A Framework for Comparative Liberation Ethics with Gustavo Gutiérrez and Ali Shariati

“Liberation Theology” is still in its infancy stages of interreligious comparison and is predominantly understood solely in a Christian context. Even still, scholars are noticing similarities between Christians and Muslims, referring to some as “Islamic Liberation Theologians.” These comparisons are often without developing or defining what makes them “liberation.” In this paper, I will present a two-part framework that allows scholars to identify a type of theology or ethic as “liberation.” The first component of the framework is a theory of oppression, often in terms of salvation history and political oppression. The second component is a focus on praxis, the serious reflection on shared experiences of oppression that leads to the material liberation of the oppressed. To substantiate this framework, I will provide examples from two paradigmatic figures in Christianity and Islam: Gustavo Gutiérrez – Latin American Catholic priest – and Ali Shariati – Shia Muslim revolutionary.