2.1.2 Beliefs in society: Religion and Social Change Flashcards

1
Q

Religion and social protest

What are the two movements that ____ focuses on to compare the role of religion and social change?

A
  • Bruce
  • Civil Rights Movement (1950s and 1960s)
  • New Christian Right (1960s)
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2
Q

Religion and social protest

When was slavery abolished in Amercia?

A

1865

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3
Q

Religion and social protest

How does Bruce argue that the Clergy impacted the civil rights movement?

(3)

A
  • Describes the Black clergy (priesthood) and the backbone of the movement .
  • Churches provided meeting places and sanctuaries from the threat of white violence.
  • Able to highlight hypocrisy of white clergy allowing segregation but believing God made everyone equal. (appealing to shared values).
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4
Q

Religion and social protest

How does Bruce see religion in the context of social change?

A

As an ideological resourse to draw on for motivation.

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5
Q

Religion and social protest

What ways did religious organisations support the civil rights protest?

(4)

A
  • Taking the moral high ground - pointing out hypocrisy of segregation.
  • channelling dissent - e.g MLK funeral was a rallying point.
  • Acting as an honest broker - they were respected by both sides
  • mobilising public opinion - by campaigning for support.
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6
Q

Religion and social protest

What is the New Christian Right?

A
  • A politically and morally conserative, protestant movement.
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7
Q

Religion and social protest

What are the NCR’s aims / beliefs?

(4)

A
  • Aimed to make abortion, homosexuality, and divorce illegal.
  • Take the USA ‘back to God’
  • Believes in traditional family and gender roles.
  • Wants to ban sex-ed in schools.
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8
Q

Religion and social protest

How did NCR campaign for support?

A
  • Used ‘televangelism’, where church-owned TV stations broadcast programmes aimed at trying to make converts.
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9
Q

Religion and social protest

Why does Bruce think NCR has been largely unsuccessful?

A
  • It never had the support of more than 15% of the population.
  • The values of American society being freedom mean that most Americans are comfortable with legalising abortion and homosexuality, even if they don’t agree with it.
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10
Q

Religion and social protest

What is one example of NCR’s success?

A

Overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022

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11
Q

Weber: religion as a force for change

How can religion be seen as a conservative force?

(2)

A
  1. Upholds traditional values and beliefs. E.g divorce, abortion …
  2. It functions to stabilise society through value consensus
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12
Q

Weber: religion as a force for change

What are the main criticisms of Weber’s theories?

A
  • Kautsky argues that Weber overestimated the influence of religion and underestimates the influence of economic factors on society.
  • Capitalism preceded Calvinism.
  • Not all countries with Calvinism present are capitalist.
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13
Q

Weber: religion as a force for change

Why did Hinduism (India) and Confucianism (China) not lead to capitalism?

A
  • Hinduism was an ascetic religion, like Calvinism, however it’s orientation was other-worldly, depicting concerns away from material world and into spiritual world.
  • Confucianism was a this-worldly religion, like Calvinism, but was not ascetic so lacked the drive to accumulate wealth without spending it on luxuaries.
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14
Q

Weber: religion as a force for change

What are the steps of Calvinism leading to capitalism?

A
  • calvinists are anxious about salvation
  • they devote themselves to work to glorify God
  • they get wealthier
  • they believe it’s a sign of God’s favour and they may be ‘elect’
  • they live ascetically and reinvest wealth without spending it
  • companies and businesses grow and profit is a spiritual goal.
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15
Q

Weber: religion as a force for change

What are the main Calvinism beliefs?

(2)

A
  1. Predestination - God has determined whose souls will be saved.
  2. Divine transcendence - God’s will is above human knowledge.
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16
Q

Neo-marxism, religion, and change

What is relative autonomy?

A

When something can have ideas that are partly independent of the capitalist economic base of society.

17
Q

Neo-marxism, religion, and change

How does Bloch see religion?

(2 key points / terms)

A
  • ‘dual character’ - religion can often inhibit change, however it also can cause change.
  • ‘principle of hope’ - religion provides dreams of a better life / utopia which can sometimes decieve people, however can also help people strive for a better world.
18
Q

Neo-marxism, religion, and change

What is Liberation Theology?

A

A movement that emerged within the catholic church in Latin America in 1960s with a strong commitment to the poor and opposition to military dictatorships.

19
Q

Neo-marxism, religion, and change

Why did LT emerge?

(2)

A
  • The growth of rural poverty and urban slums.
  • Human rights abuses following military takeovers
20
Q

Neo-marxism, religion, and change

What are ‘praxis’ and what are some examples of this?

A
  • ‘praxis’ - practical action guided by theory.
  • Priests led literacy programmes raising political awareness and resisted state terror.
21
Q

Neo-marxism, religion, and change

Why did the LT movement lose momentum?

A
  • Pope John Paul criticised LT for being too similar to marxism, changing the church’s attitiude.
22
Q

Neo-marxism, religion, and change

What is ____’s criticism of LT being a revolutionary force?

A
  • Maduro’s
  • Argues that LT helped bring about democracy but didn’t threaten the stability of capitalism.
23
Q

Neo-marxism, religion, and change

What is the pentacostal challenge and what is the main difference between it and LT?

A
  • Pentecostalism encourages individuals to pull themselves out of poverty, with support from the congregation.
  • Therefore, the main difference is that LT offers collective improvement through political action whereas pentecostalism encourages individual efforts.
24
Q

Neo-marxism, religion, and change

How does Worsley define Millenarian movements?

A
  • The desire to change things to bring about the return of God.
  • They expect the total transformation of Earth by supernatural means, creating heaven on Earth.
25
Q

Neo-marxism, religion, and change

Why do millenarian movements often appeal to the poor?

A

They promise to immediate improvement, and often arise in colonial situations.

26
Q

Neo-marxism, religion, and change

What did Worsley find in his study of cargo cults?

A
  • Cargo cults arose in Melanesia where islanders felt that cargo was meant for natives but had been taken by the whites.
  • Caused widespread unrest.
  • Sometimes millenarian movements can develop into secular political movements that overthrow colonial rule.
27
Q

Neo-marxism, religion, and change

What is hegemony? Studied by ____

A
  • Ideological domination or leadership of society.
  • It is the way that the dominant class rule using religion to maintain control.
  • Gramsci
28
Q

Neo-marxism, religion, and change

How can religion sometimes challenge hegemony?

A

By acting as ‘organic intellectuals’ who have relative autonomy and support working class organisations.