2026/05/26 by Matthew Philipp Whelan · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Christian Theology and Mission #Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies #Theological Perspectives and Practices
paper · doi:10.1177/00405639261431849
openalex publication_date 2026/05/26 · openalex created_date 2026/05/27 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/27
This essay reassesses the life and legacy of the Salvadoran martyr and saint Óscar Romero, focusing on his relationship to liberation theology. Drawing on his writings before and after becoming archbishop in 1977, I argue that the theological category of liberation forms a consistent thread in Romero’s theology from the early 1970s onward, and that his theology of liberation continues to deepen over the remainder of the decade. In Romero’s mature thought, God’s liberative work centers on forming Christian liberators conformed to Christ’s love—a vision that invites renewed reflection on liberation theology as a diverse and contested tradition.