I try not to follow Presidential politics too closely but it’s becoming more difficult for those of us that try to watch the evening news on television, or my favorite medium, the Internet.Lately, there has been much to-do about Barack Obama’s pastor and this concept of Liberation Theology. The question has been asked by TV talking heads but there has been little explanation given of this theological viewpoint or what is actually a worldview.
Liberation Theology became popular in Latin America back in the 1960’s and 1970’s. It was pretty much Marxist ideology embraced and Christianized by the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America. While it really was more of a political statement than a religious philosophy, it did identify Jesus as a “liberator” and indeed He is. Much of it in Latin America focused on land reform and the seizure of large estates owned by the wealthy.
Embraced as well by many black, African-American protestant preachers, liberation theology continues to focus on Jesus as a liberator. In preachers like Jeremiah Wright, Jesus is not only the liberator but the congregants are victims: victims of conspiracies, abuses, institutionalized discrimination and racism.
From a Biblical point-of-view, there are some ideological underpinnings to this theology, and there certainly are abuses in the United States. The main problem is that in Christ, we are not victims but victors. Jesus was not a martyr but the Savior.
Now I realize that I'm treading close to the "prosperity gospel" but this isn't about prosperity but victory. The apostles and disciples understood victory, not prosperity. The disciples were willing to leave family, their jobs and their country for the sake of becoming disciples of the risen Christ.
They were mistreated, persecuted and even put to death.
As believers however, neither the early disciples or today’s believers have even the fear of death as Christ conquered death for us and we no longer live but Christ lives in us. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:8, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”
We are not victims and we have the ability in Christ to experience peace and happiness in the midst of trials and difficulties that will come our way. Jesus is quoted in the gospel of John, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
