Latin American Liberation Movement Analysis

Latin American Liberation theology were controversial socio-religious movements which took place in Latin America in the 1950 's – 1960 's and affected how people understood their faith, their religious practice, power and politics and as well as theology and cultural expressions. It was lead by believers of the Roman Catholic Church and is a movement to free the poor from oppression and injustice in Latin America.

What made Latin American Christian beliefs distinctive was an understanding that to listen to and understand doctrine was not sufficient – rather individuals were obliged to be active in their faith; to go out to others, educate and evangelise and to live out Christian values through actions like providing medical aid and

Romero 's passion for advocating on the behalf of the poor came from his early years as a Catholic bishop in Santiago de Maria, where he was confronted with the fact that there were children dying due to the fact that their parents did not receive an education and therefore couldn 't afford basic health care and medicines. After seeing this, Arch-Bishop Romero made it his mission to speak out to members of the church about aiding the poor and the needy. He explained that it is the duty of the church to be ‘the voice of the voiceless ' and to give basic medical and educational needs and supplies to the poor. Through his weekly Sunday sermons, which were broadcasted over the radio Archbishop Romero was able to present the issue to individuals all over Latin America. With these issues being made known, and awareness being spread people were able to free the poor from injustice and oppression and essentially ‘liberate ' them.

Like Archbishop Romero, Gustavo Gutiérrez saw the injustice toward the poor and through his faith and knowledge; he tried to mend the wrong doings toward them. One way Gutiérrez was able to do this was through his book "A Theology of Liberation" which was written in 1971. This book opened the eyes and mind of who were living in Latin America at the time, as Gutiérrez repeatedly talked about "The preferential option for the poor." Which comes from the Catholic social

As well as the questioning of how people were interpreting their faith, Liberation Theology greatly impacted religious practise within Latin America, this is because before the movements, people who were questioning their faith began to drift away from religion and turn away from God: but it was these movements that brought people back to their faith and become more strongly connected to it than before. In the time previously to this, people would practise their faith the same way as other cultures, by attending church and donating to places funded by the church; but at the time of the Liberation Theology Movements, in conjunction to what was being done before, people were putting practicality to their faith. This was characterised by not only being charitable towards the poor but also, bring the word of God to them so that God may become known to them.

Latin American Liberation theology affected power and politics in El Salvador and Latin America at the time because it gave more power both politically and socially to the poor. Enlightening them about the world around them through education and religious knowledge. Political power came to the poor because through liberation theology those in need had sufficient knowledge to understand their