Religion and Society Final

Dogma

A principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true. i.e. The christian dogma of the trinity.

Fundamentalism for the sociologist

A broader approach to the subject. The quest for purity. The search for authenticity. Totalism - religion is important to all aspects of life. Activism The necessity of certainty (i.e. Scripturalism) Selective modernization - choosing which technology you use and disdaining all others. Centering on the magic past in the present

The Christian Right

A collection of churches, organizations, and individuals working toward theocracy. With election of George W. Bush, there was a surge in fundamentalist resources and power This surge lessened in Obama's 8 years but picked up again with the election of Trump. Women fundamentalists play a big role, though their ultimate goal is to remove women from public life.

Ghandi, King, and the Dalai Lama on the role of religion and the secular world

All non-violent protestors and from personal religious world they were all commanded to be nonviolent

Religious nationalism

Globalization of religion has led to violent conflicts rooted in religion or expressed in religious terms. These conflicts express religious nationalism, an ideology combining traditional religious beliefs in divine law and authority with modern ideas of nation-state.

The interface of religion and society

The center of the interface of religion and society tend to be Christianity, Islam, and Judiasm

Islamic concepts and definitions continued

The concept of Jihad is often in the west translated as "Holy War" but comes from the broader idea of "struggle" which can be personal or religious.

Evil

The concept of evil varies from religion to religion. Most, but not all, religions have a concept of evil.

The clash of fundamentalists

Western approach as seen as pushing "imperialist" beliefs on rest of world

3 Sects of Humanism

1. Liberalism: Respecting ALL individuals. free and sacred nature of each individual. 2. Socialism: Focus on equality of society as a whole. Inequality is the worst blasphemy between the sanctity of humanity. 3. Evolutionary: We can evolve/improve our species by striving to always do things better.

Examples of Twin Powers

1. The Ancient model: Shaman and Warrior chief. Shamans have religious power and warrior chief has political power. 2. The african model: priest and chief 3. The Indo-European Model: Priest and King 4. The Han Dynasty/Chinese Model: Priest and Emperor 5. The Semitic Model: Aaron and Moses 6. The Islamic Model: Muhammad as religious and political leader.

3 unifiers of mankind:

1. Trade in the market economy. 2. Conquests and empires. 3. Religion

Political heritage of Muslims:

1. a triumphant past 2. A clash with christian powers, especially europeans. 3. Domination of Muslims by others (defeats after 1500 a.d., ottomon empire after WW1, British/French/American Colonialism) 3

For what purpose was mythology created?

A legal contract in which humans promise everlasting devotion to the gods in exchange for mastery over plants and animals.

What accompanied the agricultural revolution?

A religious revolution. Turning plants and animals from equal members of a spiritual round table into property.

Religion to the author of The Law of Religion

A system of human norms and values that is founded on a belief in a superhuman order. Two Criteria: 1. superhuman order 2. establishing norms and values it considers binding two further qualities: 1. A universal superhuman order that is true always and everywhere. 2. Must spread the belief.

Nationalism

An ideology which claims supreme loyalty from individuals for the nation and the state that represents it. Has evolved over the past 5 years (The 30 years war and the treaty of Westphalia) Some predicted an end of nationalism after WW2. Stronger today than it ever has been with resurgence of populism in America, France and other parts of Europe.

Polytheism and animism acceptance/rejection of a supreme power

Animists and polytheists may believe in one supreme power, but they acknowledge smaller, less powerful gods as well.

How did Judaism come about?

Argued that the supreme power of the universe has interests and biases, yet His chief interest is in the tiny Jewish nation and in the obscure land of Israel. This stage of Judaism was called "local monotheism"

What is the difference between assertive and passive secularism?

Assertive: Actively asserting secularism Passive: Allowing religion to happen but disagreeing

What was the first monotheistic god and what happened to it?

Aten, a minor deity in the Egyptian pantheon was declared supreme power ruling the universe by Pharoh Akhenaten. After he died, the worship of Aten was abandoned in favor of the old pantheon.

Fundamentalism

Conserving the Bible as written

What did monotheistic religions do to other monotheistic religions?

Because monotheists see themselves as having possession of the entire message of the one and only god, they have been compelled to discredit all other religions. Over the last two millennia, monotheists repeatedly try to strengthen their hand by violently exterminating all competition.

