There are liberative potentials in all the religions. In Christian perspective there are two dominant concepts ‘Salvation’
and ‘Liberation’ which we consider man's ultimate destiny and his concrete life situations. Salvation expresses the eschatological conditions of human beings, risen and divinised in the kingdom of God in eternity. This situation is anticipated, prepared for within the historical process.
Liberation is the act of gradually delivering reality from the various captivity to which it is historically subjected. Here we speak of socio-economic and political liberation. How are the (salvation in Jesus Christ and the socio-economic and political liberation, i.e. the historical liberation) related? Is salvation identified with liberation? Are they synonyms?
Jesus, after presenting his manifesto at the start of his public ministry in Lk 4:18, puts a heavy emphasis on liberty. He makes a startling announcement that this day the Scripture has been fulfilled (4:21), i.e. the salvation announced but not decisively effected.
Thus Jesus seems to equate salvation with liberation. What are context of these in the teaching and works of Jesus? Christ comes to reconcile the world to God, the Father (Rm 5:1). Reconciliation means liberation from sin, from un-grace, from egoism, from the power of evil. Liberation consists in liberation from hunger, disease and the power of the devil; hence Christ feed the hungry, cures the sick and casts out devil. Liberation consists in giving up riches for the kingdom, `sell all you have and give to the poor’. Liberation consists in interior freedom, from cares, worries and attachment; `do not worry about food and drink...' `seek first the kingdom of God....' True freedom consists in love - which is the new commandment and the greatest commandment. Love is `realised liberty'.
Creation, which is a call to existence, is a gratuitous gift of God. Liberty defines man, if history is the making of man. Freedom is not either to eat or not to eat, but freedom is to be free. Freedom consists in determining one's life in making choice that frees.
The history of God's people in the Old Testament begins with the experience of the God of liberation and compassion in the exodus event. And then God accompanies them in their onward journey towards true freedom from sin, which He would accomplish by the death and resurrection of His son Jesus Christ. Thus we see that the history of mankind is the history of salvation as liberation from earthly and evil powers that subvert man, disorient his destiny.
The fact of salvation as liberation is all the more pressing today, on account of the massive oppression and injustices in the underdeveloped countries. And by the underdeveloped, is meant not sufficiently developed but people kept in a stage of underdevelopment, people dominated and oppressed. And liberation means not merely better living conditions or developmental relief works but a continuous creation of a new way of being human. The theology is the theology of the oppressed classes. It begins with actual struggle from a position of solidarity with the oppressed classes. Moreover it is three-fold liberation:
1 The political liberation of the oppressed nations and social classes.
2 The liberation of mankind throughout the course of human history.
3 Liberation from sin, the cause of all evil, preparing the way for a life of all humankind in communion with the Lord. We can say that salvation and liberation should neither be identified nor be separated. How? The link should be identified in three levels:
1 Anthropological order: the person who is to be evangelised is a socio-eco-political being and not an abstract thing.
2 Theological order: one cannot dissociate the plan of creation from the plan of redemption.
3 Evangelical order: one cannot proclaim the new commandment without promoting in justice and in peace the advancement of human beings. Finally, the relationship between salvation and historical liberation preserves the character of mystery. It is not enough to resort to theological discourse. It is a mystical vision, which has to be experienced in socio-historical realities. The liberative concern is ingrained in Christianity, in the life of the church. Earlier it was "charity", which was the guiding force but at present the thrust is given to "justice" and total liberation of man.