What do you think?
Rate this book
Fidel e a Religião - Conversas com Frei Betto
Neste livro já clássico, Fidel Castro falou a Frei Betto sobre religião durante 23 horas. Foi a primeira vez que um Chefe de Estado de um país socialista concedeu uma entrevista exclusiva a respeito deste tema sempre atual. Nas últimas décadas, a questão religiosa ganhou especial interesse, principalmente na América Latina, onde ditaduras militares assassinaram inúmeros religiosos que se colocaram ao lado da causa dos pobres. As milhares de Comunidades Eclesiais de Base que congregam camponeses e operários, e a força da Teologia da Libertação, são alguns dos fatores que fazem o tema da religião transcender os limites das próprias Igrejas e ganhar uma expressão política só comparável aos primeiros séculos do Cristianismo. Frei Betto revisita a obra escrita no início dos 1980 e traz de volta aos leitores o livro revisto e ampliado sobre o icônico líder cubano.
379 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
31 people are currently reading
926 people want to read
About the author
Frei Betto
104 books24 followersFrei Betto, born 1944, is a Brazilian writer, political activist, liberation theologian and Dominican friar. He was imprisoned for four years in the 1970s by the military dictatorship for smuggling people out of Brazil. In addition to work on eliminating hunger in Brazil, Frei Betto is involved in Brazilian politics. He worked for the government of President Lula da Silva as an advisor on prison policy and child hunger.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
April 21, 2020
I picked this book up in the sole bookstore in Varadero, Cuba, a shop I visit every time I go down to that resort town. This time, after a five-year gap, the books looked just like they had been on my last visit, no new titles, more curling and dog-earring of the tired wares on offer, and most covers that featured either Che Guevara or Fidel Castro or both. Signs of the regurgitated US embargo were clear. There were more of the 1950’s clunkers on the road, forced back into service, less food in restaurants, but the grit to survive as embodied in the father of their republic was never more alive. Oh, and the bookstore was now accepting credit cards, so there was one sign of progress, at least.
Fidel & Religion is a series of interviews between Castro and a Dominican priest, Frei Betto, who is wedded to Liberation Theology. After a lengthy prelude describing how the priest gained access to the secretive Fidel (the Commandant must take a liking to you first), we get down to the conversations that ran late into the night over several days in May 1985. The date is significant, for this was during the height of Fidel’s political strength, when he was able to take pot-shots at the capitalist west, while still being wedded and supported by his ally, the USSR, before that empire ended in glasnost and perestroika.
Fidel talks about his humble beginnings: a bright athletic child of a Spanish father and an illiterate but extremely religious Cuban mother. His father fought on the Spanish side during the Cuban war of liberation but returned to Cuba to live and become a wealthy landowner. Fidel’s schooling was in Catholic institutions: a multi-racial primary school run by the La Salle Brothers, followed by whites-only Jesuit schools in Santiago de Cuba and Havana. He despised ritualistic practices like mass and prayers; he cultivated the ability to think, reason, feel and acquire conviction—the essentials for political consciousness.
He elaborates at length, and quite candidly, even admitting to mistakes made, on his evolution as a revolutionary. Although Cuba had been liberated from Spain with the help of the US in 1896, the Americans had acquired all the land and wealth from the locals. Batista’s regime was ultra-corrupt. Castro’s abortive attack on the Moncada Garrison in 1952 is elaborated on in detail, but the final battle in 1959 that saw the overthrow of Batista is skimmed over, as is the time Fidel spent in prison and the period he spent re-arming in Mexico. However, he spends some time talking about the Bay of Pigs invasion that Cuba repulsed.
While Frei Betto seems more concerned with questions concerning Fidel’s family’s embrace of religious philosophy, practices and iconography, the Commandant is more interested in boasting about the accomplishments of the Revolution. He admits that Catholics were not allowed into the Communist party in the early days of the Revolution because they had always been counter-revolutionary and supporters of the USA, and he couldn’t risk schisms in his party. He openly lays bare the misinformation campaigns by the CIA, the attempts to assassinate him, and the embargo aimed at crippling Cuba. He claims there were 6000 doctors in Cuba in 1959, and when America allowed Cubans to enter the USA freely in order to thwart the Revolution, 3000 doctors emigrated. As of the time of the interview, Cuba had rebuilt to 20,500 doctors and were exporting them on mercy missions around the world. Fidel goes onto claim other victories: in education, in helping the poor and exploited, and in punishing Batista’s war criminals and expropriating their ill-gotten gains.
