Gospel, Liberation and Pluralism in Latin America

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Seeing the world through the eyes of the marginalised has been a consistent theme in modern Latin American theology. When Latin American Liberation Theology first emerged, evangelical theologian René Padilla expressed a shared concern over the problem of poverty, but also warned that certain elements therein clashed with evangelical hermeneutics. Consequently, he called for a circular approach that would maintain a tension between the crisis of the moment and the authority of biblical revelation. In the twenty-first century, liberation discourse has expanded into postcolonial critique on indigenous culture and identity, including a stream known as Liberation Pluralism. Evangelicals share many of the same concerns. But as they engage with the discourse, there is an ongoing need to heed Padilla's warning. This article argues that evangelicals today can engage in postcolonial and liberation discourses, but that this should be carried out with that same circular hermeneutic which Padilla first proposed.