What are the principal thrusts of liberation theology that have been mainstreamed in

the official teaching of the Church?

Three Theological emphases of Liberation theology

a Gods will for integral salvation
i Extension of what Vatican II already said, it has to do with basic
questions again
ii God is a God of life, a God who acts in human history to save his
people from every form of enslavement.
Rachamim (Gods Love/Compassion)
Racham (Womans womb)
iii Gods offer of salvation: Salvation that embraces all of human
reality(personal and spiritual-life continues the vertical) but also the
horizontal ( physical well-being in this world)
iv Exodus political liberation that was done by God
v Church is an instrument of Gods liberating action in the world
Controversial implication: mission of church has a political
dimension (church must help the people)
Radical two-level message of Celam II: Church must work for
liberation
b Sin as personal and social
i Focus of personal dimension of sin:
Sinful human hearts/personal interior deordination
Individual sinful choices and actions
ii Focus of social dimension of sin: structures of society
Social sin: egoism and selfishness solidified into social
arrangements/ institutions that preserve the interests, wealth,
power, privileges of particular social groups at the expense of
others
iii Theology giving a faith dimension to the discourse on structural
nature of poverty

c Option for the poor

i We must look at society at the perspective of the poor/ marginalized
ii 2 (options) dimensions according to Baum:
Knowledge dimension
Lens/ perspective to understanding social reality and
human history
Action dimension:
Action for justice in solidarity with those at the margins
of society (poor and non-persons as subjects of
development