He debunks being a dictator and says that the US President and the Pope have more unilateral power than he has. He has a word on Liberation Theology too: his prior concept of the Church was one of exploitation and conquest (citing well known villains like Pizarro and Cortes who went forth with sword in one hand and cross in the other). He posits that it is only when the Church follows the path of Christ, who sided with the poor, that Christians will be in harmony with the Revolution. Frei Betto hastens to re-assure Castro that Liberation Theology is just that, a revolution within the Church, shifting the focus towards the poor and questioning past elitist practices.
There is much repetition in this book for the interviews are recorded verbatim. I was impressed by Fidel’s breath of knowledge of history and world events. Unlike the bloody dictator he has been portrayed as by western media, he is also a deep thinker that few of us give him credit for. And Frei Betto is to be commended for undertaking this project to give a counterpoint to the tsunami of vilification that has gone on in the western press against Fidel Castro. Castro even takes a punt at solving world poverty: forgive Third World debt and turn those crushing interest payments into funding development projects in the developing world. While some debt has been since forgiven, the Developed World instead chose Globalization to boost economies in the developing world and reduce costs at home, and that strategy has landed us in another muddle.
Fidel reserves the last few pages of the book to pay tribute to his friend and fellow revolutionary, Che Guevara. Contrary to the popular rumour that Fidel and Che had ideological differences leading to their ultimate split, Castro refers to Che and fellow Cuban revolutionary Camilo in warm and glowing terms, honouring their courage, intellect and sacrifice.
It is unfortunate that in order to survive the pressure from his bullying and powerful northern neighbour who was looking for any loophole to bring his regime down, Castro had to lock his people up in a vacuum for over 60 years. The vacuum is all that the overseas visitor sees today, leading him to exclaim, “Oh, see what communism had done for this country—impoverished it.” I wonder whether they would be still saying that after they read this book?
Fidel & Religion is a series of interviews between Castro and a Dominican priest, Frei Betto, who is wedded to Liberation Theology. After a lengthy prelude describing how the priest gained access to the secretive Fidel (the Commandant must take a liking to you first), we get down to the conversations that ran late into the night over several days in May 1985. The date is significant, for this was during the height of Fidel’s political strength, when he was able to take pot-shots at the capitalist west, while still being wedded and supported by his ally, the USSR, before that empire ended in glasnost and perestroika.
Fidel talks about his humble beginnings: a bright athletic child of a Spanish father and an illiterate but extremely religious Cuban mother. His father fought on the Spanish side during the Cuban war of liberation but returned to Cuba to live and become a wealthy landowner. Fidel’s schooling was in Catholic institutions: a multi-racial primary school run by the La Salle Brothers, followed by whites-only Jesuit schools in Santiago de Cuba and Havana. He despised ritualistic practices like mass and prayers; he cultivated the ability to think, reason, feel and acquire conviction—the essentials for political consciousness.
He elaborates at length, and quite candidly, even admitting to mistakes made, on his evolution as a revolutionary. Although Cuba had been liberated from Spain with the help of the US in 1896, the Americans had acquired all the land and wealth from the locals. Batista’s regime was ultra-corrupt. Castro’s abortive attack on the Moncada Garrison in 1952 is elaborated on in detail, but the final battle in 1959 that saw the overthrow of Batista is skimmed over, as is the time Fidel spent in prison and the period he spent re-arming in Mexico. However, he spends some time talking about the Bay of Pigs invasion that Cuba repulsed.
While Frei Betto seems more concerned with questions concerning Fidel’s family’s embrace of religious philosophy, practices and iconography, the Commandant is more interested in boasting about the accomplishments of the Revolution. He admits that Catholics were not allowed into the Communist party in the early days of the Revolution because they had always been counter-revolutionary and supporters of the USA, and he couldn’t risk schisms in his party. He openly lays bare the misinformation campaigns by the CIA, the attempts to assassinate him, and the embargo aimed at crippling Cuba. He claims there were 6000 doctors in Cuba in 1959, and when America allowed Cubans to enter the USA freely in order to thwart the Revolution, 3000 doctors emigrated. As of the time of the interview, Cuba had rebuilt to 20,500 doctors and were exporting them on mercy missions around the world. Fidel goes onto claim other victories: in education, in helping the poor and exploited, and in punishing Batista’s war criminals and expropriating their ill-gotten gains.
He debunks being a dictator and says that the US President and the Pope have more unilateral power than he has. He has a word on Liberation Theology too: his prior concept of the Church was one of exploitation and conquest (citing well known villains like Pizarro and Cortes who went forth with sword in one hand and cross in the other). He posits that it is only when the Church follows the path of Christ, who sided with the poor, that Christians will be in harmony with the Revolution. Frei Betto hastens to re-assure Castro that Liberation Theology is just that, a revolution within the Church, shifting the focus towards the poor and questioning past elitist practices.
