T5; RELIGION IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT - RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM

In a global context, what area of concern has the issue of religious fundamentalism emerged as in the recent decades?

• media and political

what are the characteristics of fundamentalism?

• appeals to…look back at

• seek…

• arises from…

• appeal to trad, often look back at golden age of past

• seek return to basics/fundamentals of faith

• arises when trad beliefs/values = threatened or challenged by modern society esp. by impact of an increasingly globalised economy?

what are the characteristics of fundamentalism? (2/7)

• • ALDRIDGE CRITICSM

• …mentality; DAVIE

• an authorative sacred text - not open to questioning, w/o error

  • ALDRIDGE - texts need to be interpreted, fundamentalist belief ignore symbolism = metaphors as facts and prophecies

• An us vs them mentality - refuse to compromise; DAVIE → seek to est. islands of certainty in social/cultural chaos

what are the characteristics of fundamentalism? (4/7)

• Authoritative leaders are imp. to guide this…

• use of…

• Aggressive reaction; aim to draw attention to threat of beliefs via aggressive reaction intended to shock, harm etc. Authorative leaders e.g clergy = imp. to guide this

• Use of modern tech; oppose modern culture (corrupted by secularism, liberalism, materialism etc), keen to use modern tech to achieve their aims e.g computers, internet, televangelism + military weaponry

what are the characteristics of fundamentalism? (4/7)

• what do fundamentalists favour a world of (HAWLEY)

• what do Christian fundamentalists proclaim?

• c_______ t______; w/ supp of ALDRIDGE

• Patriarchy; Hawley - fundamentalists favour a world in which control over women's sexuality, reproductive powers, and their social and economic roles, fixed via divine decree

• Prophecy; relevance of biblical prophecies to contemporary events - LAST days upon us

• Conspiracy theories; often attracted to conspiracy theories: the idea that powerful, hidden, evil forces and organisations are in control of human destiny.

  • Aldridge (2013) - extreme Christian and Islamic fundamentalists = anti-Semitic, jews = conspiring to secure world domination.

when/where does Fundamentalism occur according to DAVIE? who has a similar idea and what is it?

• where those who hold traditional orthodox beliefs and values are threatened by modernity + feel need to defend

  • Giddens - 'fundamentalism' is a product of and reaction to globalisation → undermines trad social norms e.g the nuclear family, gender and sexuality

According to GIDDENS what is the attraction of fundamentalism and its rigid, dogmatic beliefs for individuals in a late modern society?

• 'late modern' society → individuals are constantly faced with choice, uncertainty and risk.

• provides certainty that it promises in an uncertain world.

  • retreat into faith-based answers + away from risks/uncertainties from globalising world

what does Giddens contrasts fundamentalism with?

• cosmopolitanism; way of thinking = embrace modernity + keeping up w/ globalising world

what is Cosmopolitanism tolerant of which highlights Giddens reflexive thinking?

• views of others and open to new ideas, constantly reflecting on and modifying beliefs in the light of new information (which Giddens calls 'reflexive' thinking).

what does Cosmopolitanism require people to justify by the use of rational arguments and evidence rather than by appealing to sacred texts?

• their views

what do Cosmopolitan religion and spirituality emphasise like Hervieu-Léger's 'pilgrims' who explore New Age spirituality? In turn, what do they see an individual’s lifestyle as?

• pursuit of personal meaning and self-improvement rather than submission to authority.

• personal choice rather than something prescribed by an external religious or other authority

Like GIDDENS, what does BAUMAN see fundamentalism as a response to? In turn while some embrace the new freedom, why are others attracted to fundamentalism?

• living in postmodernity → brings freedom of choice, uncertainty + heightened awareness of risk, undermining tradition + old certainties

• due to their claims of absolute truth and certainty

what two responses to postmodernity does CASTELLS distinguish?

• R______ i_______; negative

• P______ i_______; positive

• Resistance identity - a defensive reaction of those who feel threatened and retreat into fundamentalist communities.

• Project identity - the response of those who are forward-looking and engage with social movements such as feminism and environmentalism.

how does Beckford (2011) criticises Giddens, Bauman and Castells?

• distinguish too sharply → cosmopolitanism and fundamentalism, ignoring 'hybrid' movements.

• 'fixated on fundamentalism' therefore ignore other important developments - including how globalisation = affecting non-fundamentalist religions e.g Catholicism

• Giddens lumps all types of fundamentalism together, ignoring important differences between them.

• Giddens' description of fundamentalism as a defensive reaction to modernity ignores the fact that reinventing tradition is also a modern, 'reflexive' activity.

how does HAYNES criticise GIDDEN’S focus?

• argues = not focus narrowly on the idea that Islamic fundamentalism is a reaction against globalisation

  • e.g middle east conflicts = failure of elites to imp. standard of living → drives fundamentalism.

iLke Giddens, what does Bruce (2008) sees the main cause of fundamentalism as?

• perceived threats of globalisation to religious traditionalists

what does BRUCE regards fundamentalism as being confined to? In turn, what is unlikely to produce fundamentalism? why?

• monotheistic religions

• Polytheistic religions

• monotheistic religions = based on a notion of God's will + one sacred authoritative text (specific rules to follow) vs. polytheistic religions lack a single all-powerful deity + single authoritative text

  • less scope for interp, claim to legitimacy or absolute truth e.g Hinduism = collective v one religion

all fundamentalists share characteristics = belief in the literal truth of a sacred text and detestation of modernity, different fundamentalist movements may have different origins E.G TRIGGERS - what is the distinction BRUCE draws?

• triggered by changes within their own society

• response to changes being thrust upon a society from the outside

how does Bruce illustrates this distinction of the two fundamentalisms?

• west = ….

