--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being a theologian is not a matter of…" description: "\"“Being a theologian is not a matter of skillfully using methods but of being imbued with the theological spirit. . . liberation theology is a new way o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-bof_freedom_being-a-theologian-is-not-a-matter-of-sk_1555371.jpg" --- # Being a theologian is not a matter of skillfully using… ![“Being a theologian is not a matter of skillfully using methods but of being imbued with the theological spirit. . . liberation theology is a new way of being a theologian. . . Theology (not the theologian) comes afterwards; liberating practice comes first.” quote by Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-bof_freedom_being-a-theologian-is-not-a-matter-of-sk_1555371.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-bof_freedom_being-a-theologian-is-not-a-matter-of-sk_1555371.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-bof_freedom_being-a-theologian-is-not-a-matter-of-sk_1555371.jpg) > ““Being a theologian is not a matter of skillfully using methods but of being imbued with the theological spirit. . . liberation theology is a new way of being a theologian. . . Theology (not the theologian) comes afterwards; liberating practice comes first.”” Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Theological work should be driven by spiritual conviction and liberating action, not just academic method. **In simple terms:** Theology comes from lived practice, not just study. Key Takeaway Prioritize lived experience and liberation in theological work. Themes theology liberation spirituality practice method Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - community activism - faith-based social work - educational curricula - church leadership Key Concepts liberation theology spiritual conviction practical theology Questions to Reflect On - How can theology balance practice and scholarly rigor? - What role does spiritual conviction play in social change? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on practice may neglect rigorous scholarly analysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberation-theology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberation-theology/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Theologian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theologian/) [Theology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theology/) ## Related quotes > [“In liberation theology, Marxism is never treated as a subject on its own but always from and in relation to the poor. Placing themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-boff/in-liberation-theology-marxism-is-never-treated-as-a-subject-on-its/) Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff > [“. . . anyone who wants to elaborate relevant liberation theology must be prepared to go into the 'examination hall' of the poor. Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-boff/anyone-who-wants-to-elaborate-relevant-liberation-theology-must-be/) Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff > [“When I feed the poor, they call me a saint, but when I ask why the poor are hungry, they call me a communist.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dom-helder-camara-archbishop-of-recife-in-brazil/when-i-feed-the-poor-they-call-me-a-saint-but-when-i-ask-why-the-poor/) Dom Helder Camara Archbishop of Recife in Brazil > [“The core of liberation theology is profoundly "theologal" - that is, rooted in the very nature of God. You see, there's an immediate relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mev-puleo/the-core-of-liberation-theology-is-profoundly-theologal-that-is/) [Mev Puleo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mev-puleo/) > [“The evangelically poor are those who make themselves available to God in the realization of God's project in this world, and thereby make themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-boff/the-evangelically-poor-are-those-who-make-themselves-available-to-god/) Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff > [“The gospel of Jesus is not a rational concept to be explained in a theory of salvation, but a story about God’s presence in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-h-cone/the-gospel-of-jesus-is-not-a-rational-concept-to-be-explained-in-a/) [James H. Cone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-h-cone/) > [“Self love and forgiveness is a liberation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/self-love-and-forgiveness-is-a-liberation/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“To be wounded by the suffering of others is a gift of the Holy Spirit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-baum/to-be-wounded-by-the-suffering-of-others-is-a-gift-of-the-holy-spirit/) Gregory Baum > [“Education is the key for self liberation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/education-is-the-key-for-self-liberation/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Mere sitting at home and meditating on the divine presence is not enough for our time. We have to come to the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/mere-sitting-at-home-and-meditating-on-the-divine-presence-is-not/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“So we speak of a Black God, Mother God, Worker God. This de-mystifies what's been passed on to us! In our process of organization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mev-puleo/so-we-speak-of-a-black-god-mother-god-worker-god-this-de-mystifies/) [Mev Puleo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mev-puleo/) > [I do remember seeing Godspell or Jesus Christ Superstar, one of those. It was a liberation theology venue. Anything radical seemed to be accepted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-do-remember-seeing-godspell-or-jesus-christ-superstar-one-of-those/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [The crime of liberation theology was that it takes the Gospels seriously. That's unacceptable. The Gospels are radical pacifist material, if you take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-crime-of-liberation-theology-was-that-it-takes-the-gospels/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There is however difference between the theology of liberation and traditional theology, the latter being based primarily On the Word of God made incarnate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernesto-cardenal/there-is-however-difference-between-the-theology-of-liberation-and/) [Ernesto Cardenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernesto-cardenal/) > [“An essential clue to the understanding of poverty in liberation theology is the distinction, made in the Medellín document "Poverty of the Church," between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustavo-gutierrez/an-essential-clue-to-the-understanding-of-poverty-in-liberation/) [Gustavo Gutiérrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustavo-gutierrez/) ## More by Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff > [“In liberation theology, Marxism is never treated as a subject on its own but always from and in relation to the poor. Placing themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-boff/in-liberation-theology-marxism-is-never-treated-as-a-subject-on-its/) Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff > [“The evangelically poor are those who make themselves available to God in the realization of God's project in this world, and thereby make themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-boff/the-evangelically-poor-are-those-who-make-themselves-available-to-god/) Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff > [“. . . anyone who wants to elaborate relevant liberation theology must be prepared to go into the 'examination hall' of the poor. Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-boff/anyone-who-wants-to-elaborate-relevant-liberation-theology-must-be/) Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff Explore all 4 Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff quotes ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/) [Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) [Browse all 30,110 Freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Being a theologian is not a matter of skillfully using methods but of being imbued with the theological spirit. . . liberation theology is a new way of being a theologian. . . Theology (not the theologian) comes afterwards; liberating practice comes first.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-boff/being-a-theologian-is-not-a-matter-of-skillfully-using-methods-but-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Freedom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-boff/being-a-theologian-is-not-a-matter-of-skillfully-using-methods-but-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-bof_freedom_being-a-theologian-is-not-a-matter-of-sk_1555371.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-bof_freedom_being-a-theologian-is-not-a-matter-of-sk_1555371.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-bof_freedom_being-a-theologian-is-not-a-matter-of-sk_1555371.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Being a theologian is not a matter of skillfully using methods but of being imbued with the theological…” — Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-boff/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Being a theologian is not a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-boff/being-a-theologian-is-not-a-matter-of-skillfully-using-methods-but-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-boff-and-clodovis-boff/being-a-theologian-is-not-a-matter-of-skillfully-using-methods-but-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```