Mysterium Liberationis: Fundamental Concepts of Liberation Theology

by Ignacio Ellacuría, Jon Sobrino

English (translation)
Original Spanish

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Christianity, Religion

752 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Ignacio Ellacuría was a Jesuit priest, philosopher, and theologian who did important work as a professor and rector at the Universidad Centroamericana "José Simeón Cañas" (UCA), a Jesuit university in El Salvador founded in 1965. Ignacio Ellacuría was a close friend and colleague of the scholars Ignacio Martín-Baró and Segundo Montes, all of whom were assassinated with Ellacuría by the Salvadoran army, along with three colleagues and two employees. His work was defining for the shape UCA took in its first years of existence and the years to come. Ellacuría was also responsible for the development of formation programs for priests in the Jesuit Central American province.

Ellacuría's academic work was an important contribution to "Liberation Philosophy". This school of philosophy stems from the work of Augusto Salazar Bondy and Leopoldo Zea. It focuses on liberating the oppressed in order "to reach the fullness of humanity". Ellacuría was also a strong supporter and contributor to Liberation Theology.

Reviews

[Eric T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mysterium Liberationis is an indispensable book for those looking to dive deeper into liberation theology. The book straddles a line between being an introductory guide and providing more depth to those already familiar with the basic structures of liberation theology. I recommend that readers have some familiarity with the concepts before diving in, as some of the essays can become quite academic and dense, though it isn't an impediment if you are willing to engage with that sort of material. The book is a collection of essays by some of the leading figures in liberation theology at the time of its publication (early 1990s). Each essay provides a building block in understanding the foundations of liberation theology, and as the book's subtitle implies, its fundamental concepts.

The book is divided into two parts — the first being the history and methodology of liberation theology, and the second being its systematic contents. In the first part, there are essays on topics such as epistemology, biblical hermeneutics, historical dialogue with European theology, and liberation theology's dialogue with Marxism, among other topics. In the second half, the content gets meatier with essays on themes such as historical salvation, the Trinity, Christology, spirituality, Mary, and ecclesiastical theology. I enjoyed this part of the book more than the first, and I deeply appreciated Ignacio Ellacuría's essays, in particular. Some of the essays are quite profound. "The Crucified People" and "The Historicity of Christian Salvation" were both incredibly impactful to me, especially as an agnostic who has been re-engaging with their faith again. Both of these essays really address important issues in liberation theology and demonstrate the power of this theology by showing how history and suffering operate within a Christian framework. The final essay, "Hope, Utopia, and Resurrection," is a fitting way to end the book, and I imagine those familiar with Jürgen Moltmann or Ernst Bloch will appreciate it. I also enjoyed Pablo Richard's essay on idolatry, which was probably the most powerful essay in this collection pound-for-pound.

Compared to A Theology of Liberation, which I read alongside Mysterium Liberationis, I would say the former is a better introduction to liberation theology. However, this book covers some topics that Gustavo Gutiérrez's book didn't, and I think Mysterium Liberationis helped me "connect the dots" a bit more with a theological framework that is incredibly rich and complex. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a solid interest in exploring the topic.

4.5/5

[Bekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good and bad in this of course - basic writings from liberation theology. Informational, and interesting.