'This rich and interdisciplinary book presents a powerful up-to-date critique of the spirit of Empire, using critical insights from post-Marxist, postmodern, and postcolonial theories. Written by authors who have engaged liberation Christianity from three different geographical locales, this text provides resources and visions for those who believe that annother world and an alternative spirit that resists Empire are possible. I highly recommend this creative theological reading of transcendence, subjectivity, and democracy in the political present.' --Kwok Pui-lan, author of Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology In the current situation of empire, subjectivity and desire are shaped in new ways, often unconsciously. The analysis of these mechanisms is geared to identifying alternative possibilities for the formation of subjectivity and desire, pointing beyond the structures of empire. If there is a notion of transcendence that operates in the current embodiments of empire, empire cannot be understood without religious categories. Contemporary manifestations of Empire insist on the ideals of the republic and of democracy. How do the religious connotations of these notions shift and how can religious reflection help us develop new perspectives on political ethics? Joerg Rieger is Professor of Systematic Theology at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. Jung Mo Sung is Professor of Religion and Culture at the Methodist University of Sao Paulo. Nestor Miguez is Professor of Biblical Studies at Institutio Superior Evangelico de Estudios Teleogicos in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Jung Mo Sung has pioneered a theological analysis of economics in his previous publications, developing a penetrating ethico-religious critique of the international capitalist systems, whose institutions he likens to altars. Where ancient idolatry had visible altars, the modern altar of the `global market god', is invisible, but still demands human sacrifices in the name of `objective' desires. Here Sung recovers theology's relevance for a world where the most dangerous idols - those that sacrifice millions of people upon the altar of wealth - have for too long been ignored by theology. Desire, Market, Religion, Sung investigates themes such as the struggle against social exclusion, the relationship between economics and religion in the 21 century, where global brands and global economies reigns supreme, and theology's role in the struggle against social exclusion and the giving of hope for plenty, when the reality is scarcity.

While work in theology and religious studies by scholars in Latin America and by Latino/a scholars in the United States has made substantial contributions to the current scholarship in the field, there are few projects where scholars from these various contexts are working together. Across Borders: Latin Perspectives in the Americas Reshaping Religion, Theology, and Life is unique, as it brings leading scholars from both worlds into the conversation. The chapters of this book deal with the complexities of solidarity, the intersections of the popular and the religious, the example of Afro-Cubanisms, the meaning of popular liberation struggles, Hispanic identity formation at the U.S. border, and the unique promise of studying religion and theology in the tensions between North and South in the Americas.