Translation of: Befreiung durch Jesus?

Includes index.

Bibliography: p. 176-178.

The Theology of Liberation: A "New Way of Doing Theology" -- Antecedents In the Beginning, a Memory -- An Insight: Dependence and the Theory of Dependency -- Reaction of the Church: Plenary Meeting of the Latin American Bishops' Conference in Medellín, Colombia, in 1968 -- The Theology of Liberation: Blueprint and Basis -- A Point Departure in the Analysis of the Latin American Situation -- The New Praxis as the Target -- Championship of the Cause of the Poor: Liberation Theology's Focal Point -- Critical Inquiries into the Theology of Liberation -- The Adoption of Marxist Thinking -- The Concept of Liberation -- Faith and Politics -- New Political Situation, New Latin American Accent: A Theology of Captivity -- The Return to Jesus Christ in the Theology of Liberation -- Interest in Jesus -- Hugo Assman --Gustavo Gutiérrez -- Segundo Galilea -- Juan Luis Segundo -- Juan Hernández Pico -- Two Documents from Church Praxis -- Leonardo Boff -- Jon Sobrino -- Javier Jiménez Limón -- Ignacio Ellacuría -- Eduardo Pironio -- Synopsis -- Going Back to Jesus -- The "Political Jesus" -- Jesus' Way to Death -- Excursus: The Use of Violence -- Jesus' Death and Resurrection -- Jesus' Death -- Resurrection and Liberation -- The Key: The Kingdom of God -- Kingdom of God as Motive for Prophetic Criticism -- Kingdom of God as Motivation for Political Conduct -- Jesus and the Kingdom of God

What would possess a German theologian and biblical scholar to take up the study of the Latin American theology of liberation? Personal associations, surely –experiences in the main reason. Certain Latin American theologians had been heard to say they had found a "new way of doing theology", and our German theologian wanted to see whether it was so, and if so, how – since if it were so, then it might well point to a "new way of doing" biblical studies, too, as a tool of theology. Indeed, biblical scholars had already asked this question. What was going on in Latin America could have important repercussions on First World theology itself. Our plan had never been to try carry out a comprehensive investigation of liberation Christology –we have second purpose as well: to reconsider the question of theology's role in society. The latin American theologians who have development the theology of liberation are all in agreement that no theology has any business being "socially naive"–oblivious of social situation in which it is working. Theology must take account of thethat today's world only seems to be one world. In reality, it is divided into rich nations and poor ones, and populated by free human beings and repressed ones. Whenever this rift is not grist for the theological mill, theology itself will be estranged from reality and hence irrelevant. Theologians will perhaps even be content with two theologies, one for the rich countries and one for the poor ones. Then theology itself will have become a mirror of the socio-political split in the world today. This is where the theology of liberation steps forward and asks Northern theology questions the latter dare not turn away from if it means to keep its credibility. If this book –intended for theologians and anyone else interested in theology– succeeds in making its readers aware of these questions, then our second purpose will have been attained. Unless we want a divided Christology, First World theology will have to begin to busy itself about a divided world, and about Christology in a divided world. --from the book.