A special lecture was held in Kirby Hall yesterday on the impact of globalization and its aftereffects. “Religion and Empire,” a group lecture held by nine teachers and professors of theology from various schools in the southwest, was a series of anecdotes and research undertaken on the effects created by the “empirical” nations and their laws, and how religion and faith intersect with them.

The panelists came from schools such as the University of Heidelberg, Baylor, Princeton and Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth. Half of the group was resident teachers in Perkins School of Theology. Professors and scholars were among the majority of the audience along with theology majors and international students.

Also, worth noting was the diversity both in ethnicity of the panelists and the delivered subject matter. The topics each covered an aspect of how nations such as the U.S. are growing rapidly “empirical” and are beginning to control the U.S. through various aspects of life, and how religion and faith are used both for and against it. The panelists’ main argument was there are ways to live outside of empirical conditions and laws, and faith can help people to accomplish these tasks.

The examples given by the panelists covered a vast spectrum of topics both serious and lighthearted. Topics ranged from items such as interrogation, biracialism, sexism, slavery, white supremacy, aggression, to others such as minorities in America, the effect of Jewish people in both religion and economy and the downsides of saying, “God Bless America” and “God Bless You.”

“Why do we need a blessing from God when we cough?” Brite Divinity professor Nansoon Kong said to a laughing audience.

While some topics were more lighthearted and jovial, others were extremely disquieting and almost angry. Perkins professor Evelyn Parker’s thesis on the effects of spirituality on adolescent females of color and prejudice against biracial people was vehement and powerful as she expressed outrage against white rapists during the slavery era and the subconscious sense of shame that comes with being biracial in today’s world.

Jerry Rieger, another Perkins professor, also chimed in by discrediting the U.S.’s “cowboy image” and how it uses various methods of aggression against race, class and economy to get what it wants, when it wants.

Hiedelburg professor Ulrich Dutchrow argued that Jesus was considered “anti-empirical” and “anti-hierarchical” before governments (empires) like the U.S. distorted his meanings and used them to fuel the economy. He also argued that the U.S.’s attraction to money, commodity and capital was “fetishistic.” He argued that capital is the major problem in America because it is exploting human labor and natural resources to fuel economic greed.