Liberation theology and Marx

Question 1

Karl Marx

Answer 1

was a 19th-century philosopher and economic theorist. His most famous works are The Communist Manifesto (1848) and Das Kapital (1867).

Question 2

Exploitation by factory owners

Answer 2

The factory owner, removed from his workers, comes to see the workers as mere parts; a means to an end.
Labour becomes like any other commodity: one that can be replaced by cheaper labour.
This results in exploitation as the workers only options are no work (and so no money to live) or to work for a very low wage.

Question 3

21st-century worker exploitation

Answer 3

A Marxist analysis would argue this exploitation continues in the 21st century with a globalised economy.
The owners constantly seek cheaper labour to produce their products by, for example, moving production to a country with the lowest wages.

Question 4

Liberation Theology

Answer 4

emerged in Latin America in the second half of the 20th century. The competition between capitalism and communism was played out, often violently, in the states of Latin America The basis of liberation theology is the idea that God is actively on the side of the poor and oppressed, and that Christian faith must involve action to transform unjust social, political, and economic systems.Liberation theologians think that the teachings of Jesus included addressing poverty. They also think that Karl Marx’s economic analysis of society showed that addressing poverty requires addressing the structural causes of economic inequality. So, they conclude that Christians ought to address the structural causes of economic inequality.

Question 5

Social sin > personal sin

Answer 5

One of the key components of liberation theology is to focus on social sin rather than just personal sin.
That is, to see sin not just as a matter of personal behaviour but also the behaviour of a society.

Question 6

Exploitation of workers

Answer 6

Using a Marxist analysis of capitalism, liberation theology argues that workers are alienated and so exploited. It argues that a capitalist system sacrifices the needs of the many for the benefit of the few.
This social sin results in poverty for many people and creates a society where violence and injustice thrive as a result of the structure of that society.

Question 7

Criticism: capitalist institutions

Answer 7

The theory argues that any institution that supports this structure should be criticised for enabling the exploitation of the poor.
This includes governments that focus on creating tax systems that benefit corporations and schools that focus on training people to be effective economic workers.
Liberation theology also criticises the church for quietly condoning and not challenging this injustice through its encouragement of people to be obedient and peaceful.

Question 8

Câmara on the church

Answer 8

When I give food to the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.’
Câmara’s point is to argue that the church only focussed on the ‘saintly’ business of feeding the poor when it ought to have been challenging the injustices that created such poverty.
In turn, schools should not just inform the next generation but teach people how to interpret and reform power structures in society

Question 9

The ‘Preferential Option for the Poor’

Answer 9

a phrase used by liberation theologians to point out what they saw as a key theme in the teachings of Jesus - that of concern for the poor and the outcast.

Question 10

Parable of the Sheep & Goats

Answer 10

As the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats puts it, ‘whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40)
This idea is important because it helps liberation theology to combat the charge that it relies too heavily on an atheistic analysis (Marxism).

Question 11

Parables: concern for the poor

Answer 11

The Song of Mary – ‘he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away’ (Luke 1:46-55)
The Beatitudes – ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.’ (Matthew 5)
Jesus quoting Isaiah – ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.’ (Luke 4:18-19)

Question 12

Prioritise the needs of the poor

Answer 12

liberation theology argues that Christians must put the needs of the poor before the needs of others.
They must act to change the situation and bring poverty and injustice to an end, not just by providing for the poor, but by challenging the societal structures that cause poverty.

Question 13

Orthopraxy > orthodoxy

Answer 13

liberation theology argues that acting justly to help the poor is the key priority for Christians.
This right action (orthopraxy) is prioritised over right thinking/right belief (orthodoxy).