The Great Western Transmutation

Began at beginning of 18th Century in Western Europe. A change in worldview of moral questions to one economic markets. God's world was here and now, and not the next world. Concentrating on current world and not preparing for afterlife. Live and let live became the dominant ethos. Nationalism, liberalism, socialism, and civil religion became the dominant ideologies along with modernism.

When and how did Islam begin?>

Began in a small sect in a remote corner of the world, but managed to break out of the deserts of Arabia and conquer an immense empire stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to India.

Negative aspects of nationalism:

Can lead to isolationism, feelings of superiority, suspicion of others, messianism. can cause instability, and lead to foreign intervention and hyper-factionalization of states.

Catholics vs Protestants on entrance to Heaven

Catholics - Works. Protestants - Faith alone

Understand the cultural content of fundamentalism from different perspectives

Christianity - the particular catalyst and focus was the controversy over biblical interpretation and particular points of theological difference with other denominations over such matters as the timing of the second coming Islam - driven by outrage at western cultural and economic penetration as a result of western colonialism. Jewish - driven by official discrimination and persecution of the jews, as well as the right to the temple

What happened when animism didn't disappear with polytheism?

Demons, fairies, ghosts, holy rocks, holy springs and holy trees remained an integral part of almost all polytheist religions. These spirits were far less important than the great gods, but for the mundane needs of most ordinary people they were good enough. These smaller spirits were still good enough for the common and poor folk who needed healing

Discuss the norms and values of animistic cultures

Had to take into consideration the outlook and interests of a multitude of other beings, such as animals, plants, fairies and ghosts. Very local in outlook.

Christianity and Fundamentalism

Dominionist theology has become a central part of Christian Fundamentalism. Based on belief that U.S. was once a true Christian theocracy but has fallen from grace. Goal is to convert U.S. to a theocratic state, then competing religions will be eliminated.

How is the universe viewed by dualist religions?

Dualism explains that the entire universe is a battleground between good and evil, and that everything that happens in the world is part of the struggle.

Besides monotheism, what other form of religion came from polytheism?

Dualism.

Clash of Civilization Theory

East vs West, Muslims vs Christians, us vs them

What is the major focus of theists and humanist religions?

For theists, God is the major focus. For humanists, humans are the major focus (people are above all else).

2 Psyches of early foragers and later farmers.

Foragers saw animals as equal whereas farmers saw animals as property. Foragers were native americans and farmers were invading christian europeans.

Common parts of fundamentalism

Fundamentalism is a reaction to modern globalization diminishing cultural traditions. Thought to have originated with protestants in 19th century. Islam and Judiasm often assume it can't be used for them.

The Rejection of Modernism Theory

Fundamentalism seen as correct, modernism wrong, science bad

What is the difference between hard and soft secularism?

Hard: Completely excluding religion Soft: Maintaining neutrality

The Interface of Religion and Politics (Mark Twain Quote)

He said animals could live together in harmony even when they're predators, and humans are like animals except when religion and politics come in, it causes tension and disharmony. This is because religion and politics are taught to us, it isn't innate

Paul of Tarsus and his beliefs

If the supreme power of the universe has interests and biases, and if He had bothered to incarnate himself in the flesh and to die on the cross for the salvation of humankind, then then this is something everyone should hear about, not just Jews.

Scripturalism

Important beliefs based on inerrant sacred scripture. Literal adherence to a body of scripture.

Secularization

In the Western Civilization, secularization has led to a separation of church and state. Not so within the Islamic and Hindu world.

Islamic Concepts and Definitions

Islam, which means submission to God, a Muslim being who submits, is a monotheistic religion founded by Muhammad, a prophet who received Allah's teaching in a vision. The Qur'an is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God. The Caliphs are successors to Muhammad. They are described in the Qur'an as representatives of Allah on Earth, and also as leaders of the Ummah (the spiritual, cultural, and political community of Muslims)

What was the result of Christianity's success?

It served as a model for another monotheist religion that appeared in the Arabian peninsula in the seventh century - Islam.

