The Rev. Dr. Joerg Rieger of Southern Methodist University came to OCU as the speaker for the annual Wilson Lecture series last Thursday.
He spoke on the synthesis of religion and economics, the two forbidden dinner topics.
One of the most intriguing ways Rieger was able to integrate these two issues was by claiming that Jesus of Nazareth was more than just a radical preacher, which he was.
Rieger argued that Jesus of Nazareth also was comparable to a day laborer.
Rieger then pushed that what Jesus did in the early first century was community-organizing in an attempt to change a top-down power system from the bottom.
Read in this light, Matthew 25–one of the most commonly read and quoted scripture passages–becomes not about charity but true systematic change.
Rieger also compared the imagery of the human body in 1 Corinthians 12 to a national economy.
Just as in injury to one part of the body is an injury to the entire body, an injury or an injustice to one social class is an injury to the entire country.
In his book Occupy Religion, co-authored with feminist theologian Kwok Pui-lan, Rieger establishes a theology of the multitude.
These two authors believe that in religion and in economics, no one wins unless everyone wins.
Rieger then addressed the economic theory that says a rising tide lifts all boats.
This theory may be true, assuming everyone has a boat.
The two lecturers this year, Eboo Patel and Rieger, have both been on the cutting edge of their respective fields of interfaith cooperation and religion and economics.
The Rev. Rodney Newman of the Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel and other OCU officials have done a fantastic job bringing in speakers that have been relevant to the times we are experiencing.
I would hope that as more lecturers are invited to come to OCU from various specialties, all of the student body would make an effort to come out and listen to what they have to say.
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