There is much repetition in this book for the interviews are recorded verbatim. I was impressed by Fidel’s breath of knowledge of history and world events. Unlike the bloody dictator he has been portrayed as by western media, he is also a deep thinker that few of us give him credit for. And Frei Betto is to be commended for undertaking this project to give a counterpoint to the tsunami of vilification that has gone on in the western press against Fidel Castro. Castro even takes a punt at solving world poverty: forgive Third World debt and turn those crushing interest payments into funding development projects in the developing world. While some debt has been since forgiven, the Developed World instead chose Globalization to boost economies in the developing world and reduce costs at home, and that strategy has landed us in another muddle.
Fidel reserves the last few pages of the book to pay tribute to his friend and fellow revolutionary, Che Guevara. Contrary to the popular rumour that Fidel and Che had ideological differences leading to their ultimate split, Castro refers to Che and fellow Cuban revolutionary Camilo in warm and glowing terms, honouring their courage, intellect and sacrifice.
It is unfortunate that in order to survive the pressure from his bullying and powerful northern neighbour who was looking for any loophole to bring his regime down, Castro had to lock his people up in a vacuum for over 60 years. The vacuum is all that the overseas visitor sees today, leading him to exclaim, “Oh, see what communism had done for this country—impoverished it.” I wonder whether they would be still saying that after they read this book?
September 8, 2022
Frei Betto: Have you ever been religious?
Fidel Castro: Maybe if the Jesuits hadn't used such dogmatic tactics in teaching I might have become a believer.
Fidel Castro: Maybe if the Jesuits hadn't used such dogmatic tactics in teaching I might have become a believer.
July 25, 2011
I wish that I had been exposed to more of this kind of literature when I was younger. The other side of the story. It is so important in our personal and public education to get outside of the government propaganda. We MUST realize that there are always AT LEAST two viewpoints to consider. Liberation Theology has been widely demonized by the church in America. I find it's premise to be one of the most Christ like ideas that I've ever heard. God is on the side of the oppressed. What can be so wrong with that? It's unfortunate that this book is no longer in print. It came out in 1987 and was the product of a lengthy interview with Castro that was conducted by a Brazilian clergyman in 1985. Castro is and has been EXTREMELY open and welcoming to religion in his country. Although he is a self-professed atheist, he acknowledges the similarities between true Socialist thought and the teachings of Christ. In fact, he makes the statement (to which I also subscribe), that the TRUE definition of Socialism is much more Christ like than Capitalism can ever hope to be. Capitalism is about one-upmanship and exploitation. Socialism is about equality and human rights.
July 27, 2025
El libro plasma la larga entrevista que el religioso brasileño conocido como Frei Betto, realizó al entonces Secretario General del Partido Comunista de Cuba, Fidel Castro.
Frei Betto formó parte de una corriente interna de la Iglesia Católica, que en la década del '70 formuló la denominada Teología de la Liberación, que pretendía construir una síntesis entre el catolicismo y el marxismo, sobre el punto compartido del amor y cuidado de los pobres.
Duante la entrevista, Frei Betto vuelve una y otra vez sobre los antecedentes de Castro, hijo de españoles, y educado durante toda su fase de estudios en instituciones católicas, jesuitas, tratando de confirmar que en la raíz de sus ideales había un germen cristiano (como Marx, cuyo padre era Pastor).
Y una y otra vez, Castro afirma que nunca tuvo interés en los temas religiosos; y que de sus padres no recibió ninguna formación religioso, ya que. aunque su madre era una católica de andar con el rosario, el padre era un agnóstico.
El libro es muy interesante para saber más sobre la vida y las ideas de Fidel Castro, un hombre que para bien o para mal, marcó la historia, sobre todo en Iberoamérica. Mientras lo leía me daba pena los insistentes esfuerzos de Frei Betto, posiblemente un hombre bueno y sensible, de que Castro reconociera esasa raíces cristianas, ante las crudas y desalentadoras respuestas del entrevistado, un hombre duro, un político.
Hoy todas estas cuestiones han entrado al museo de antigüedades, y son incomprensibles para muchos jóvenes. Para otros, ante un mundo globalizado, una ilusión casi desesesperada de encontrar una respuesta a su deseo de justicia y de solidaridad con los pobres, y que en general son manipulados por políticos, no tan sensibles ni considerados.
Frei Betto formó parte de una corriente interna de la Iglesia Católica, que en la década del '70 formuló la denominada Teología de la Liberación, que pretendía construir una síntesis entre el catolicismo y el marxismo, sobre el punto compartido del amor y cuidado de los pobres.
