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When I hear the word “liberation,” I think of oppressed groups being freed, whether that be literally or in a more personal way. What I mean by that is a group can be liberated by being removed from oppression and mistreatment physically (example: Jews being freed from the concentration camps), or they can be freed in a more social, societal, and/or spiritual way (ex: groups using cultural dance and song to rise above hate). Liberation in my mind is broad and can vary from group to group and can also vary among the individuals of that group. Liberation can include reclaiming things that were once used against them, shutting down harmful preconceived and historical notions, etc.

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Theology is the study of religion. This does not necessarily mean preaching, but rather studying more in depth at how religious belief is understood, the history of it, the storylines, connections, how it religion affects us and how the beliefs influence our world. Every culture and individual will have a different take on religion, thus it is important to be studied.

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Beyond needing a religion tag, I think this class is valuable in teaching about cultures and struggles we may not often think about in our daily life. There is more than just Madison, Wisconsin, why would anyone want to only think about life here? I can admit that I don’t have much knowledge of the happenings in Latin America, and I think it’s a responsibility of mine to learn from others. So, why not learn about what’s happening here? If we purposely ignore other cultures and struggles, we are wasting our privilege.

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I have no deep preferences. I feel that I know the most about Mexico, Brazil, and Cuba, so I hope I can learn more about the rest of the countries. I’d like to learn about as many cultures as possible.

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I did not know anything about Liberation Theology when signing up for this course. I am interested in learning about the harm religion has done and what we can do prevent it in the future. I would also love to learn more about Latin America.

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I believe the negative effects of capitalism tend to influence most (if not all) contemporary issues in the world. Capitalism especially tends to harm people of color at a disproportionate rate. I think that these things may be relevant to the topics we explore in class.

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My view on the world is a bit strange. Growing up I had several different families, many of which saw the world a different way. My mother’s family are strict Wisconsin Synod Lutherans, however my mom believes in God in a more spiritual way (she taught me about energies), my father’s family are mostly Catholics, however my dad is firmly agnostic (yet shows obvious annoyance at those who are pushy about their religion), and the other families I had were mixed about their beliefs. I personally believe that if the universe is infinite, that means everything must exist at some point. I do not believe that the Earth you and I are standing on was created by the Christian God, however I think that somewhere out there, another Earth just like this one could very well have been made by that God. I know it sounds weird, but I guess to sum it up: I believe it all exists, just maybe not on this particular Earth.

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Being free from something, the process of becoming free

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Being free from something, the process of becoming free

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religious studies, specifically into greek theology 

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religious studies, specifically into greek theology 

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I would love to study places like Costa Rica or Brazil. Often they are seen as tourist destinations so I would enjoy learning more about what the country is actually like

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I would love to study places like Costa Rica or Brazil. Often they are seen as tourist destinations so I would enjoy learning more about what the country is actually like

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Guatemala and other third-world countries

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Guatemala and other third-world countries

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I hope to learn more about other peoples issues and struggles that they have to deal with that I don't see in my life and hopefully in turn use this to help me in nursing.

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Growing up I went to a Catholic school and like we talked about, our religious studies focused on scriptures and verses and facts, so I hope to expand the way I think about theology. We even had religion competitions instead of spelling bees, so that gave me even more of an incentive to just learn the facts and never question anything past it. I want to challenge the way I view the word theology as well as explore how issues in the world have been created in part by the Church.

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Contemporary issues I find most interesting and relevant in today's times are those involving social inequalities and injustices that can be solved amongst communities.

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I am a Christian that goes to church every Sunday, but I also like to learn about other religions and beliefs. I hope to gain a better understanding of how to incorporate what I learn in this class into my own life. Or to learn to keep an open mind even if it conflicts with my own beliefs.

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Freedom from oppression or freedom as a whole

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Freedom from oppression or freedom as a whole

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I generally think of liberation as an exit from some form of oppression, typically with some form of resistance faced in the process

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How capitalism and the church itself has snuck it's way into many sectors of our everyday lives, despite what you religion you identify with

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How capitalism and the church itself has snuck it's way into many sectors of our everyday lives, despite what you religion you identify with

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Venezuela and what has been happening in recent years but any countries are fine

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I think the simplest response would be to say that I hope to learn how theology can help people and fix the problems of the world. I'm also interested in learning about the Theologians who have done this/do this, so I have a better understanding of how to incorporate liberation theology into my everyday life.

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I am interested in gender and women studies topics because of my own life experiences. I am interested in other people's experiences and how we can help each other.

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I think of Theology as the study of religions from one or more lenses, not necessarily from a religious standpoint

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I see it as an escape from something holding you back or pushing you away from what you really want to achieve

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As I have gotten to see issues in the world from scientific, environmental, and philosophical perspectives, I am hoping to view the world through the lens of liberation theology. I did not necessarily know what was encompassed within liberation theology, so I would also like to learn more about how it is relevant to current issues in the world.

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I am really interested in Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, as well as Brazil and Colombia. I don't feel that I know much about any of Latin America so any country of focus would be relatively unexplored to me.

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I find the connection between climate change and capitalism to be very intriguing, and are relevant in essentially all parts of the world.

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I hope this class assists in shaping me into a more well-rounded Christian, liberation theology is imperative to doing just that, allowing me to understand and see another group of humans to better connect to them as another child of God. 

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I hope this class assists in shaping me into a more well-rounded Christian, liberation theology is imperative to doing just that, allowing me to understand and see another group of humans to better connect to them as another child of God. 

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Honeslty, I have always associated liberation to freedom and Christ. 

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Honeslty, I have always associated liberation to freedom and Christ. 

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When I think of Theology, I think of Prophets, or a Professor who majored in both Religious Studies and Theology. 

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When I think of Theology, I think of Prophets, or a Professor who majored in both Religious Studies and Theology. 

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I associate liberation with freedom.

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I associate liberation with the uprising and triumph of an unfavorable circumstances.

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I associate theology with the study of beliefs and spiritual sensibility.

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I truly value deeply discussing theology as I am actively working to refine my ability to convey the interconnectedness between Science and Religion.

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If the blessing arose the cultural value exploring a country outside of my own far outweighs my desire on one specific location.

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Current contemporary issues I find most interesting and relevant are social media & credit scores, systematic privilege, and current government battle between parties.

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I believe in the "supreme being" of if you would of God as well as view us as the descendants working through him to build his vast kingdom. "We are not story we are in the story" - Jefferson Bethke