Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

History, Politics and International Relations

First Advisor

John Harles

Comments

In the 1960s, a new theological perspective emerged within the Catholic Church in Latin America. This socially oriented understanding of faith – liberation theology – challenged the traditional alliance between the Church and political elites. It proclaimed that God stands with the poor and oppressed throughout history, working to liberate them from unjust economic and political situations. It called on the Church to actively stand with the poor to promote this liberation. In Nicaragua, liberation theology drove many to participate in the revolutionary struggle in the 1970s. Ultimately, the experience of liberation theology within Nicaragua shows that religion is not inherently conservative, it can play an important role within revolutionary social movements.

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