Neo-Marxist

What do they believe?

source for social change

Neo-Marxism agree with Marxism that religion can exploit the poor

Neo-Marxism criticises Marxism for failing to see how religion can be a cause of social change and develop class consciousness.

Who argued dual nature of religion?

Bloch and Gramsci

Dual nature of religion

Bloch: Religion has both a positive and negative influence on society. In many ways it can act as a conservative force on society and help to maintain social inequality and the status quo but it can also act as a force of social change as it can offer the “Principal of Hope” to its followers. This principal of hope can in extreme circumstances lead to revolution.

Gramsci: Agreed that the church does play its part in maintaining cultural hegemony that benefits the ruling class if could also produce its own set of ideas that could inspire social change. This most often occurs when members of the clergy and lower members of the church hierarchy believe they can make a difference in their community, rather than persisting with official messages from the church. This individual autonomy could in some cases override the ruling class ideology that is promoted by the religion as a whole.

Who argues religion is a force for social change?

Maduro and liberation theology

Force for social change

Maduro: In societies where protests were against the law (usually dictatorships) the church could act as a safe outlet for frustration for the proletariat. Additionally religious leaders could act as the charismatic leaders that inspire their congregations to achieve and seek social change. Religious leaders would also be seen as untouchable in these dictatorships because they are seen as sacred by their followers, so if they came to any harm that could be the catalyst to begin the revolution.

Liberation theology: A radical movement that grew up in South America as a response to the poverty and the ill-treatment of ordinary people. It was a response to the failure of the Vatican to help its followers with the poverty and exploitation that they faced. The priests encouraged people to enforce change upon society even to use violence if necessary in order to overthrow the dictators who were oppressing them. The movement was successful in Nicaragua however the priests involved were excommunicated by the Catholic church for their role in the Sandinista Revolution.

Case study

Camilo Torres Restrepo ( 1929-1966) was a Colombian socialist, Roman Catholic priest, a predecessor of liberation theology and a member of the National Liberation Army {ELN) guerrilla organisation. During his life, he tried to reconcile revolutionary Marxism and Catholicism.

He helped to organise student political protests

Evaluation

See religion as being socially significant in modern society despite the evidence of secularisation.

Pope John Paul ll rejected the Liberation theory and told priests to focus on their religious responsibilities.