Ecclesial community movements in Cebu, the Philippine

Liberational Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs), the tangible expression of liberation theology, are called in the Philippines "the theologies of struggle." Also known as Basic Christian Communities and Basic Cultural Communities, BECs are indigenous movements organized by Church workers seeking to transform Philippine political and social relationships by empowering the poor. Participants may seek solutions to problems through collective prayer and Scripture study, or through collective planning, decision-making, and negotiating with employers, government officials, development agents, and landlords. This study examines these characteristic strategies of the BEC movement currently at work in Cebu, Philippines. Its findings suggest that there is far greater variation between such strategies than is currently assumed. BECs are subject to both variable local conditions and to manipulation by religious and secular elites who may externally incorporate concepts from liberation theology to use as tools of domination. The major implication is that only viewing such religious movements in light of their broader societies permits the knowledge needed to constructively understand them.