World History

Unit 7: The World Since 1945

Chapter 31: Latin America Since 1945

65. Thu, May 8, 2014

An important factor touched on a few times by this chapter is "Liberation Theology." Because prior to this era almost everyone in Latin America was Catholic, the importance of the Roman Catholic Church's role in politics in the 1980s can't be understated. It also makes an excellent mirror to hold up to the role of religion in current US politics, so it's worth studying.

Traditionally the Catholic Church in Latin America had been on the side of the established order, though there were notable exceptions: Father Miguel Hidalgo, for instance who touched off the Mexican War of Independence against Spain. In the early 20th Century the Church dug in on the side of the established order, oftentimes because those who opposed the establishment were Marxists and atheists. But in the 1950s and 60s a new strain of theology emerged, which hinged on the idea that Christians should try to actually improve the lot of people in poverty. The key phrase came to be "a preferential option for the poor," in which "preference" means what matters most, not taking sides — but the basic actions were to work for social justice and the eradication of inequality. Some called it Christianized Marxism, and others (including the current pope) felt the ideas overshadowed too much of other central Catholic doctrines. But the idea caught on like wildfire in Latin America, and many priests were soon teaching it.

Perhaps the best-known and most tragic proponent of liberation theology was Archbishop Oscar Romero, who came to it rather late. Liberation-theology priests were being gunned down in El Salvador for protesting the government, and when Romero saw the body of one, the story goes, he felt he had to carry on the work. Before long he was severely criticizing the Salvadorean government, and ultimately called on the army to stop obeying the government's commands. That last appeal came moments before he was assassinated while performing communion. 250,000 people attended his funeral, and someone fired on the crowd, killing at least 30.

While Romero was the most prominent, he was hardly alone. Many other priests were also killed (as Romero noted, not priests in general, but only those who were speaking out for the impoverished) and, in an infamous case, three American nuns who had come to El Salvador to help were kidnapped, raped, and then murdered.

• What is the proper role of religion in interacting with politics? Most of us here would agree, I think, that religion guides our individual choices, but do organized religion and religious officials have a duty to act politically?
• How does politics affect religion? If religion can change political events, how does politics change religious thinking or theology?
• How does liberation theology and its interactions with politics in Latin America compare or contrast with the interactions of religion and politics in the United States?

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