Topic 5 - Religion in a Global context Flashcards
Characteristics of Fundamentalism
An authoritative sacred text
- not open to questioning, the truths are valid for all eternity and it contains the answers to all life’s important questions
An ‘Us and them’ mentality
- separate themselves from the rest of the world and refuse to compromise
- Davie = they seek to establish islands of certainty against social + cultural chaos
Aggressive reaction
- want to draw attention to what threaten their beliefs + values so reactions are intended to cause shock, intimidate or cause harm
- clergy leaders are important as they give the directions on these actions
Use of modern tech
- oppose modern culture but use modern tech to achieve their aims e.g televangelism
patriarchy
- Hawley found they favoured a world in which womens’ sexuality was controlled and men were in charge
prophecy
- the last days are upon us and those that believe would be saved and transported to heaven
conspiracy theories
- often attracted to them
- many christ + islam fundamentalists hold antisemitic views and believe that the jews are conspiring to secure world domination
fundamentalists and modernity
Davie
- happens when those that hold trad orthodox beliefs and values are threatened by modernity and feel the need to defend themselves
Giddens
- its a product of and reaction to globalisation that undermines traditional social norms (family, gender roles. abortion and same sex marriage etc)
- it provides a way of life awaay from the modern risks of society cos of its ridged structure
cosmopolitanism
A way of thinking that embraces modernity and is in keeping up with globalisation. consists of reflexive thinking (Giddens) cos constantly modifying beliefs in light of new info
responses to postmodernity
- Bauman - fundamentalism = response to living in postmodern wrld cos of individuality and more risk
- castells found 2 responses to postmodernity
. resistance ID -a defensive reaction from those that feel threatened
. project ID - those who are forward-looking and engage in social movements like feminism
criticisms
- they ignore hybrid movements of cosmopolitan and fundamentalism
- ignore other important developments e.g how globalisation affects non-fundamentalist religions like Catholicism
- Giddens doesn’t distinguish between the types of fundamentalists
- Giddens defining it as a defensive reaction ignores the fact that reinventing tradition is also a ‘reflexive’ activity
- Haynes says that fundamentalism is usually result of local probs rather than global like Islamic fund cos of local elects breaking promises
Monotheism and fundamentalism
2 fundamentalisms
. in the west
- The New Christian Right in America has developed opposition to anything that defies social ‘norms’ like fam diversity.
- Aims to restore ‘true’ religion to a public role where it can shape the laws and morals of wider society
. in the third world
-usually a reaction to change being thrown at them from the outside like in Islamic revolution
- triggered by modernisation + globalisation cos western values are imposed upon by foreign capitalism or local elites supported by the west
secular fundamentalism
two phases of modernity
. phase 1 = gave rise to religious fundamentalism
- 18th cent to 1960s = enlightenment (held optimistic secular belief in pwr of science + human reason)
- ‘Enlightenment project’ dom in EU + helped to secularise all areas of social life by undermining religious certainties
. phase 2 = secular fundamentalism
- 70s = enlightenment project itself under attack cos of insecurity from globalisation = loss of faith = major secular enlightenment in ideologies like Marxism.
-> Davie argues that they are “past their sell by date” = both religious + secular movements can become fundamentalised cos of uncertainties
- 2004 france banned pupils from wearing religious symbols to school = Ansell saw as a form of cultural racism
- Hervieu-leger = fundamentalism as a form of ‘recreated memories; in late modern soc that have suffered ‘cultural amnesia’ and forgot their historic + religious traditions
the clash of civilisations
. civilisations are bigger than nations
. civilisations have a common cultural bg and history and closely ID with one of the world’s great religions
. globalisation contrib cos made nation-states less signif as source of ID = creates a gap that religion has filled
. creates contrast between civilisations = more likely to cause conflict
. religion creates ‘us and them’ mentality
- competition between military civilisations for economic + military power (e.g middle east)
- hard to resolve cos religion deep rooted in culture + history
- Huntington = history as struggle of “progress against barbarism” -> believe west is under threat from islam -> need to reassert Christian dominance
the clash of civilisations
criticisms
. Jackson - Huntington’s work as orientalism -> west ideology that stereotyped
. Horrie et al - “clash of civil” = grossly misleading -> neo-conservative ideology that portrays Islam as enemy when is only small minority that want ‘holy-war’ with the west.
the real clash of civilisations
. Ingleheart et al - the issues that divide the W and Islam = not democ but is gender + sexuality
-> divorce, abortion, gender equ + gay rights -> west = more liberal on these things but Mus stay traditional
Cultural defence
. when relig serves to unite a community against external threat -> often gives relig prominent role in politics
Poland
. 1945 - 89 = under commie rule
. cath church suppressed during this but still embodied Polish national ID
-> church rallied opposition to sov union
-> partic to the solidarity free trade union movement in 80s -> did a lot to bring about the fall of communism
. church regained public role + had sig impact on polish politics since
Iran
. W pwr + oil comps had influence over Iran
-> including legal overthrow of democratic gov in 50s to install pro W regime
. Islam = focus of resistance
-> revolution in 1979 = islamic republic -> clerks held pwr + able to impose laws
. Haynes = Iranian revolution not typical of Mid-E cos lead by religious leaders
-> in Saudi-Arabia relig leaders close tied to local elite (tied to W imperialism) -> local relig leaders opposed by local fundamentalists -> see them as enemies of Islam
Globalisation + development of religion
. God + globalisation in India
. Globalisation made india more import player on the world political stage + up prosperity to some -> made them richer
. Nanda - lead to prosperity in India cos
}30% said had become more relig
}urban ed = more religion than rural
}relig = fashionable + have more money to do religious things -> use to help their religion like pay for holy men
. Hinduism changed cos worship low-status village gods cos more responsive to ppl’s needs, holy men charging, wealth is acceptable
-> Hinduism seen as civil-religion cos worship India same as the gods
. probs that could link Hinduism + state cause for non-Hindus :
-> teaching astrology as academic subject = able to predict nat disaster
-> researching cow piss as treatment for AIDS + TB
= non-Hindus don’t believe in either
Globalisation + development of religion
. capitalism in E Asia
. focus on self discipline, commitment + self improvement are the similarities between it and Calvinistic values that encouraged capitalism in Europe
Globalisation + development of religion
. Pentecostalism in Latin America
. Berger - pentecostal beliefs similar to Webber’s protestant ethic cos it spurs on £ growth and aims to raise soc out of pov
. successful dev relies on more than just pentecostal beliefs
-> Brazil not developing as fast as other countries cos lack resources even though pentecostalism spreading
. pentecostalism embraces global and local elements
-> Christ globalised by expanding out of Europe
-> Lehmann - 2 phases of expansion
1) christ accompanied by colonialism forced onto indig ppl - suppresses local religion
2) gained popular following
-> embraces local beliefs - see them as devil work but offers exorcisms + offer access to greater pwr
