Religious Conflict (ch. 6) Flashcards
Study for Quiz 6
What is Conflict Theory
Shows the strain and competition between individuals and sub-groups in society
Two ways to analyze religion
- Provides comfort and explains complex and puzzling issues
- Creates or enhances stress, anxiety, worry, and sexual ‘hang-ups’
Who was the founder of conflict theory?
Karl Marx
Marx referred to religion as…
“the opium of the people”
How are groups and individuals competing in a capitalist society
Always seeking advantages with limited resources
If integrated with competitors, it’s considered weak
What does religion do for the less fortunate?
Keep them docile and accepting of the status quo
Religion is used by those in power to encourage people to…
- accept their ‘lot in life’
- do their work quickly and well
- seek their reward in heaven or nirvana
- obey the laws of the land
What is the bourgeoise?
The owners of the means of production
What is the proletariat?
Those who produce the means of production and only have their energy and muscle to sell (work for the bourgeoise)
What is power?
‘The probability that one actor within a social relationship will be in a position to carry out his own will despite resistance’
Religion isn’t responsible for…
Poverty, misery, and inequality
How does religion affect the actions of the “downtrodden?”
They do not lash out against their oppression - allows them to find emotional release
Religious conflict in the Old Testament
Lots of battles/wars
- tribes fighting over land & resources
- believed they were God’s chosen ones and followed his instructions
- conflicts can be labeled as religious, not political
What was the religious conflict in the Middle Ages?
Armed religious conflict called “holy wars”
- Crusaded marched through Europe and the Near East
What did the Europe wars of the Roman Catholic Church try to get rid of?
Attempted to get rid of “heresy” with the sword
What are contemporary examples of religious conflict?
Northern Ireland, the Union of South Africa, Israel and Palestine, India, and the Philippines
What is intrareligious conflict?
Conflict within a religious group
What is a fundamentalist denomination?
A conservative/literal approach
- strong internal harmony
- some members hold more liberal interpretations
What is a modernist denomination?
A liberal/metaphorical approach
- do not have internal unity
- lots of members hold more conservative interpretations
T/F: When conservative denominations grow, diversity increases, and unity becomes weaker
True
Can lead to new sects/denominations emerging
What is the Sanctuary Movement?
A large group of religious people ran an underground railroad, providing sanctuary to refugees
What is Liberation Theology?
Institutions that have Christian in the name must help the conditions of society, AKA assisting those in need economically and health wise
