Religion as a force for change Flashcards
What are the 7 main factors that consider religion as a force for change?
1) Neo-Marxism
- Bloch, Gramsci, Maduro + liberation theology
2) Martin Luther King and Civil Rights USA
3) Hinduism and Indian Nationalism
4) Religious Fundamentalism
5) The origins of the Labour Party
6) Weber and the Protestant ethic
7) Maguire
Neo-Marxism
BLOCH
Religion as a dual character
+ recognises that having the idea of what a perfect world would look like, may help people in seeing what needs to be changed- gaining class consciousness, collaborates with politics and leadership = significant social change
- the masses internalise the belief that they will be rewarded for their suffering in heaven so they do not revolt on earth and the status quo continues
Neo-Marxism
GRAMSCI
- definitions
Humanist marxism
Hegemony- consenting to being led by capitalism
- benefit, choose to work for wages
Counter H- go against any type of capitalism
Agency: decision making autonomy
Neo-Marxism
GRAMSCI
Religion contributed to the hegemonic control of the RC
- X the only role, workers able to organise against the hegemony and develop counter H led by organic intellectuals
- charismatic leaders could take the role of organic intellectuals
What are organic intellectuals?
WC able to mobilise others to challenge oppression of capitalism
What are charismatic religious leaders?
Use their religious position/teachings to influence people
Neo-Marxism
MADURO + Liberation Theology
Challenge to traditional Marxism
- studied the idea that religion could bring about social change
What is liberation theology?
Justification for the liberation of oppressed people
- alternative to the standard view
- essential that the poor are ‘principle agents of their disimpoverishment’ - freedom
Why does liberation theology challenge traditional Marxist ideas about religion?
It states that they should aid the poor and bring social change to improve their economic status
- Marxism thinks the church want to maintain their wealth, not share it as they think it is stopping change
Who are 2 examples of liberation theologists?
1- Father Camilo Torres
2- Archbishop Romero
Who is Father Camilo Torres?
- led a revolution in Columbia
- killed fighting government forces
Who is Archbishop Romero?
Champion of social and economic reforms to improve the life of the poor
- shot dead in Cathedral by 4 gunmen
2) How does Martin Luther King highlight religion as a force for change?
Baptist paster- religious leader
- by not treating ‘all man’ equally, people were going against their faith, contradictory
- target values of faith, tradition of collectivity
- shot fighting for change
3) Hinduism and Indian nationalism
Hinduism- used as a powerful conservative force
- also inspired huge social change in the Indian nationalist movement
Caste system- can’t move up or down, destined, reinforces inequality
Ghandi- gain independence for India, fought against British rule, peaceful protests
Nanda
Hinduism argued to be a driving force for social change, as a key factor in India’s economic development
Nanda
Hinduism is closely related to Indian ‘ultra nationalism’
- 93% of Indians considered their culture ‘superior to others’
- Indian national identity and Hinduism are seen as effectively the same thing
- become what Bellah called a civil religion
- through the worship of Hindu gods, Indians are worshipping India itself
Why is ultranationalism more common amongst India’s educated middle class?
Due to India’s growing success
How does Nanda show religion as a force for change?
Growing economic success is the social change where affluent/educated MC are rewarded for their faith in hinduism
4) Religious fundamentalism
Can religion be a reaction against change?
What are the 4 characteristics of Fundamentalism?
1- An authoritarian sacred text (Christian fundamentalists see the bible as the literal truth)
2- As us and them mentality
3- The use of modern technology (the internet, televangelism, modern weaponry)
4- Patriarchal
What does Giddens argue about Fundamentalist movements?
That they are in direct contrast with cosmopolitanism which sees life as a personal choice rather than being dictated by religious authority
What are the 2 Fundamentalisms and what does Bruce say about them?
1- Islamic fundamentalism
2- Christian fundamentalism
B argues that while fundamentalists share the same characteristics, their origins may be different
Islamic Fundamentalism
Iran was a traditional society which quickly modernised and was influenced by the West under the Shah in the early 20th century
- women were able to wear western clothes, alcohol was freely available, secular education
- inequality between the rich and the poor
What did traditional Muslims do?
Unhappy about the direction of the Iranian society and began to oppose the Shah
- revolution in 1979, Ayatollah came to power
- established a society based on Islamic Saria Law
- alcohol was banned, harsh punishments for crime, women required to cover their bodies in public
Christian fundamentalism in the USA
The New Christian Right in America argues that American society is in decline and in a state of moral crisis, believe this is due to changes in the law such as easy divorce, abortion, gay rights
- The Christian Right have campaigned against these changes although have achieved little changed
Roe vs Wade making abortion illegal in some states
Why did these different forms of fundamentalism develop?
Vehicle for resistance against Western influence and cultural imperialism
Why can we claim that religious fundamentalism shows religion as a force for change in each case?
Not all social change is progressive, it can be negative as they are reverting back to old traditional ways
- some of which can be seen as controversial
How could we argue this is showing religion as a conservative force rather than a force for change?
