BIS TOPIC 2- social change

Question 1

example of when religion was used for social protest to create change

Answer 1

The American civil rights movement 1954

Question 2

What did Bruce say about the Civil rights movement as religion for social change?

Answer 2

• Religion provided support + moral legitimacy to civil rights activists.
• Their churches provided a meeting place + sanctuary from the threat of white violence.
• Rituals such as prayer meetings + hymn singing were source of unity in the face of oppression.
  -Gandhi’s non-violent protest was a huge inspiration for MLK in his approach to segregation issue.

Question 3

Who led the civil rights movement

Answer 3

Martin Luther King <3

Question 4

What did Bruce argue (civil rights movement)

Answer 4

The black clergy were able to shame whites into changing the law by appealing to their shared christian values of equality.

Question 5

Religion as an ideological resource
(context- Civil rights movement bruce)

Answer 5

Provided belief and practices that protestors could use as support

Question 6

How religion contributes to social change Bruce:

Answer 6

Taking moral high ground:
-black clergy pointed out the hypocrisy of the white clergy who preached ‘love thy neighbour’ while supporting racial segregation.
Channelling dissent:
- relgion provides channels for expressing political dissent e.g MLK funeral rallying point for civil rights movement.
Acting as honest broker:
-churches provide a context for negation as they are often respected by both sides + standing above mere politics.
Mobilising public opinion:
-black churches in the south successfully compaigned for support across whole of America.

Question 7

Whats Bruce’s examples of religion as a conservative force instead of brining about social change?

Answer 7

The new Christian Right
(protestant fundamentalist movement)

Question 8

What is the new christians rights aims for America?

Answer 8

-aims to take America ‘back to GOD’
-MAKE abortion, homosexuality, gay marriage, divorce illegal
-believes strongly in traditional gender roles
-campaigns for the teachings of creationaism

Question 9

Why is the new Christian Right a failed movement for change?

Answer 9

1.its campaigners find it difficult to cooperate with people from other religious groups, even when campaigning on the same issue.
2. it lacks widespread support + has met with strong opposition from groups who stand for freedom of choice.

Question 10

What was Webers study for religion as force for change called?

Answer 10

1905 study of the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism

Question 11

What did weber argue about his study and R as force for change?

Answer 11

-relgious beliefs of calvinism helped bring about major social change- specifically emergence of modern capitalism in Northern Europe in 16th + 17th centuries.
-noted- many past societies had capitalism in it. but modern capitalism is unique, based on systematic, efficient, rational pursuit for profit for its own sake rather than consumption .
Weber calls this = the spirit of capitalism.

Question 12

Weber- what does ‘the spirit of capitalism mean’?

Answer 12

The spirit has what he calls on elective affinity or unconscious similarity to the calvinist beliefs and attitudes.

Question 13

What are the calvinist beliefs?
(weber)

Answer 13

Predestination = God has predetermined which souls would be saved-‘the elect’ and which wouldn’t even before birth. individuals could do nothing to change this. whether through deeds or faith gods decision was already made.

Question 14

What does divine transcendence say/mean?
(weber)

Answer 14

God was so far above and beyond this world + incomparably greater than any mortal, that no human could possibly claim to know his will. This included the church + its priests leaving the calvinists to feel ‘an unprecedented inner loniness’ when combined with doctrine predestination,
this created weber calls - salvation panic in the calvinists.
They couldn’t know wether they’d been chosen to be saved + they couldn’t do anything to earn their salvation.

Question 15

What is asceticism?

Answer 15

Refers to abstinence, self-discipline, self-denial. For example, monks

Question 16

What is the idea of vocation or calling?

Answer 16

meant renouncing everyday life to join a convent or monastery.
Weber calls this other-worldly asceticism.
the only thing calvinists knew of gods plan for humanity came from the bible, which revealed that we were put on earth to glorify gods name by our work. Thus calvinist the idea of a calling or vocation meant constant, methodical work in an occupation, not in monastery.
However- work doesn’t earn salvation was just religious duty.- reason why calvinist led an ascetic lifestyle.

Question 17

What were the calvinist hard work + asceticisms’ two consequences?

Answer 17

1) wealth + success performed psychological functions. Allowed them to cope with their salvation panic. As they grew wealthier took it as sign of gods favour + salvation.
2)driven by their work ethic, systematically + methodically accumulated wealth by the most effective + rational means possible. But not allowing themselves to squander on its luxuries, reinvested it in their business, which prospered.

Question 18

Hinduism
(weber)

Answer 18

Ascestic: renunciation of materialism.
Other worldly:
followers focus was on the spiritual world, removed from mainstream society.

Question 19

confucianism

Answer 19

this worldly:
directed followers towards the material world.
Not ascetic: permissible to indulged in luxury.

Question 20

evaluation of webers work about religion

Answer 20

• W work often described as a ‘debate with Marx’s ghost’. Marx saw economic or material factors as the driving face of change, whereas weber argues that the material factors alone are not enough to bring about capitalism.
  Webers view needed specific cultural factors, the beliefs and values of calvinism to bring it into being.

Question 21

What do marxists traditionally view religion as what force?

Answer 21

entirely conservative.
-marx believed religion could be capable of humanising world made inhuman by exploitation, even if the comfort it offers is an illusion.

Question 22

Engels (1895): Religion has a dual character

Answer 22

-relgion inhibits change by disguising inequality however > relgion can also preach liberation from slavery + misery.
-lower ranks within churches (local priests) can support or inspire popular protest to achieve change.

Question 23

A02: CASE STUDY
Dual character and hinduism

Answer 23

-hinduism was an extremely powerful conservative force in maintaining the status quo of social caste system in India.
-HOWEVER, same religion was used to inspire social change in the Indian nationalist movements against the British empire.

Question 24

Bloch: the principle of hope

Answer 24

-relgion may prevent change but it can also inspire protest + rebellion.
-Religion is an expression of the principle of hope which shows images of utopia.
-utopian images show what needs to change which can make change for the better society.

Question 25

Gramsci: Relgion + hegemony

Answer 25

ideas are just as important as material conditions for enabling class domination

Question 25

liberation theology- Maduro
The Latin American Catholic Church

Answer 25

Romeo = archbishop catholic churh
-originally conservative leader, became outspoken individual against the military regime in El Salvador.
-he used his platform to speak out against the government state by killings + helped the families of victims. Wished for social revolution
-assassinated in 1980.

Question 27

what is hegemony
(gramsci)

Answer 27

Ideological domination through institutions- religion.