This is the first in-depth look at the political theoretical structure of liberation theology. Pottenger shows how liberation theologians, writing from the perspective of the poor and oppressed, denounce modernity and especially capitalism for having caused poverty and military dictatorships. He evaluates the liberation theologians' methodological approach to political theory and the crucial role of Marxism. He also analyzes liberation theologians' assessment of Latin American political economy and their moral arguments for political activism in response to these assessments.

Pottenger addresses the general question of to what extent liberation theology has achieved its ultimate objective of a just society—of the convergence of traditional social values and modern political science.