Religion as a force for social change , Sacralisation and changes in religion

conservative force, force for social change

Conservative means keeping things the way they are these sociologists see religion as a force for stability and order. They may well favour, a functionalist or Marxist point of view.

supporters of this position point to the role of religion in encouraging societies to change. They may well be influenced by writings of Max Weber.

It uphold traditional beliefs about how society should be organised, defending traditional customs, institutions, moral view roles, It’s stabilises society and maintains the status quo (Things as they are now) It’s functions to conserve or present things as they are

Solidarity and Integration, dulling the pain of class, exploitation, Uphold, patriarchy and traditional values

Weber

he believes that the development of Calvinism (Protestant religion) Was highly influenced in creating modern capitalism. he argued that one of the causes that made capitalism possible is based on the protestant ethic. He argues that the spirit of capitalism is similar to Calvinist beliefs.

Predestination - Calvinist preach that God had already decided he would enter the kingdom of heaven before birth, and this was unchangeable. This gives individuals, salvation anxiety., Divine transcendence- No individual would have the power to rival God and be able to predict his wishes. The only source of information is from the Bible itself. This combination with predestination creates what Weber refers to as salvation panic., Asceticism - calvinist preach that the followers of Calvinism should leave a life of abstinence denying themselves of all all pleasures that could distract them from their devotion to Faith.(this can lead to the accumulation of personal wealth and people that had this would invest in businesses and through this create the birth of capitalism), The value of work -Calvinists introduced this worldly asceticism Calvinist believed that the only way to glorify God was to devote themselves to their work As a way to honour him

He argued that Calvin is on was not the only cause of capitalism, but it was a large part of the process, along with economic and social developments. During The 16th/17th century of the country, such as India and China were far more economically developed than Scotland.

Hindu beliefs prevent the development of capitalism, because it was an ascetic religion, but its Orientation was worldly So encouraged its followers to be concerned with the spiritual world, instead of the material one. This isn’t like this worldly asceticism beliefs of Calvinism, which discouraged people from the business orientated behaviour that modern capitalism requires, Confucian beliefs prevented the development of capitalism, because like Calvinism Confucianism was our worldly religion however, it is not ascetic. This meant it was impossible to systematically accumulate wealth to reinvest back into businesses which is necessary for modern capitalism

kautsky- argues that he overestimates the role of the ideas and underestimates the economic factors. In bringing capitalism into development. This could mean that capitalism proceeded ism, rather than followed Calvinism why this is a weakness to roti is saying is because this means that Calvinism /religion did not bring about the social change of capitalism so the Protestant ethic is unreliable evidence, Tawney - argues that technological change not religious ideas that caused capitalism. This is a problem for Waber because it means that religion is not a force for social change. According to Tawney the role of capitalism is the main part of the ideological state apparatus as it legitimates the purpose economic game in order to control. This is convincing because other religious movements have had similar ingredients/religious values so there must be something extra needed to develop capitalism E.G infrastructure and technology/industrialisation, he is also been criticised because capitalism did not occur in every country. this is a problem, because Calvin is on cannot be the force for driving social change of capitalism if it did not occur everywhere

Engles believed that religion has a dual character. It can act as a force for change, as well as a stability., Bloch agrees Engles he sees religion as an expression of the principle of hope, our dreams of a better life that contains image that can inspire protest and rebellion

in South America, 1960s and 70s, a catholic priest developed the liberation theology movement this was because of the result of the Vatican to help followers with poverty and exploitation. They took aside of the oppressed E.G when dictatorship use murder squad/torture to hold power. They helped the poor communities, fighter oppression, and helped liberate and educate them of their position. The priest encouraged them to follow and enforce change upon their society, even to use violence when necessary in order to overthrow the dictatorship that press them.

millennial movements are the example of the desire to change things on earth at present and bring about the kingdom of God. They believe there will be a significant event usually the second coming of Christ, who will rule for thousands of years before the day of judgement.

