developed a modern political creed in which the independence of the ordinary
citizen against any powerful body, whether the state or, for example, organized
labour, is taken as vital. Modern liberal parties, and they exist in most
democratic states, although not necessarily under that title, tend to argue that
traditionally-organized class politics, with an apparently insoluble conflict
betweencapitalismand some form ofsocialismorMarxism, is misplaced,
and that a greater concentration on the talents, capacities and needs of actual
individuals rather than systems of social composites is possible and desirable.
Liberalism is one of the best reasons for doubting the suitability of the standard
left/rightmodel of politics because it contains both the commitment to
equality by the left and to approval of individual human effort and freedom by
the right. In this sense it is often seen as being in the middle of the political
spectrum, but most Liberals would argue that, far from being ‘centre’ or
‘moderate’, they are in factradical, wishing to change much in society. Their
opposition to class politics is illustrated by the example of recent British general
elections, in which theLiberal Party/Liberal Democrats have gained almost
exactly the same percentage fromallsocial classes. A similar pattern tends to be
found in most other Western countries.
Liberation Theology
During the 1970s some Roman Catholic theologians began to respond to the
poverty and political oppression of mass populations in theThird Worldby
developing doctrines on the mission of the Church in these countries. Though
the focus was on Latin America, where the largest part ofRoman Catholi-
cism’sworld congregation is to be found, and though many of the leaders of
the movement were Latin American priests and bishops, leading theologians in
Europe, especially in Germany and the Netherlands, were also influential.
Exactly what a supporter of liberation theology actually believes which is
different from traditional theology is not easy to discern, though the political
views of its adherents are easier to trace. The starting point, with which no
Christian can disagree, is that Christ’s message is a message of liberation, but
the liberation to be found in the Christian Bible and its derived teaching is
liberation from sin, so that mankind can be truly free to develop spiritually
towards God. Liberation theologians argue that such spiritual liberation is only
possible where people are physically, politically and economically free. Only
when freedom from hunger and oppression have been guaranteed can Chris-
tians hope to have the spiritual energy to free themselves from sin. This view in
itself poses some problems for orthodox theology, in part because of the
Christian tradition of martyrs, those who either despite, or even through,
their worldly suffering were able to achieve a state of moral purity. Never-
theless, it might be generally accepted that for most of us it is unrealistic to
Liberation Theology