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 50^th 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.

Baldwin's writing offers critiques of religion, culture, and discrimination, and in the witness of his life he holds up hope and the primacy of love despite all the difficulties of the present moment. In this passionate introduction, Garrett presents the life and work of Baldwin in all his writing genres, on themes of equity, justice, and reconciliation.

Garrett followed in Baldwin's footsteps--from New York City to the American South, from the cafes of St.-Germain in Paris to the mountains of Switzerland, where Baldwin did some of his most important thinking and writing. Garrett consulted critical and cultural studies, as well as archival materials from the recently-inaugurated Baldwin Collection at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. Out of this close study of Baldwin's words and legacy, Garrett invites new readers and longtime lovers of the great Black writer into a thoughtful exploration of his continued relevance.

Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live may be one of the most frequently quoted verses against the budding community of a group that calls themselves Christian witches. But what if there was more to the verse than meets the eye?

In the age of deconstruction and new methods of discovering one's personal spirituality, Christians dissatisfied with the current state of their religion are looking to make a change, whether from within or without the church. In the words of Jurgen Moltmann in his work, The Crucified God, these believers face a crisis of identity and relevance, struggling to understand how they can hold onto their faith, their God, in a way that doesn't further damage society per the archaic values of many of their religious institutions.

Sara Raztresen and Emyle D. Prata proposes a new method of understanding public faith and personal spirituality with a deep dive into the world of Christian witchcraft-everything from folk traditions and spellwork basics to critical looks at the Bible, its history, and its leading figures that show the powerful magic hidden within. This book aims to give readers the tools to unite Christian religion with personal witchcraft practice, with a defense of the craft within Christian contexts, a guide to discovering one's own personal walk with God, and plenty of interactive pages to work through their newfound magical style.

The Latina/o culture and identity have long been shaped by their challenges to the religious, socio-economic, and political status quo. Robert Chao Romero explores the Brown Church and how this movement appeals to the vision for redemption that includes not only heavenly promises but also the transformation of our lives and the world.

Theologizin' Bigger by pastor, podcaster, and public theologian Trey Ferguson invites you to engage in independent thinking about your faith and points you toward a common-sense, accessible, and contextualized perspective on God.

With lo-fi personal truth-telling, Ferguson encourages readers to wrestle with and see the bigger picture around their religious beliefs. Theologizin' Bigger offers four parts: B.I.B.L.E. (Books Inspired by Life's Experiences), The White Man's Religion, A State of Confusion, and a Faith That Shapes Tomorrow. Each part explores different aspects of faith, including the interpretation of scripture, the tension between race and Christianity, the misunderstandings surrounding religious discussions, and the role of faith in our lives.

Ferguson emphasizes that the Bible is not a simple instruction manual and cannot provide answers to every question or dilemma. He encourages you to go beyond memorization of scripture and engage in a sense of curiosity and imagination.

You don't have to ignore your nagging doubts and honest questions. You don't have to check any part of yourself at the door. You can find the faith to live freely and love wholly.

Ferguson's book has deep importance for those who know (or don't know) they're stuck, and for anyone who feels the questions bubbling up, even those who hadn't realized it was okay to ask them. -Englewood Review of Books

#1 Amazon Bestseller in Liberation Theology

A new perspective on spirituality and social change as seen through the work of six visionary thinkers

In Liberating Spiritualities, Christopher D. Tirres offers an in-depth exploration of spirituality as a catalyst for social transformation, showcasing the profound insights of six distinguished twentieth-century liberation thinkers from across the Américas. This thought-provoking work examines the contributions of Marxist philosopher José Carlos Mariátegui, renowned educator and philosopher Paulo Freire, innovative constructive theologian Virgilio Elizondo, influential cultural and feminist theorist Gloria Anzaldúa, activist mujerista theologian and social ethicist Ada María Isasi-Díaz, and groundbreaking ecofeminist theologian Ivone Gebara.

