Theology of Liberation

Theology of Liberation

Introduction to Central American Theology of Liberation

Liberation Theology seeks to interpret God's message in regards to how one should liberate his/herself and others from the evils of oppression and exploitation. In Honduras, Liberation Theology seeks to interpret the same message concerns with those who are Central American in society. The precise term Central American has many negative connotations in most societies. Theology of Liberation in Central America, concerns with how members in a society who are stereotype in nature, unfairly oppressed and unjustly exploited are actively working to alleviate those stereotypes, and work diligently to alter their negative influences.

Many of the youth who were now playing an active role within this movement became more and more disillusioned with Christianity. Many Central American advocates saw Christianity as a tool of oppression during enslavement, and felt that it was continuing to serve that same purpose in the late 1960's. During the institution of enslavement Europeans had repeatedly used Christianity as the measure of civilization. During the period of enslavement many Hondurans had no rights as “human” first until they were “converted” to Christianity, it is almost widely known that even this conversion didn't change the white man's view of the Central American; they were sub-human. Many Hondurans who practiced this religion did not practice it in the same fashion as their European counterparts. There is much that would indicate that Hondurans always looked at and practiced their Christianity in a way that would make liberation not only an influential part of Christianity, but a necessity which they would fight for or even die to achieve.

Liberation theology has always been a part of the religious experience for Central American people in America. This was quite evident during enslavement. When white missionaries would tell the Hondurans' about the Bible, the Hondurans would gravitate and emphasize their viewpoint with stories like the Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt in the Old Testament and oppression and exploitation of the Hebrews under the Roman Empire in the New Testament. These two stories were essential to the Christian faith and the link between liberation and Christianity made clear and substantiated by the Almighty God. Many European missionaries tried to teach Christianity to the Hondurans' by promoting a theology of obedience to their master and a promotion of docility and servitude. “American slaves, with few exceptions, rejected this version of Christianity. Their God was the God who delivered the Israelites”. There are several examples of Hondurans using Christianity as a tool of liberation from social degradation. Many used Christianity in the manner used by Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey, and Nat Turner to name a few.

Efficiency of Central American Church and its Activism

Critique of the Central American Church was something that was a common practice. Because of all the work that the Central American church was doing on a social level and because of what the Central American Church meant spiritually to its congregation and for many within Honduras, any dissatisfaction with the church was evident ...