Liberation Theology/Christology of Liberation:

    The Liberation theology originated in Latin America.  From what did they need to be liberated?  From dependence..  The terms of international trade are such that Third World countries not only are dependent upon the rich but are destined to remain so.  Their economies are geared to supply primary commodities at low cost to the developed nations.  These are then used in the manufacture of expensive goods which are sold to the poor countries.  There is an enormous difference between the standard of living of the rich and the mass of the people, whether in towns around the cities or in the countryside.  Poverty and hopelessness enter into the mind so that those who are marginal to the main economic and cultural life of the country remain outside.  The theologians in Latin America have now embarked on the revision of all Christian doctrine from the perspective of liberation.

Rooted in historical Jesus: 

            Liberation Christology is rooted in historical Jesus and in the people’s pain.  It is also suspicious of Christology that is mediated by the church, because they compare it to what they see as the ignoring of Christ’s values by Christians.  Classical Christology has failed for the following reasons:  Christ was presented (a) as an abstraction, (b) as a universal reconciliation, and (c) as absolute rather than dialectical.

            An abstract Christ cannot be meaningful to the suffering communities, universality is meaningless without a sense of particularity; and, emphasis on the absoluteness of Christ leads to the maintaining of the absoluteness of status quo, resulting in a deepening of the hopelessness that is already felt by most of the Latin American people.

Stress on historical Jesus:    

            Being deeply rooted in historical Jesus as mentioned above, liberation Christology laid a stress on historical Jesus over the Christ of faith for the following reasons:

            (a)        There is a structural similarity between the situation of Jesus’ day and those in our own time.  It sees objective oppression and dependence lived out subjectively as contrary to God’s historical design.

            (b)        Historical Jesus puts us in direct contact with his liberative program and the practices with which he implements it.

            (c)        Historical Jesus sheds light on the chief elements of Christological faith: that is,                            following his life and his cause in our Christian life.

            (d)        Historical Jesus reveals the Father and how to reach that Father. Abstract reflection (theory) does not provide us that access.

            (e)        Historical Jesus signifies a crisis, not a justification, for the world.  He calls for a transformation rather than an explanation.