ABSTRACT
Gustavo Gutierrez, the author of A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation, is a Peruvian theologian who became a powerful Catholic voice for social and economic justice in the late twentieth century. He was born in 1928 in the Peruvian capital of Lima to a poor Hispanic-indigenous family. Gutierrez argues that the Catholic Church-and Christians generally-should imitate God's love for the poor by working to improve the social and economic conditions that affect everyday people. His ideas have also spread beyond the Catholic world, inspiring a wide range of activist groups and social movements. A Theology of Liberation offers valuable insights into the complexity of human problems. In Gutierrez's terms, economic, political, social, and spiritual flourishing is deeply connected. Students of religion in particular may benefit from considering the economic situation that shaped Latin American society in the 1960s, they may be better prepared to consider how today's economy affects the lives of people around the world.