Duante la entrevista, Frei Betto vuelve una y otra vez sobre los antecedentes de Castro, hijo de españoles, y educado durante toda su fase de estudios en instituciones católicas, jesuitas, tratando de confirmar que en la raíz de sus ideales había un germen cristiano (como Marx, cuyo padre era Pastor).
Y una y otra vez, Castro afirma que nunca tuvo interés en los temas religiosos; y que de sus padres no recibió ninguna formación religioso, ya que. aunque su madre era una católica de andar con el rosario, el padre era un agnóstico.
El libro es muy interesante para saber más sobre la vida y las ideas de Fidel Castro, un hombre que para bien o para mal, marcó la historia, sobre todo en Iberoamérica. Mientras lo leía me daba pena los insistentes esfuerzos de Frei Betto, posiblemente un hombre bueno y sensible, de que Castro reconociera esasa raíces cristianas, ante las crudas y desalentadoras respuestas del entrevistado, un hombre duro, un político.
Hoy todas estas cuestiones han entrado al museo de antigüedades, y son incomprensibles para muchos jóvenes. Para otros, ante un mundo globalizado, una ilusión casi desesesperada de encontrar una respuesta a su deseo de justicia y de solidaridad con los pobres, y que en general son manipulados por políticos, no tan sensibles ni considerados.
October 23, 2025
A friend gave me this book, with many notes scrawled in the margins. He is Uruguayan, and in a conversation one day I embarassingly mixed up Che and Fidel. So he lent me ' The Motorcycle Diaries' and afterwards ' Fidel on Religion'. Reading the two books authored by these two contemporary revolutionaries gave me a much better sense of who they were, and why they fought for liberation in South America.
Besides the insight into Fidel himself, I also learned about liberation theology. I had previously only heard of it through the cold war boardgame Twilight Struggle (which, admittedly is a great way to get on a name-familiar basis with many of the occurrences that have shaped the past ~70 years). I enjoyed reading about Fidel's perspectives on Cuba's situation, on South America and of course his interpretation on Christianity as an inherently socialist ideology.
I do feel like the interviews were likely touched up afterwards to seem more complete and coherent. In some cases, Fidel just rattles of loads of numbers relating to economies, demographies etc, with very precise values which I cannot imagine he just named off the top of his head. But that is fine, it makes for a more convincing thesis.
Frei Betto's contribution is pretty minor. That makes sense as an interviewer. And I do think that having him as the christian representative interviewer likely kept things on-topic a bit more. Fidel rambles, so having an actual churchman there to get him to focus on the topic likely helped.
Besides the insight into Fidel himself, I also learned about liberation theology. I had previously only heard of it through the cold war boardgame Twilight Struggle (which, admittedly is a great way to get on a name-familiar basis with many of the occurrences that have shaped the past ~70 years). I enjoyed reading about Fidel's perspectives on Cuba's situation, on South America and of course his interpretation on Christianity as an inherently socialist ideology.
I do feel like the interviews were likely touched up afterwards to seem more complete and coherent. In some cases, Fidel just rattles of loads of numbers relating to economies, demographies etc, with very precise values which I cannot imagine he just named off the top of his head. But that is fine, it makes for a more convincing thesis.
Frei Betto's contribution is pretty minor. That makes sense as an interviewer. And I do think that having him as the christian representative interviewer likely kept things on-topic a bit more. Fidel rambles, so having an actual churchman there to get him to focus on the topic likely helped.
November 16, 2025
Maravilhoso! Esse livro tem como um dos temas centrais a aproximação entre as ideias do cristianismo raiz e o comunismo, a relação entre a igreja católica e o partido socialista cubano, que por muito tempo foi um partido ateu (e não laico) mas, além disso, é ótimo para um mergulho na história da revolução cubana. Fidel me pareceu uma figura impressionante! Inteligente, íntegro e muito humano. Uma conversa muito legal de acompanhar!
June 29, 2021
It took great courage for a socialist leader to dedicate such extensive interview time to a liberation theologian. This is an important interview to address misconceptions from conservative and colonial religions about the destructive nature of socialism for people of faith.
Of course, Jesus’ ministry was that of a revolutionary in the Roman era. Castro, a revolutionary in the United States governed by foreign policy mantras such as the Monroe Doctrine, offer contrasting messages of hope for their followers. Jesus, for the salvation of man. Castro, for the liberation of the Cuban people from American domination.
While it is disappointing that Betto could not gather or record Castro’s comments about the Soviet Union, Castro’s personal warmth, charm and freedom of mind contrasts to the brutalism and monolithic conceptions of the Eastern Bloc as a whole.
Conducting this interview in the 1990s after the end of the Soviet Union would have made for a much more dire domestic situation for Cuba. But this point reinforces Castro’s views on neocolonialism: that problems facing the Third World in the way of foreign debt and resource allocation continue to drive relations between developed and developing countries.
