From Wasteland to Promised Land: Liberation Theology for a Post-Marxist World

Summary

From Wasteland to Promised Land: Liberation Theology for a Post-Marxist World is a book by Robert V. Andelson and James M. Dawsey, published simultaneously in 1992 by Orbis Books (Maryknoll, New York) and Shepheard-Walwyn (London). The book is dedicated to Dr. Héctor Raúl Sandler, professor of philosophy of law at the University of Buenos Aires.

Andelson and Dawsey's thesis is that Henry George's economic philosophy — particularly the single tax on land values — provides a biblically grounded and practically viable alternative to Marxism for liberation theology, especially in the context of Latin American poverty and land injustice. The book argues that the biblical vision of land tenure (particularly the Jubilee laws in Leviticus 25 and the Mosaic land distribution) aligns with George's principle that land values belong to the community, not to private monopolists. The book appeared at the moment of the Soviet Union's collapse, positioning Georgism as a post-Marxist path for liberation movements (Andelson and Dawsey 1992, Foreword by Bishop John D. Davies, pp. 11–13).

The book was supported by the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation, with editorial assistance from Walter Rybeck. It was conceived after a talk at St. John's Episcopal Church across from the White House, published as a pamphlet by Schalkenbach, and developed into a full book by Shepheard-Walwyn's Anthony Werner.

Core Findings

The Land Problem as Root of Oppression (Ch. 1)

The book argues that beneath all forms of oppression — racial, economic, political — lies the "land problem": the monopolization of land by minorities. The foreword by Bishop John D. Davies recounts his experience in South Africa, where "13 percent of the population were controlling 85 percent of the land," and where "the deepest anger was caused by an awareness of being cheated by a false understanding of human relationship to the land" (Davies, Foreword, pp. 11–12). Davies notes that "the idea that land could be owned by individuals was shocking to black Africans. The land belonged to the people, the tribe, the chief, or even God" (Davies, Foreword, p. 12).

Liberation Theology's Need for a Post-Marxist Alternative (Ch. 2–3)

The book argues that liberation theology, traditionally influenced by Marxism, lost credibility with the collapse of the Soviet Union. It presents Henry George's philosophy as a alternative that is both economically sound and biblically grounded, avoiding both Marxist collectivisation and capitalist land monopolization.

Biblical Foundations for Land Justice (Ch. 9)

Andelson and Dawsey examine Mosaic law — particularly the Jubilee provisions in Leviticus 25 — as a biblical model for land tenure reform. The Jubilee required that land be returned to its original family allocation every fifty years, preventing the permanent accumulation of land by the wealthy. The book argues this is the biblical precedent for George's proposal to collect land rent for the community (Andelson and Dawsey 1992, Ch. 9, pp. 82–88).

Critique of Marxism (Ch. 7)

The book provides a sustained critique of Marxism: alienation theory (the worker as "subhuman machine"), surplus value as "pseudo-scientific rationale for worker revolt," the failure of socialism to liberate, and the "feudal-socialistic stew" of basic design defects. The authors argue that Marxism's "anticapitalism" was a "case of mistaken identity" — blaming capitalism for problems actually caused by land monopoly (Andelson and Dawsey 1992, Ch. 7, pp. 48–67).

Land Speculation as Root Cause (Ch. 8)

The book argues that land speculation — from "urban blight to rain forest destruction" — is the root cause of poverty. It invokes George's analysis that workers are "pushed to the margin" by land monopoly, and examines the ethical basis of ownership: "Who made and owns the land?" challenges the "finders keepers" principle of land acquisition (Andelson and Dawsey 1992, Ch. 8, pp. 69–81).

Henry George as Liberationist (Appendix A)

The appendix provides a biographical study of Henry George as a "liberationist for all seasons," examining his religious orientation, the McGlynn affair (Father Edward McGlynn's excommunication for supporting George), and George's campaign for mayor of New York. It traces George's development from "formative years schooled in hardship" through his emergence as a writer and political figure (Andelson and Dawsey 1992, Appendix A, pp. 107–120).

