Religion and Class

While analyses of gender, ethnicity, and race have become widely accepted and are put to use in religious and theological studies, this is not the case with the notion of class. Despite the fact that race, gender, and class are often mentioned together, there is very little sustained reflection on class. Reflections on race and gender in religious and theological studies, while addressing issues of power, rarely include reflections on class. In the rare cases when class is addressed, especially in the United States, it is connected to notions of poverty, social stratification, or income differentials, which are insufficient at best and misleading at worst. Of course, investigating class does not mean turning one’s back to matters of gender, ethnicity and race. The intersectionality of these various factors is non-negotiable, yet without deeper understandings of class the analysis of the other factors is likely to suffer

Christianity, Capitalism, and Desire: Can Religion Still Make a Difference?

As we investigate matters of Christianity and capitalism in the current con- text, the fundamental theological question is: What difference does religion make in a world of traumatic economic inequality? Before we can get to that question, however, I first need to address another question: What difference does capitalism make to religion? This is the question that most people forget to ask, supporters and critics of capitalism alike. My point is that Christianity and capitalism are interconnected in many ways. Economic matters are never just about money. In fact, economic matters shape us more deeply than we think: they shape the way we live our lives, they shape our relationships, what we think and feel, all the way down. Religion and faith are also among the matters affected by economics. Christianity may serve as an example. The most blatant example of course is the so-called Gospel of Prosperity, which promises people unprecedented wealth and happiness if they support the precepts of the prosperity preacher. The Gospel of Prosperity resembles neoliberal capitalism in that it preaches limitless success endorsed by God, beginning with the elites and moving from the top down. While this approach works for the few, there is little evidence that it has worked for the many

Libertando o discurso sobre Deus: pós-colonialismo e o desafio das margens

In the context of post-colonial studies and subaltern studies, multiple aspects of pressure and repression must be considered. First-world persons should take a cue from the margins and participate in these studies, especially in the academy. Among the aspects of pressure and repression, religion must be studied, as it has been an instrument of colonial domination; this calls for Religious Studies. But there is more: the truth itself, not the abstract or universal truth but the truth of repressed persons and pressed bodies; that truth is liberating. God’s preferential option for the poor is present in post-colonial studies, and must be reflected on theologically: it is not a flip-flop from God on the colonists’ side to God on the side of the colonized but something more profound. As God-talk is properly used, it protects scholars and activists from committing some familiar errors.En el marco de los estudios postcoloniales y de los estudios subalternos, múltiples aspectos de presión y represión deben ser considerados. Las personas del Primer Mundo deben prestar atención a lo que ocurre en las márgenes, así como participar en los estudios alusivos a esta temática, especialmente en el ámbito académico. Entre los aspectos de presión y represión, la religión necesita ser estudiada, pues la misma ha servido como instrumento de dominación colonial. Por esa razón, los aportes de las Ciencias de la Religión son importantes. Pero aún hay algo más: la propia Verdad, no la verdad abstracta o universal, sino la verdad de las personas reprimidas y de los cuerpos oprimidos; aquella verdad que libera. La opción preferencial de Dios por los pobres está presente en los estudios postcoloniales y precisa ser reflexionada teológicamente: no es una simple sustitución del Dios-al-lado-de-los-colonizadores por el Dios-al-lado-de-los-colonizados, pero algo más profundo. Cuando el discurso sobre Dios es debidamente usado, él puede evitar la ocurrencia de errores tanto por parte de los militantes como por parte de los académicos.No contexto de estudos pós-coloniais e estudos subalternos, múltiplos aspectos de pressão e repressão devem ser considerados. Pessoas do Primeiro Mundo devem atender às margens e participar destes estudos, especialmente na academia. Entre os aspectos de pressão e repressão, a religião precisa ser estudada, pois servia como instrumento de dominação colonial; por isso as Ciências da Religião se fazem necessárias. Mas existe ainda mais: a própria Verdade, não a verdade abstrata ou universal, mas a verdade de pessoas reprimidas e corpos premidos. Aquela verdade liberta. A opção preferencial de Deus pelos pobres está presente nos estudos pós-coloniais e precisa ser refletida teologicamente: não é uma simples inversão do "Deus-do-lado-dos-colonizadores" para o "Deus-do-lado-dos-colonizados", mas algo muito mais profundo. Quando o discurso sobre Deus é devidamente usado, ele protege acadêmicos e militantes de cometer alguns erros bem conhecidos

Methodism and Empire: The Beginnings

O cristianismo nasce no contexto do Império Roma­no, tendo a tentação de se adaptar ao império acom­panhado o cristianismo desde então. Em tempos mais recentes, o metodismo se formou dentro do contexto do Império Britânico e do Império Norte-americano. Este artigo investiga como o império modelou a teo­logia, mas mostra também que o império nunca foi capaz de controlá-la de forma absoluta, e que a teo­logia tem condições de fazer a diferença e resistir ao status quo.El cristianismo nace en el contexto del Imperio Ro­mano, teniendo la tentación de adaptarse al imperio acompañando, desde entonces, al cristianismo. En tiempos más recientes, el metodismo se formó dentro del contexto del Imperio Británico y del Imperio Nor­teamericano. Este artículo investiga cómo el imperio modeló la teología, y muestra también que el imperio nunca fue capaz de controlarla de forma absoluta, y que la teología tiene condiciones de hacer la diferen­cia y resistir al status quo.Christianity was born in the context of the Roman Empire, and the temptation to adapt to empire has accompanied Christianity ever since. In more recent times, Methodism has shaped in up the context of the British and U.S. Empires. This essay investigates how empire has shaped theology but it also demonstrates that empire was never able to take over completely and that theology is able to make a difference and resist the status quo