The appeal of this movement is larger to the poor as they promise immediate improvements. This appeals to the poor because they are suffering, but they know they will eventually be rewarded for dealing with this suffering so then they are more likely to accept their suffering as they believe they will be rewarded for this in the second coming of Christ

millenarian movement were the precursors (they come before) to the political movements(religious beliefs, help, and guide to political movement) to overthrow colonial rule. angles notes, it is the first awakening of the ‘proletariat self’ consciousness

Gramsci

hegemony is the ruling class using ideas, such as religion to maintain control. When hegemony is established. The ruling class can rely on popular consensus to rule, so there is less need for coercion e.g the immense, conservative ideological power of the Catholic Church helped to win support for Mussolini’s regime

however, it is possible for the working class to develop an alternative vision for society, also known as counter hegemony. So religion has a dual character and can challenge as well as support the ruling class. Popular reforms of religion can help workers to see through ruling classes hegemony by offering a vision for a better fairer world .

Gramsie is saying that when we have a good relationship, it creates hegemony, and this makes it hard for the working class to challenge the Ruling class, but Counter hegemony is the breaking down of that relationship which allows ruling class to be challenged. It strengthens Engels because it explains the conditions and situations needed to carry out a social change.

Bruce

Like Weber Bruce is interested in the relationship between religion and social change. Using case studies, he compares to examples of the role of religiously inspired movements in America that have tried to change society first the civil right movement and second the new Christian right movement.

In the USA, in the 1960s, the revered Martin Luther, King and the southern Christian leadership council supported the civil rights movement, and this resulted in legislations to reduce racial discrimination, Bruce argues that black clergy (Groups of people orientated for religious duties) Were fundamental in assisting the civil rights movement to meet its goals of ending segregation in the southern USA. as churches provided meeting places and Sanctuaries from white violence, gave it moral legitimacy to the cause, and much more, so religion was a crucial part supporting and promoting this movement

The New Christian rights is a politically and morally conservative Protestant fundamentalist Movement. It became famous in the 1960s as it opposed the liberation of the US society. The new Christian argued to criminalised abortion, homosexuality divorce while encouraging traditional families and gender roles, turning the clock back to a golden age of purity., They spread messages Through TV as churches owned TV stations through pressure, groups and through social media

Because Of their difficulty to operate with other religious groups. Lacked widespread public support/negative tone of the message and generally Americans are comfortable with the leisure activities. They are as moral E.G gay marriage, abortion and pornography

it’s a process, whereby religious, thinking, religious practices and religious institutions lose their social significance

Steady decline in the population of the population, going to the church or belonging to the church 10 to 15% attended church in the mid 60s, only 5% attending church in 2015, There has been less baptisms and church weddings in 2012 30% of weddings wearing churches compared to 60% in 1971

A theory that claims that sacularisation is taking place. It argues that Modernity is bringing about the death of religion. Religious significance for the society and individuals is declining and will continue to do so until religion disappears.

Woodhead to put it bluntly there are no longer enough troops left to keep the show on the road, Bruce predicteds, that the Methodist Church will finish by 2030, and the Church of England will be a small voluntary organisation with a large amount of heritage property

It is an exaggeration to see the 19th century as the golden age of religion in Britain. Many people were opposed to the church even then So that hasn’t been such a massive change in peoples attitudes, methods of measuring sacularisation May have problems. Malak, reliability as religious organisations may over or Underestimate attendance. It may also lack validity as many questions in a survey on religious focus on Christianity beliefs such as heaven and hell. Hinduism and Buddhists would reply no does that mean they are atheist

He argues that rationalisation the process by which rational ways of thinking and acting replaced religious ones. This caused secularisation. he says that the catholic worldview dominated Europe until the 16th century. This worldview saw the world as enchanted Garden of the natural beings that could affect peoples life. However, protestant reformation started the process of rationalisation, using newly discovered scientific principles. People are being able to understand how the world works. Therefore, as people developed rational understanding of the world, there was no longer the need for religious explanations and religion declined

