This is the credo and seminal text of the movement which was later characterized as liberation theology. The book burst upon the scene in the early seventies, and was swiftly acknowledged as a pioneering and prophetic approach to theology which famously made an option for the poor, placing the exploited, the alienated, and the economically wretched at the centre of a programme where "the oppressed and maimed and blind and lame" were prioritized at the expense of those who either maintained the status quo or who abused the structures of power for their own ends. This powerful, compassionate and radical book attracted criticism for daring to mix politics and religion in so explicit a manner, but was also welcomed by those who had the capacity to see that its agenda was nothing more nor less than to give "good news to the poor", and redeem God's people from bondage.

A compelling exploration of one of the central issues - if not 'the' central issue - facing theology in our time: the relation between transcendent salvation and temporal liberation. What does the salvation that the church proclaims mean for the poor of the world? In 'Divine Revolution', Dean Brackley presents in a comprehensive yet manageable way what Catholic theology has to say about this complex and urgent topic. He addresses the historical as well as the systematic dimensions of the question, providing insights that point toward an understanding of the issues that challenge conservative and liberal interpretations alike. In a work of great daring and clarity, Brackley surveys the confusion surrounding the social-historical dimension of salvation in Catholic thought. He shows the irony of the fact that, after 2,000 years, what salvation means for the poor in relationship to their concrete plight remains a 'quaestio disputata' for official, Magisterial teaching. Going deeply into the relationship of salvation and liberation, Brackley explores the thought of Maritain, Rahner, and Gutierrez to demonstrate how the 'synbolon' of the Reign of God that Jesus announces transcends the tired theological distinctions of all sides in the debate. Drawing from developments in feminist and Protestant theology, as well as contemporary social theory, 'Divine Revolution' offers a fresh understanding of what it means to participate in God's revolutionary reign. Catholic tradition, Brackley argues, has great potential to articulate a hope which responds to the suffering of the poor in our time. When conventional wisdom says compassion-fatigued Americans are tired of hearing about the poor, Brackley responds, The poor are far more tired of being poor. They, too, would like to move on to other things, but they cannot.

Essays by a modern Jesuit martyr challenge the way that theology should be done and the gospel should be lived. Ignacio Ellacur a, a Spanish Jesuit theologian, philosopher, and rector of the University of Central America in San Salvador, was one of the key intellectual authors of liberation theology. On November 16, 1989 he and other members of the Jesuit community of the university were massacred by Salvadoran army troops. This volume offers twelve important essays by Ellacur a, at last providing English-speaking readers with a comprehensive introduction to his theological thought. Traditional topics such as Christology, ecclesiology, theological method, and spirituality are interwoven with reflections on colonialism, liberation, religion and politics, the philosophy of Xavier Zubiri, and the legacy of Archbishop Oscar Romero in a volume that not only chronicles the thought of one of the most fertile minds of the last century, but challenges the way theology should be carried out for the century to come.

What is the relationship between salvation, human liberation, and care for creation? Extending the ideas presented in Gustavo Gutierrez's A Theology of Liberation, Daniel Castillo embraces a green liberation theology that recognizes the need for political and ideological paradigm shifts in relation to globalization.

Is a total renunciation of clothing a prerequisite to attaining spiritual liberation? In Gender and Salvation, Padmanabh S. Jaini brings to light previously untranslated texts centering on a centuries-old debate between the two principal Jaina sects, the Digambaras and the Svetambaras. At the core of the debate is the question of whether gender-based differences of biology and life experience shape or limit an individual’s ability to accomplish the ultimate religious goal. For the Digambaras, the example of total nudity set by Mahavira (599–527 B.C.), the central spiritual figure of Jainism, mandates an identical practice for all who aspire to the highest levels of religious attainment. For the Svetambaras, the renunciation occurs purely on an internal level and is neither affected nor confirmed by the absence of clothes. Both sects agree, however, that nudity is not permitted for women under any circumstances. The Digambaras, therefore, believe that women cannot attain salvation, while the Svetambaras believe they can. Through their analysis of this dilemma, the Jaina thinkers whose texts are translated here demonstrate a level of insight into the material and spiritual constraints on women that transcends the particular question of salvation and relates directly to current debates on the effects of gender in our own society. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1991.

Upon its publication in 1989, this was the first systematic and comprehensive analysis of the Latin American School of Development and an invaluable guide to the major Third World contribution to development theory. The four major strands in the work of Latin American Theorists are: structuralism, internal colonialism, marginality and dependency. Exploring all four in detail, and the interconnections between them, Cristobal Kay highlights the developed world’s over-reliance on, and partial knowledge of, dependency theory in its approach to development issues, and analyses the first major challenges to neo-classical and modernisation theories from the Third World.

"The introduction to this edition by Cornel West was originally published in Dwight N. Hopkins, ed., Black Faith and Public Talk: Critical Essays on James H. Cone's Black Theology & Black Power (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1999; reprinted 2007 by Baylor University Press)."