Religion Without Redemption

Religion without Redemption is an essential synopsis of Latin American liberation philosophy and contemporary de-colonial thinking. Split into two distinct sections, it combines a critical look at the sociology of religion, political philosophy and the history of ideas, with an analysis of how these contribute to the construction of an indigenous Latin American ontology of emancipation - one that is radically independent from Western hegemonic discourse while still drawing on a contemporary Marxist critique of modern capitalism. Critically well-received in its original Spanish, this new English language edition offers a new audience the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the roots of Latin American de-colonial thinking and liberation philosophy. Looking to Latin America as the stage where the production of knowledge has suffered both the material and spiritual consequences of Euro-centrism, it narrates the search for an emancipator rationality against the expansive and civilising mission of capital. Parting from a solid base in theory, the author substantiates the religious character of capitalism - as a cultural religion - with the aim of understanding its specificities as well as its contradictions in Latin American history. Engaging in a dialogue with a host of other works, Religion Without Redemption advances the ideas of liberation theory into the 21st century, and challenges the provincialism to which many Latin American thinkers are usually consigned.