The Spiral of Violence (free PDF copy – 6MB) is a classic statement (1971) of many of the concerns of liberation theology by Dom Helder Camara, Archbishop of Olinda and Recife in the underdeveloped northeast of Brazil. Dom Helder Camara is often remembered for having said, "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a Communist." This PDF copy was produced by Alastair McIntosh.
Getting the Poor Down From the Cross:
A Christology of Liberation
Complied by Jose-Maria Vigil on behalf of the International Theological Commission. More than 40 Co-Authors: Leonardo BOFF (foreword), Tissa BALASURIYA, Marcelo BARROS, Teófilo CABESTRERO, Oscar CAMPANA, Víctor CODINA, José COMBLIN, CONFER de Nicaragua, Lee CORMIE, Eduardo DE LA SERNA, José ESTERMANN, Benedito FERRARO, Eduardo FRADES, Luis Arturo GARCÍA DÁVALOS, Ivone GEBARA, Eduardo HOORNAERT, Diego IRARRÁZAVAL, Jung Mo SUNG, Paul KNITTER, João Batista LIBÂNIO, María y José Ignacio LÓPEZ VIGIL, Carlos MESTERS, Alberto PARRA, Richard RENSHAW, Jean RICHARD, Pablo RICHARD, Luis RIVERA PAGÁN, José SÁNCHEZ SÁNCHEZ, Stefan SILBER, Ezequiel SILVA, Alfonso Mª Ligório SOARES, José SOLS LUCIA, Paulo SUESS, Luiz Carlos SUSIN, Faustino TEIXEIRA, Pedro TRIGO, José María VIGIL, and Jon SOBRINO (epilogue). Available in English, Spanish and Italian.
World Latin American Agenda 2009 is a collection of articles representing the latest thinking along the boundary when faith encounters oppression. The 2009 edition is about 250 pages and explores the theme "Towards A New Socialism: Utopia Continues." Click the following links for…
Full text: English-Spanish Digital Edition (PDF 5MB).
This document is also available in Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, and Italian from www.latinoamericana.org.
The Violence of Love
by Archbishop Oscar Romero
From the publisher: From the stirring foreword by Henri Nouwen to the last page of Romero's text, this powerful little volume of eloquent, simple meditations never wastes a word. Yet the real depth of Romero's message lies not in his words themselves, poetic as they are. It lies in the life they give witness to: the hard life of a man who was martyred for his faith. Thus The Violence of Love gives more insight, perhaps, than any biographical account of his life. [Many thanks to Plough Publishing House for making this book available in free English and Spanish PDF editions.]
Free PDF file order paperback online (from booksellers in several countries)
Jesus and the Nonviolent Revolution
by André Trocmé
From the publisher: André Trocmé (1901-1971) is famous for his role in saving thousands of Jews from the Nazis, as pastor of the French village of Le Chambon. But his bold deeds did not spring from a void. They were rooted in his understanding of Jesus’ way of nonviolence and the social implications of Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God on earth. In this book, you’ll encounter a Jesus you may have never met before — a Jesus who not only calls for spiritual transformation, but for practical changes that answer the most perplexing political, economic, and social problems of our time. [Many thanks to Plough Publishing House for making this book available in a free PDF edition.]
Free PDF file order paperback online (from booksellers in several countries)
The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
edited by Clayborne Carson (selected chapters online) From the publisher: A professor of history and the noted author and editor of several books on the civil rights struggle, Dr. Clayborne Carson was selected by the estate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to edit and publish Dr. King's papers. Drawing upon an unprecedented archive of King's own words –including unpublished letters and diaries, as well as video footage and recordings — Dr. Carson creates an unforgettable self-portrait of Dr. King. In his own vivid, compassionate voice, here is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as student, minister, husband, father, and world leader…as well as a rich, moving chronicle of a people and a nation in the face of powerful-and still resonating-change.
The following selected chapters are available free of charge in web page format as part of the King Papers project at Stanford University.:
A Knock at Midnight is the definitive collection of eleven of Dr. King's most powerful and spiritual sermons, moving and meaningful words to live by for everyone. Compiled by Stanford historian Dr. Clayborne Carson, director of the King Papers Project, and by contributing editor Peter Holloran, this volume covers the full range of Dr. King's preaching career, from the earliest known audio recording of King preaching to his last sermon, delivered just days before his assassination. Especially featured are the title sermon, among Dr. King's favorite and most challenging, and seven sermons never before seen in print.
free web page edition of this sermon collection
order hardback edition online (paperback is out of print right now)
M O R E O F DR. K I N G ' S W O R K :
Comprehensive index of Dr. King's books, articles and sermons
at Stanford University. Click here for extensive collection of free documents.
A Buddhist approach to affirmation, protest and witnessing for peace…
News From True Cultivators by Heng Sure & Heng Ch'au.
An American Pilgrimage – Three Steps, One Bow for Peace
352 Pages -Text & Photos
(1.6 MB PDF file may take up to 30 seconds to download) – Free
The letters of Heng Sure and Heng Ch'au… Three steps and a bow. That's how they walked it. Two monks on a pilgrimage of peace that took them through a series of wide-ranging encounters and extraordinary experiences — within and without. These letters and photos are a record of their amazing journey.
Two American Buddhist monks on a journey of a lifetime, from downtown Los Angeles to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Talamage, California. A journey of more than 800 miles that took two years and nine months to complete. They bowed in peace, and for peace. Touching their foreheads to the ground, opening their hearts with one wish for the world. Peace. For everyone, everyday, everywhere.
From the large and wonderfully generous
Urban Dharma Library of free Buddhist e-books
"Green" liberation spirituality streaming video workshop/lecture series now available…
Eco-philosopher, teacher, writer, mother, and friend-of-all-life, Joanna Macy, has generously consented to share free of charge with all who may be interested, the heart of her current teaching and training work.
Go to video series More about Joanna Macy.
"The most remarkable feature of this historical moment on Earth is not that we are on the way to destroying the world — we've actually been on the way for quite a while. It is that we are beginning to wake up, as from a millennia-long sleep, to a whole new relationship to our world, to ourselves and each other." J. Macy
YouTube videos on Liberation Theology
Black Liberation Theology PBS Bill Moyers Interviews Jeremiah Wright
Paulo Freire: liberation theology and Marx (subtitled)
A Conversation with James Cone Trinity Institute's Bob Scott talks with theologian James H. Cone about race, religion and violence.
Pax Christi USA interview with Jon Sobrino, SJ (PART ONE) PART TWO Pax Christi USA honored Rev. Jon Sobrino, SJ with the Pax Christi USA Book Award for 2008 at its annual gathering at the School of the Americas Vigil and Action on Friday, November 21. Rev. Sobrino, the sole suriving member of the Jesuit community following the massacre by SOA graduates in November 1989, which claimed the lives of 6 of his brother Jesuits, their co-worker and her daughter, was honored for his book, No Salvation Outside the Poor: Prophetic-Utopian Essays, published by Orbis Books.
Marc Ellis Interview Jewish Liberation Theology (PART ONE 10 min.) PART TWO (10 min.) PART THREE (10 min.) An Interview with Marc Ellis on his book Toward a Jewish Theology of Liberation.
IN SPANISH:
Gustavo Gutierrez biography and interview #1
Gustavo Gutierrez interview #2