POLI476: Secularization and Religion in Modern Politics

Secularization Theory

The theory that as societies modernize, religion becomes less influential in public life, politics, and society.

Rationalization

A key concept in Weber's work; it refers to the process by which traditional and spontaneous ways of life are replaced by rational, calculated, and methodical behavior. (Protestant Ethic)

Civil Religion

A set of beliefs, rituals, and symbols that foster collective identity and unity in a nation, often without necessarily being tied to any particular religious doctrine. (Durkheim)

Islamism

A political ideology that seeks to establish a political system based on Islamic principles and law.

Clash of Civilizations

Samuel Huntington's theory that future global conflicts will be based on cultural and religious differences, particularly between the West and Islam.

Typology of Parties

Categories of political parties based on their religious ideologies or goals, such as conservative, progressive, nationalist, or fundamentalist.

Conservative

Parties that support traditional religious values and often resist changes to social and political norms.

Progressive

Parties that advocate for social justice, human rights, and reforms within the context of religious teachings.

Nationalist

Religious parties that blend religious identity with nationalist goals, often focused on preserving or asserting national culture and identity.

Fundamentalist

Parties that seek to return to traditional, literal interpretations of religious texts and resist modernity.

Camp

A group within religious parties that shares a common set of beliefs or political goals.

Christian Democratic Party

A political ideology that combines Christian values with democracy, often advocating for social welfare and human dignity.

Jacques Maritain

A Catholic philosopher who supported the idea of Christian democracy and a political system based on human dignity.

Eduardo Frei

A Chilean president and Christian Democrat who promoted social justice policies.

Islamist Parties

Political parties advocating for the implementation of Islamic principles in governance.

Islamic Salvation Front (FIS)

An Islamist political party in Algeria that won elections in the early 1990s before being banned.

Muslim Brotherhood - Egypt

A Sunni Islamist organization advocating for the implementation of Islamic law and political reform.

Ennahda

A Tunisian Islamist party that played a significant role in the post-revolutionary political landscape.

Preferential Option for the Poor

A principle in liberation theology that emphasizes the importance of focusing on the needs and rights of the poor and marginalized.

Base Christian Communities

Small, grassroots religious groups focused on social justice, community building, and advocacy for the oppressed.

Gustavo Gutiérrez

A Peruvian theologian and key figure in the development of liberation theology.

Medellín Conference 1968

A gathering of Latin American bishops that endorsed liberation theology and the preferential option for the poor.

Oscar Romero

Archbishop of El Salvador, a martyr who spoke out against government oppression and social injustice, especially in relation to the poor.

Cosmic Violence

A concept referring to violence seen as part of a divine or cosmic order, often seen in religious ideologies as necessary for cosmic or theological goals (e.g., in apocalyptic beliefs).

Twin tolerations

Proposed that for a democracy to thrive in societies with strong religious traditions, there must be mutual tolerance between religious institutions and the state(Stepan).