03/07/2026 15:00 - 19:30

HALL: Parenzo - A15

Contact: Lee D.

Chair: An T., Lee D.

This panel offers global perspectives on how religious ideas intersect with forms of (in)equality across race, nation, and secularism. Recognizing that religious traditions can both reinforce social hierarchies and promote visions of equality, the panel draws on theology, religious studies, political theory, economics, and postcolonial theory to examine religion's ambivalent role in society. The papers present global case studies that address issues such as colonial legacies, sovereignty, economic cultures, and secularization. Collectively, they investigate how religious concepts and practices can challenge and reinforce inequality. The panel invites interdisciplinary dialogue on religion's capacity to confront or perpetuate inequalities in diverse cultural contexts. By integrating these issues and frameworks into the discussion, this panel underscores the relevance and intricacy of its inquiry. In a world marked by contested sovereignty, neoliberal disparities, migration upheavals, and secularism, questions regarding how religious ideas perpetuate inequality or foster resistance are more pertinent than ever. Cases from a global perspective exemplify these tensions within specific contexts—ranging from finance-dominated debt cultures and postcolonial nationalisms to religion-state relations and reimagined identities after slavery. The panel suggests that understanding religion's double-edged role necessitates moving beyond simplistic binaries. It calls for a nuanced, interdisciplinary engagement encompassing theology, political theory, economics, and ethics to discern how religious traditions can both inspire movements for equality and potentially reinforce injustice. Ultimately, the panel contributes to a comprehensive exploration of whether and how religion can be mobilized to confront rather than perpetuate the persistent inequalities of our era.