Drawing from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s legacy and his own German-American perspective, Rieger argues that all theology is inherently political - and that we need to move beyond traditional political theology to address the deeper economic forces shaping our world.

The Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice celebrates the warm Pasifika welcome for our founder Joerg Rieger & Rosemarie Henkel-Rieger by the Pacific Conference of Churches. Honored in a traditional ceremony, they join a week of lectures, workshops & talanoa on justice, faith & community.

Rieger reads scripture as God’s solidarity with the oppressed. In creation, God “getting divine hands dirty,” Exodus where God “joins the struggle on the side of the oppressed,” and Jesus “born into the working class [who] never moves up and out." www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSGy...

We are excited to share the launch of The Journal of Contemporary Pasifika Theologies (CPT), a peer-reviewed, open-access journal amplifying theological scholarship rooted in the Pasifika region. cpt.pcu.ac.fj/index.php/cp...

It is time to re-think religion. Since January 6, 2021, Christianity in the United States has predominantly been associated with white Christian nationalism and the politics of neoliberal capitalism. How can we re-think religion to be part of the solution? youtu.be/ZRKpSHZDF9g

Northey Lecture – Joerg Rieger Considering the multiple relations of religion and power, what difference does religion make, for good and for ill, and what might be the constructive contributions of theology be in fostering global solidarities? REGISTER HERE: events.humanitix.com/northey-lect...

Was Pope Francis a “Marxist Pope,” or something more nuanced? Fr. Bruce Morrill helps us sort faith, economics, and ecology—Jesuits, Vatican II, liberation theology, Pope Francis’s critique of “an economy that kills” from Laudato Si’ to Fratelli Tutti. Out now: www.buzzsprout.com/2237315/epis...

Faith, labor & democracy meet Aug 18 in our Labor Day webinar “Re-thinking Religion.” Panel: Joerg Rieger, Cassandra Gould & Aaron Stauffer. Take on Christian nationalism, capitalism & solidarity economies. Free RSVP: linktr.ee/religionandj...

Throwback to 2022, when Richard Wolff and Joerg Rieger discussed the troubling history of how Christianity in the U.S. is used to promote capitalism and conservatism.

I liked Soelle’s “Suffering” a lot, always glad to see it come up again.

Now Live: On mourning and the transformation of suffering into solidarity. christiansocialism.com/2025/07/23/f.... @religionandjustice.bsky.social

On July 2, Joerg Rieger delivered the keynote “Christian Nationalism in the United States: History, Power, and Alternatives” at an ecumenical consultation in Seoul. Check out the conference's joint communique: www.oikoumene.org/resources/do...

“Building strong community relationships is essential for any genuine social change.” — Aaron Stauffer Hear more on @trippfuller.bsky.social's Homebrewed Christianity: democratic practice, class analysis & Solidarity Circles. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

Live at The Bias. Gab Lisi reflects upon the urgent need for power analyses—clear, honest accounts of who holds power, how they wield it, and at whose expense. christiansocialism.com/2025/06/20/f...

What happens when we read theology through the lens of power, capital, and everyday labor? Rieger traces the long arc from the Roman Empire to today’s “Capitalocene,” arguing that empires may shift forms, but grassroots creativity keeps breaking through. LISTEN: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVQU...

Decolonizing Development and Religion examines how economic initiatives, grassroots theologians, and Indigenous perspectives unsettle the colonial assumptions that still shape global “development.” tr.ee/HRbYcaT1F7

In a new Religion & Justice blog, Gab Lisi traces Pride from Stonewall to top-surgery scars to Catholic social teaching—showing why solidarity, not branding, is the heart of liberation. Read here → www.religionandjustice.org/blog/pride-p...

Joerg Rieger argues that true democracy would not only require political power, but economic power. Image: Victor Dubreuil, “Safe Money,” c.1898 or later. U.S. National Gallery of Art. Common Domain Link in bio.

Rieger’s WCC keynote argued U.S. slavery created an economy wherein elites maintain control through divide-and-conquer racism that pits Black and white workers against each other and unite-and-conquer tactics that lures poor whites into identifying with elites. Watch: linktr.ee/religionandjustice

Leadership grows from “relational power”—trust woven in shared struggle and rooted in sacred value, says Aaron Stauffer. Reflect, then schedule one intentional 1-on-1 this week to listen for what’s sacred. Applications for the next Solidarity Circles cohort are open. Link in bio.

"Labor organizations with Muslim majority workplaces must engage with their members in their faith and as workers." @profhuq.bsky.social scholarship.law.slu.edu/lj/vol69/iss...

UPCOMING LECTURE | The God of Jesus and the God of Caesar - Christian Faith, Empire and Resistance May 14, 2025, 7:00 PM–until 8:30 PM Lecture Hall of the Faculty of Theology, Beethovenstraße 25, 04107 Leipzig (@unileipzig.bsky.social)

Join Solidarity Circles, a 9-month virtual peer-network designed to help align your institution or community with the solidarity economy. 🔗 Learn more and apply today: tr.ee/bxPEC55K-o

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR OUR 2025-26 COHORT! Broadly understood, the cooperative and solidarity economy are ways of addressing longstanding economic inequalities within our society, including white supremacy and gender and sex inequities. 🔗 Apply Now: us4.list-manage.com/survey?u=d12...

What if “justice” isn’t enough? In this episode of Religion and Justice, theologians David True and Tom James argue that love — not as sentiment, but as desire — might be the force that breaks systems open. We talk eros, capitalism, and the politics of longing. religionandjustice.buzzsprout.com

As industrial forces continue to extract and exploit not just natural resources but also human labor, Joerg Rieger explores how religion and theology can play a crucial role in envisioning alternatives. Read it here: linktr.ee/religionandj...

