ADVOCACY POSTS

Lean In: Can Traditional Christians Embrace Liberation Theology Without Abandoning Their Faith?

There is a rising urgency in the air. A spiritual tension. A national reckoning. From the halls of government to the pews of the church, questions of justice, equity, and the role of faith are no longer optional conversations — they are necessary ones. And yet, for many traditional Christians, the phrase liberation theology stirs a quiet discomfort, as if embracing it might somehow compromise the orthodoxy of their Christian faith.

So we must ask: Do traditional Christians have to abandon the tenets of their faith to embrace liberation theology?

What Is Liberation Theology?

Born out of the cries of the oppressed, particularly in Latin America during the 1960s and 70s, liberation theology is a movement that centers the Gospel message on social justice, economic equity, and the liberation of the marginalized. It insists that salvation is not just a personal spiritual experience but a communal act of justice in the here and now.

In the Black church tradition of the United States, similar expressions have long existed — from the prophetic voice of Frederick Douglass to the revolutionary teachings of Dr. James Cone. These voices didn’t dilute the Gospel; they embodied it through the lens of suffering and hope.

The Perceived Tension

Traditional Christianity often emphasizes personal morality, salvation through grace, and adherence to scripture. Critics of liberation theology claim it veers too closely to Marxism, is overly political, or replaces spiritual salvation with social activism.

But is this truly a conflict of theology, or is it a conflict of comfort?

Jesus Himself was a liberator. He healed the sick, challenged the empire, overturned tables in the temple, and declared that “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me… to preach good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). If that’s not liberation theology in motion, what is?

A Time for the Church to Speak Up

We are living in a time where silence is complicity. Where racial injustice, wealth disparity, anti-immigrant sentiment, mass incarceration, and voter suppression plague our nation. The question is not whether the church can speak — it is whether the church will speak.

To embrace liberation theology is not to reject the Gospel but to fully live it. It calls the church to move from performative piety to prophetic presence. To live not just in the sanctuary but in the streets. To shift from passive observance to bold obedience.

A Faithful Integration

Traditional Christians need not fear the heart of liberation theology. At its core, it is a demand to take Christ’s teachings seriously — particularly His preferential concern for the poor, the oppressed, and the downtrodden. It does not demand the abandonment of personal salvation but expands our view of what salvation means: healing broken systems as well as broken souls.

Liberation theology does not replace the cross — it reminds us that Christ was nailed to it by a system that feared liberation.

The Call of This Moment

Now more than ever, the church must rise. Not in division, but in discernment. Not in silence, but in solidarity. Liberation theology is not the enemy of traditional Christianity — it may very well be its conscience.

So no, traditional Christians do not need to abandon their faith to embrace liberation theology. Perhaps, in embracing it, they find the fullest expression of that faith.

Lean in. Speak up. The time is now.