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Topic 2 - Coggle Diagram

- - - - -Believed that religion can help bring about changes as well as encouraging social stability, depending on the theodicy that dominates the belief system.
      - -He believed that the role of religion was to meet the social and psychological needs of the population in order to make them feel more secure. This could have two possible outcomes:
        1)religion could act as an ideology and justify a system of inequality.
        2)religion could bring about how much needed change.
        It would achieve this by attempting to explain why certain social groups experienced misfortune as opposed to those who seemed to benefit from go's favour
      - Theodicies:
        -different social groups would create different religious ideas in order to understand and explain their experiences. He referred to these views as theodicies.
        -For example: the poor construct 'theodicies of misfortune' which explain their poverty as a challenge or a test. Their reaction to this test would prove their worthiness for reward in the afterlife.
        -His ideas are similar to Marx. However, Weber observes that Christian ideas can be and have been used to overcome injustices such as slavery and improving the conditions of child workers in the 19t century.
      - The protestant work ethic:
        -In the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism, he argues that the religious beliefs of Calvinism helped bring about major social change- the emergence of modern capitalism in Northern Europe.
  - - - EVALUATION:
        -Kautsky a marxist argues that weber overestimates the roles of ideas and underestimates economic factors in bringing about capitalism. He argues that capitalism came before calvanism
        -Tawney argues that tech change caused capitalism not religious ideas. It was only after capitalism was established that the bourgeoisie adopted Calvinist ideas for economic gain.
        -Capitalism didn't develop in every country where there was calvinism. e.g. Scotland has a large group but were one of the last to become capitalist. However, Marshall argues that this was because of a lack of investment in capital and skilled labour (supporting Weber that both material and cultural factors need to be present).
  - - - -believed that in some circumstances religion could produce social change. However, although the aim of a particular religion might be to influence change, its actions and reputation can often determine its ability to succeed.
        -Bruce compared two different American movements, one that had been successful in influencing change and one that, in his opinion is currently struggling.
      - The American civil rights movement
        
        Why were the black clergy so important in the black civil rights movement?
        -gave support and moral legitimacy to civil right activists. Their churches provided meetings from the threat of white violence. They were able to shame white people into changing the law.
        
        4 ways in which religious organisations can support and contribute to social change:
        -taking the moral high ground
        -channeling dissent
        -acting as honest broker
        -mobilising public opinion
        
        Bruce claims the American civil rights movement was successful because:
        -it was a peaceful protest
        -it achieved public support
        -it negotiated with its opposition
        -it shamed those who has prejudicial values that conflicted with the christian message
        
        -Bruce believed that the civil rights movement is a good illustration of how religion can bring about social change. Although he doesn't believe in god and religion himself, he aclhknlowleged how it can have positive influences by bringing communities together and transcending politics in order to obtain the moral high ground.
      - the new christian right (CRITICISM of bruce):
        -NCR is a politically and morally conservative Protestant fundamentalist movement. It has gained prominence since the 1960s
        -The NCR's aims are to make abortion, homosexuality and divorce illegal and take the USA 'back to god', turning the clock back to a time before the liberalisation of American society.
        -The NCR believes in traditional family and gender roles, campaigns for the teaching of 'creationism' and wants to ban sex education in schools. The NCR uses televangelism, where church owned TV stations raise funds ands broadcast programmes aimed at making converts.
        -The moral majority, a right wing Christian pressure ground part of the NCR, became the focus for political campaigning and for influencing the Republican Party.
        
        Televangelism:
        -The NR has made good use of the media and networking. Church owned television stations to raise funds and broadcast programmes tuned at making converts and recruiting new members.
        -However, not been hugely successful as its campaigners find it difficult to cooperate with people from other religious groups. It also lacks widespread support and has been met with opposition from people that value freedom of choice.
        
        NCR failed?
        -bruce describes the NCR ad failing at bring America back to god. Americas values are mostly liberal and include a belief in the separation of the church and state.
        -NCR are literalist and believed all should conform to the bibles teachings. An impossible demand in a democracy. Although some Americans disagree with abortion, homosexuality etc they are not comfortable with someone else telling them how they should live their lives so don't feel that it is right to do that to others.
        -In order to be successful like the ACRM religiously motivated protests need to connect with mainstream beliefs about democracy, equality and religious freedom.
        
        Bruce suggests that the key to achieving change through religion is being able to integrate into the population by promoting shared, liberal values. In contrast, religious organisations such as NCR tend to incite conflict and are therefore marginalised, and so fail to achieve mainstream cultural change.
  - - - Bloch sees religion as having a dual character. He accepts that religion often inhibits change but argues that it can also inspire protest and rebellion.
        -Religion is the expression of the 'principle of hope', our dreams of a better life, containing images of utopia (everything is perfect, christian= heaven). Images of utopia can sometimes deceive people e.g. the promise of a heavenly rewards, however, they may also inspire people to create a vision of a better world.
    - - -Factors that led to the emergence of the LT:
        -rural poverty and the growth of urban slums
        -human rights abuses, false imprisonments, torture and death squads murdering political opponents.
        -growing commitment among catholic priests to an ideology that supported the poor.
      - -the success of LT has led to some Neo-marxists to question the view that religion is always a conservative force.
        -Maduro believes that religion can be a revolutionary force that brings about changes.
        -clergy would provide guidance for the oppressed in their struggle with dominant groups.
        -See LT as an example of religiosity inspired social change.
      - a radical Christian movement that interprets religious faith through the lens of the poor.
      - What was the main aim of LT?
        -change society and help the poor
    - - -are an example of the desire to change things here and now, to bring about the kingdom of god on earth.
        -Worsley argues that they expect the total and imminent transformation of this world by supernatural teams, creating heaven on earth.
        -They appeal to the poor because they offer hope of escaping poverty, oppression, and inequality.
        -A cargo cult is a religious movement where poor or colonised people believe gods or ancestors will bring them valuable goods (“cargo”) like food, clothes, and technology.
        -Peter Worsley said cargo cults gave hope to oppressed people and promised a better future.
        -Peter Worsley said millenarian movements and cargo cults have political significance because they can unite oppressed people and challenge those in power.