A gradual approach to these problems from the 1980s or earlier would mean there would be less urgency for action today and would make the text much less relevant now. However, corporate indifference to human suffering and the ongoing climate emergency mean the time for gradual changes are over.
In 2021, do we need another generation of global revolutionaries like the 26th July Movement to fight political corruption and corporate indifference to human and environmental suffering? Only this may allow humans a closer glimpse into the Kingdom of God on earth.
Of course, Jesus’ ministry was that of a revolutionary in the Roman era. Castro, a revolutionary in the United States governed by foreign policy mantras such as the Monroe Doctrine, offer contrasting messages of hope for their followers. Jesus, for the salvation of man. Castro, for the liberation of the Cuban people from American domination.
While it is disappointing that Betto could not gather or record Castro’s comments about the Soviet Union, Castro’s personal warmth, charm and freedom of mind contrasts to the brutalism and monolithic conceptions of the Eastern Bloc as a whole.
Conducting this interview in the 1990s after the end of the Soviet Union would have made for a much more dire domestic situation for Cuba. But this point reinforces Castro’s views on neocolonialism: that problems facing the Third World in the way of foreign debt and resource allocation continue to drive relations between developed and developing countries.
A gradual approach to these problems from the 1980s or earlier would mean there would be less urgency for action today and would make the text much less relevant now. However, corporate indifference to human suffering and the ongoing climate emergency mean the time for gradual changes are over.
In 2021, do we need another generation of global revolutionaries like the 26th July Movement to fight political corruption and corporate indifference to human and environmental suffering? Only this may allow humans a closer glimpse into the Kingdom of God on earth.
August 2, 2017
An amazing collection of interviews between Fidel and the Catholic liberation theologian Frei Betto. Full of provocative statements and questions by Betto, he wishes for Fidel to leave no stone unturned as to his views of the synthesis of religion and socialism, and Fidel does not. From a principled defense of Marx and Lenin's polemics against religion in their time to the recognition of religion as a vehicle for social progressive movements, especially in Latin America, Fidel demonstrates his deep, dialectical understanding of the role of religion in revolutionary socialism, something the Orthodox Marxist dogmatists still seem incapable of doing.
If you are unfamiliar with Fidel's philosophies or those of liberation theology, this is an indispensable introduction. Even if you are familiar, this book is still invaluable in its showcasing of Fidel's dialectical process of analyzing social movements. Everything from love & hate, communism and Christianity, and even Jesus Christ himself are covered in great detail.
Reading this book today brings about a tinge of sadness, as you begin to realize the giant of a man humanity lost in 2016: Fidel Castro Ruz. However, just as Fidel says, "there are hundreds of Camilos, hundreds of Chés", there are hundreds of Fidels. For every person who reads this book with sincerity, another Fidel is born.
If you are unfamiliar with Fidel's philosophies or those of liberation theology, this is an indispensable introduction. Even if you are familiar, this book is still invaluable in its showcasing of Fidel's dialectical process of analyzing social movements. Everything from love & hate, communism and Christianity, and even Jesus Christ himself are covered in great detail.
Reading this book today brings about a tinge of sadness, as you begin to realize the giant of a man humanity lost in 2016: Fidel Castro Ruz. However, just as Fidel says, "there are hundreds of Camilos, hundreds of Chés", there are hundreds of Fidels. For every person who reads this book with sincerity, another Fidel is born.
July 22, 2021
Very readable, covers Fidel's early life in relation to his views on religion and the formation of ethics, a bit on the revolution, and some really interesting discussions on liberation theology and the compatibility of faith and communism.
August 13, 2025
Tour de force. From religion, Fidel recounts his life, shares revolutionary insights, analyzes political economy of Latin America, flaunting his lobster recipes on the side. Maybe the book that influenced me the most during study abroad.
Toward the end, Fidel says, "I get more and more convinced of the idea that there are many Camilos among the people, just as I think there are many Ches among the Argentine people, and in all of Latin America there are tens of thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousands of men like Camilo and Che." We'll pick that work up, Comandante.
Toward the end, Fidel says, "I get more and more convinced of the idea that there are many Camilos among the people, just as I think there are many Ches among the Argentine people, and in all of Latin America there are tens of thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousands of men like Camilo and Che." We'll pick that work up, Comandante.
