Daniel Levine
Understanding Liberation Theology
Daniel Levine's Popular Voices in Latin American Catholicism fills our minds with age old questions and yet provides us with the information needed to answer these questions. Throughout his writings, though obviously more concentrated in Chapter two, Levine unveils the history and worth of what is called liberation theology. Though Levine details the uses and importance of this lesser known religious outlook, I believe he does a better job of allowing us to very much understand the central ideas, beliefs, methods, and history of the liberation theology.
Levine states, "Liberation theology comes together as a theory and a set of guidelines for action around issues of poverty and the poor," (pg. 39). We must understand that this outlook has not evolved from nothing, but came from the Latin American response to Catholicism and their changes since the Second Vatican Council. Rarely in American society do we as citizens who are wealthy enough to support families, feel as if the view from the lower class is one of significance. This statement may be blunt; however we as a society of levels, stages, or classes show the poor as they did hundreds of years ago. Liberation theology, however, "values solidarity and shared experience identifies strongly with people whose loves are deformed by oppressive structures," (pg. 39). Theologians explain that they insist on the need to view religious issues through the eyes of the poor, to experience what they live through and to, "live with them in ways that undercut long-established social and cultural distances between the church and average believers," (pg. 40).
Obviously the concern for the poor is not new in the Christian community. What I expressed earlier is that our society does not view them as of same importance or value. Sure, we pity the poor, set up charities, promote programs to help the needy, and set up homeless shelters. However, what sets...
Please login to view the full essay...