Tirres examines the distinct yet interconnected philosophies of these figures, showcasing their unified critique of colonial Christendom and their deep commitment to the marginalized. He adeptly articulates how their diverse religious and philosophical backgrounds come together in a shared vision of spirituality as a fundamental aspect of human life and intelligence. He further illuminates how these thinkers advocate for spirituality as a non-reductive, life-affirming practice, transcending traditional boundaries and offering an integrated approach to faith, culture, and social justice. Their collective insights form a persuasive case for re-envisioning spirituality as a crucial element in the quest for a more just and compassionate world.

Liberating Spiritualities is not only a tribute to these six influential figures but also a critical reflection on the relevance of their ideas in today's global context. Tirres's transdisciplinary study bridges liberationist and pragmatic insights, offering readers a fresh, highly original interpretation of socially engaged spirituality, making this book an essential resource for those seeking to understand the transformative power of spirituality in the pursuit of social justice and human dignity.

This book explores the life, mission, and writings of martyred Salvadorian archbishop St. Óscar Romero in the light of contemporary work for justice and human development.

Many historians, theologians, and scholars point to St. Óscar Romero as one of the most perceptive, creative, and challenging interpreters of Catholic social teaching in the post-Vatican II period, while also recognizing the foundational importance of Catholic social teaching in his thought and ministry.

Editor Todd Walatka brings together fourteen leading scholars on both Romero and Catholic social teaching, combining essays that contextualize Romero's engagement historically and focus on the challenges facing Christian communities today. The result is a timely, engaging collection of the most rigorous scholarly engagement with Romero and Catholic social teaching to date.

Contributors: Ana María Pineda, R.S.M., Michael E. Lee, Matthew Philipp Whelan, Jon Sobrino, S.J., Edgardo Colón-Emeric, David M. Lantigua, Leo Guardado, Stephen J. Pope, Kevin F. Burke, S.J., José Henríquez Leiva, Meghan J. Clark, Elizabeth O'Donnell Gandolfo, Rubén Rosario Rodríguez, Peter Casarella, and Todd Walatka

How did a small group of religious people become the most powerful political force in the U.S.? Why are Christians leaving this group, and why are more evangelicals speaking out about sexual abuse? What is White Christian Nationalism, and how does Donald Trump fit into this? The Kingdom of Man by Eric Scot English explores these questions, taking readers through the history of Evangelicalism to reveal the cultural moments and theological shifts that have shaped its current state.

The book argues that in trying to create an American faith, Evangelical leaders have pursued power and prestige, mirroring the same pitfalls of their religious ancestors. Their ambition has built a kingdom not founded on God's will, but on human pride-one that exploits the marginalized instead of serving them. It's not the Kingdom of God, but the Kingdom of Man.

Christian environmentalism's dominant traditions have for too long avoided decolonial thought's critical gaze. Reconsider the Lilies introduces readers to the ways environmental issues are shaped by dynamics of racism and colonialism and orients readers to Christian approaches to environmentalism. By recounting the history of environmental justice, Thompson shows how even well-intentioned Christian environmentalism incorporates racist and colonialist assumptions. Challenging Christian environmentalism's colonial roots requires incorporating the insights of decolonial thought toward a more pluralist, pragmatic approach to environmentalism, one that learns from communities struggling against environmental injustice in the face of ecological collapse. Reconsider the Lilies focuses on different conceptions of justice and structural sin and offers a constructive cosmic Christology that traces Christ's presence in the concrete relationships that exist among all living things. But for this Christ-centered conception of ecological community to be decolonial, it must focus less on doctrine and ideology, and more on incarnation and embodiment. It must welcome a broad range of knowledge and expression. Environmental theology can be decolonized. Ecological communities can be restored through healing broken relationships and power disparities by equalizing access to ecological power.

Pastor and theological educator Anastasia Kidd reviews the history of diet culture, fat studies, beauty, body policing--and the white supremacist machinations underpinning them--in order to work for a society rooted in body liberation for all. Fat Church offers a disruption to social habits of shame and remembers the theology of abundance that calls us all beloved by God.

