Gutiérrez, Gustavo

Definition

Peruvian member of the Dominican Order. Theologian. Born in 1928 in Lima, Peru. Best known as the foremost expositor of Latin American liberation theology.

The name Gustavo Gutiérrez is often synonymous with Latin American theologies of liberation. Indeed, he is regarded by many as the “father of liberation theology” though it is more appropriate to describe him as its most prominent and cogent expositor. With his book, “A Theology of Liberation” (1972), Gutíerrez gave a distinctively theological voice to the growing awareness of chronic poverty, inequality, and dependency in postwar Latin America. He was born in Lima in 1928. As a mestizo (of mixed Quechua and Spanish heritage), he grew up aware of discrimination and inequality in a fiercely unequal Peruvian society. His awareness of social injustice increased as he studied abroad at global centers of Catholic education. After a Bachelor of Science (BSc) at San Marcos University in Lima (where he initially studied...