Religion in a global context

1. Religion in a global context Arshad Habib

2. Learning objectives • What is the role of religion at a global level? • Three key approaches • The ability of religion to resolve tension with modernity: Three case studies • The ability of religion to construct a reaction against modernity • Religion and its cultural role Sketch

3. A quick quiz • What does 'Vicarious Religion' mean? Where a small number of professional clergy practise religion on behalf of a small number of people • Existential Security Threat says that (____) countries are more religious Poorer • Whose theory was 'existential security threat'? Norris and Inglehart

4. A quick quiz • In a Canadian survey 80% people said they had religious beliefs. It means -------% people had no beliefs. 20% • Who cited 'Jesus in Disneyland' as an example of the changing form of religion? Explain what does it mean? Lyon ---------------------------------------------------------------------- • What's a criticism of 'Believing without Belonging'? Attendance AND belief are both declining • Whose theory was 'Spiritual Shopping'? Danielle Hervieu-Leger

5. A quick quiz • Who believed that the secularisation theory is Eurocentric? Vasquez • What are the two new types of religious movements, according to Hervieu- Leger? Describe each one of them. Pilgrims & Converts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • What's a criticism of Religious Market Theory? It assumes that people are ‘naturally’ inclined to religion.

6. A quick quiz • Stark and Bainbridge do not agree with secularisation theory. What are the two assumptions that they base their theory on? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • Who argued against secularisation because of 'believing without belonging'? Davie

7. The changing role of religion in a global context Main points of secularisation theory • Modernisation such as: • advancement of science and technology • increased economic activities • Rationalisation of human life i.e. • Use of human reason rather than religious imagery • What is the evidence at a global level?

8. The changing role of religion in a global context 1. The ability of religion to resolve tension with modernity: Three case studies • The case of India: Accepting and celebrating economic/commercial activities and science and technology

9. The changing role of religion in a global context 1. The ability of religion to resolve tension with modernity: Three case studies • Has it undermined Hinduism? • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aD_76-tMEw • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G4ZWg99zWY

10. The changing role of religion in a global context 1. The ability of religion to resolve tension with modernity • The rapidly emerging economic class is oriented towards religion • The case of India is an evidence against existential security theory

11. The changing role of religion in a global context • The case of India echoes Weberian strand: the attainment of material (wealth) is legitimised and justified as a sign of divine’s favour by the rising middle class that help them to adjust to globalised consumer capitalism

12. The changing role of religion in a global context • In India religion is playing far more greater role today that defies secularisation thesis e.g. Hinduism is contributing to Indian nationalism ‘Our people are not perfect, but our culture is superior to others’ (93% Indians’ response in Pew Global Attitude Survey) • Hindu values coalesce with secular values (Nanda, 2008) • You know India’s population? • Can you calculate?

13. The changing role of religion in a global context • The case of East Asia also echoes Weberian strand: Confucian values contributed to the rise of capitalism in ‘East Asian tiger economies’ • Confucian values of hard-work, self disciple, frugality and a commitment to education and self-improvement encouraged people to accumulate wealth

14. The changing role of religion in a global context • Weberian model is also reflected in Latin America: Pentecostalism preaches work ethic that accommodates capitalism (Peter Berger, 2003) • Pentecostalist values: ascetic way of life, hard work, self-discipline, abstinence from alcohol contribute to economic development

15. The changing role of religion in a global context • What is Pentecostalism? The localisation of Christianity and assimilation of local myths, symbols and religious traditions • Instead of replacing indigenous religious forms, Pentecostalism creates new local religious forms, combining Christian belief system with local religious notions and practices

16. The changing role of religion in a global context • Work ethics alone may not be sufficient as material conditions (resources) have equal value • For example: North and South Brazil have similar value system but different economic resources and as a result S. Brazil is more developed (Peter Berger, 2003)

17. The changing role of religion in a global context: Religious fundamentalism 2. The ability of religion to construct a reaction against modernity • Fundamentalist manifestation of religion: • from consensus to conflict, • from acceptance to rejection, • from harmony to reaction

18. The changing role of religion in a global context: Religious fundamentalism 2. The ability of religion to construct a reaction against modernity • Anthony Giddens’ (1990) distinction between fundamentalism and cosmopolitanism

19. The changing role of religion in a global context: Religious fundamentalism • Individual exercise: What does fundamental mean to you? • Think/choose ONE WORD • Literalist interpretation of the holy scriptures • Totalising tendency of lifeworld • Open to changes and progress: reflexive • Accepts diversity • Tolerant towards ‘difference’: respect of personal choice • Intolerant towards ‘difference’ • Provides certainty in an uncertain, changing world

