Gustavo Gutiérrez, Founder of Liberation Theology, Visits Yale

For Immediate Release

Contact: Marilyn Wilkes (203) 432-3413

marilyn.wilkes@yale.edu

Gustavo Gutiérrez, Founder of Liberation Theology, Visits Yale

October 31, 2007. New Haven, CT - The Reverend Gustavo Gutiérrez, widely acknowledged as the founder of liberation theology, will visit several Yale organizations November 8-10, 2007. Gutiérrez, a Peruvian theologian and Dominican priest, holds the John Cardinal O’Hara Professorship of Theology at the University of Notre Dame.

Father Gutiérrez will take part in several events at the MacMillan Center’s Luce Hall, The Thomas E. Golden, Jr. Center at Saint Thomas More, and the Yale Divinity School. Events that are free and open to the public include:

The Center for Latin America and Iberian Studies, Saint Thomas More Chapel & Center and the Yale Divinity School are pleased to partner to bring this exceptional scholar and leader to Yale. Father Gutiérrez will be available to students and members of the community through these and other events scheduled over the three days of his visit.

“We are most pleased that Father Gutiérrez will deliver our annual More House Lecture on this important perspective of ministering to the world’s poor,” notes Father Robert Beloin, Chaplain at Saint Thomas More.

Yale Divinity School Dean Harry Attridge agrees, noting, “We at Yale Divinity School are grateful to have this opportunity to engage one of the world’s leading thinkers in the area of Latin American liberation theology and to hear his perspectives on the contemporary theological scene.”

“Father Gutiérrez is one of the most influential pastors in Latin America, one whose teaching inspired hundreds of thousands of poor people to believe that social justice is God’s will. We are honored by his visit and look forward to learning about his current work,” agrees Elisabeth Jean Wood, Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Council on Latin American and Iberian Studies.

Father Gutiérrez has been a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and a visiting professor at many major universities in North America and Europe. He is a member of the Peruvian Academy of Language and in 1993 was awarded the Legion of Honor by the French government for his tireless work on behalf of human dignity and life, and against oppression, in Latin America and the Third World. Gutiérrez is best known for his foundational work in liberation theology, A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, Salvation.

*****

Council on Latin American and Iberian Studies

The Council on Latin American and Iberian Studies (CLAIS) at The MacMillan Center seeks to enhance the understanding of Latin America, Spain and Portugal. The Council draws on the strengths of Yale’s pioneering departments of History, Political Science, Anthropology, and Spanish and Portuguese, among others, to offer a broad array of courses, cultural events, scholarly lectures, and academic research. CLAIS organizes a weekly lecture series, sponsors research abroad, coordinates outreach programs, convenes international conferences, and edits conference results for scholarly publication. The Council works to strengthen ties with institutions throughout Latin America, Spain and Portugal, and is a member of the New England Council on Latin American Studies and the Latin American Studies Association.

Saint Thomas More Chapel & Center

Saint Thomas More Chapel and Center serves the Catholic community at Yale Universityby creating a vibrant and welcoming community through worship and service; cultivating informed faith and spirituality; engaging in reflective discourse on faith and culture; advancingthe Church’s mission of promoting social justice; and participating in the global Church’s life and witness.

Yale Divinity School

Yale Divinity School is an interdenominational school of theological education that draws its faculty from the major Christian traditions, preparing students for service in lay and ordained ministries, other professions, and academic careers. It is one of 11 graduate and professional schools at Yale University. Each year, some 140 students graduate with one of three degrees offered by the school: Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Religion, and Master of Sacred Theology. The school’s mission statement says, “Yale Divinity School has an enduring commitment to foster the knowledge and love of God through critical engagement with the traditions of the Christian churches in the context of the contemporary world.”

Visit CLAIS at http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/lais

Visit Saint Thomas More at www.yale.edu/stm

Visit Yale Divinity School at http://www.yale.edu/divinity

Note to Photo Editors: Electronic photos of Father Gutiérrez can be obtained from Julia Urrunaga at julia.urrunaga@yale.edu or (203) 432-3422 or Gus Spohn at gus.spohn@yale.edu or (203) 432-3466.

Contact Information:

Marilyn Wilkes

The Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale

(203) 432-3413