Book Reviews

Wesleyan Perspectives on the New Creation M. Douglas Meeks, ed. Nashville: Kingswood, 2004, 200 pp., paper, 2004, $30.00 Reviewed by William J Abraham Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places Eugene H. Peterson Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company 2005, xii, 368pp. cloth,$25.00 Reviewed by Elaine A. Heath The Evangelical Moment: The Promise of an American Religion By Kenneth J. Collins Grand Rapids: Baker Academic Press 2005, 288 pp., paper, 22.99 Reviewed by Nathan Crawford Theology as History and Hermeneutics: A Post-Critical Evangelical Conversation with Contemporary Theology Laurence W. Wood Lexington: Emeth Publisher 2004, 261 pp. Reviewed by Nathan Crawford Resistance and Theological Ethics Ronald H. Stone and Robert L. Stivers, eds. Lanham, Maryland: Roman & Littlefield Publishers 2004, ri, 334 pp. paper, 28.95 Reviewed by Joerg Rieger The Ripple Church: Multiply Your Ministry by Parenting New Churches Phil Stevenson Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House 2004. pp. 186, $12.99. Reviewed by J.D. Payne The Struggle to Understand Isaiah as Christian Scripture Brevard S. Childs Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 2004, xii, 332 pp. caseboulld,$35.00 Reviewed by John N. Oswalt God is Not Religious, Nice, One of Us, an American, a Capitalist D. Brent Laytham, ed. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Press. 2004, 152 pp., paper, $15.99 Reviewed by Michael Rynkiwitch A Short Introduction to Hermeneutics David Jasper Louisville, KY: Westmilnster John Knox Press 2004, xii, 148 pp. paper,$19.95 Reviewed by Charles M. Woo

Highly Selective PTK2 Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras to Probe Focal Adhesion Kinase Scaffolding Functions

Focal adhesion tyrosine kinase (PTK2) is often overexpressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and several reports have linked PTK2 depletion and/or pharmacological inhibition to reduced tumorigenicity. However, the clinical relevance of targeting PTK2 still remains to be proven. Here, we present two highly selective and functional PTK2 proteolysis-targeting chimeras utilizing von Hippel–Lindau and cereblon ligands to hijack E3 ligases for PTK2 degradation. BI-3663 (cereblon-based) degrades PTK2 with a median DC₅₀ of 30 nM to >80% across a panel of 11 HCC cell lines. Despite effective PTK2 degradation, these compounds did not phenocopy the reported antiproliferative effects of PTK2 depletion in any of the cell lines tested. By disclosing these compounds, we hope to provide valuable tools for the study of PTK2 degradation across different biological systems

Gene Expression Profiling of Preovulatory Follicle in the Buffalo Cow: Effects of Increased IGF-I Concentration on Periovulatory Events

The preovulatory follicle in response to gonadotropin surge undergoes dramatic biochemical, and morphological changes orchestrated by expression changes in hundreds of genes. Employing well characterized bovine preovulatory follicle model, granulosa cells (GCs) and follicle wall were collected from the preovulatory follicle before, 1, 10 and 22 h post peak LH surge. Microarray analysis performed on GCs revealed that 450 and 111 genes were differentially expressed at 1 and 22 h post peak LH surge, respectively. For validation, qPCR and immunocytochemistry analyses were carried out for some of the differentially expressed genes. Expression analysis of many of these genes showed distinct expression patterns in GCs and the follicle wall. To study molecular functions and genetic networks, microarray data was analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis which revealed majority of the differentially expressed genes to cluster within processes like steroidogenesis, cell survival and cell differentiation. In the ovarian follicle, IGF-I is established to be an important regulator of the above mentioned molecular functions. Thus, further experiments were conducted to verify the effects of increased intrafollicular IGF-I levels on the expression of genes associated with the above mentioned processes. For this purpose, buffalo cows were administered with exogenous bGH to transiently increase circulating and intrafollicular concentrations of IGF-I. The results indicated that increased intrafollicular concentrations of IGF-I caused changes in expression of genes associated with steroidogenesis (StAR, SRF) and apoptosis (BCL-2, FKHR, PAWR). These results taken together suggest that onset of gonadotropin surge triggers activation of various biological pathways and that the effects of growth factors and peptides on gonadotropin actions could be examined during preovulatory follicle development

Jesus is Lord, so what?

Dr. Rieger discusses the importance of the title Lord as it pertains to Jesus Christ

Hoping against Hope: Dealing with Hopelessness in Ancient Times and Today †

The hope of Abraham was “hope against hope,” the apostle Paul notes in a famous passage in his letter to the Romans 4:18. Such is the hope of the underdog, whose hope is not backed up by the powers that be, manifest by the prevalent empires of the day. Any discussion of hope in this context needs to deal with the limits of hope that have been expressed powerfully by Miguel De La Torre in his book Embracing Hopelessness (2017). As a result, the faith of Abraham that led to hope against hope cannot be blind faith, or what has sometimes been called “the power of positive thinking.” COVID-19 has once again reinforced this insight. Only when the challenges and the roadblocks to faith and hope are seen and embraced, and when false hope is exposed for what it is, can glimpses of real hope break through