Religion and social change

Weber, Protestant Reformations

Religion as a conservative force

Bruce - Civil Rights Movement

Weber, hinduism & confucianism

Liberation theology, millenarian movements, religion & hegemony

Marx, Engels and Bloch

Bruce - New Christian Right

Weber evaluation

Functionalism -> social solidarity

The Protestant Reformation:

  • 16th century
  • Martin Luther, church abusing power, disagreed with indulgences & priests teaches rather than bible
  • printing press invention spread his ideas, split into Catholic & Protestant
  • Bible translated into other languages, not just latin
  • power in common person

Weber says Calvinist beliefs not the cause of capitalism, but one if them

a 'debate with Marx's ghost' who saw economic & material the force for change

  • Karl Kautsky, overestimated role of ideas, underestimated economic factors ; capitalism preceded not followed capitalism

early 1950s, continued segregation of black people in America

Beliefs:

  • protestant fundamentalists / conservatives
  • monopoly of truth
  • believe in literal poof of the bible
  • anti-abortion, anti-feminism, pro guns etc

Marxism:
Marxists often see religion as conservative, however this is not always the case, some feel religion is a dual character and can be a force for change

1) Liberation theology:
Some Neo-marxists argue religion can be a revolutionary force for change
Evidence of Catholic Church in Latin America end of 1960s

  • commitment to poor & oppression of dictatorships
  • ideology against human rights abuses
  • take side of oppresed
  • have done things such as poor support groups, literacy programmes and support with fighting oppression
  • since 1980s, this movement has lost power, Pope says it is "too marxist" & they shouldn't. be involved in politics
  • religion can be used by those exploited to liberate themselves & be free from exploitation

Marxism -> capitalism, prevents social change

Feminism -> patriarchy, legitimises womens subordination

Calvinism & Capitalism:

  • Weber, The Protestant Work Ethic & the Spirit of Capitalism
  • Calvinism = a form of Protestantism
  • major social change occurred due to calvinism, emergence of modern Capitalism
  • protestantism makes you feel guilty
  • god likes hard work
  • all work is holy
  • the community > family
  • there aren't miracles ('disenchantment of the world'

Calvinist beliefs:
all of these beliefs work towards working hard

  • pre-destination
  • ascentism
  • vocation or calling

Protestant work ethic = Modern day capitalism
Idleness is a sin = ascetic lifestule
Allowed Calvinists to cope with salvation panic = reinforces gains of more wealth

Hinduism:

  • ascetic, reunification of material world, other world
  • lacks drive to systemically accumulate wealth necessary for modern capitalism

Confunctianism:

  • not ascetic, this worldly
  • lacks drive to systemically accumulate wealth necessary for modern capitalism

Other countries with higher levels of economic development than Northern Europe had in 16th & 17th centuries failed to develop modern capitalism e.g. ancient China, more advanced but capitalism not take off

R.H Tawney, technological change not religious, after capitalism established bourgeoise adopted Calvinism to legitimise gain

capitalism did not develop in every calvinist country

  • e.g. scotland
  • Gordon Marshall, Weberian, argue this is due to lack of capitalism & skilled labour

Calvinist amongst first capitalists, but because they were excluded from law, political offices and many other professions, buisness an alternative

  • weberians say many other religious minorities excluded this way but not become capitalists

Campaigning:
involved direct action

  • e.g. Rosa Parks bus boycott with Martin Luther King Jr
  • march on Washington, "I have a dream" speech

Led by The Black Clergy (Dr Martin Luther King)

  • moral legitimacy to activists and sanctuary & unity

The message was widespread because they appealed to common Christian values of equality

segregation outlawed in 1964

Religion:
Bruce says religion was used as an ideological resource in this movement

  • 'taking the moral high ground' e.g. 'love thy neighbour'
  • 'acting as an honest broker', respected, trusted due to religion

Civil Rights Movement - had the shared values of those in power & those in wider society & could use these to push for change

Things they want:

  • abortion, homosexuality, divorce illegal
  • ban SRE in schools
  • traditional family & gender roles
  • creationism only in schools

Current day:

  • evangelists
  • have increased profile since 1970s
  • use media (televangelists) to convert & recruit men ; targets vulnerable groups due to adverts during day or early morning
  • links to Republican Party to support political campaigning

The debate:
NCR largely unsuccessful in achieving aims
Reasons for failure:

  • difficult to cooperate with other religious groups even when same issue
  • lacks widespread support
  • strong opposition from pro-freedom of choice groups

Why failed?
Bruce argues it was a failed movement for social change because...

  • it did not connect with mainstream beliefs about democracy, equality & religious freedom
  • most christians are comfortable legalising things they believe are immoral e.g. abortion

Marx:

  • did not see religion entirely negative
  • saw it as capable of humanising a world made inhumane by exploitation
  • "the heart of a heartless world"

Engels:

  • although religion distingushes inequality, it can also challenge the status quo e.g. liberation from slavery

Ernst Bloch:

  • both positive and negative influence on social change
  • 'The Principle of Hope', dreams of a better life / uptopia
  • deceives people with promises of heaven but helps people see what needs to be changed in this world

3) Religion & hegemony:
Gramsci (1971), religion as a dual character

  • hegemony, ruling class uses ideas such as religion to maintain control (ideological domination) - Catholic Church help support Mussolini's facist regime
  • counter-hegemony, the working class developing alternative vision of how society should be organised - religion can support W/C organisations such as trade unions
  • all of this is backed up by Billings who concluded religion can play a 'prominent oppositional role'

2) Millenarian Movements:
Peter Worsley

  • Millenarian movements believe Christ will return to rule for 1000 years before day of judgement
  • appeals to poor, promises immediate improvement
  • Marxists say these movements often arise in colonial situations, exploitation, e.g. Cargo Cults
  • this united native populations, sometimes able to overthrow nationalist leaders
  • Engels calls this the "awakening of proletarian self-consciousness"