In a thought-provoking session of the workshop series “Faith as the Empire’s Weapon,” religious leaders from across the Americas examined the complex intersection of faith and power, and how both have been wielded historically—and continue to be wielded—to perpetuate systems of domination.

The panel featured Rev. Jihyun Oh from the United States, Prof. Dr. Daniel Beros from Argentina, Rev. Berla Esperanze Andrada de Vargas from Venezuela, and Rev. Izette Hernandez from Cuba. Together, they shared reflections on the lingering wounds of colonialism and the evolving instruments of imperialism that continue to shape lives across the region.

“Structural violence has become sophisticated,” said Rev. Andrada de Vargas of Venezuela. “Armed invasion becomes financial domination, media and psychological domination—it is a hybrid warfare.”

Prof. Beros highlighted the contemporary tools of empire. “The massive role of digital technologies, including the ambiguous form of AI, is reconfiguring the different areas of our lives,” he explained. “Through these platforms, very small but very powerful groups feed hate, manipulate fake news, and expand their power in political arenas. This is soft war; it is judicial war.”

Rev. Hernandez offered a Cuban perspective, noting the ways in which imperial influence can be hidden in seemingly neutral ecumenical language. “Churches in our regions are a political force,” she said. “They may be used as weapons for nationalist populism, or they may be spaces for restoration. Our challenge is to reclaim the liberating potential of faith.”

Rev. Oh, reflecting on the role of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in confronting these dynamics, emphasized the need for vigilance against co-opted theologies. “We cannot allow false theologies to co-opt our faith,” she said. “As Christians, we are called to confess who Christ is, not government systems. Liberation from the maintenance of dominance frees us for joyful relationships with God, others, and ourselves.”

Throughout the discussion, the panellists acknowledged that faith can be both complicit and transformative. Silence in the face of injustice, they argued, enables empire, while faith that inspires resistance can nurture hope, solidarity, and liberation.

Rev. Andrada de Vargas warned against the idolatry of wealth and power: “Our modern prophet asks us to recognize a theology which glorifies the rich and preaches piety while the world burns. To fall silent in the face of this economic idolatry is to become an accomplice of the false prophet.”

Rev. Hernandez offered a path forward grounded in Scripture. “We should obey God rather than human structures,” she said, referencing Acts 5:29. “The system has been constructed to dominate. To resist, we must remove ourselves from it and reconstruct our lives from the perspective of the Gospel. Only then can we become new subjects of the world, capable of building a liberating spirituality.”

The session concluded with a call to action: to cultivate a faith that frees, rather than serves empires; that prioritizes community over privilege; and that challenges unjust systems while fostering hope and resilience in the Americas.

Note: This article was written in collaboration with our communications steward for the 27th General Council, Emma Perry from USA/Hungary.