Question 14

Tradition vs liberation theology

Answer 14

traditional model is to be trained in official Church teaching and then translate this into action (orthodoxy leading to orthopraxy).
But liberation theology argues that theology should begin with the reality of people’s lives and seeking to act justly. So orthopraxy comes first and, from this, orthodoxy will emerge

Question 15

exploitation

Answer 15

treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work or resources

Question 16

alienation

Answer 16

process of becoming detached or isolated

Question 17

capitalism

Answer 17

an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for profit

Question 18

communism

Answer 18

where trade and industry are controlled by the state

Question 19

orthopraxy

Answer 19

right practice or right action

Question 20

orthodoxy

Answer 20

right belief as in the official beliefs of the Church

Question 21

conscientisation

Answer 21

the process by which a person becomes conscious of the power structures in society

Question 22

Gutierrez

Answer 22

being Christian requires being political
- Church must be a voice against alienation and exploitation; orthopraxis > orthodoxy
- working to change lives positively should come before doctrines and teachings

Question 23

marxism and chrisianity

Answer 23

controversial because Marx was so against religion. This is a difficulty for liberation theology which is Christian yet influenced by an anti-religious theory.

Question 24

Marx’s critique of religion.

Answer 24

Karl Marx believed that history would naturally lead to a workers’ revolution, where the poor would rise up and share wealth equally. However, religion gets in the way of this progress. It teaches the poor to accept their suffering by promising heaven after death, which numbs their pain and stops them from taking action—like an “opiate.” Marx saw religion as a tool used by the powerful to keep their control.

Question 25

liberation theology is actually a valid way for a Christian to respond to Marx’s critique of religion.

Answer 25

Liberation theology can be seen as a Christian response to Marx’s criticism of religion. If Christianity follows the ideas of liberation theology—fighting for the poor and against injustice—then it’s no longer just a tool for the rich to control people. So, it’s okay for liberation theology to be influenced by Marx, because his anti-religion arguments don’t really apply to it. Marx was criticizing a certain type of religion, not all religion.

Question 26

Cardinal Ratzinger

Answer 26

opposed liberation theology because of its links to Marxism. He believed that Marxism’s focus on class struggle and rejection of God clashed with Christian beliefs. Ratzinger felt that liberation theology wrongly emphasized political action instead of spiritual salvation. He warned that linking Christianity with Marxism could lead to violence and authoritarian rule. Instead, he argued the Church should focus on helping the poor spiritually through charity, not through political revolution.

Question 27

Pope John Paul II thought that the preferential option for the poor

Answer 27

Pope John Paul II said helping the poor is an important part of Christian charity, but he also stressed the importance of addressing spiritual poverty—when people are too focused on material things like drugs, pornography, or consumerism, which leave them feeling empty. He believed Christians must fight for justice and stand with the poor, but not by using political ideologies like Marxism, which go against the Christian faith. The focus should be on charity, not political revolution.

Question 28

“Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also”. Matthew 6:25-34.

Answer 28

If Jesus is saying give up all your possessions and that there shouldn’t be rich people – that sounds quite anti-capitalist.

Question 29

Counter interpretation of Matthew 6:25-34.

Answer 29

arguably this at most shows that Jesus thought rich people should give to charity, it doesn’t suggest he wanted to overturn or address the causes of economic oppression/inequality

Question 30

Kloppenburg

Answer 30

argued that mixing theology with political activism weakens Christianity’s true spiritual message. He said liberation theology focuses too much on changing society, while Jesus focused on individual sin and forgiveness, not on political systems. Kloppenburg believed liberation comes from God, not human effort, and pointed out that Jesus didn’t call for the overthrow of unjust systems. For example, when asked about paying unfair taxes, Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s", suggesting a separation between politics and faith.

Question 31

Exodus story shows Kloppenberg is wrong:

Answer 31

Exodus involved the liberation of Jews from the oppression of the Pharaoh and arguably shows that God is not only concerned about liberation at the individual level. This could be taken to counter Kloppenberg’s argument. God clearly cares about freeing people from social oppression which seems to back up liberation theology.

Question 32

Oscar Romero

Answer 32

Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador was assassinated while celebrating Mass, a day after delivering a powerful radio sermon urging soldiers, as Christians, to stop oppressing and killing the poor. This act branded him a communist and rebel, though he was not formally a liberation theologian. However, his life and death embodied the core values of liberation theology—standing with the oppressed and speaking out against injustice. Liberation theology emerged in the 1960s–70s from the extreme poverty and inequality in Latin America, where the poor lived in dangerous shanty towns while the rich enjoyed luxury. The movement was controversial for its active engagement with politics and its critique of both secular society and the Church itself. Romero was initially cautious about mixing faith and politics, but the murder of a close friend led him to believe that following Christ meant rejecting neutrality and fighting for justice—even if it cost him his life. Those who taught liberation theology were often labeled anti-government radicals or terrorists, showing how deeply threatening their message was to the powerful.

