Liberation theologies have been experiencing a renewed interest in the academy and among activist practitioners. However, for theological praxis that was meant to be grounded in community-based learning, in many instances liberationist thought in the twenty-first century remains stuck in the theoretical or co-opted as just one more way of doing theology. Lines of inquiry and debate over this potentially powerful force for change often remain locked in semantics over definitions of the world and theological concepts, divorced from the lived experiences of those made marginal by forces of oppression. Liberating Education invites those invested in liberationist education, both in formal institutions and in grassroots communities, to reflect with the authors on possible liberative methodologies and pedagogies most effective to achieve liberation. The contributors are both academics and activist practitioners, asserting the importance of epistemic justice on the way to freedom, acknowledging the vast – and suppressed or unheard – knowledges and wisdoms, often not welcomed in academic spaces. Collaborating across epistemic divides, these contributions serve to articulate multiple oppressions more accurately, whilst discerning interventions of subversion, transformation and freedom. Chapters include practical tools for use in communities or educational contexts. The contributions consider themes related to liberation theology and emancipatory pedagogies, praxis-based education, holistic models of education, education as site of struggle, ecofeminist educational practices, liberative education and eco-justice, ancestral memories and spiritual practices, and liberative education through economies and practices of solidarity.This volume is co-published with the Council for World Mission’s DARE (Discernment And Radical Engagement) programme.
