Religion And Social Protest Flashcards
What two examples does Bruce compare of the role of religiously inspired protest movements in America that have tried to change society?
The civil rights movement and the New Christian Right
Like Weber, who else is interested in the relationship between religion and social change?
Bruce
How did Bruce see religion as a force for change in the American civil rights movement?
He saw the black clergy as the backbone of the movement such as Martin Luther King who played a decisive role, giving support and moral legitimacy to civil rights activists. They were able to shame whites into changing the law by appealing to their shared Christian values of equality
What does Bruce see religion as in the context of the American civil rights movement?
An ideological resource
What four ways does Bruce identify that religious organisations are well equipped to support protests and support protests and contribute to social change?
Taking the moral high ground, channeling dissent, acting as honest broker and mobilising public opinion
How did the American civil rights movement bring about social change?
It shamed those in power to put into practice the principle of equality embodied in the American constitution that all men and women are born equal
What is the New Christian Right and what does it aim to do?
It is a politically and morally conservative, Protestant fundamentalist movement that seeks to take America ‘back to God’ by turning the clock back to a time before the liberalisation of American culture and society began
What are some of the beliefs of the New Christian Right?
They believe strongly in the traditional family and traditional gender roles and the teaching of ‘creationism’ in schools
What reasons does Bruce offer for the New Christian Right being largely unsuccessful?
It’s campaigners find it very difficult to cooperate with different religious groups even when campaigning on the same issue and The New Christian Right lacks widespread support and has been met with strong opposition from groups who stand for freedom of choice
Why was the New Christian Right not successful?
It failed to connect with mainstream beliefs about democracy, equality and religious freedom