Secularism

Life separate from religious belief

Traditioning

Making ancient scripture relevant to today's times

Modernism and Fundamentalism

Modernism is an ideology valuing consumer-oriented capitalism. Fundamentalism protests the secularism from this ideology. Fundamentalists believe more in relationships than the consumer product. It became more about self than others. human sympathy became less important than commercial efficiency.

What is global political order built on today?

Monotheistic foundations.

Islam and Fundamentalism

Often takes on political agendas. Often called political islam or Islamism. 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia where impoverished rural peoples practice Wanhabism, an especially strict and ascetic form of Islam that rejects most products of the western world. In Al Qaeda, the leaders were educated and from wealthy backgrounds, while the majority of its members are not. Sayyid Qutb taught the necessity for a return to Islamic dominance through fundamentalism, which gave fighters strength and certainty in their lives.

Religion is one of the most ancient forces that influence world events. Objectively, it can be said to play a dual role in world politics...POSITIVE

On the one hand, it has been a source of humanitarian concern and a vehicle for pacifism including: Gandi and indian foreign policy Christian, Islamic, and other denominations and their relief word all over the world. Is the basis for the anti-nuclear movement in Europe and the foundation of Liberation Theology in Latin America.

Religion is one of the most ancient forces that influence world events. Objectively, it can be said to play a dual role in world politics...NEGATIVE

On the other hand, it has also been a force at the center of many bloody wars, including: The reaction in Europe to Islam leading to the crusades. The protestant reformation which led to the 30 years war. And religions role in the imperial/emperical? era

Why was polytheism developed?

Once kingdoms and trade networks expanded, people needed to contact entities whose power and authority encompassed a whole kingdom or an entire trade basin.

What happened to the polytheistic relationship with monotheism?

Polytheism continues to survive within monotheism. Polytheists continue to see the supreme power of the universe as too distant and alien for their mundane needs. In fact, many monotheists almost have a polytheistic viewpoint because of the belief in many saints.

Discuss polytheists imperial attitude toward conversation and what did the imperialists do with the conquered peoples gods?

Polytheists did not try to convert other people, but were very open to allowing the people to keep their gods. In fact, they allowed the people they conquered to continue to worship their own personal gods, as long as the people also respected the empire's gods and rituals.

Twin Powers

Power structure of religious leaders and power structure of political leaders and in every society, they have some sort of relationship.

Positive aspects of nationalism:

Promote Democracy, self-government, economic growth, and social/political/economic diversity and experimentation.

Commonly held characteristics of Christian Fundamentalism

Religious Bigotry Scandalous beliefs opposition to science Puritanical sexual beliefs xenophobia

Why did most states look to religious institutions in the past?

Religious institutions give political leaders support

Commonly held characteristics of Muslim fundamentalism

Repression of women, including veiling, seclusion and confinement. Harsh and Brutal punishments of violation of religious norms. Fanaticism of beliefs Hostility to westerners patriarchal easy to resort to violence

Commonly held characteristics of Jewish fundamentalism

Rigid thought and doctrinaire beliefs archaic lifestyle ethos of violent retaliation for wrongs done intolerance to differences within group and hostility to those outside. Patriarchal. Resistance to assimilation.

Conflict Theory and Marxism

Ruling class chooses. The upper class keeps the lower class in place with religion

Rise of fundamentalism in the 20th century

Scopes Monkey Trial of evolutionism vs. creationism taught in school. This time period is where fundamentalism began. Christian Theological school professors were becoming divided into two camps: one open to modern science whereas others said bible should be taken literally and science should come form bible.

3 Recent Trends in the Interface of religion and politics

Secularism, social activism, fundamentalism

How does polytheism handle "heretics" and "infidels"?

Since polytheist are very open to many gods, they are inherently open-minded and rarely persecute heretics and infidels.

how did the coming of Jesus change the jewish sect?

Sought to convince Jews that Jesus of Nazareth was the long-awaited Messiah. Eventually this esoteric Jewish sect took over the mighty Roman Empire.

Missionary religions

Spread your religion. Began in 1st millennium BC.

