Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and its critics have been fighting for the hearts and minds of the American public, through advertising, media outreach, worker testimonials and public debate. Now the two sides are fighting for souls.

The world's largest retailer and its adversaries are hoping to sway religious leaders to their respective causes, hoping to use the clergy's powerful influence to reach flocks that may not respond to mere public relations or media-driven pitches.

Wal-Mart has quietly reached out to church officials with invitations to visit its headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., serve on leadership committees and open a dialogue with the company.

Across the aisle, one of the company's chief foes, Wal-Mart Watch, this weekend is launching seven days of anti-Wal-Mart consciousness-raising at more than 200 churches, synagogues and mosques in 100 cities, where leaders have agreed to sermonize about what they see as moral problems with the company.

"They are each probing for weaknesses behind enemy lines," said Nelson Lichtenstein, professor of history at University of California, Santa Barbara, and editor of the forthcoming book "Wal-Mart: The Face of 21st Century Capitalism."

"The liberals are trying to go into the churches even in conservative Republican neighborhoods. And then Wal-Mart goes into black churches and poor neighborhoods and says, 'Look, on this question, you should be with us because we provide jobs.' "

Wal-Mart Watch's religious efforts are part of the group's "Higher Expectations Week," a series of nationwide events at churches, clubs, colleges and other organizations to highlight criticism of the retailer. The activities include free screenings of Robert Greenwald's recently released documentary "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price," a critical look at how the largest private employer in the United States, treats workers.

Wal-Mart declined to comment on its outreach to clergy. But church leaders from around the United States said the retailer had contacted them to encourage their support — or respond to their criticism — of the company.

The Rev. Ron Stief, director of the Washington, D.C., office of the United Church of Christ, said a Wal-Mart representative telephoned him six weeks ago, after he criticized the company in a church newspaper article. After years of writing letters to the company to complain about Wal-Mart's conduct, Stief said, he finally received an invitation to Bentonville.

The Rev. Clarence Pemberton Jr., pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia, said a Wal-Mart representative attended Tuesday's regular meeting of about 75 Baptist ministers.

"It appeared that what he was trying to do was to influence us or put us in opposition to this film that is coming out and will be in the churches," Pemberton said, referring to the Greenwald documentary. "It was implied very strongly that it was about some sort of cash rewards for people who would become partners with Wal-Mart and what they were trying to do."