Global Context
Giddens: Defines
globalisation as a decline of national borders.
1. Secularisation
USA: There is no national religion within the US. There is a
constitutional separation between church and state.
Church attendance: USA - 40%. UK - 4%
Hadaway: Looked at church
attendance in the US
and tried to work out where statistics came from. He asked church leaders what
their weekly attendance was and then counted. He found that there was nearly a
100% exaggeration in statistics.
→ Therefore there could be
an argument for secularisation in the US.
Bellah: 'Civil religion', he
argues that America
is the land of immigrants so the government had to find a way of uniting
everyone under one banner, so they created 'Americanism'. They created the idea
of an American God that united everyone together and the symbol is the flag.
People are not worshipping a God, they are worshipping the fact that they are
from America.
Stark and Bainbridge: Argue
that America
is going through the 'secularisation cycle' and that are approaching a
religious revival as it is a religious marketplace with no restrictions.
Research does not reflect the attendance of new age movements and new religious
movements.
Lyon: 'Jesus in Disneyland'. Argues that the point of religion is a
sphere of consumption, religious followers are viewed as customer. This could
lead to the 're-enchantment of the world'.
Hadden
and Shupe: Discusses the emergence of 'televangelism'. One denomination is the
Evangelical Christian Right, they have taken to preaching on television to
allow people to get to know them.
Norris
and Inglehart: 'Existential Security Theory'. Disagree with religious market
theory. Argue that Americans are more religious than people in Europe. In European countries people are a quite wealthy
and have better healthcare than the rest of the world. In America there
is a huge divide between the rich and the poor. The lack of welfare may explain
why people are more religious as they are less secure.
India: Most religious country in the world, 80% of the
population are Hindu. Previously in India there was a caste system to
justify the inequality.
Nanda:
'God and globalisation'. Argues that globalisation has changed India. It used
to be a really poor country but now there has been a last growth due to their
exports, this created more job opportunities. The beliefs of Hinduism have been
changed to match this, resulting in people becoming more religious. Hinduism
has become a 'civil religion'.
2.
Economic Change
Weber: Created Weberism, can be seen to be mirroring Karl Marx as he talks
about the economy and Capitalism.
He agrees with Marx; in some ways religion can prevent change from occurring. 'Theodicies of dispriviledge' those who are the poorest are the most religious due to being offered salvation in the afterlife.
Weber studied European 1500's and said that the Catholic Church was the most dominant. During this period, there was a form of Capitalism; money existed. The Catholic Church told people that having money was a sin, so they should get rid of what they had. The Church essentially wanted to keep people in poverty so they did this due to their own greed.
John Calvin: Didn't agree with what the church was doing, so he created Calvinism (a sect).The core beliefs of Calvinism:
1. Predestination: Before you are born, God has already chosen those who are going to heaven, a small elite group of people.
2. Divine Transcendence: God's power cannot be questioned.
3. Asceticism: Living without pleasure.
4. Vocation/Calling: Work is everything, this is known as the protestant work ethic.
Everyone tried to live by these beliefs but only a small elite group were successful, this created vast inequality in society (modern Capitalism).It can be argued that Calvinism created Capitalism and therefore argued that religion can cause social change.
He agrees with Marx; in some ways religion can prevent change from occurring. 'Theodicies of dispriviledge' those who are the poorest are the most religious due to being offered salvation in the afterlife.
Weber studied European 1500's and said that the Catholic Church was the most dominant. During this period, there was a form of Capitalism; money existed. The Catholic Church told people that having money was a sin, so they should get rid of what they had. The Church essentially wanted to keep people in poverty so they did this due to their own greed.
John Calvin: Didn't agree with what the church was doing, so he created Calvinism (a sect).The core beliefs of Calvinism:
1. Predestination: Before you are born, God has already chosen those who are going to heaven, a small elite group of people.
2. Divine Transcendence: God's power cannot be questioned.
3. Asceticism: Living without pleasure.
4. Vocation/Calling: Work is everything, this is known as the protestant work ethic.
Everyone tried to live by these beliefs but only a small elite group were successful, this created vast inequality in society (modern Capitalism).It can be argued that Calvinism created Capitalism and therefore argued that religion can cause social change.
China: The old religion of China was Confucianism which kept
the population poor.
Redding: Argues that China
is post-Confucianism as their culture has changed allowing them to embrace the
Protestant work ethic, leading to economic growth.
South
America (Brazil): Brazil is
currently experiencing economic change. it is traditionally a Catholic country.
Lehmann:
Argues that the Catholic church was the only choice for so long, however the
Pentecostal church has grown and become global. It has a core belief of the
Protestant work ethic but other beliefs change in each country. In every other
country they adapt beliefs based on the culture of that country, making it
popular.
3.
Religious Fundamentalism
All
religions have an element of fundamentalism within them.
Giddens:
Defines cosmopolitanism as being liberal, having progression and equality.
Defines fundamentalism as the basics of the religion, the literal truth of the
sacred text. Fundamentalists are usually dedicated and traditional, it is
usually a response to cosmopolitanism.
Bauman:
Argues that fundamentalism is a response to postmodernity. People do not like
that there is no absolute truth in society, so they need some form of truth.
People do not like the lack of fixed identity, fundamentalist sects provide set
identity.
Herberg:
Argues that internal secularisation has occurred, religions have diluted their
beliefs. They are trying to attract more people in order to maintain their
membership.
Castelles:
Argues that there are two responses to postmodernity:
1.
Resistant
Identity - Defend themselves from change and turn to fundamentalism.
2.
Project Identity
- Have a positive outlook and join a progressive movement to find themselves.
Heelas:
Argues that people don't like 'Congregational domain' (traditional churches),
these are in decline in the post-modern world as people don't like being told
what to do and do not accept what they have to say. Identities are fluid, people
would have been in one religion previously but now they are not as they have a
choice. People are starting to experiment with 'Hollistic milieu' (NAMs/NRMs).
These are now replacing religion, therefore functionalism is a meta-narrative
as they do not talk about NAMs.
Steve
Bruce: Argues that fundamentalists are using religion as a form of cultural
defence against cosmopolitanism. He argues that there are two types of
fundamentalists:
- Western Fundamentalists - Such as Westboro Baptist Church. They fight cosmopolitanism. The enemy is everyone.
- Third World Fundamentalism - Such as Islamic fundamentalists. They fight cosmopolitanism. The enemy is the Western World.
Iran: They are a traditional Islamic country. The US began a revolution in the 1950s in Iran, they
removed the leader. The US
installed their own leader who was pro-USA and allowed full access to oil, the
building of military bases and tried to make it a more secular country. In 1979
there was an Islamic revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini and brought Islam
back to Iran.
Steve
Bruce argues that the people of Iran
used their religion as a cultural defence, not as a way of religion.
Samuel
Huntington: Argues that religion causes conflict on a global scale. Each
civilisation clashes with one another due to differences in religion. He
believes that religion is the only divide in the world, the state uses this to
unite the population.
Casanova:
Argues that Huntington
ignores divides within these civilisations. An example would be Northern Ireland,
Protestantism and Catholicism are both branches of Christianity that disagree.
Horrie
and Chippindale: Argues that Huntington
suggests that Islam is the enemy of the West, not just a minority group that
are terrorists.