Question 33

marx’s teaching on alienation and exploitation

Answer 33

Marx believed history is shaped by material forces and the struggle over resources. When people’s work and conditions are in balance, society is stable—but this never lasts. His theory of historical materialism says history moves through cycles of harmony, collapse, and rebuilding. Influenced by Rousseau, Marx thought early societies shared resources equally, and that conflict began with disputes over land and ownership, leading to inequality and instability.

Question 34

Praxis

Answer 34

Praxis is a key idea from historical materialism. It means that because history is always changing, humans can understand their material conditions and take action to change them. Marx criticised philosophy for only analysing the world instead of transforming it. Liberation theologians agree, arguing that faith and thought should lead to real change, not just abstract ideas.

Question 35

liberation theology’s use of marx

Answer 35

Liberation theologians see Marx as a useful tool, not essential to Christianity His ideas help shift focus from abstract theology to real-world injustice.

Question 36

historical materialism and reversal

Answer 36

Liberation theology uses Marx’s idea of historical materialism to become a bottom-up, contextual theology. By understanding how history and economics shape institutions, we can work to reform them from the ground up. Liberation theologians argue theology should start with the real experiences of the poor—suffering, alienation, and hope—rather than abstract ideas about God. In this view, the Kingdom of God means transforming society on earth, not just waiting for heaven.

Question 37

Miranda

Answer 37

José Porfirio Miranda uses Marx’s suspicion of private property as a foundation for liberation theology. Marx saw private ownership as a root cause of injustice because it leads owners to treat workers as objects, fostering alienation and oppression. Miranda agrees with this but argues that Marx overlooks a crucial biblical insight: capitalism is rooted in human sin, particularly idolatry. Marx fails to explain the cause of capitalism fully because he rejects God, but Miranda believes the Bible’s command against idolatry provides the answer. Capitalism becomes a form of idolatry, with the world being treated poorly because people worship wealth and power instead of God.

Question 38

the church and the people’s church

Answer 38

The 1979 Puebla meeting of Latin American bishops marked a pivotal moment in liberation theology, introducing the concept of integral liberation, which emphasized that the Church must address both economic injustice and personal sin. Puebla called for ordinary people to be involved in decision-making within the Church, promoting the idea of a people’s church. This was controversial, as it recognized that for many poor people, the Church was just an extension of the state. Puebla shared Marx’s suspicion of institutions that consolidate power in the hands of a few, and its call for a Church based on love, solidarity, and community directly challenged traditional structures. Key themes like praxis, social sin, and alienation were central to this vision.

Question 39

‘when humans sin, they create structures of sin, which in their turn, make human beings sin’. – jose faus

Question 40

too much use if marx

Answer 40

In 1984, the "Instruction on Certain Aspects of the Theology of Liberation" was released, critiquing both Marxism and liberation theology. Initially sympathetic to the idea that justice should defend the weak, it criticized liberation theology for being "insufficiently critical" of Marxism. While it acknowledged the importance of liberation in theology, the document argued that Christian liberation should focus on freedom from sin, not just economic or political conditions. It also criticized liberation theology for overemphasizing political liberation and reducing salvation to praxis and revolution rather than God’s grace. It claimed that liberation theology's truth was exclusive to those who follow a certain type of action. Oscar Romero also shared this critique, believing that liberation must begin spiritually before it is practical, and that Marxist materialism undermines Christianity.

Question 41

too little

Answer 41

Alistair Kee argues that the Vatican's critique of liberation theology’s use of Marx is flawed. He believes liberation theology can't selectively use Marx without confronting his core idea that criticism of religion applies to all ideologies. Kee suggests that Marx’s historical materialism, though atheist, implies a spiritual sense of progress that aligns with Christianity's view of divine-driven change. He argues that liberation theology has been too conservative and failed to address secular capitalism effectively. Kee proposes that a more radical future could involve spiritual socialism, combining both spiritual and social progress.