02/07/2026 15:00 - 17:10

HALL: Pola - A203

Contact: Giannopoulou A.

Chair: Pureza J.M.

Social inequalities are not merely dysfunctions of a particular economic model, but rather constitutive features of the exploitation inherent in capitalism. Within liberation theology, these dynamics of exploitation have been conceptualised as structural sins, pointing to structural forms of injustice that exceed individual moral failure. The Gospel itself can be read as a prophetic cry against inequality, exploitation, & social injustice, one that nevertheless derives its transformative force from the promise of eschatological salvation.
Marxism, on the other hand, has historically constituted a major intellectual and political project that identified exploitation as a defining feature of human history and argued that the abolition of inequalities presupposes the abolition of exploitative relations as such. The socialist utopia thus emerged as a horizon of collective hope, orienting struggles aimed at overturning the existing socio-economic order. Hope lies at the heart of every social utopia and every eschatology, functioning as a force against resignation. For the Christian-Marxist dialogue promoted by the Dialop Project, hope represents a privileged site of convergence and critical exchange. Starting from the distinct theological and philosophical articulations of hope within their respective traditions, Christian & Marxist interlocutors aim to develop a shared social and political orientation that can counter contemporary regimes of inequality and exploitation. This dialogue gains renewed relevance in light of Pope Francis's call for a Holy Year of Hope. Marxist participants in the dialogue, in turn, draw on Bloch's 'The Principle of Hope' -described by W. Benjamin as a "system of theoretical messianism"- a work that played a foundational role in the rehabilitation of social utopia.
This closed panel brings together Christian and Marxist scholars in dialogue to reflect on social and eschatological hope as a counterforce to inequality & structural exploitation.