This call is hosted by the Christian Peacebuilding Network (CPN), a multi-org group we helped found, and is part of a series of monthly conversations to help connect Christian peacebuilders and discuss themes related to peacebuilding and the Christian faith.
What is the relationship between capitalism, war, and empire? How do economic systems and the pursuit of resources shape relationships between nations and communities, and how might these dynamics contribute to conflict and injustice? As peacebuilders, what does it mean to consider not only how we respond to violence, but also the wider economic and political forces that shape the world in which it occurs?
In this conversation, Yanan Melo will explore the relationship between capitalism, war, and empire, examining how the pursuit of profit and access to resources shape political decisions and contribute to conflict. He will invite us to consider whether war is simply a failure of an otherwise functioning economic system, or whether it serves the interests of that system—and what these connections mean for those working toward peace and justice.
Yanan will also examine political and economic movements that seek to reform or abolish capitalism, with particular attention to socialist traditions and the distinctions between democratic and totalitarian forms of socialism. Drawing on these debates, he will ask what Christian discipleship demands in a world shaped by economic inequality, military power, and imperial relationships—and what forms of political action might follow.
As we bring perspectives shaped by different national histories and economic systems, we will wrestle with a challenging question: If the pursuit of profit and economic power can help drive and sustain violence, what would faithful Christian action require of us—not only in responding to war, but in confronting the systems and interests that help make it possible?
Questions to reflect on as you come to the meeting:
Is capitalism a problem? Why or why not?
What is the relationship between capitalism, war, and empire? Is war an internal mechanism of capitalism?
How does capitalism enable or constrain peacebuilding?
What alternatives to capitalism exist, and what possibilities or challenges do they present?
What does faithful Christian political action look like within the context of capitalism?
Time:
3:00pm Central Europe & Central Africa (2:00pm UK & Western Africa, 4:00pm East Africa and Eastern Europe, 9:00am USA Eastern, 6:30pm India Time)
Facilitator:
Yanan Rahim N. Melo
Yanan (he/him) is a journalist and editor from Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. As Editorial Director at the Center for Barth Studies, he oversees and guides public scholarship initiatives that bridge the intersections between systematic theology, cultural commentary, and progressive politics.
He holds an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he wrote his master’s thesis, To Begin Again: Christology at the End of the World, in which he proposed a decolonial theology of divine grace in response to the mass deportation crisis. For his research, he received both the Archibald Alexander Hodge Award in Systematic Theology and the Edward A. Dowey Jr. Award for Excellence in Reformation Theology.
As a journalist, Yanan has published op-eds with outlets such as Sojourners, Christianity Today, BitterSweet Monthly, Space on Space Magazine, Geez Magazine, Interfaith America, and more. His coverage areas primarily tackle matters of religion, class, culture, and immigration. He has reported on the ways grassroots communities engage contemplative practices through rapper Kendrick Lamar’s music, as well as how Zohran Mamdani’s stunning campaign poses a challenge to immigrant communities who have acquiesced into “model minority” status in the U.S. You can find him on Instagram: @yananrahim.