Religion May Encourage Rather Than Inhibit Social Change

Religion May Encourage Rather Than Inhibit Social Change

There are many arguments for and against the notion of religion

encouraging change in society.

In his book "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism", Max

Weber examines the possible relationship between the rise in

Calvinism, a denomination of Protestantism, and the growth of

industrialisation (or capitalism). He says that the guidelines laid

down by this religion state a man must have a calling in life, or in

other words a well-defined career which he pursues in a single-minded,

determined manner. Followers of Calvinism were forbidden to spend the

money they earned at work on luxuries such as fine clothing, big

houses, entertainment and so forth. They believed that God had

commanded the individual to work for his glory, which in effect meant

that the money was to be re-invested into their businesses. Success in

your business was interpreted as meaning you were favourable in God's

eyes. Anything which diverted a man from his calling was condemned -

time wasting, laziness, idle gossip and more sleep than necessary to

name a few. It is these features of the Calvinistic religion that

Weber believes contributed to the development of capitalism. He

concluded he had successfully demonstrated that religious beliefs

could cause social change. However, Marxist writers have dismissed his

claims, stating that Calvinism developed in cities where

industrialisation had already been well-established, and Protestantism

becomes the ideology of capitalists to legitimate their position.

Marxists believe that any change is brought about through the

infrastructure, or economic ba...

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...tan - there was a change in

society as the country reverted to traditional Islamic values (another

example of religion as a conservative force). Women, for example, were

forbidden to work or learn, and had to instead remain at home, and all

forms of media were banned. These laws were rigorously kept to - in

cases where people had been found to break a law, they were harshly

punished with for example, being beheaded or subject to a public

flogging. Another clear argument for religion promoting social change

is that which Maduro brings up - some religious leaders have lead

revolutionary movements against the ruling classes, such as Archbishop

Tutu in South Africa and Father Torres in Columbia, and some preach

about how the poor and oppressed should actively fight to improve

their situation (known as liberation theology).