August 25, 2022
“Why doesn’t anybody question how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven? That’s unquestionable. Comandante, from the theological point of view, it doesn’t mean that Jesus discriminated against the rich; it means that Jesus opted for the poor. That is, in a society characterized by social inequalities, God decided to assume the likeness of Jesus; he could have been born in Rome, to a family of emperors; he could have been born to a Jewish landowner’s family; he could have been born to the middle strata of parishioners. Instead, he chose to be born among the poor, as the son of a carpenter — one who certainly worked on the construction of the Brasília of his time, the city of Tiberias, built as a tribute to Emperor Tiberius Caesar in whose reign Jesus lived. It’s interesting that Tiberias is on the banks of the Lake of Gennesaret, where Jesus spent most of his life and carried out most of his activities. In the Gospels, he doesn’t visit that city even once.
So, what do we say? We say that Jesus unconditionally opted for the poor. He spoke to everyone, both rich and poor, but from a specific social stand, from the social stand of the interests of the poor. He didn’t speak in a neutral, universalist, abstract way; rather, he reflected the interests of the oppressed strata of the times.”
——————————-
“Our people were inspired by their hatred of torture and crime; how could we possibly have set an example of torture and crime for our soldiers? It would have had a demoralizing effect. Those who don’t understand that morale is a fundamental factor in a revolution are lost, defeated. Values and morale are humanity’s spiritual weapons. As you know, regardless of their beliefs, we don’t inspire a revolutionary fighter with the idea that they’ll be rewarded in the next world or will be eternally happy if they die. Those fighters were ready to die — even those who were nonbelievers — because there were values for which they believed it was worth giving their lives, even though their lives were all they had. How can you get a person to do this if not on the basis of specific values, and how could you possibly stain and destroy those values?”
So, what do we say? We say that Jesus unconditionally opted for the poor. He spoke to everyone, both rich and poor, but from a specific social stand, from the social stand of the interests of the poor. He didn’t speak in a neutral, universalist, abstract way; rather, he reflected the interests of the oppressed strata of the times.”
——————————-
“Our people were inspired by their hatred of torture and crime; how could we possibly have set an example of torture and crime for our soldiers? It would have had a demoralizing effect. Those who don’t understand that morale is a fundamental factor in a revolution are lost, defeated. Values and morale are humanity’s spiritual weapons. As you know, regardless of their beliefs, we don’t inspire a revolutionary fighter with the idea that they’ll be rewarded in the next world or will be eternally happy if they die. Those fighters were ready to die — even those who were nonbelievers — because there were values for which they believed it was worth giving their lives, even though their lives were all they had. How can you get a person to do this if not on the basis of specific values, and how could you possibly stain and destroy those values?”
May 6, 2024
Frei Betto doesn’t only write a book journaling his experiences and interview with Fidel but he also includes a comprehensive history of Cuba and theology in the 1980s.
The direct impact of this book can be seen in Cuba’s constitutional change from a confessionally atheist government to that of secularism. Further, it sparked a dialogue between liberation theology and Marxism in Latin America. Which has grown massively as can be seen in Nicaragua and Brazil.
I believe liberation theology is Christianity returning to its origins and the religion of slavery. The combination of both necessitates and understanding that socialism is a tool for a spiritual salvation under the kingdom of God. As Raúl Castro says, “…the principles of Christ …gives me hope of salvation, and the revolution carries them out.” It can be seen that capitalism is not a system that is more compatible with word of Christ. A permanent and strategic alliance must be formed between Marxism and Christianity to overthrow the church’s alliance with capitalism. As the defense of the poor is a tenet that structures both.
As typical for reading any Fidel speech or interview, it contains moments that shake your psyche and moments of 40 minute long tangents. That’s what you can expect from this book as well. If you are looking for a more in-depth look into liberation theology I would recommend James Cone, Gustavo Gutiérrez, or Leonardo Boff.
The direct impact of this book can be seen in Cuba’s constitutional change from a confessionally atheist government to that of secularism. Further, it sparked a dialogue between liberation theology and Marxism in Latin America. Which has grown massively as can be seen in Nicaragua and Brazil.
I believe liberation theology is Christianity returning to its origins and the religion of slavery. The combination of both necessitates and understanding that socialism is a tool for a spiritual salvation under the kingdom of God. As Raúl Castro says, “…the principles of Christ …gives me hope of salvation, and the revolution carries them out.” It can be seen that capitalism is not a system that is more compatible with word of Christ. A permanent and strategic alliance must be formed between Marxism and Christianity to overthrow the church’s alliance with capitalism. As the defense of the poor is a tenet that structures both.
As typical for reading any Fidel speech or interview, it contains moments that shake your psyche and moments of 40 minute long tangents. That’s what you can expect from this book as well. If you are looking for a more in-depth look into liberation theology I would recommend James Cone, Gustavo Gutiérrez, or Leonardo Boff.