Francis of Assisi is reported to have said that the cross is a book. When we open that book in love and in intelligence, we encounter traces of the crucified Jewish Jesus in human social suffering in our world.

Knowing Christ Crucified is a powerful reading of the Cross of Jesus, both as it is written in scripture and in the experi-ence of the poor and oppressed--particularly in the history of black people in America, from the time of slavery up to the present.

Beginning with the dark wisdom of the slaves, Shawn Copeland shows how enslaved people found in the story of Jesus both an affirmation of their humanity and a repudiation of a system that held them in bondage. She goes on to ex-plore some of the challenges to human living in a world shaped and directed by white supremacy. And finally, she presses the meaning of solidarity in the concrete circumstances of American life.

These challenging essays reflect her efforts to read the book of the cross, and to grapple with what it might mean to take up the cross daily and follow Jesus with those crucified in our time.

In this critical time in world history when many spirits and bodies are plagued (by AIDS, covid, monkeypox, hunger, bird-flu, mad-cow disease, and other ailments) and many communities are broken (by wars, juntas, climate crises, domestic abuse, poverty, and other shitstems), this book stirs up the ends of Liberation Theology - re(l)ease. As long as the world is plagued and broken, the re(l)ease that Liberation Theology seeks are needed. Bringing together a diverse and global array of theologians who have taken up the liberative mantel, this book will demonstrate why liberation theology today needs releasing from its illusions and assumptions, and what comes next once it does so. With contributors including Miguel A. De La Torre, Anna Kasafi Perkins and Michael Jaggesar, the book demonstrates that Liberation Theology is not passé or dead. But it needs some stirring up.

Bringing together theologies of liberation and decolonial thought, Decolonial Love interrogates colonial frameworks that shape Christian thought and legitimize structures of oppression and violence within Western modernity. In response to the historical situation of colonial modernity, the book offers a decolonial mode of theological reflection and names a historical instance of salvation that stands in conflict with Western modernity. Seeking a new starting point for theological reflection and praxis, Joseph Drexler-Dreis turns to the work of Frantz Fanon and James Baldwin. Rejecting a politics of inclusion into the modern world-system, Fanon and Baldwin engage reality from commitments that Drexler-Dreis describes as orientations of decolonial love. These orientations expose the idolatry of Western modernity, situate the human person in relation to a reality that exceeds modern/colonial significations, and catalyze and authenticate historical movement in conflict with the modern world-system. The orientations of decolonial love in the work of Fanon and Baldwin-whose work is often perceived as violent from the perspective of Western modernity-inform theological commitments and reflection, and particularly the theological image of salvation.

Decolonial Love offers to theologians a foothold within the modern/colonial context from which to commit to the sacred and, from a historical encounter with the divine mystery, face up to and take responsibility for the legacies of colonial domination and violence within a struggle to transform reality.

James Cone is widely regarded as the father of Black Theology--his own synthesis of Gospel message embodied by Martin Luther King, Jr., and the black pride of Malcolm X. Next year marks the 50th anniversary of his first book, Black Theology and Black Power. This new work is truly the capstone to that career, showing how he was compelled by events to articulate this theology, how it led to his career at Union and his succession of books--along the way learning from his critics, his students, and the ongoing challenge of his principal models--King, Malcolm X, and James Baldwin.

For many years the theology of liberation, which emerged from Latin America in the 1970s, was viewed with suspicion and even hostility in Rome. In this historic exchange, Father Gustavo Gutiérrez, one of the original architects of liberation theology, and Cardinal Gerhard Müller, current Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, offer a new and positive chapter. Cardinal Müller, who as a student of Gutiérrez spent many summers working in Peru, writes with deep feeling and conviction about the contributions of liberation theology to church teaching--particularly in its articulation of the preferential option for the poor.

In his own contribution here, Gutiérrez lays out the essential ideas of liberation theology, its ecclesial location, and its fresh enunciation of the gospel for our time.