Liberation Theology: A Theological Framework for Christian Responses to Social Justice in Nigeria

Japhet Maighandi; Dominica Shanpepe Nyityo; Mark Morris; Ayodele Samuel Adeyeye

doi:10.56201/jhsp.vol.12.no2.2026.pg45.53

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Liberation Theology: A Theological Framework for Christian Responses to Social Justice in Nigeria

Japhet Maighandi, Dominica Shanpepe Nyityo, Mark Morris, Ayodele Samuel Adeyeye

Abstract

This paper examines liberation theology as a contextual theological framework for Christian engagement with social justice in Nigeria. Emerging from Latin America in the 1960s as a response to poverty, political oppression, and structural inequality, liberation theology emphasizes the inseparability of faith and praxis, insisting that theology must arise from and respond to the lived realities of the oppressed. Drawing on biblical narratives such as the Exodus tradition, prophetic literature, and the liberative mission of Jesus, the study explores the relevance of liberation theology to Nigeria’s contemporary socio-political challenges, including poverty, corruption, gender inequality, and ethno-religious conflict. Engaging the contributions of African theologians such as Desmond Tutu and Mercy Amba Oduyoye, alongside Nigerian scholarship, the paper argues that liberation theology provides a critical ethical and theological resource for confronting systemic injustice within Nigerian society. While acknowledging critiques regarding its perceived politicization and Marxist influences, the study demonstrates that contemporary movements for justice, including EndSARS and climate justice advocacy, reflect enduring aspirations for dignity, accountability, and social transformation. The paper concludes that liberation theology offers not merely a theoretical model but a compelling moral and practical framework for Nigerian Christianity, calling the church toward prophetic engagement, social responsibility, and inclusive justice.

Keywords

Liberation Theology; Nigeria; Social Justice; Gender Equality; Public Theology

References

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Liberation Theology: A Theological Framework for Christian Responses to Social Justice in Nigeria

Abstract

Keywords

References

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