People are creating extreme religious groups to rebel against social changes
5) Origin of the labour party
Wesley
Founded the Methodist Church
- wanted a church that broke away from the Church of England
- was more in touch with the common man
What did Wesley believe in?
‘faith in action’
- practised the teachings of the Bible in everyday life
- held many sermons in public places (hillsides) instead of buildings to emphasise the idea off reacting out to WC people and changing lives
What were many members of The Methodist Church involved in developing?
Early Trade Unions and eventually the Labour Party
(who continued to fight for fairness and protecting the rights of WC people)
What did Wesley believe the Church should promote?
Social justice and not the dominant ideology of the RC
What are WEBER’s main ideas?
Authority and the Protestant work ethic
- critical of what Marx says about power
How does Weber use the concept of authority to show religion as a force for change?
Rational-legal authority- earned
Charismatic authority- religious position
Traditional, hereditary authority- given
Weber’s key concept
Reformation- Catholicism to Protestantism
Calvinism is a type of Protestantism
- capitalism emerged from Clavinism
What did the Protestant branch of Calvinism encourage people in 16/17th century Western Europe to do?
Follow The Protestant Work Ethic
What is the protestant worth ethic?
Making poorer people work harder to convince themselves of their place in heaven
- make rich people reinvest to create more prrofit
What is predestination?
That God had already decided who had a place in heaven, not everyone is guaranteed this place which lead to uncertainty also known as salvation panic
What were Calvinists encouraged to live life like?
Living frugally- an ‘ascetic life’
What does living an ‘ascetic life’/living frugally mean?
Saving their money and not unnecessarily spending it
- self-discipline, refraining from luxury to prove you were worthy of going to heaven
How does Weber believe this theodicy (ascetic life) led to capotalism?
Pursuit of entry into heaven through work and continual attainment of profit
- capitalism requires the right economic conditions and the right values, predominantly found in Calvinism
Why didn’t capitalism develop in China or India?
They had the right economic conditions but lacked the necessary values needed
How do Robertson and Kautsky challenge Weber?
R- many beliefs attributed to Calvinism were shared by other religions
e.g. child labour laws, slavery abolished
K- capitalism pre-dates Calvinism
What are the 4 Key features of Calvinist beliefs?
1) Predestination
2) Asceticism
3) Divine transcendence
4) Vocation/calling
1) Predestination
God predetermines which souls would be saved, and which wouldn’t, before birth
- whether individuals go on a pilgrimage, pray or give to the church, this decision cannot be changed
2) Asceticism
This refers to the ideas of abstinence, self-discipline and self-denial
- refraining from luxury and avoiding excess in order to devote themselves to god
3) Divine Transendence
God was so far above and beyond anything of this world, that no one could possibly claim to know his will, even the church or priests
- this combined with the idea of predestination left a feeling of inner loneliness, along with salvation panic
4) Vocation/Calling
Before Calvinism, the idea pf vocation referred to renouncing everyday life to join a convent/monastery
- in contrast, Calvinism introduced the idea of this worldly asceticism
- the only thing Calvinists knew was what they had read in the bible, that they were put on earth to glorify God’s name by our work
Overview of Weber
Argues that the introduction of the protestant religious ideas (Calvinism/Lutheranism) in the 16th century led to the eventual development of capitalism in the USA and Europe
- this was because the protestant ethic encouraged people to live an ascetic life (working hard, saving and obtaining from lives pleasures) in order to prove you were predestined to go to heaven, this was in contrast to what the Catholic church taught previously
- as a result of this ethic, people earned more money and reinvested into their businesses, as these businesses developed and grew this created a capitalist society
Issue in Weber’s theory
- the reason Calvinists were linked too private capitalist businesses
X Calvinism was linked to capitalism not because Calvinists believed in predestination, but because like other non-conformist religions, they were banned from many professions
- supporters argue not all non-conformist followers of religion became successful capitalists, so it was their belief that made the difference
Issue in Weber’s theory
- which came first capitalism or protestantism?
X Marxist Kautsky claimed that capitalism predated Protestantism and therefore was used to justify it
- reinvestment and the pursuit of profit, the key features of capitalism only came after Protestantism
Issue in Weber’s theory
- where capitalism started
X Scotland, Switzerland, Hungary and parts of the Netherlands were strongly Calvinist but were not amongst the first areas to become capitalist
- Marshall argues that these countries lacked the economic conditions necessary for capitalism to develop
What 4 features did MAGUIRE identify to establish what makes religion radical or conservative?
1- Belief
2- Culture
3- Social location
4- Internal organisation
1- Belief
If religion focuses its belief on this world rather than a concern wit sacred and spiritual matters it is more likely to lead to change
e.g. Protestantism rather than Buddhism
2- Culture
If a religion is an important part of a culture, it is more likely to have the power to change things
e.g. religion is less likely to change things/have power in the UK
3- Social location
How far does religion have an influence on politics in a country?
- where there is separation of state and religion, it is less likely to be a force for change
4- Internal organisation
Religions with a strong central source of authority have more chance of influencing change
- this can be seen in the case for some NRMs
Maguire therefore concludes
that it depends on these 4 factors as these conditions have to be right in order to create social change
