Toward an Ecumenical Liberation Theology

Latin American Liberation Theology is perhaps the most dramatic expression of the turn to history and experience in Post-Vatican II Roman Catholic theology. The emphasis on contextuality, socio-historical transformation and the privileged status of the poor are some of the most widely acknowledged features of Latin American Liberation Theology, but the movement represents much more. Liberation Theology, as a common thrust among Latin American theologians, represents a theological movement with a vital ecumenical dynamic that transcends the divides of the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation. This ecumenical dimension of Liberation Theology is not often adverted to and has been little studied. This book corrects this deficiency. Despite differences in style, theme, and personal vocabulary, Juan L. Segundo and Rubem A. Alves are excellent examples of the fundamental post-sixteenth-century thrust in Liberation Theology.