religion as a force for social change Flashcards
what are the 3 calvinist beliefs?
-predestination (God has already decided who goes to heaven)
-devine transcendence (no one can rival God, the only source of info is the Bible)
-vocation or calling (the only way to glorify God is to devote themselves to their work)
how did Calvinism lead to capitalism?
Calvinists became anxious about becoming part of the elect, so to overcome this anxiety they devoted themselves to their work, aquiring vast amounts of wealth, which they took as a sign of God’s favour
Calvinists don’t believe in spending their wealth, so they reinvest it
briefly evaluate the idea of religion as a force for social change
-kautsky disagrees with Weber’s analysis of the role of Calvinism developing capitalism, he believes capitalism existed first, so the only role of Calvinism was to justify why the ruling class controlled the means of production
what are the 4 factors out forward by McGuire and Robinson that determine if religion is a conservative force or a force for social change
1-the nature and extent of religious belief (if the beliefs are strong and differ from some features of society they will try to change it)
2-the significance of religion in society (the more important the more influential)
3-the extent of the social involvement of religion (if religious leaders are close to (eg) politicians they’re more influential)
4-the degree of central authority in religious organisations (strong central authority means it can promote/prevent social change)
what are the 4 points put forward by Bruce of religion acting as an ideological resource?
1-taking the moral high ground
2-channelling dissent
3-acting as an honest broker
4-mobilising public opinion
what are the 4 case studies on religion and social protest?
1-american civil rights movement
2-the new Christian right
3-liberation theology
4-millenarian movements
how does the american civil rights movement relate to religion?
aimed to end segregation and gain equal rights in the black community, led by Martin Luther King who used Christian values to unite people, allowing the movement to gain legitimacy and followers
(Bruce believes the movement was successful because it was peaceful, gained public support and negotiated with the opposition)
how did the new Christian right movement relate to religion?
-aimed to resist the changes that occurred, such as the liberalisation of homosexuality, divorce, abortion and sex education. they wished to return to a system more closely reflecting the Bible
(Bruce believes the movement was unsuccessful because they have an overly negative tone, which polarises people rather than uniting them)
how did the liberation theology relate to religion?
south america, 60’s-70’s, catholic priests developed the liberation theology to respond to the failure of the vatican to deal with poverty and oppression
the priests encouraged their followers to force change on society, and even use violence if necessary to overthrow dictators
the movement was successful in overthrowing Somoza in Nicaragua
how did the millenarian movements relate to religion?
believed that existing society is evil and sinful and that supernatural force will completely destroy society and create a new and perfect world order, eg the Heavens Gate Cult
they have been unsuccessful in changing society because they’re world rejecting and fail to unite people
