A Theology of Liberation

History, Politics, and Salvation 50th Anniversary Edition with New Introduction by Michael E. Lee

By: Gustavo Gutierrez

Narrated by: Douglas James

“It would be difficult to name another theological book these past five decades that has been more influential, has inspired more believers and non-believers alike to think differently about the Christian faith, and has engendered so much controversy.” So begins Michael E. Lee’s introduction to this 50th anniversary edition of the classic work that signaled a new style of doing theology.

The theological project launched in this book was, as Fr. Gutiérrez wrote, “based on the gospel and the experiences of men and women committed to the process of liberation in the oppressed land of Latin America.” It was “born of the experience of shared efforts to abolish the current unjust situation and to build a different society, freer and more human.” Yet its influence was quickly felt around the world, inspiring numerous offshoots, as well as provoking critical reactions, both inside and outside the Church.

A Theology of Liberation has won wide acclaim as one of the most influential works of Christian theology of the last century. Yet Gutiérrez himself concluded the book by noting that any theology of liberation “is not worth one act of genuine solidarity with exploited social classes. They are not worth one act of faith, love, and hope committed...in active participation to liberate humankind from everything that dehumanizes it and prevents it from living according to the will of God.”

This audiobook is masterfully read by Douglas James, with audio engineering by Mike Thal. It was produced and published by Echo Point Books & Media, LLC, an independent bookseller in Brattleboro, Vermont.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Gustavo Gutierrez (P)2025 Echo Point Books & Media, LLC

Excellent foundational text for anybody interested in learning more about Liberation Theology. Narration could use some work.

The audiobook narration contains several errors that could confuse listeners less familiar with the subject matter. On their own, these are minor slips, single words dropped here and there. But in a few cases, the dropped word is doing critical work, and losing it reverses the meaning of the sentence entirely. For example, near the end of Chapter 1, the text reads: “In our approach, to reflect critically on the praxis of liberation is not to ‘limp after’ reality.” In the audio, “not” is omitted, so the sentence asserts the opposite of what the author intended. This happens more than once, and each occurrence undermines the book’s argument and with a subject matter as esoteric and confounding as this precise terminology and verbiage matter.