THEOLOGY OF LIBERATION AND POSTCOLONIAL CIVILIZATIONAL DISCOURSE: THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS RITUALS IN SHAPING COLLECTIVE CIVILIZATIONAL IDENTITY

Abstract

This paper explores the intersections between the theology of liberation and postcolonial civilizational discourse, emphasizing the role of religious rituals in shaping and sustaining collective civilizational identity. In postcolonial societies, where cultural erasure and identity crises persist, religious rituals often become symbolic acts of resistance, memory, and reconstruction. Through theological and anthropological lenses, this study analyzes how these rituals transcend mere spirituality to become vehicles of cultural revival and civilizational assertion. Case studies from South Asia, Latin America, and Africa are considered to illustrate how liberation theology and ritual practices interact in postcolonial frameworks to foster communal resilience, socio-political transformation, and civilizational continuity.