CO-SPONSORSHIP: Liberation Theologies Unit and Psychology, Culture, and Religion Unit

Psychology of Liberation 

The Liberation Theology Unit and the Psychology, Culture, and Religion Unit invite proposals for a co-sponsored session on liberation psychology, with particular attention to the legacy and ongoing influence of Ignacio Martín-Baró. A social psychologist and Jesuit priest from Spain who lived and worked in El Salvador and the United States, Martín-Baró drew from liberation philosophy, Marxist, feminist, and decolonial thought, as well as liberation theology, to critique dominant psychological paradigms and call for socially engaged, community-centered praxis. 

We welcome proposals that critically examine Martín-Baró’s contributions, extend liberation psychology in diverse cultural or geopolitical contexts, or explore its implications for contemporary approaches to the psychology of religion. We are also interested in proposals that consider how liberation theology and related movements continue to inform, challenge, and reshape the study of religion, spiritual care, chaplaincy, clinical counseling, and pastoral practices in congregational, community, and non-profit settings. Papers that bridge liberation theology, the psychology of religion, and the social sciences, especially those employing interdisciplinary, intercultural, or community-based perspectives, are particularly encouraged.