Religion And Social Change

Front 1

How is religion seen as conservative?

Back 1

It often defends the traditional customs, institutions, moral views.

Its function is to preserve society as it is - status qou

Front 2

How does Functionalism, Marxism and Feminism see religion as conservative

Back 2

functions to maintain social stability and prevent society from disintegrating. create value consensus.

Marxism: See religion as legitimating or disguising exploitation and inequality - false consciousness and prevents revolution, thereby maintaining capitalist class.

Feminism: Acts as an ideology that legitimate patriarchal power and maintains women subordination in family and wider society.

Front 3

What is Webers view of social change using Calvinism

Back 3

There beliefs such as divine transcendence, predestination, asceticism and the idea of vocation and fulfilling the work of god made them have a strong ethic without actually spending their money on materialistic items and thus they accumulated their money which they continued investing as they had nothing to do with it, thus creating the very nature or spirit of capitalism.

Front 4

Weber's view of why capitalism was unique to calvinism?

Back 4

Webernotes that there were other societies that had better and higher level oftechnology and economic development than the Northern Europe in 16 & 17th centuries yet they failed todevelop Capitalism. He argues it is because of the lack of religious beliefsystem like that of of the Calvinists.

For example, Inancient India, Hinduism was an ascetic religion like Calvinists , but itsorientation unlike Calvinists, was the other worldly which directed itsfollowers’ concerns away from the natural world and towards the spiritualworld. And you can’t make money or reinvest to create profit by mediating.

Inancient China, Confucianism, like Calvinists was a this world religion thatdirected its followers towards the material world, but it was not ascetic andthereby they did not reinvest in the business but spent there money onmaterialist things.

Front 5

Evaluation of Weber?

Back 5

Notall countries where Calvinistsexisted, in deed did become capitalist societies. Eg. Scotland had large population ofCalvinists but slowly developed capitalism. *However, Marshall (1982) argues that thiswas because it lacked investment and skilled labour, supporting Weber’s pointof both material and cultural factors are needed.

Karl Kautsy

Tawney

Others argue, although Calvinists were the fist capitalists, this was not because their beliefs but their exclusion by the law from many professions. Turned to business as it was the few alternatives available to them. However, Weberians reply that other religous minorities were also excluded but did not become successful capitalists?

Front 6

How does Karl Kautsy criticise Weber?

Back 6

Argues that Weber overestimates the role ofideas and underestimates economic factors in bringing capitalism into being. Heargues that in fact capitalism preceded rather than following Calvinists

Front 7

How does Tawney criticise Weber?

Back 7

arguesthe technological change, not religious ideas, cause the birth of capitalism.Only after capitalism was created, the bourgeoisie adopted Calvinists belief tolegitimate their pursuit of economic gain.

Front 8

What did Bruce argue? civil rights

Back 8

civil rights movement was an example of religiously motivated social change.

Bruce describes the black clergy as the backbone of the movement.

Thechurches provided meeting places and sanctuary from the threat of whiteviolence, and rituals such as prayer meetings and hymn singing were a source ofunity in the face of oppression.

Bruceargues that the black clergy wereable to shame whites into changing the law by appealing to the same sharedChristian values of equality.

Front 9

How was the church well equipped to support protests?

Back 9

•Takingthe Moral High ground Blackclergy pointed out the hypocrisy of white clergy who preached “loved theneighbour” but supported social segregation

• Channelling Dissent Relgion provides channels to expresspolitical dissent. E.g. the funeral of MLK was a rallying point for the civilrights cause.

•Actingas a honest broker Churchescan provide a context for negotiating change because they often respected byboth side and seen as standing above “mere politics”

•Mobilisingpublic opinion Blackchurches in the south successfully campaigned for support across America.

Front 10

The aim of the New Christian Right

Back 10

Politically and morally conservative who wanted to take 'America back to God'. Wish to make abortion, homosexuality and divorce illegal.

- Take family back to traditional gender roles.

Campaigned on media, network and television.

The moral majority was a political right wing Christian pressure group became the focus for political campaigning and for strengthening links with the republican party.

