CAPITALOCENE VS. ANTHROPOCENE: EMPIRE AND THE FUTURE OF LIBERATION THEOLOGY

We argue that empire affects us not just in terms of politics and economics but at the deepest levels of our being, including religion (Míguez; Sung, Rieger, 2009). We still find ourselves in this predicament, even though the respective political landscapes keep changing. That the structures of empire have morphed but not ceased to exist is clearer today than ever. Markers for this empire are the still-growing disparity between rich and poor not only between North and South but also within individual countries, accompanied by growing disparities of power in politics, economics, and even religion. In the United States, the second Trump presidency has barely begun at the time of this writing, but authoritarianism is growing in politics, economics, religion, and even in the universities. This reflection is divided into four parts: 1) Capitalocene Vs. Anthropocene, 2) Anthropocentrism and Humanism, 3) The role of labor, 4) Alternatives.