Policy Recommendations

1. Implement land-value taxation as the primary source of public revenue (the "single tax" principle)
2. Apply the Mosaic Jubilee model as a framework for periodic land reform
3. Replace Marxist collectivization with Georgist rent collection in liberation movements
4. Develop forms of taxation that "encourage sustainable development and equitable land-use" (Davies, Foreword, p. 13)

Nuances and Limits

• The book's primary audience is theological and activist; it is not an empirical economics text and does not present original quantitative research.
• The argument that biblical land law supports Georgist economics is interpretive (C-claim) and has been debated by biblical scholars.
• The book was published in 1992 and reflects the specific moment of the Soviet collapse; subsequent developments in liberation theology and Latin American politics are not addressed.
• The focus on Latin America means the analysis is most applicable to contexts of extreme land concentration; its relevance to developed economies with different land tenure systems is less explored.
• The book does not engage deeply with the practical administrative challenges of implementing land-value taxation.

Key Quotes

"The idea that land could be owned by individuals was shocking to black Africans. The land belonged to the people, the tribe, the chief, or even God. It could no more be monopolized, bought, and sold than air could be monopolized, bought, and sold for the benefit of individual owners. Certainly land transactions could take place, but these could be only for the right to use land, not to own land itself." — John D. Davies, Foreword, p. 11

"The primary form of wealth is not money (which is the means of exchange of wealth, not wealth in itself) but the combined power of land, labor, and learning. A truly just society would be one where these three resources are fully shared and not monopolized by either minorities or majorities." — John D. Davies, Foreword (quoting Verinder), p. 12

"Here is an opportunity for the teaching of Henry George to receive new and serious attention. At the same time, the kind of philosophy which led to the imposition of the Poll Tax in Britain has lost some of its credibility. Politicians are urgently looking for believable, just, and practical methods of taxation. This is exactly what Henry George offers." — John D. Davies, Foreword, p. 12

"What matters is not formal ownership but sharing the wealth which the community creates from the land. To accomplish this, forms of taxation need to be devised and tested that encourage sustainable development and equitable land-use for the benefit of all." — John D. Davies, Foreword, p. 12

"The Georgist formulation of the biblical model would, if put into thoroughgoing operation, mean the extirpation of monopoly in a framework of political and economic liberty. It would render free enterprise truly free. All who were willing and able to work could achieve a reasonable degree of economic well-being and security." — Andelson & Dawsey, Ch. 9, p. 99

"Land value taxation rectifies distribution so that all receive wealth in proportion to their contribution to its production. This liberates the economic system from exploiters who contribute little or nothing. Apportioning the wealth pie fairly almost magically results in increasing the size of the pie." — Andelson & Dawsey, Ch. 9, p. 100

"Neither can private enterprise be free if the private appropriation of rent prevails. In those circumstances, landowners always demand their 'cut' for giving others access to a portion of nature landowners did not create. When landlords take something for nothing, the portion of wealth that goes to them becomes a stifling tax on enterprise. It comes off the backs of producers, both labor and capital." — Andelson & Dawsey, Ch. 9, p. 100

"The middle way is to recognize society's claim to what nature and society create — the value of land and its rent — so that working people, which term certainly does not exclude entrepreneurs, may claim their full share of what they create." — Andelson & Dawsey, Ch. 9, p. 100

Bears On

• Georgism — the book is a theological defense of Georgist principles
• Single Tax — the book advocates George's single tax on land values
• Henry George — the book presents George as a liberation theologian
• Land Value Tax — the policy proposal central to the book
• Land Speculation — the book identifies land speculation as root cause of poverty

See Also

• Henry George
• Georgism
• Single Tax
• Land Value Tax
• Land Speculation

Sources

1. Robert V. Andelson and James M. Dawsey, From Wasteland to Promised Land: Liberation Theology for a Post-Marxist World (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books; London: Shepheard-Walwyn, 1992). ISBN 0-85683-133-6. — primary source for all claims on this page; verified against primary text 2026-07-07 (Scan Depth: Moderate).
2. Frederick Verinder, My Neighbour's Landmark — cited as the book that introduced Bishop Davies to land reform principles (B-claim; secondary).
3. Henry George, Progress and Poverty — the foundational text the book builds upon (A-claim; primary source).