The Non-Violent Liberation Theologies of Abraham Joshua Heschel and Mahatma Gandhi

Abstract

This article explores how Gandhi and Heschel developed a liberation theology that was rooted in their religious praxis, which implied an active, non-violent struggle for the rights of the oppressed. A first section discusses what separates the two spiritual giants. A second section describes the affinities between them. The third, main section describes how they formulated a non-violent liberation theology that aims at the liberation of all.

Keywords

• liberation theology
• religions
• suffering
• tradition
• Zionism
• swaraj