‘Ecclesiastical Social Responsibility’: A Reappraisal of the Role of Religion in Light of Liberation Theology

Abstract

South Korea has been prone to many devastating tragedies, but the sinking of the Sewol Ferry in April 2014 stands out as one of the most painful and traumatic ones in the collective memory of Koreans. In response to the tragedy, religiously-motivated NGOs became actively involved in the post-disaster relief, providing not only relief aid but also counselling to the families of the victims. The tragedy has also drawn a renewed attention to the role of religion in society, at times of disasters or peace. This paper argues that the time is ripe for reappraising the role of religion in the contemporary world, especially in light of liberation theology. There are two reasons for this: 1) Pope Francis, the leader of the 1.2 billion-member Catholic community, is at least remotely sympathetic to liberation theology, which marks a significant departure from his predecessors; and 2) the contemporary world is still besieged by widespread poverty, injustice, political oppression, and human rights violation, the very reasons against which the theology first arose. In view of these observations, the paper examines the potential link between Pope Francis and liberation theology, followed by a discussion of the main features of liberation theology which demand rethinking about the role of religion in the contemporary setting. The paper argues that religion can actually become more practical and relevant to people in the contemporary world by engaging more actively with social issues. Lastly, the paper explores the implications of liberation theology, particularly the concept of “ecclesiastical social responsibility.”