Research on liberation theology and its impact on Latin American social movements is vast and has inspired scholarly debate across a variety of disciplines. This chapter has three objectives. First, I will describe the origins of the liberation theology movement. Second, I will summarize the debates on research addressing variation in liberation theologys influence during its most influential years (1960s and 1970s). And third, I will explore whether or not or how liberation theology continues to influence contemporary movements. In the conclusion I take up the question of secularization, that is, the declining significance of religioneven in movements with considerable participation of religious individuals.
