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Honoring The Poor’s Prophetic Voice

Gustavo Gutierrez, the father of liberation theology, will receive the Elmhurst College Niebuhr Medal.

Elmhurst College will present its highest honor, the Niebuhr Medal, to Gustavo Gutierrez, the Roman Catholic priest and acknowledged “Father of Liberation Theology,” for his lifetime of service to humanity, especially the poor.

The Niebuhr Medal recognizes extraordinary service in the tradition of Reinhold and H. Richard Niebuhr, graduates of Elmhurst College and two of the 20th century’s most influential theologians and public intellectuals.

“Gustavo Gutierrez is among the most thoughtful and effective advocates for the poor in today’s world,” said S. Alan Ray, President of the College. “He bases his advocacy on his deep understanding of biblical tradition and its demands on the conscience of believers. Because his witness embodies the core values of Elmhurst College, awarding the Niebuhr Medal to this humble servant of faith will serve as a powerful symbol of the College’s commitment to personal dignity and social justice.”

Father Gutierrez will receive the medal at a ceremony on Sunday, September 20, at 7:00 p.m. on campus in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel.

A native of Peru, Father Gutierrez studied at three of the leading universities in Europe, and holds a prestigious endowed professorship at the University of Notre Dame. His 1971 book, A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, Salvation, stands as the seminal text of a social and intellectual movement that regards the “preferential option for the poor” as a central aspect of Christian teaching. 

A mestizo—part Hispanic and part Quechuan Indian—Gustavo Gutierrez Merino was born on June 8, 1928, in the Montserrat barrio of Lima. As a boy, he suffered from polio and was confined to a bed for the better part of his teenage years. The experience led him to study medicine before he turned to theology and philosophy upon discerning his vocation to the Roman Catholic priesthood. As a seminarian he showed great intellectual promise, and was sent to pursue graduate study in psychology and philosophy in Europe. He took his doctorate at the Institut Catholique in Lyons.

His book, A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, Salvation, has been a theological standard for nearly forty years. It presents Father Gutierrez’s concept of Christian poverty as an act of loving solidarity with the poor and as a catalyst for effective action against poverty.

The priest-scholar is the John Cardinal O’Hara Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, and has served as a visiting professor at universities in Europe and in North and South America. He also holds full faculty standing as professor of theology at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru. A member of the Peruvian Academy of Language and the recipient of more than a dozen honorary degrees, he was named a member of the French Legion of Honor in 1993 for his tireless work on behalf of human dignity.

The Niebuhr Medal was established in 1995. The College’s Board of Trustees approves the recipients. Prior recipients include Elie Wiesel, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize; Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, archbishop of Chicago; Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund; Lech Walesa, founder of Solidarity and the first democratically elected president of Poland; Millard and Linda Fuller, co-founders of Habitat for Humanity International; and Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., distinguished historian and presidential adviser.

Elmhurst College alumni Reinhold Niebuhr ‘10 and his brother, H. Richard Niebuhr ‘12 (who served as the College’s sixth president) rank among the pre-eminent American theologians of the 20th century. Their bold scholarship and commitment to social engagement helped shape the political and religious thinking of their time— and ours.

For more information, call (630) 617-3390.