September 9, 2022
Fidel era una persona con capacidad de conversar de prácticamente todo. En este caso, él y el dominico Frei Betto nos regalan 23 horas de conversación con el tema central de la religión. No es un libro de teología y lo que se va a encontrar el lector es un relato de las vivencias religiosas del Comandante a lo largo de su vida y una panorámica de las relaciones entre la Iglesia, especialmente la católica, y la Revolución cubana, un intercambio de opiniones acerca de la Teología de la Liberación, la presencia de creyentes en las filas del Partido Comunista de Cuba o el papel de estos en los procesos revolucionarios a lo largo del mundo, además de abordar cuestiones más abstractas como la incompatibilidad o no entre marxismo y cristianismo. De todos modos, aunque la temática fundamental sea religiosa, es inevitable la presencia de excursos que nos transportan al asalto al Cuartel Moncada, a Sierra Maestra o a Playa Girón, amén de la inclusión de otros debates de política internacional como la posición de los países del Tercer Mundo en el sistema mundial.
January 9, 2025
Una entrevista completa. A veces algo grandilocuente, pero la calidad oratoria de Fidel permite ver la necesidad de sus énfasis y repeticiones que en ocasiones parecen ser formas de eludir el tema.
Aunque Fidel y la Religión sea un título digno de la intención de Frei Betto, que era mostrar la Teología de la Liberación como un elemento necesario en la izquierda revolucionaria latinoamericana, la discusión fue aterrizada a lo que verdaderamente le importaría a un lider revolucionario: las condiciones materiales.
Fidel es enfático: no se trata sólo de ideas que cambian al mundo: "Las crisis generan ideas, pero las ideas no generan crisis". ¿Está el cristianismo, representado en la Iglesia, listo para acompañar la Revolución? No, aunque exista Teología de la Liberación, Fidel veía que faltaba tiempo. ¿Qué nos ha dicho el tiempo?
Aunque Fidel y la Religión sea un título digno de la intención de Frei Betto, que era mostrar la Teología de la Liberación como un elemento necesario en la izquierda revolucionaria latinoamericana, la discusión fue aterrizada a lo que verdaderamente le importaría a un lider revolucionario: las condiciones materiales.
Fidel es enfático: no se trata sólo de ideas que cambian al mundo: "Las crisis generan ideas, pero las ideas no generan crisis". ¿Está el cristianismo, representado en la Iglesia, listo para acompañar la Revolución? No, aunque exista Teología de la Liberación, Fidel veía que faltaba tiempo. ¿Qué nos ha dicho el tiempo?
May 6, 2018
Large sections of Fidel going on rants about Cuban history and the revolution that have nothing to do with Frei Bettos questions. Sometimes this is annoying, sometimes his rants are more interesting than the questions.
It was a chore to read, but at the very least it's an interesting insight into Fidel's speaking mannerisms in an unedited one-on-one interview setting. For example: He tends to repeat his central point a lot. At first it seemed like a tick -- i.e., someone fumbling for his next idea -- but it quickly revealed itself as a strategic, covert method of brainwashing. Verbally pummeling the listener into agreement.
It was a chore to read, but at the very least it's an interesting insight into Fidel's speaking mannerisms in an unedited one-on-one interview setting. For example: He tends to repeat his central point a lot. At first it seemed like a tick -- i.e., someone fumbling for his next idea -- but it quickly revealed itself as a strategic, covert method of brainwashing. Verbally pummeling the listener into agreement.
September 7, 2025
Documento muy interesante. Frei Betto, un fraile dominico adepto a la Teología de la Liberación, charla con Fidel sobre muchos temas, desde sus orígenes familiares hasta la muerte de los dos grandes revolucionarios: el Che y Cienfuegos. COmo tal, el libro es fundamental, al presentar una ventana abierta a la mente del líder revolucionario, una de las figuras más interesantes de la historia del s.XX.
Sin embargo, el libro tiene un par de inconvenientes: aunque el título es "Fidel y la religión", la religión ocupa un papel casi secundario en el libro, opacado por las ganas de hablar de Fidel, quien acaba casi perdiendo el hilo de las preguntas de Betto en pos de su discurso.
Sin embargo, el libro tiene un par de inconvenientes: aunque el título es "Fidel y la religión", la religión ocupa un papel casi secundario en el libro, opacado por las ganas de hablar de Fidel, quien acaba casi perdiendo el hilo de las preguntas de Betto en pos de su discurso.
June 1, 2024
As intervenções do Frei Betto são um pouco limitadas e pouco interessantes, mas dá para perceber como seria uma conversa com Fidel Castro e a abrangência do seu intelecto sobre os mais diversos temas. É como uma pequena biografia do Fidel e das suas aventuras para criar e vencer a revolução cubana, leitura obrigatória antes de visitarem La Habana. Dá para perceber porque é que este homem que já morreu há quase 10 anos, mantem a admiração do povo cubano , e continua a ser reconhecido pela sua humanidade e clareza de pensamento.
