José Martí&;s Liberative Political Theology argues that Martí&;s religious views, which at first glance might appear outdated and irrelevant, are actually critical to understanding his social vision. During a time where the predominate philosophical view was materialistic (Darwin, Marx) Martí sought to reconcile social and political trends with the metaphysical, believing that ignoring the spiritual would create a soulless approach toward achieving a liberative society. As such, Martí used religious concepts and ideas as a tool that could bring forth a more just social order. In short, this book argues Martí could be considered a precursor to what would come to be called, Liberation Theology.
Miguel De La Torre has authored the most comprehensive text written thus far concerning Martí&;s religious views and how they impacted his political thought. The few similar texts that exist are written in Spanish; and among those, mainly romanticize Martí&;s spirituality in an attempt of portraying him as a &;Christian believer.&; Only a handful provide an academic investigation of Martí&;s theological thought based solely on his writings, and those concentrate on just one aspect of Martí&;s religious influences. José Martí&;s Liberative Political Theology allows for mutual influence between Martí&;s political and religious views rather than assuming one had precedence over the other.