  • e.g

  • developed because…

  • aim

• examples of Christian and Islamic fundamentalisms:

  • West = fundamentalism = triggered by changes within their own society e.g diversity + choice

    • New Christian Right in America

    • developed in opp → family diversity, sexual 'permissiveness', gender equality and abortion rights, secular education and the privatisation of religion (its removal from public life).

    • aim = reassert 'true' religion + restore it public role → shape the laws + morals of wider society.

how does Bruce illustrates this distinction of the two fundamentalisms?

• dev. countries → fundamentalism = …

  • triggered by…

  • fundamentalism = resistance …

• dev. countries → fundamentalism = reaction to changes being thrust upon a society from outside,

  • e.g Islamic revolution in Iran

    • triggered by modernisation and globalisation, in which 'Western' values are imposed by foreign capitalism or by local elites supported by the West.

    • fundamentalism = resistance to the state's attempts to sideline it and confine it to the private sphere.

what does Davie say has emerged in recent decades linking with changes in the nature of modern society.?

• secular forms of fundamentalism

How does she distinguishes between two phases of modernity?

• first phase →

• second phase →

  • since…

    • caused by changes →

    • led to a loss of…

• first phase → rise to religious fundamentalism.

  • enlightenment domination = optimistic secular belief of progress → secularise society therefore Religious fundamentalism is one reaction to this secularisation process.

• 2nd phase → rise to secular fundamentalism

  • since 70s, death of enlightenment → uncertainty/insecurity

    • caused by changes → globalisation, concerns about the environment + the collapse of communism in 1989.

      • led to a loss of faith → secular Enlightenment ideologies e.g liberalism and rationalism (in Western Europe), Marxism (in Eastern Europe) = undermined.

What are secular ideologies are themselves struggling for just like traditional religion? what phrase does DAVIE use to describe this?

• survival

• DAVIE - 'past their sell-by date'.

Like when religion is under attack, what have supporters of secular ideologies such as nationalism have also been attracted to? Give an example

• fundamentalism

• fall of communist Yugoslavia 90s → secular nationalist fundamentalism that justified the ethnic cleansing (us vs them mentality)

Using an example to illustrate, what perceived religious challenges to liberal secular values have provoked a secular fundamentalist reaction in western EU?

• 2004

• 2010

• 2015

• 2004; France = banned pupils from wearing religious symbols in schoo

• 2010; veil for women in public = illegal

• 2015; some French local councils (right) stopped serving alts to pork in their school meals, via grounds of equality + privatising religion → discriminates against Muslims and Jews who do not eat pork.

what does ANSELL see trends like in FRANCE as a form of?

• cultural racism → uses → liberal language of universal equality and social integration, while denying racist aims.

• reality = preserving dom group's cultural identity + way of life; legitimates exclusion of religious and cultural minorities.

what does DAVIE conclude about both religious and secular movements as a result of the greater uncertainties of life in the late modern or postmodern world? why? In turn, what has become a normal feature of today's society.

• can become fundamentalist

• reasserting truth and certainty = increasingly attractive.

• competing fundamentalisms

Similar to DAVIE’S conclusions, what has Hervieu-Léger (2000) identified fundamentalism as in late modern societies that have suffered 'cultural amnesia' + forgotten their historic religious traditions?

• a form of 'recreated memories'

In recent years, what religion role has played in global conflicts? Who explores this and what does he say that such conflicts are symptoms of?

• 9/11 terrorist attacks

• civil war in former Yugoslavia in the 1990s involving Croatian Catholics, Serbian Orthodox Christians and Bosnian Muslims

• HUNTINGTON; a 'clash of civilisations' 

What 7 civilisations did HUNTINGTON identify? what does he state is a major source of conflict?

• Western

• Islamic

• Slavic-Orthodox (Russia and Eastern Europe)

• Latin American

• Confucian (China)

• Japanese

• Hindu

• religious differences between civilisations

why is religious differences between civilisations are now a major source of conflict? why is this harder to resolve unlike political?

• globalisation → nation-states = less imp. source of identity → gap that religion has filled

• same time = increases the contacts between civilisations, increasing the likelihood of conflict.

• deeply rooted in culture and history.

  
  

what has religious differences created with increased competition between civilisations for economic and military power? What example does HUNTINGTON give?

• hostile 'us and them' relationships

• for example; Middle East

  • the West as under threat from Islam, a view for which he has been strongly criticised.

CRITICSM 1: what does JACKSON see Huntington's work as an example of?

• orientalism - a western ideology that stereotypes East

  • serves to justify exploitation and human rights abuses by the West.

CRITICSM 2: How is Huntington's view simplistic according to CASANOVA?

• ignores important religious divisions within the

  'civilisations' he identifies, e.g. between Sunni and Shi'a Islam.

CRITICSM 3: what do Horrie and Chippindale (2007) see 'the clash of civilisations' as?

• grossly misleading neo-conservative ideology that portrays the whole of Islam as an enemy.

  • reality = minority acc interested in holy war against west within 1.5 billion Muslims

CRITICSM 4: Armstrong (2001; 2015) argues that hostility towards the West does not stem from fundamentalist Islam but is a reaction to what instead? What contemp ex does she give?

• Western foreign policy in the Middle East.

  • West has propped up oppressive regimes and continues to support Israel despite its aggressive treatment of Palestinians.

What does HUNTINGTON’S work suggest about the muslim world? what evidence challenges this? I____ + N_____; real issue of divison

• holds fundamentally diff, anti-democratic values from west

  • INGLEHART + NORRIS → issue divides west v muslim = not democracy but gender + sexuality

    • find supp for democracy = high in both

    • but great diffs in attitudes of divorce etc.

  • whilst west → liberal, Muslim = trad

  • last decade → democracy = political ideology to gain global appeal, no global agreement on self-expression values which cause the real clash