Liberation Theologies, Postmodernity and the Americas - Paperback

by David Batstone (Editor), Eduardo Mendieta (Editor), Lois Ann Lorentzen (Editor)

Simultaneously arising out of such diverse contexts as the black community in the United States, grassroots religious communities in Latin America, and feminist circles in North Atlantic countries, theologies of liberation have emerged as a resource and inspiration for people seeking social and political freedom. Over the last three decades, liberation theology has irrevocably altered religious thinking and practice throughout the Americas. Liberation Theologies, Postmodernity and the Americas provides a meaningful and spirited debate on vital interpretive issues in religion, philosophy, and ethics. The renowned group of scholars explore liberation theologies' uses of discourses of emancipation, revolution and utopia in contrast with postmodernism's suspicion of grand narratives, while assessing what the postmodernism/liberation debate means for strategies of social and political transformation. Guided by the experiences of those at the margins of social power, liberation theologies demystify the eurocentric myths of secularization and modernity, and calls for a re-appraisal of religion in contemporary societies. Contributors: Edmund Arens, David Batstone, Maria Clara Bingemer, Enrique Dussel, Gustavo Gutierrez, Jurgen Habermas, Franz Hinkelammert, Dwight Hopkins, Lois Ann Lorentzen, Eduardo Mendieta, Amos Nascimento, Elsa Tamez, Mark McLain Taylor, and Sharon Welch, Robert Allen Warrior

Back Jacket

Liberation Theologies, Postmodernity, and the Americas provides a spirited debate on vital issues in religion, philosophy, and ethics. This renowned group of scholars explore liberation theologies in light of discourses of emancipation, revolution, and utopia. Engaging postmodernism's suspicion of grand narratives, these essays consider what the postmodernism/liberation debate means for strategies of social and political transformation.

Author Biography

David Batstone is Assistant Professor, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of San Francisco. Eduardo Mendieta is Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of San Francisco. Lois Ann Lorentzen is Associate Professor, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of San Francisco. Dwight N. Hopkins is Associate Professor, The Divinity School, The University of Chicago.