As industrial forces continue to extract and exploit not just natural resources but also human labor, Joerg Rieger explores how religion and theology can play a crucial role in envisioning alternatives. Read it here: linktr.ee/religionandj...

What if “justice” isn’t enough? In this episode of Religion and Justice, theologians David True and Tom James argue that love — not as sentiment, but as desire — might be the force that breaks systems open. We talk eros, capitalism, and the politics of longing. religionandjustice.buzzsprout.com

"Addressing the ongoing legacy of slavery and systemic racism requires not only economic solutions but also improving labor relations and protecting workers. Reparations that fail to pay attention to improving labor relations may not achieve economic equality." theconversation.com/slavery-was-...

"The Christian left in the United States once wove solidarity into the fabric of social change, uniting diverse movements under a common cause. Drawing on this ethos could help anchor today’s struggles to bridge divisions and build collective power." @jacobinmag.bsky.social

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR OUR 2025-26 COHORT! Broadly understood, the cooperative and solidarity economy are ways of addressing longstanding economic inequalities within our society, including white supremacy and gender and sex inequities. 🔗 Apply Now: us4.list-manage.com/survey?u=d12...

REGISTER NOW | We've organized an eco-justice teach-in titled "Liberating People, Planet, and Religion." being held on April 12, 2025 (virtual option) at Second Presbyterian Church in Nashville! REGISTER: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

WORKSHOPS ANNOUNCED led by Jeremy Posadas, Dan Joranko, Joerg Rieger, and Terra Schwerin Rowe. Join us April 12, 2025, for an eco-justice teach-in: “Liberating People, Planet, and Religion.” REGISTER: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Joerg Rieger and Cliff Sekowe unpack how capitalism shape not just economies—but faith, identity, and the planet. From the illusion of "rising tides" to the hidden apartheid built into economic systems, they challenge us to rethink privilege, power, and solidarity. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzD9...

"There is no path to economic power, justice, or security that does not contest for control with organized capital." - Kevin Simowitz

"The Christian left in the United States once wove solidarity into the fabric of social change, uniting diverse movements under a common cause. Drawing on this ethos could help anchor today’s struggles to bridge divisions and build collective power." @jacobinmag.bsky.social

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR OUR 2025-26 COHORT! Solidarity Circles seek to revitalize and build the church and Christian theology in positive ways. This work is deeply connected to the mission and vocation of Christian churches. Deadline: August 2025 Apply: religionandjustice.org/solidarity-circles

Explore the intersection of religion, ecology, and economics in the midst of changing climates. Travel seminar led by Joerg Rieger at @vudivinity.bsky.social. 📅 When: June 8-15, 2025 📍 Where: Weogufka, Alabama Open to all VDS students! Don't miss out on this transformative journey.

In this episode, we welcome Terra and Joerg, co-editors of Liberating People, Planet, and Religion: Intersections of Ecology, Economics, and Christianity. religionandjustice.buzzsprout.com/2237315/epis...

THIS APRIL | An eco-justice teach-in titled "Liberating People, Planet, and Religion." When: April 12, 2025 Location: Second Presbyterian Church, Nashville, TN (with a virtual option for those not in Nashville or Davidson County area). linktr.ee/religionandj...

"It is hardly an accident that the life of Christ is not mentioned in the creeds; such ‘accidents,’ like Freudian slips of the tongue, always point to deeper repressions...The challenge to empire posed by the life of Christ would have just been too great." 🔗 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Rieger’s Theology in the Capitalocene challenges faith communities to reckon with power, labor, and ecological crisis in a world shaped by capitalism. In a sharp and thoughtful review, Jamin Hübner unpacks Rieger’s urgent call for theology that moves beyond ideas and into real, lived struggles.

It’s time to get organized. This training goes beyond transactional labor-faith partnerships, equipping faith leaders with organizing skills and theological tools to strengthen congregations and mobilize workers. 📅 June 15-20, 2025 📍 Memphis, TN 🔗 Apply now: forms.gle/1z1U6VjZrRx7...

It’s time to get organized. This training goes beyond transactional labor-faith partnerships, equipping faith leaders with organizing skills and theological tools to strengthen congregations and mobilize workers. 📅 June 15-20, 2025 📍 Memphis, TN 🔗 Apply now: forms.gle/1z1U6VjZrRx7...

"Not only has our colonized religion demonized those at the bottom, but it has also been happy to heap praise upon those at the top...People of various faiths have to choose sides. You cannot serve God and Mammon." religiondispatches.org/let-us-now-p...

Joerg and George travelled to Zimbabwe to attend and present at DARE! They are connecting with our international partners and presenting on “How Liberation Theologies Can Liberate Again” Joerg stated, "[I'm] grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with so many international scholars."

TOMORROW! REGISTER NOW: vanderbilt.zoom.us/webinar/regi... SUBMIT QUESTIONS HERE: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

FRIDAY | WHAT NOW? In a time of political and social upheaval, the call for justice and solidarity has never been more urgent. Religion and Justice invites you to join in conversation. vanderbilt.zoom.us/webinar/regi... Submit questions, thoughts, or stories: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

NEW EPISODE | We talk with Dr. Terra Schwerin Rowe, a leading voice in the emerging fields of energy humanities and critical petro-theology, where she explores the cultural, spiritual, and ethical dimensions of energy systems—both past and present. www.buzzsprout.com/2237315/epis...