Similarities between communism and buddhism

Superhuman Order of natural and immutable laws that should guide human actions. Law of natures discovered by leaders. Both have holy scripts. God/Allah/Yahweh is superhuman but so is Buddhism (being one with yourself) and Communism (the system is the superhuman)

Compare/contrast the concepts of evil in Tahitian and Samoan religions vs. New Guinea religion

Tahitians and Samoans lived lives plenty and were able to live in harmony with nature. Their religions reflected the conditions of their daily lives. They had no concept of sin or evil, rather anti-social attitudes and behaviors were the only evil they recognized, such as things that threatened their cooperation-based society. In stark contrast, New Guinea peoples were poor and lived lives of hardship, which produced harsher religions. The gods were angry and hostile. The religions were violent and cruel and masculine, and thus the evil referred to anything that sapped strength.

How and why did the concept of evil come into being in Chacoan society?

The Chacoans once had a large and thriving civilization. however they depleted a concept of evil over time as a result of drastic changes in their way of life. Droughts caused communities to prey on others and forcing people to defend themselves. Evil became associated with the people who preyed on the innocent and small.

How did the basic ideas of the Vedas influence the ways in which Eastern religions typically think of evil?

The Vedas are sacred texts written in India sometime around 1500 BCE. They do not provide answers or doctrine, but instead ask questions about the nature of existence, directing the reader to find the answers that lead to enlightenment. Thus Eastern religions have no central notion of evil, rather, evil is due to personal failure and not due to a deity

Religion has created a division between countries, such as

The catholic and protestant division in Ireland. The Hindu, Muslim, Sikh divisions in India. Divisions between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslim's in Iraq. Jewish, Islamic and Christian divisions in Lebanon and Israel.

Separation of Church and State

The government cannot tell you what religion to follow. It's a choice separate from the Government. Government cannot decide what you believe in.

Rational Choice Theory

The individual rationally chooses their behavior in the religious and secular worlds.

Houses of Islam

The notion of "houses" or "divisions" of the world in Islam such as Dar Al-Islam '(House of Islam) and Dar Al-harb (House of War) does not appear in Qur'an or the Hadiths. This geo-political house of divisions was more acutely framed by 13th century Islamic Scholar Ibn Taymiyyah, in response to Mongol invasions of Muslim lands. Within the houses, religious differences are a source of intense conflict: Majority Sunni's and minority shi'ites are at odds over the proper leadership of the Ummah (The sunni's recognize Abu-Bakr, muhammad's close companion and advisor as the legitimate heir, but the Shi'ites recognize Ali, Muhammad's first cousin and son-in-law.

What was the impact of the rise of great gods?

The status of Homo Sapiens changed drastically. Polytheist began to see the world as a relationship between gods and humans. They exalted status of gods and the status of humans.

For polytheism, what is the supreme God's concern of humans and what is the only reason to seek the supreme god?

The supreme god is devoid of interests and biases, and therefore is unconcerned with the mundane desires, cares and worries of humans. The only reason to approach the supreme power of the universe would be to renounce all desires and embrace the bad along with the good, to embrace even defeat, poverty, sickness and death

Twin powers

The traditional relationship between the political and the sacred leadership roles.

How did persian concepts of evil relate to their daily lives?

Their lives depended to a large extent on the elements, and particularly the stark contrasts of day and night, with night being very dangerous. Their religion reflected the day-night dichotomy, with gods of light being good and gods of night being evil. dualism developed (light vs. dark, day vs. night, good vs. evil). This is dangerous because dualism produces the worst kind of oppression and violence by portraying the "evil other" as an embodiment of evil that must be eliminated.

what do most Hindus feel about their mundane world?

They are sunk deep in the morass of mundane concerns, where the great god Atman is not much help.

How do dualist religions view evil?

They believe that evil is and independent power, neither created by a good God nor subordinate to it. Bad things happen even to good people because the world is not governed single-handedly by a good God. There is an independent evil power loose in the world. The evil power does bad things.

The 16th and 17th Century Catholics and Protestants disagreed over the nature of God. What was the nature of that disagreement?

They disagreed about the nature of Gods love. Protestants believed that the divine love is so great that God was incarnated in flesh and allowed Himself to be tortured and crucified. Catholics maintained that faith, while essential, was not enough. To enter heaven, believers had to participate in church rituals and good deeds.

Why was mythology created?

To explain origins, where evil comes from, basis of beliefs., etc.