Front 11

Why was the New Christian Right unsuccessful according to Bruce?

Back 11

- The moral majority was not the majority but only 15% of population at most

- Campaigners found it difficult to co operate with other campaigners from other religious groups - even when campaigning for the same issue.

- Lacked wide spread support and had strong opposition from groups who stand for freedom of choice such as planned parenthood.

- Many people value the liberal and democratic values of american and people believe in separation of state and religion (theocracy)

Front 12

What does Engels argue?

Back 12

Engels argues that although religion inhibits changeby disguising inequality, it can also challange the status quo and encouragesocial change. For example, religion preaches liberation from slavery andmisery and although senior clergy usually support it, lower ranks within thechurch hierarchy go against it, organising protests etc

Front 13

What does ErnstBloch Argue

Back 13

Religion is an expression of the principleof hope, as our dreams of a better life that contains images of utopia.

- Images of utopia can sometimes deceive people withpromises of rewards in heaven as Marx describes. However they may also helppeople see what needs to be changed in the world.

Front 14

What is the Liberation Theology?

Back 14

- Movement emerged from end of 1960s= strong commitmentto the poor and opposition of military dictatorship.

Emphasis on - 'Praxis' - practical action guided by theory

Helped to bring change by supporting the poor through literacy programmes and help peasants to fight oppression.

During the 1970s, catholic priests actively resistedstate terror in Latin America but in 1980s, there attitude changed.

Front 15

Pope John Paul II did what to the liberation theology

Back 15

Pope John Paul II condemned liberation theology on thegrounds that's it resembled Marxism and instructed priests to concentrate onpastoral activities, not political struggle. - Since themovement has lost influence.

Front 16

What does Casanova emphasise

Back 16

liberation theology played an important part in resisting state terror andbrought about democracy in Latin American.

Front 17

What does 1)Maduro and 2) Lowy argue?

Back 17

1) believes that religion can be arevolutionary force that brings about social change.

2) also questions Marxists view that religion legitimates socialinequality. '

Front 18

What is the Millenarianmovements?

Back 18

Millenarian movements are an example of the desire to change things on earth at present and bring about the kingdom of God. Millenarian movements expect the immanent transformation of this world by supernatural means.The group will be saved on earth and will live in utopia on earth – Peter Worsley

Worked well amongst poor, exploited groups, especially in the colonies.

Millenarian movements used traditional beliefs, ideas and images with Christianity. They united tribal movements and became mass movements.The were the precursor to the political movements to overthrow colonial rule.For Marxists they were the first awakening of the proletarian self consciousness.

Front 19

What did Gramsci Argue?

Back 19

He focuses on how the rulling class maintain their power through coercion and ideology. He refers to hegemony to refering the way the rulling class maintain their power through ideology.

However hegemony is never guaranteed, it is alwayspossible for the working class to develop and alternative vision to how societyshould be organised, that is a counter hegemony which like Engels, seesreligion as dual characters and notes that it can both challenge and support ideas.

- He argues that religion can helpworkers see through the ruling class hegemony by offering a vision of a betterand fairer world.

Front 20

How does Billings support Gramsci?

Back 20

appliesGramsci's ideas in a case study comparing two communities. One the coal minersand the other textile workers.

In Kentuckyduring the 20s and 30s , both were working class and the evangelical Protestantbut experienced different levels of strike activity andindustrial conflict

Front 21

What three ways did Billings identify that the miners were able to challenge the hegemony.

Back 21

• Leadership,the miners benefited from leadership of the organic intellectuals. Textileworkers lacked leadership and thereby were easily influenced by the views ofthe clergy who identified with the employers.

• Organisation,the miners were able to use independent churches to hold meetings and organisebut the textile workers lacked such space.

• Support, thechurches kept the miners moral high with supportive sermons, prayer meetingsand group singing.

Front 22

Other factor influencing the level of class struggle in miner community?

Back 22

minersrely on teamwork and rely on each other for safety which partly explains theirstronger sense of solidarity in opposing their employees.