Religion, Theology, and Class Fresh Engagements after Long Silence

Unlike notions of gender, ethnicity, and race, the notion of class has rarely been reflected in religious and theological studies in recent decades. The few who currently use the term "class" think 'poor people,' 'social stratification,' or 'income differentials.' Commonly overlooked are power differentials, the tensions between classes, and the question of production. The essays in this volume discuss what new discourses on class in religious and theological studies might add to cutting-edge developments in these fields. Religion, Theology, and Class demonstrates that just like the lack of the study of class distorts the study of religion and theology, renewed engagement leads to new insights and broader horizons. The audience for this work includes students and scholars of religion and theology with various research interests, as well as students and scholars of other fields like economics, sociology, political studies, and cultural studies. Widespread classroom use is anticipated as this text is written in an accessible and engaging style.

JOERG RIEGER is the Wendland-Cook Endowed Professor of Constructive Theology, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University

Introduction: Why We Can Do No Longer without Class in Religious Studies and Theology; Joerg Rieger
PART I: BASIC DEFINITIONS AND CHALLENGES
1. Religion and Class; Richard D. Wolff
2. Classes, Other Distinctions, and Their Theological Values; Néstor Míguez
3. Save Us from Cynicism: Religion and Social Class; Jung Mo Sung
4. Class, Sin, and the Displaced; Vítor Westhelle
PART II: HISTORICAL CONTEXTS
5. Religion and Class in the Construction and Deconstruction of the Myth of American Exceptionalism; Sheila D. Collins
6. Protesting Classes through Protestant Glasses: Class, Labor, and the Social Gospel in the United States; Ken Estey
PART III: ONGOING STRUGGLES: GENDER, POVERTY, RACE, AND CLASS
7. Inequality, Class, and Power in Global Perspective; Pamela K. Brubaker
8. Poverty and Poor People's Agency in High-Tech Capitalism; Jan Rehmann
9. Instigating Class Struggle? The Study of Class in Religion and Theology and Some Implications for Race and Gender; Joerg Rieger