Similarly Bruce argued that the development of Technological worldview has replaced religious explanations e.g we now know that flooding in Pakistan is not a punishment for God, but the effect of global warming. therefore, scientific knowledge results in people taking religious, less seriously the spruce reinforces Weber’s argument, Highlights the influence and effect of scientific development on the extent of religion

There are still religious people in the most advanced rationalised 21st-century, Fundamentalism is on the increase

Parsons argue that religion has lost many of its functions. It used to perform, which has contributed to its loss of influence and subsequently increased in secularism. It is the worlds religion has gone through the process of structural differentiation, a process of specification and loss of function. E.G religion has lost its influence over education, welfare and the law These have now been taken over by the state

The growth of social and cultural diversity has undermined the authority of Religious institutions and the credibility of religious beliefs. In a multicultural/multi Faith society, people cannot avoid knowing that many around them hold very different beliefs. This knowledge of other other beliefs undermines their own religion.

back argues that religious diversity, when there are many different religious organisations and beliefs in a society it Causes securisation. Religion used to be or be a part of the plausibility structure it provided answers to questions about life as it was based on Faith. It’s explanations couldn’t be questioned so religion used to legitimise social institutions. G laws were based on religious teachings.

however, religious diversity means that no single religion can claim the monopoly of the truth. Society is therefore no longer unified and the singular secular sacred canopy provided by one religion instead there is plurality of life world. this undermines religion and leads to secularisation

it could be argued that really just diversity, rather than discouraging religion in the fact, it increases religion by offering choice of beliefs to people, But later changed his view and now argues that diversity and choice actually stimulates interest and anticipation in religion, so this shows great weakness to his idea as even he has criticised and adapted it, Beckford Agrees that the idea of religious diversity will lead some to question or even abandoned their religious beliefs but this is not inevitable. Opposing views can help the effect of strengthening our religious groups commitment to its existing beliefs rather than undermining them.

Aspects of traditional religion are in decline, but new forms are emerging. Often the result of changing wide society such as greater individualism choice and consumerism

Davie

we are moving away from obligation to follow religion, but instead towards consumption and choices. In the past the church of England or the Catholic Church could oblige people to go to church to believe certain things and behaving certain ways. This no longer is the case as religion is now a matter of choice, I go to church because I want to . Religion is taking on a privatised From people still have religious beliefs, but don’t necessarily belong to an organisation. They are believing not belonging.

religion practiced By an active minority (Clery and regular churchgoers) On behalf of, the grape majority typical in Britain and northern Europe. Charge attendance is low, but people still identify with churches. Major national churches seen as a public unility Which is that for everyone to use whenever they need to E.G baptisms morning over the death of Queen Elizabeth II or Princess Diana, She challenges secularisation theory which assumes that modernisation has led to the decline of religion stage, she argues there Multiple modernisation.G in USA and Britain. There are different patterns of religion attendance, Britain, low and USA high, but accompanied with believing with without belonging.

they were checked Davies claim as if Daisy were corrects levels of belief would be higher sensor. Data shows that 72% identify as Christian, which supports believing not belonging, but they found that people believing themselves as Christian not because of their religious beliefs, but as simply a way to say they’re a part of white English ethnic group, so they believe in belonging describing themselves as Christian was way of marking their national or ethnic identity

that has been a dramatic decline in international religion in Europe. This is because of cultural amnesia (Loss of collective memories). we no longer pass religion down through generations as parents want to let their children decide for themselves. Young people no longer have a fixed religion identity, but religion has not disappeared instead individuals, personal spiritual journey, where they choose what bits they want to explore, and which groups they want to join

pilgrims - following an individual path in search of self discovery, exploring new age spirituality by joining groups, convert - joining groups with strong sense of belonging, usually based on shared ethnic background or doctrine

Lyon agrees believing without belonging is in increasingly popular, post modern society is globalised media is increasingly important and there is a growth of consumerism. religious ideas have become disembodied religious ideas are no longer only delivered in churches they have moved to a different place and time e.g the electronic church and televangelism move religion to the internet

religion online- top down communication where religion organisations up the internet to address members and potential converts, online religion- cyber religion- cyber religion that doesn’t exist outside of the internet people develop non hierarchical relationships and a sense of community with virtual worship. Cowan argues that pagans had a sense of self worth feeling they belonged to a global network

Spiritual shoppers, pick and mix different elements of different faiths to suit our tastes and make them part of our identity. This is individualised religion. This could involve attending services at one church, having counselling with another church while using childcare services of another., Berger argues that this weekend is the dominance of traditional religion as people receive competing versions of the truth so therefore become sceptical, traditional churches lose their authority and decline, Post-modernists believe that this does spell the end of religion, new religious movement spring up for people to sample, so religion and spirituality are not disappearing. They are just evolving.

Emphasis the idea of a life as a journey of discovering personal development and connecting with others in a discovery. Individualism the notion that every individual is Free to decide what is true for him or her for example by engaging in spiritual shopping. Picking a mixing ideas found. New age, believe in practices are also called self spirituality or self religion.

Lyon criticises secularisation theory for assuming that religion is declining and being replaced by a rational scientific worldview, we are now in a period of reenactment with the growth of unconditional practices, beliefs, and spirituality. traditional forms of religion have declined in Europe. There is a growth of nontraditional religions in the west and resurgence elsewhere in their world., A spiritual revolution is taking place. Traditional Christianity is giving away to holistic spirituality or new age, beliefs, emphasising personal development, leading to a growth in spiritual markets with an explosion of books on self-help and spirituality with therapies offered from medical to crystal healing.

New age, spirituality has grown because of a massive subjective time in today’s cultural Moving away from doing your duty and a banking external authority to exploring you in a south, following your spiritual path, Traditional religions which demanded duty and obedience are Declining, evangelical churches are more successful than traditional ones as they emphasis the importance of spiritual healing and personal growth being born again

Even if New Age movements are springing up, this needs to happen on a very large scale to plug the gap of declining religion, emphasised by secularisation theorists, The spiritual beliefs are less likely to be passed down through socialisation women in the holistic milieu (NAM) also less likely to have children, Glendinnig and Bruce although many people dabble within meditation, alternative medicine, astrology, horoscopes, et cetera. Serious commitment. New age movements is rare, Bruce, most people in every demographic category, no interest in alternative spirituality

Stark and Bainbridge critical of secularisation Siri, which is Europecentric religion is still popular in America and elsewhere. there is no longer a golden age of religion in the past instead 1- people are naturally religious and religion meets human needs- the demand remains constant through types of religion can vary 2- it is human and nature to seek rewards and avoid costs people weigh up the costs and benefits before making a decision

religion providers with the compensators By providing supernatural rewards, E.G immortality Is unobtainable But religion offers life after death non-religious ideologies, such as humanism and communism I’m not credible compensators. Cycle of renewal when established churches declined. They leave a cap in the market for sects and cults to attract new followers. So secularisation Is one sided it sees declined but ignores the growth of new religions And religious revival

Religion increases when there is competition and decline where there is one monopoly religion. Religion thrives in the USA as there is not one monopoly, religion but healthy religion market. Competition has held back in Europe so religion is in decline. It is supply not demand

Hadden and Shupe - the growth of televangelism has lead to religious participation being supply led, Finke - the lifting of restrictions on Asia, immigrants into the USA, led to an increase of religion, such as Hare Krishna And transcendental meditation. the growth of evangelical mega churches means they have lavish resources and a vast range of activities to meet the diverse needs of them members