20. The changing role of religion in a global context: Religious fundamentalism 2. The ability of religion to construct a reaction against modernity • Literalist interpretation of the holy scriptures • Totalising tendency of lifeworld • Intolerant towards ‘difference’ • Provides certainty in an uncertain, changing world

21. The changing role of religion in a global context: Religious fundamentalism • Anthony Giddens (1990) distinction between fundamentalism and cosmopolitanism • Cosmopolitanism: • Open to changes and progress: reflexive • Accepts diversity • Tolerant towards ‘difference’: respect of personal choice

22. The changing role of religion in a global context: Religious fundamentalism • Postmodernism offers competing versions of life as against ‘fundamentalism’ that advocates absolute truth (Bauman, 1992) • Castells’ distinction between ‘resistant’ and ‘project’ identities

23. The changing role of religion in a global context: Religious fundamentalism • Resistant identity: a defensive reaction against the pressures of modern life • Project identity: creative response to the pressures of modern life and responding through social movements such as feminism and environmentalism

24. The changing role of religion in a global context: Religious fundamentalism • Steve Bruce (2007) associates fundamentalism with monotheism rather than polytheism because in monotheist religion such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam • Existence of an authentic revealed source defies such as Koran, Bible different interpretations of life 2. A distinctive way of life

25. The changing role of religion in a global context: Religious fundamentalism • Steve Bruce (2007) • Polytheistic religions unlikely to produce fundamentalism such as Hinduism • Fundamentalism could be a response to internal or external challenges • The rise of New Christian Right as an example of internal dynamics such as sexual permissiveness, secular education and abortion rights • Islamic fundamentalism mainly a response to external (Western) values

26. The changing role of religion in a global context: Religious fundamentalism • Criticism of Giddens, Bauman and Castells by Beckford (2003) • The dichotomy of fundamentalism and cosmopolitanism ignores hybrid movements • There could be various versions of fundamentalism: ‘fundamentalism is not a neat/clean category • Fundamentalism can equally be reflexive because reinventing tradition is also a modern phenomenon

27. The changing role of religion in a global context: Cultural defence 3. Religion becomes the agenda to mobilize people, thus uniting them against a foreign/external threat • So apart from religions’ contribution to economic development or religions’ reaction against modernity, religions have played a cultural role • Two case studies exhibit this trend: Poland and Iran

28. The changing role of religion in a global context: Cultural defence 3. Religion becomes the agenda to mobilize people, thus uniting them against a foreign/external threat • Poland: under communist regime (1945-1989) • Church a rallying point to mobilize and unite people • Church participation in Solidarity movement

29. The changing role of religion in a global context: Cultural defence 3. Religion becomes the agenda to mobilize people, thus uniting them against a foreign/external threat • Iran: • Shah of Iran (1950s): Injecting modernisation in Iranian society such as restrictions on veiling and introduction of Persian calendar

30. The changing role of religion in a global context: Cultural defence 3. Religion becomes the agenda to mobilize people, thus uniting them against a foreign/external threat • Iran: Ayattollah Khomeini’s Islamic revolution in 1979 mobilized masses: Islam a rallying point • Reactions against modernisation and westernisation agenda

31. The changing role of religion in a global context: Cultural defence: Religion and ‘clash of civilisations’ • Samuel Huntington’s (1993) ‘Clash of civilisations’: an analysis of the post-1989 scenario • The end of cold war: political differences have lost its value • Religion may assume a new force to shape identity • Religion may provide outlets to older conflicts • Islam poses a serious threat to the Christian identity of he West

32. Religion and ‘clash of civilisations’: a critique • It is an instance of ‘orientalism’ (Jackson, 2006) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNI8zc6r7KU • Huntington ignores religions diversity and important differences within the civilisations e.g. Shi’a and Sunni in Islam (Casanova, 2005) • Huntington is inventing a new enemy because a tiny minority amongst 1.5 billion Muslims cannot represent the true picture (Horrie and Chippindale, 2003) • Fundamentalism is a reaction to western foreign policy in Muslims countries (Karen Armstrong, 2001)

33. A quick recap • The rapidly emerging economic class in India is oriented towards religion/secularisation • Confucian values contributed to the rise of capitalism in ‘East Asian tiger economies’/ Latin America • Pentecostalism preaches work ethic that accommodates capitalism (T/F) • Fundamentalism is the literal interpretation of religion (T/F) • Cosmopolitanism is open to changes and progress (T/F) • The idea of ‘Clash of civilisations’ suggests that religion may assume a new force to shape identity