Latin American Theology of Liberation in the 21st Century—2nd Edition
A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026 | Viewed by 77
Special Issue Editors
Interests: systematic theology; theology and literature; mysticism; spirituality; spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola; theology of liberation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: theology and literature; public theology; systematic theology; theology and culture; political spirituality; spirituality and health; spiritual exercises
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: systematic theology; Christian spirituality; theology and literature; Latin American theology; ecumenism; Trinity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Building on the contributions of the first edition, this second edition of the Special Issue Latin American Theology of Liberation in the 21st Century seeks to deepen and expand the discussion on the current trajectories, challenges, and innovations of Liberation Theology in Latin America and beyond.
Over the last decades, Liberation Theology has moved through different historical, social, and cultural contexts, remaining faithful to the preferential option for the poor while engaging with new global realities. In the 21st century, this theological current has continued to reinterpret the Gospel from the lived experience of oppressed peoples, integrating diverse hermeneutical approaches that address urgent issues such as ecological justice, gender equity, racial and ethnic discrimination, intercultural dialogue, and the defence of human rights.
This edition invites contributions that examine how Liberation Theology interacts with contemporary social movements, engages in dialogue with indigenous and Afro-descendant spiritualities, and responds to the challenges of democratic fragility, forced migration, and global economic inequalities. Particular attention will be given to the impact of Pope Francis’ pontificate, whose pastoral and theological vision has revitalised many of the concerns historically present in the Latin American Church, placing them within a universal horizon of fraternity, integral ecology, and a Church “going forth”.
We welcome articles that explore these developments from theological, historical, sociological, or interdisciplinary perspectives. Comparative studies that relate Latin American Liberation Theology to similar movements in other regions of the world are also encouraged.
We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors send a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words to the guest editors (alexvboas@ucp.pt; maria.agape@gmail.com; and peter.casarella@duke.edu) or to the Assistant Editor of Religions (zena.zeng@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editors to ensure proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.
Prof. Dr. Maria Clara Lucchetti Bingemer
Prof. Dr. Alex Villas Boas
Prof. Dr. Peter Casarella
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- Latin American theology
- theology of liberation
- theology of the people
- contextual theology
- Pope Francis and Latin America
- ecological theology
- gender and theology
- intercultural theology
- social movements and religion
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