TMST 8115 Latin American Theology of Liberation

Latin American liberation theology traces its origins to the grassroots Christian communities that struggled for social justice in the 1960s. This course explores the distinctive way in which Latin American liberation theologians correlate their interpretation of their social context with the Christian tradition and praxis in a mutually-critical manner. We will critically examine their fundamental presuppositions, their contribution to theology, and their efforts to articulate the Christian message as an effective response against oppression and on behalf of a full human liberation. We will also incorporate some of the liberationist voices that emerge from other social and cultural situations.

Course overview

Department
Theology and Ministry
School
STM
Credits
3
Level
Graduate
Offered
Periodically in the Fall

Course evaluations

Response-weighted averages from Boston College’s official course evaluations (Avalanche/Blue).

Course rating
4.94 / 5 · Excellent
15 responses
Instructor rating
5.00 / 5 · Excellent
15 responses
Terms evaluated
2
Most recent: Spring 2025

Scales: overall ratings run from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent); agreement questions from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree); weekly effort from 1 (up to 1 hour) to 5 (10 or more hours).

Evaluations by term and instructor
TermInstructorCourse overallInstructor overallWell organizedClear learning objectivesIntellectually challengingHelpful assignmentsApplicable beyond courseAttendance necessaryWeekly effortResponses
Spring 2025Orfilio Valiente5.05.04.74.94.74.95.05.04–6 hrs/week7 of 11
Fall 2022Orfilio Valiente4.95.04.94.94.65.04.94.9—8 of 11

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-10-09. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors