Marxist Theories of Religion

Question 1

Ideology

Answer 1

• ideology is a belief system that distorts people’s perception of reality in ways that serve the interests of the ruling class

Question 2

Religion as an Ideology

Answer 2

• he argues that the class that controls economic production also controls the production and distribution of ideas in society, through institutions such as the church, education system and media
• religion operates as an ideological weapon used by the r/c to legitimate the suffering of the poor as something inevitable and god given.
• religion misleads the poor into believing that their suffering is virtuous and that they will be favoured in the afterlife.
• such ideas create a false class consciousness
• religion also legitimates the power and privilege of the dominant class by making their position appear to be divinely ordained e.g. The Divine Right King of Kings was the belief that the king was god’s representative on earth and owned total obedience.

Question 3

false class consciousness

Answer 3

a distorted view of reality that prevents the poor from acting to change their situation

Question 4

Religion as Ideology - Lenin

Answer 4

• describes religion as ‘spiritual gin’ - an intoxicant doled out to the masses by the r/c to confuse them and keep them in their place
• the r/c use religion cynically to manipulate the masses and keep them from attempting to overthrow the r/c by creating a ‘mystical fog’ that obscures reality

Question 5

Religion and Alienation

Answer 5

• M also sees religion as the product of alienation
• alienation involves becoming separated from or losing control over something that one has produced
• alienation also exists in all societies but more extreme under capitalism
• under capitalism workers are alienated because they do not own what they produce and have no control over the production process and thus no freedom to express their true nature as creative beings.
• alienation reaches a peak with the division of labour in the capitalist factory where the worker endlessly repeats the same task

Question 6

EVALUATION - Neo Marxists

Answer 6

- Marx shows how religion can be a tool of oppression that marks exploitation and creates false class consciousness  However he ignores positive functions of religion, such as psychological adjustment to misfortune. 
Neo Marxists see certain forms of religion as assisting the development of class consciousness

Question 7

EVALUATION

Answer 7

• religion does not necessarily function effectively as an ideology to control the population.