Religion And Social Change

Question 1

What are the two ways in which religion acts as a conservative force?

Answer 1

1. Religious beliefs
   Religion upholds traditional beliefs about how society should be organised
2. Religion functions to preserve things as they are by maintaining the status quo (consensus, capitalism, patriarchy)

Question 2

What are the 4 key Calvinist beliefs identified by Weber?

Answer 2

1. Predestination
   God has predetermined which souls would be saved - the elect - and nothing can be done to change it
2. Divine transcendence
   God is far and above the world and no one can claim to know His will. This created a salvation panic- not knowing whether they were part of the elect and not being able to change their position.
3. Asceticism
   Abstinence, self discipline and self denial to devote your life to God
4. The idea of a vocation/ calling
   Before Calvinism, other-worldly asceticism meant renouncing your daily life to join a monastery. Calvinism brought about a this-worldly asceticism which is a vocation involving constant, methodical work in an occupation. This lead to:
   - their wealth being seen as a sign of God’s favour which helped them cope with the salvation panic
   - their wealth being invested and leading to prosperity which caused capitalism.

Question 3

What are the ideas about Hinduism and Confucianism?

Answer 3

• Hinduism was ascetic but other-worldly; it directed its followers away from the material world and towards the spiritual world
• Confucianism was this-worldly and directed it’s followers towards the material world but it wasn’t ascetic
• Both religions lacked the drive to gain the wealth required for capitalism. Calvinism combined asceticism and a this-worldly orientation to allow capitalism to emerge

Question 4

Evaluate Weber’s ideas about religion as a force for change

Answer 4

• Kautsky: Weber overestimated the rise of ideas and underestimated the role of economic factors in bringing about capitalism. Capitalism came before rather than after capitalism
• Tawney: technological change rather than religious ideas cause the birth of capitalism
• Capitalism didn’t develop in every country where there were calvinists

Question 5

What was the American civil rights movement?

Answer 5

• Although slavery had been abolished, black people were still denied legal and political rights due to segregation
• Bruce: the black clergy were able to shame whites into changing the law but appealing to their shared Christian values of equality
• Religious organisations are well equipped to contribute to social change by:
  1. Taking the moral high ground
  2. Channeling dissent
  3. Acting as honest broker
  4. Mobilising public opinion across America
• Bruce says the movement was successful because it shared the same values as wider society and those in power

Question 6

What was the New Christian Right?

Answer 6

• it aimed to ‘take America back to God’ such as by criminalising abortion, homosexuality, abortion and divorce and reinforcing traditional family and gender roles.
• it used televangelism to raise funds and broadcast programmes aimed at making converts and recruiting new members
• It was unsuccessful because:
  1. Its campaigners couldn’t cooperate with other religious groups despite campaigning on the same issues
  2. It lacked widespread support and was met with opposition from people who stood for freedom of choice

Question 7

What did Bloch say about the principle of hope?

Answer 7

• Religion is an expression of the principle of hope; our dreams for a better life that contains images of utopia
• Bloch says we should look at both the positive and negative influence of religion on social change: religion may deceive people with promises of rewards in heaven but may also help people see what needs to be changed.
• if the vision of a better world is combined with effective leadership it can bring about social change.

Question 8

What is liberation theology?

Answer 8

• A movement with strong commitment to the poor and opposition to military dictatorships
• Priests helped the oppressed against the dictatorships such as by developing literacy programmes
• Pope John Paul condemned it on the grounds that it resembled Marxism and the movement lost its influence
• Casanova: LT played a part in resisting state terror and bringing about democracy
• Maduro: religion can be a force for change; the LT used religious ideas to make the catholic clergy defend the peasants.

Question 9

Explain how Lehmann identified between liberation theology and Pentecostalism

Answer 9

• LT is an option for the poor through community consciousness. It is a radical solution to poverty; collective improvement through political action in the public sphere
• Pentecostalism is an option for the poor by individuals using their own efforts to pull themselves out of poverty with the support of the congregation. it is a conservative solution to poverty; individual improvement through the private sphere of the family and church

Question 10

Describe the millenarian movements

Answer 10

• these are movements with the desire to bring about change here and now and bring the kingdom of God on earth
• Worsley studied MM in Melanesia known as cargo cults. They arose because the islanders felt wrongfully deprived when cargo arrived for the colonists. These movements led to unrest which threatened colonial rule
• Worsley said the movements are pre-political; they used religious ideas and images but they United native populations in mass movements
• Engels; the movements represent the first awakening of proletarian self consciousness

Question 11

What did Gramsci say about religion and hegemony?

Answer 11

• Hegemony is the way the ruling class use ideas and popular consent to maintain control. The w/c can develop an alternative vision of how society should be organised which is a counter hegemony.
• Gramsci says religion has a dual character whereby it can both challenge and support the ruling class

Question 12

What did Billings’ case study reveal about religion and class conflict?

Answer 12

• the study of miners and textile workers showed that differences in levels of militancy can be understood in terms of hegemony and the role of religion.
• there are 3 ways religion either supported or challenged the employers’ hegemony
  1. Leadership
  The minders benefitted from the leadership of organic intellectuals like preachers; the textile workers lacked this leadership
  2. Organisation
  The miners used churches to hold meetings and organise; the textile workers lacked such spaces
  3. Support
  The churches kept the miners’ morale high with supportive sermons, prayer meetings and group singing; textile workers who engaged in union activity were met with opposition from church leaders

Billings concluded that religion can either defend the status quo of justify the struggle to change it.