Boff, and Jesuits Juan Luis Segundo and Jon Sobrino, who popularized the phrase "preferential option for the poor".
[4]Its roots can be traced to precursors like Catholic Action and the influence of the Second Vatican Council, which inspired new approaches to addressing systemic poverty and inequality in Latin America.
While liberation theology did not adopt Marxism wholesale, its use of concepts like class struggle and the critique of global capitalism led to significant controversy within the Church.
It was a driving force in the rise of grassroots ecclesial communities (comunidades eclesiales de base), which mobilized marginalized populations to advocate for land reform, labor rights, and democratic governance.
Liberation theology was particularly influential in countries like El Salvador, where figures such as Archbishop Óscar Romero became symbols of resistance against military regimes and human rights abuses.
The writings of theologians like Allan Boesak and Desmond Tutu show how liberation theology shaped anti-apartheid activism, emphasizing themes of reconciliation, justice, and the moral imperative to dismantle systemic racism.
[10] Similarly, liberationist ideas influenced Islamic thought, notably through figures like Ali Shari’ati in Iran, who adapted these principles to critique Western imperialism and promote economic justice within a Shi’a framework.
[6][12] As a movement that bridges faith and activism, liberation theology continues to serve as a powerful call to action for those seeking to reconcile spirituality with the fight for a more equitable world.
Liberation theology developed within the Catholic Church in Latin America in the 1960s, as a reaction to the poverty and social injustice in the region, which CEPAL deemed the most unequal in the world.
[21] Dalit theology sees hope in the "Nazareth Manifesto" of Luke 4,[22] where Jesus speaks of preaching "good news to the poor ... freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind" and of releasing "the oppressed".
In a famous interview with Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci, he explained that while it was not his choice ("not my road, not my way to apply the Gospels"), he would never say "to use weapons against an oppressor is immoral or anti-Christian".
[29] Wilson argued that a church, not itself pacifist (as a schoolchild he recalls being taught to revere General Franco as a soldier of Christ), needed to develop a new "theology of pacifism".