The Ummah

Today the Ummah takes the form of a "muslim pride" movement. This includes a rejection of direct interference from outside powers. To the resurrection of cultural traditions such as banning alcohol, women covering their faces, a legal system based on the Shariah. However, the creation of a united Ummah is not likely in the foreseeable future, primarily because of: nationalism, ethnic differences (Iranians, Kazakhs, Pakistanis, and many others who are not Arabic), sectarian divisions (Sunni-Shia).

The stereotype of Polytheism

Two thousand years of monotheism caused most Westerners to view polytheism as ignorant and childish idolatry.

When does demonization of other groups usually occur, and why does it render the demonizers powerless?

Usually occurs when people feel overwhelmed by forces they do not understand, making the world seem magical. Then the "evil enemy" is constructed to correspond to the greatest fears of the society that imagines them. This renders people powerless because rather than illuminating the actual threatening social forces, they place their fears onto the chimerical evil enemy.

more religious nationalism stuff

Yassir Arafat helped make an independent state for the Palestinians that wasn't religious enough for Islamic activists like Hamas. One persons political actions are another persons terrorist attack. Murder of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin cold be justified under religious law. Dr. Baruch Goldstein was killed by muslim's after he murdered 35 muslims at their prayer, but his grave is a shrine in Israel because his acts were justified as "defending his nation" Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols killed 168 people in the name of making America an independent christian nation free from the Jews and Freemasons, a kind of Deep State. The aum Shinrikyo Sarin gas attack in Tokyo that killed 12 was based on same ideas.

What happens when you divide up an all-encompassing power?

You'll inevitably end up with more than one deity. Hence the plurality of gods.

The enemy as the secular nation-state to the fundamentalist

a secular nation-state does not practice religion. It pushes religion out of the picture and focuses on other aspects of life. Reference to God is made but not specific creeds or prayers. From a fundamentalist perspective, nation-states had betrayed religious belief and practice by ignoring their core elements.

Essentialism

any belief system that declares a basic, irreducible essence that cannot be broken down into smaller pieces. It is perhaps the basis of all religious violence and terrorism in modern times. Disallows for compromise. Fundamentalism is a type of essentialism.

How did farmers deal with the problems of controlling plants and animals?

gods offered a solution to this problem. Gods such as the fertility goddess, the sky god and the god of medicine took center stage when plants and animals lost their ability to speak.

"Deep state"

political situation in a country when an internal organ such as the armed forces or public authorities and branches of government does not respond to the civilian political leadership.

General stuff on religious nationalism

post-enlightenment modernism separated religion from public life, but current events like the Islamic revolution of 1979 indicate a reversal, putting religion back into public life. Religious activists show a hatred fro secular governments. Fundamentalist followers disdain secular leaders, even ones like ghandi, king, and Rabin. Fundamentalists dislike symbols of prosperity and hate secular authority. Modernism = westernization. Activists often struggle with their own group.

Social Activism

showing support for a cause, trying to make society better as an activist

what was the process of a single god developing in polytheistic groups?

some followers of polytheist gods became so fond of their particular patron that they drifted away from the basic polytheist insight. They began to believe that their god was the only god, and they He was in fact the supreme power of the universe. Thus they began to become monotheists.

Universal religions:

superhuman order known and true all over the world. Began in 1st millennium BC.

Where did the Judeo-Christian concept of evil come from?

the dualism methodology. A devil idea helps explain why bad things happen and people can them blame their problems on devilish others.

What do Gnostics and Manichaeans suggest about their good and evil gods and why does monotheism reject this idea?

the good god created the spirit and soul, whereas matter and bodies are the creation of the evil god. Monotheists wonder why distinguish between body and soul, or matter and spirit? And why argue that body and matter are evil? After all, everything was created by the same good God.

Which was the only god the Romans didnt allow?

the monotheistic and evangelizing god of the Christians. The Romans did not ask the people to stop worshiping the Christian god but asked the people to worship the emprie's gods as well. But the Christians refused vehemently. In the 300 years from the crucifixion of Christ to the conversion of Emperor Constantine, polytheistic Romans killed no more than a few thousand Christians. In contrast, over the course of the next 1,500 years, Christians slaughtered Christians by the millions over slightly different interpretations.