Globalisation and Religion

Globalisation and Religion

1. Globalisation is the process whereby the world is increasingly interconnected through technology which means the world feels smaller it has been reffered to as a 'global village'

   • Modernisation, a religious resurgance means a rebirth of religion, in a devolping world this has occured due to modernisation and globalisation. DAVIE, argued that a religious resurgance has been caused by rapid social change, econmic migrants have moved for improved living standards wwhich has caused social disruption, disorganisation and thrats to the identity of migrants, religion compensates for this
     • However the educated western middle class are increasingly involved in the religious resurgance

2. Pentacostalism and Globalisation

   • penecostalism is the fastest growing christian movement, it preaches that we can escape poverty with the help of god, 'our greatet dreams us that they all become eunterpenuers
     • Berger- penecostalism is the functional equivelent to webers calivinism and has lead to chile and southern Brazil devolping capitalism
     • Lehman - the sucess of pentecostalism is its ability to 'plug in' and adapt to a culure, although it preaches a simular message everywhere its adopts outstanding norms,vales and symbols
     • apeals to the poor
     • uses global communications, road shows and celebrity preachers
     • AO2 - NOT A TRADITIONAL CHURCH
   • Proactive and Globalisation
     • Penetcostalism imposes a strict regime and a strict morality, the emphasis is placed on self improvement, business classes are offered and money saving techniques are taught
       • encouraged to be themselves start their own buisness and pull themselves out of poverty
         • people in devoloping countries feel marginalisedas second class citzens in an increasingly global soceity, westernisation does not appear to be the answer, religion provides an alternative to overty and positive identity

3. Globalisation and defence

   • globalisation and modernisation habe caused a revival in traditional religious beliefs as a defence, a 'religious haven' which provides certainty in an uncertain world
     • Castells - Globalisation destroys peoples traditional sense of self, it helps to rebuild resistence identities based on traditional doctrines
       • globalisation involves westernisation, conservative religion provides a cultural defence , e.g irenaun revoultion

4. Fundamentalism, Christian and Islamic

   • BRUCE- fundamentalism is a rational respose of traditionally religious people to social, political and economic changes which have threatened theoir religious values. Christian fundamentallists in the US is polictically active, for example new christian right has been key in gettingthe theory of evoultion banned in some schools and actively campaingns against abortion and against homosexulaity
     • Islamic fundamentalism is a growing force in muslim countries and in ethinic minorty groups in the west. BRUCE argues this is rational means of defending traditional islamic beliefs which are being threatened with liberal values of the west, americanisation and the wests control over the global economy. self defence against cultural imperialism

5. Jewish fundamentalism is also a response to political and econmic facotrs ARMSTRONG ARGUES, fundamentalist feel their religious vales are being threatened by the liberal values of the secular west

   • Giddens- concerns over the devolpment of religious fundamentalism, emphasises the close proximity cultures and religions exist within dure to globalisation. Religious tolerance therefore is key for peqace not just in one soceity but internationally

6. USA VS EUROPE

   • STark and bainbridge
     • religion thrives in the US as there has never been a religous monoply there, always been a variety of denomiations to choose frome which has encouraged a healthy religious market place, religions grow or decline based on consumer demand. Europe is dominated by one church the competition have been held back and the lack of chocie has led to decline
       • the main factor in religious decline is the supply, particpation increases when there are many different religions to choose from. also based n their comparrision they argue the decline in religion is not universakit is not happening in all soceities. int eh US christianity and and Judism are not followed by strictly religious reasons, Bellah argues it is about americanism rather than religiousity.
         • macintyre- american religion has survived industrial soceity only at the cost of itsef becoming secular