Liberation theology and emerging faith
To understand emerging faiths one has to understand the basis and causes for their emergence. Theology and practices for emerging faiths are to a large extent controlled and influenced by the social and religious factors that led to the emergence of the faith. While faith to a large extent governs relationship with the supreme deity of individual faith, faith develops as result of the social conditions of man as perceived by the individual and understood to be part of the grand design of the supernatural. Therefore unlike ideal casino many of the emerging faiths are influenced in their liberation theology because of their origins in the midst of social injustice and inequality.
Liberation theology as espoused by many of the emerging faiths is Orthodox Christian Theology influenced by political theology. At such it emerging faiths interpret the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of liberation from unfair social, economic and political conditions, its adherents are of the view that Christianity ought to be interpreted in such a way that it takes into account the suffering, struggle and hope of the poor in modern society. Further to this, Liberation theology as practiced by emerging faiths attempts to critique the society and Christianity through the eyes of the poor. However, detractors have referred to liberation theology as “Christianized Marxism”
Liberation theology, though a popular theological attribute of emerging faiths, has its origins in the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America in middle of 20th century. The Liberation theology emerged as moral response to the social injustice caused poverty in the region. The term “liberation theology” was first used by Gustavo Gutirrez, who wrote a seminal work on the subject. His book A theology of liberation, has become one of the corner stones of the theological movement. Other influential Authors and intellectuals in the movement have included Jon Sobrino of El Salvador, Leornado Boff of Brazil and Juan Luis Segundo of Uruguay.
The belief espoused by the movement according to some people can be summarized as “If Jesus were on to return to earth to today he would be a Marxist.” While detractors who term this emerging faith practice thus are not accurately describing it, they are correct to the extent that identifies liberation theology with social activism and pursuit of social justice. Most of emerging faiths are spawned of poverty and ill-treatment of ordinary people by those who are in positions of power and influence. At such the practices and teachings of liberation theology resonate with the proponents, founders and adherents of emerging faiths.
The typical emerging faith will in its practices and theology try to deal with the issue of Christians and how they respond to destitution and injustice they witness everywhere and everyday. The liberation theology answer to this is an exhortation to the faithful to make an effort aimed at bettering the circumstances of poor and reducing the amount and extent of social injustice in the world. That is in tandem with emerging faith practice of changing the social circumstances that caused emergence.