January 12, 2025
As someone who loves Cuban history and has a deep interest in the Cuban revolution, I decided to read “Fidel and Religion” by Fidel Castro again…older and wiser.
While I appreciate Castro’s thoughts on the intersection of religion and politics in his life and revolutionary journey, the book didn’t have the depth I was hoping for.
The book is valuable in its own way, but it didn’t feel as groundbreaking as I expected.
While I appreciate Castro’s thoughts on the intersection of religion and politics in his life and revolutionary journey, the book didn’t have the depth I was hoping for.
The book is valuable in its own way, but it didn’t feel as groundbreaking as I expected.
June 1, 2020
Decent collection of interviews, doesn’t talk too much about religion though.
August 10, 2020
A través de un diálogo con Frei Betto, Fidel Castro revela aspectos centrales de su formación (se educò en un colegio jesuita) y su visión sobre la religión. Un libro sorprendente en muchos sentidos.
December 12, 2024
Great book. Fidel is slept on as easily one of the the most interesting persons of the 20th century. He's also clearly extremely intelligent and thoughtful.
gone-gave-away
August 20, 2025I could tell this wasn't going to go well, so I donated it before reading it.
You can't undo the skimming
You can't undo the skimming
August 31, 2025
ciekawy opis wspomnień człowiek, który był jednym z ważnych graczy polityki narodowej. Ale porównywanie che guevary do świętego to trochę za dużo...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2025
Frei Betto: 'Su madre tenia imagenes religiosas?'
Castro: 'Si, te voy a hablar de eso. Pero antes voy a terminar el tema anterior, sobre la arquitectura campesina espanola y otro detalles'
Castro: 'Si, te voy a hablar de eso. Pero antes voy a terminar el tema anterior, sobre la arquitectura campesina espanola y otro detalles'
August 4, 2023
I loved the honesty between Fidel and Frei Betto. The resemblance made between Christianity and Marxism -Leninism was explained comprehensively.
August 6, 2025
Analyzing it from a historical perspective, nobody can deny that the church - the church of the conquerors, oppressors, and exploiters - was on the side of the conquerors, oppressors, and exploiters. It never categorically denounced slavery, an institution that is so repugnant to our consciences now. There was never a denunciation condemning the slavery of Africans or indigenous people. The church never denounced the extermination of the aboriginal population or any of the other crimes that were committed against those people - the fact that they were robbed of their land, their wealth, their culture, and even their lives. None of the churches denounced those crimes, and the system lasted for centuries. No wonder the revolutionary ideas that emerged in the struggle against those age-old injustices had an antireligious spirit.
April 22, 2014
This book is the transcript of a discussion between Fidel Castro and Brazilian liberation theologian Frei Betto over the course of several meetings in May of 1985. It started out pretty slow and I had difficulty getting into it, but the two final interview installments made it WELL worth the read. Fidel speaks about his first introductions to Christianity (Catholicism) as a child, the relationship between the Catholic Church (as an institution) and the Revolution, liberation theology in Latin America, and whether one can be both a communist/socialist and a believer. He also provides thoughtful responses to Frei Betto’s questions of his views of Jesus Christ as a person, whether religion is truly the opiate of the masses, whether love is a revolutionary requirement, and so forth.
August 31, 2014
Entonces la Iglesia a través del tiempo, ha sido participe de muchas batallas internas y externas. Los revolucionarios cristianos pueden existir, pero Jesús se ha vuelto para nosotros un revolucionario por excelencia, del lado de los pobres y abogando por ellos. Bien dice el Comandante Fidel "Si un rico debe dar 4 veces lo que tiene, debe de robar 16 veces; porque lo que consiguió lo obtuvo a base de robos a los pobres". No un izquierda, es ateo.. son las absurdas concepciones del mundo cerrado y mediático que nos rodea.
December 21, 2018
I read this book in preparation for an editorial on revolution and religion and beyond conversations about religion, the book gives a great deal of history to Fidel's early life, decisions to become a revolutionary and overthrow the dictatorship of Batista as well as thoughts on discipline, love, liberation and where god fits in. It was a brilliant combination of a Marxist liberation theologist asking Fidel some tough questions and Fidel being honest about the role of religion and liberation. He is not cynical, but strategic.
December 6, 2011
Wow! Can't believe this book is here in Good Reads. I bought this book in a bookstore in Veradero, Cuba in 1989. It was quite new and written in English. I read it on the beach. Just loved it and have read it a couple times since.
At the time I was reading a lot about liberation theology.
At the time I was reading a lot about liberation theology.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews