religion as a force for change Flashcards
Weber calvinism - force for change (social action theory)
- before modern capitalism
- calvinism was a type of protestantism where the main belief was that before birth God had preselected people to go to heaven or hell
- only the chosen people could live a good life on earth (hard work and success would be a sign of going to heaven)
- they worked hard with no indulgence in luxuries
- they spent their material success back into their own business
- this provided social change by holding the attitudes and society to bring around modern western capitalism
supporting evidence of Weber’s calvinism (social action theory)
- civil rights movement - Martin Luther King used religion to bring equality for black people in the USA
- tiger economies (South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore) have become major economic powers due to the beliefs of hard work
weaknesses of Weber’s calvinism (social action theory)
- capitalism came before calvinism in countries such as Italy and Germany
- some heavily calvinist areas turned capitalist much later than others
- criticised for underestimating the capitalist spirit of Judaism
- calvinists more likely got into business due to suffering persecution, driving them to find their own positions
- teachings of calvinism were against greed so reinvesting money does not make sense
fundamentalist view of religion as a force for change
religious fundamentalism wants to see changes that have occurred in modern society removed to return to traditional religious morals and values
Bruce - key features of fundamentalist groups
- interpret sacred texts literally
- reject religious pluralism
- personal experience of god’s presence
- oppose secularisation and support traditionalism
- promote conservative beliefs
- emerge in response to inequality
- make use of technology
Iran revolution - force for change (Islamic fundamentalism)
in 1979 Iran had a revolution which transformed its monarchy into an Islamic Fundamentalist Republic, in which religion changed society from being westernised back to a traditional society ruled by Sharia Law (women are veiled and have traditional roles, homosexuality and adultery are punishable by public execution)
- social change has occurred but backwards
Islamic State - force for change (extremism)
- radical extremist Islamic fundamentalist group that has seized large amounts of territory in Syria and Iraq, with the aim to establish a state ruled by a single political and religious leader according to Islamic law, or Sharia
- women forced to wear veils, non-Muslims pay special tax or convert, punishments including flogging or executions
- linked to Tunisian Beach Massacre and other terrorist acts in countries such as France
- brutal tactics have sparked fear and outrage across the world
- globalisation plays a key role as Muslims are recruited worldwide
- change has occurred but backwards
Christian fundamentalism
resurgence in the 1970s as christian fundamental groups saw the US as becoming corrupt and immoral and wanted to restore God to the centre of US society, campaigning for high schools to teach creationism and intelligent design as an alternative to evolution
- New Christian Right had a significant influence on the election of George W Bush in 2000 with his policies favoured by fundamentalists (challenging gay rights and abortion legislation etc)
examples of Christian fundamentalist groups/movements
- New Christian Right (teaching creationism instead of evolution etc)
- Westboro Baptist Church (picket funerals of soldiers and believe terrorism is God’s judgement on a hell bound US society)
- ‘Silver Ring Thing’ (sexual abstinence movement)
Singleton - deterritorialization (globalisation)
in the past religions were attached to nation states and now religions such as Islam and Christianity cross trans-national boundaries
Lyon - re-enchantment (globalisation)
there has been a resurgence of Christian and Islamic fundamentalism as a reaction against globalisation eroding traditional cultures and sense of identity, causing people to build up resistance identities as a cure for westernisation
Huntington - ‘us and them’ (globalisation and fundamentalism)
increasing contact with other cultures due to globalisation intensifies the differences rather than bringing them together, creating an ‘us and them’ mentality
- an example of this is conflict between the US and Islamic countries since 9/11
Mcguire - factors affecting whether religion can change society
- nature and extent of religious beliefs
- significance of religion in a society’s culture
- extent of the social involvement of religion
- degree of central authority in religious organisations
