Liberation Theology in Latin America: Gustavo Gutiérrez, Romero, and the Preferential Option for the Poor

Dr. Julian Vance & Sapiotic Engineering Group

September 6, 2026

Executive Briefing: Theology as Critical Praxis

Emerging from the 1968 Medellín Bishops’ Conference, Liberation Theology reinterpreted the Gospel message through the lived reality of oppressed Latin American peasants, framing salvation as historical socio-economic liberation.

1. Structural Sin and Institutional Injustice

Father Gustavo Gutiérrez and martyr Archbishop Oscar Romero insisted that sin is not solely an individual moral failing, but is embedded in unjust economic structures that generate systemic poverty and political violence.

2. References

  1. Gutiérrez, G. (1971). A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation. Orbis Books.

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