While most introductory texts on third world Liberation Theologies start with Gustavo Guitierrez in Peru, and end not much further away than Mexico, Deane Ferm's concise work (150 pages)has a much broader perspective. Starting with the arrival of Christianity in the New World, Ferm traces the history of sword and cross to the present time and through the currents of Liberation Theology which have flowed through the world in the last forty years. In a few fact filled introductory pages, he presents the subtle the influences on this theology by such diverse figures as "Che" Guevara and Pope John Paul II.

While other books adequately cover the Latin American roots of movement, none expands the reader's horizons as much as Ferm's treatment of other Third World Liberation Theolgies.

While Liberation Theologies all have at their heart the liberation of the oppressed, often blended with a strongly Marxist stance, the cultural component creates a diversity and richness as this movement spreads around the world.

In offering the perspectives of a number of theologians from each region, the reader begins to appreciate the vastness and diversity of God's people and their faith. For example, in the Asian section, there are offerings from Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, India, Indonesia and South Korea. There is also a rich offering of perspectives from Latin America, and Africa.

Ferm concludes by presenting views from the critics of Liberation Theology and an extensive and well indexed bibliography for those who would pursue the subject further.

The companion volume, "Third World Liberation Theologies, A Reader" adds flesh and bones to the spirit of the Introductory Survey. Both books are highly recommended, for either individual study or for use in colleges and seminaries. Rev. RLJ