ABSTRACT
Liberation theology may have been a product of Latin America, but its influence was felt far beyond the continent. From Latin American seeds, theologies of liberation that addressed the oppression of other groups—including women, Africans, African Americans, and Asians—grew around the world. This chapter focuses on the ways in which liberation theology was received by progressive elements in the Irish Catholic Church. Ireland has had a long-standing religious relationship with Latin America through the many Irish missionaries who have worked there for over four centuries. The changing missionary culture had a ripple effect on the Church in Ireland as missionaries visited home on leave and on fund-raising trips and corresponded with home congregations and colleagues. One of the key elements in liberation theology was a reversal of the top-down hierarchy of the traditional Church and the encouragement of lay participation.
