Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff, two Brazilian brothers and Catholic priests, were among the leading voices in Liberation Theology—a movement that emerged in Latin America during the 1960s–1980s. Both initially worked closely together, advocating for the poor and critiquing structures of oppression within political and ecclesial systems. However, over time, they experienced a philosophical and theological divergence, particularly in how they balanced faith, theology, and Marxist social analysis.
Here’s a breakdown of their philosophical parting of ways:
1. Common Ground in Liberation Theology (Early Years)
In their early collaboration:
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Both embraced the “preferential option for the poor”, which is foundational to liberation theology.
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They were committed to base ecclesial communities, advocating for grassroots theological reflection and action.
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Both were influenced by Marxist social critique, seeing capitalism as a structure that generated inequality and oppression.
However, their theological emphases began to shift as they matured and confronted challenges from within the Church and academia.
2. Leonardo Boff’s Emphasis on Political Praxis and Pluralism
Leonardo Boff:
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Grew more radical and politically outspoken, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.
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Integrated eco-theology, interreligious dialogue, and indigenous spiritualities into his liberationist thought.
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Became more critical of institutional Catholicism, eventually leaving the Franciscan order and the priesthood in 1992.
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Embraced a more postmodern and pluralistic worldview, moving beyond strictly Catholic doctrinal boundaries.
His vision of liberation became expansive, incorporating environmental justice, feminism, and interfaith dimensions—elements some saw as moving too far from core theological anchors.
3. Clodovis Boff’s Return to Christocentric Orthodoxy
Clodovis Boff, while initially aligned with his brother, made a decisive return to more traditional Catholic theology:
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In the 2000s, he began to critique liberation theology’s over-reliance on Marxist analysis, arguing it reduced theology to political ideology.
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He emphasized that Christ, not the poor, must be the starting point of theology.
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In his influential 2007 essay “Theology and the Church: Between the Poor and Christ”, he argued that liberation theology had erred by placing the “poor as the epistemological subject of theology”, rather than the revealed truth in Christ.
This critique was implicit but clear repudiation of Leonardo’s approach, which increasingly prioritized sociopolitical categories over theological orthodoxy.
4. Clodovis’ Alignment with the Vatican
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Clodovis’ trajectory brought him closer to the official Church hierarchy, particularly the theological stance of Pope Benedict XVI, who had previously criticized elements of liberation theology.
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He remained a priest and continued to write theology that sought to integrate the preferential option for the poor within a Christ-centered theological method.
5. Summary of the Philosophical Rift
| Topic | Leonardo Boff | Clodovis Boff |
|---|---|---|
| Theological Focus | Liberation, pluralism, eco-theology, interfaith | Christocentric orthodoxy, Church tradition |
| Relationship to Church Authority | Critical; eventually left the priesthood | Loyal; remained within Church structures |
| Subject of Theology | The oppressed, creation, interfaith voices | Jesus Christ as the sole center of revelation |
| Political Emphasis | Embraced broader leftist critique of power | Warned against politicizing the Gospel |
Conclusion
Their parting of ways was not a mere disagreement but a fundamental philosophical and theological divergence. Leonardo moved toward an expansive, contextual liberation theology with pluralist elements, while Clodovis reasserted a traditional Christ-centered theological framework, arguing that theology must be rooted in divine revelation rather than sociological analysis. This divergence reflects deeper tensions in Catholic theology between prophetic praxis and doctrinal fidelity.