Failure to distinguish between privilege and power has led not only to analytical conundrums but also to practical ones. In the world of religion, this has sometimes played out in liberative theologies that challenge privilege without realizing that privilege does not always translate into power. Engaging distinctions between inequality and class can help address this conundrum in new ways and offer solutions. With inequality rampant along the lines of gender, race, and status - often supported by religious ideals - an analysis of class can deepen an understanding of power throwing new light on the relation of power and privilege and how religion functions in the different contexts.