religion & social change

What are Max Weber’s overall findings

The Protestant ethic & the spirit of capitalism

Normative conditions

What is the Protestant ethic & the spirit of capitalism

The Protestants reformation’s emphasis on individual responsibility, thriftiness, and the pursuit of success created an environment conductive to the growth of capitalism

The Protestant work ethic encouraged people to view their economic success as gods favour → accumulating wealth

What are normative conditions & example

Norms & values

Evaluation of Weber

• can’t explain why Calvinist countries like Norway did not experience industrialisation at the same time

• Doesn’t demonstrate how strongly individual entrepreneurs held their religious beliefs - is their accumulation of wealth about religion?

Religious language Martin Luther King Jr used during the civil rights movement

• “Our God is marching on” - highlights the progress of the civil rights movement

• “I see the promised land” - shows the need to economic empowerment

• “We are all God’s children”

What are Steve Bruce’s views on religion & the civil rights movement

The black clergy was the backbone of the movement by providing meeting places that could channel political dissent & act as a sanctuary away from the threat of white violence

The movement achieved its aims by shaming those in power

What is the Christian new right

A politically conservative, fundamentalist movement that strongly opposes the liberalising of America

They take the Bible literally, being strongly against abortion, divorce, contraception, and specifically homosexuality

They use TV, radio, and public protests to spread their message & recruit members to strengthen their pressure on the Republican Party

What a re Steve Bruces views on the Christian new right

Their movement has failed because they don’t work well with others due to their continual spread of hatred & their extremely radical ideology

Neo-Marxist key terms

• Hegemony - ruling class control over ideas

• Counter Hegemony - working class control over ideas

• Ideological state apparatus - spread of ruling class ideologies

What are Althusser’s views

Relative autonomy - the superstructures of society (religion) have some freedom to support the working class rather than the ruling class

What are Gramsci’s views

Duel character:

1. Prevents change

2. Inspires protest & rebellion

Religion has duel character, it exercises counter hegemony at times when the demand for support was high

Example of duel character

Militant miners strike 1930’s - when they struggled for recognition from trade unions they were supported & encouraged by the church to riot & rebel

What is the liberation theology

A movement that was a fusion of Christianity & Marxism during the the 60’s in South America

Priests helped; the poor to establish support groups (base communities), workers to fight oppression, develop literacy programmes, educate the poor about their situation, & raise awareness

What factors led to the creation of liberation theology

• deepening rural poverty & the growth of urban slums throughout Latin America

• Human rights abuses - military death squads, torture & death squads who murdered political opponents

• The growing commitment among catholic priests to an ideology that supports the poor & oppose human rights violations

Why did the movement lose influence

Pope John Paul II condemned liberation theology because it resembled Marxism

Examples of religion driving for social change

• Catholic Church - condemned the communist regime in the 80’s which eventually led the rebellion movement against communism

• The anti-apartheid movement led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa