Religion, Resistance, And Religions Of Revolution

1052 Words3 Pages

History has frequently demonstrated that forces of religion, sometimes involving other factors which include war, economics or technology, all help bring about the ‘social transformation’ of the world we live in today. Religion, in many sense can be referred to as the celebration or even ‘self-worship’ of the human society, this is so the functions of religion can stabilize society and put a powerful effect on many people around the world over numerous generations. The three main functions that religion uses to maintain order and control are, Religions of the status quo, Religions of resistance and Religions of revolution. When these three categories are put together, they help elucidate the connection between religion and government(political) …show more content…

The status quo reinforces deals with harmony and also deals with life crisis that corrupt and disrupt our society today. However, there are certain groups who don’t believe in social change, if you take ‘Feminists’ for an example. They see the Status quo as a conservative force. This is because Christians believe that the “Our Father” is predominately seen as a male figure and that the Adam and Eve story, Eve was only a part of it to be “Friends” with Adam. This statement does support the view that religion serves as a way to keep women below men, making men more superior over …show more content…

The reason that they resist the status quo is due to the values, beliefs and the practises that are very much so at odds with those who are prevailing in society. However, religions of resistance can be categorized also into the religions of revolution. Both religions challenge the status quo however, some people use violence in these groups which isn’t accepted, so they are moved across into religions of revolution. Many people around the globe believe that multiculturalism (the co-existence of diverse cultures) as a ‘potential threat’ to social cohesion. An example of someone who challenged the Status quo was William Wilberforce, he was best known to the world for his successful campaign against slavery. Although this campaign did seem a bit ‘suspicious’ to people, it did however create a greater widespread into the accountability of God. “God almighty has set before two great objects: The suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners.” William

Show More
Related

  • Culture And Religion In Bruce Lincoln's Holy Terrors

    2438 Words  | 5 Pages

    Religion is a part of society that is so closely bound to the rest of one’s life it becomes hard to distinguish what part of religion is actually being portrayed through themselves, or what is being portrayed through their culture and the rest of their society. In Holy Terrors, Bruce Lincoln states that religion is used as a justifiable mean of supporting violence and war throughout time (Lincoln 2). This becomes truly visible in times such as the practice of Jihad, the Reformation, and 9/11. The purpose of this essay is to show that as long as religion is bound to a political and cultural aspect of a community, religious war and destruction will always occur throughout the world. A historical methodology will be deployed in order to gain

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Han Dynasty And The Gupta Empire

    1045 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout history, and in many nations and empires throughout time, governments are affected by religions of different kinds. Religion has been an integral component of humanity, as a way to search answers to existential questions that they might have as well as possibly giving a reason as to why the things they saw happen occur, mostly in older religions. Religion is used by people in power to govern the citizens of their nations on a basis of that religion, as a way to set the foundations of the rules and regulations that must be followed. The Han Dynasty and the Gupta Empire during the classical ages of China and India, respectively, are examples of how their emperors used religion to exert control and shape their nation. The methods in

    Read More

  • Filling the Void: Karl Marx, John Stuart Mill and Others on Identity

    1147 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is common knowledge that in the past religion and myths were just ways for societies to explain events and occurrences that citizens of ancient societies did not have enough advanced knowledge to understand. It was also used as a way to oppress others, as seen in the explanation of class order and royalty as God placing a person where they were meant to be and that there was nothing one could do about it, because who can go against God himself? Religion played an even bigger part than that though, being a large part of every person’s identity and something for a country and its people to unit over. But as society slowly aged, and governments were reorganized and re-structured, one can see a reduction in religion being a part of someone’s identity. It is hard to imagine being without an identity so it came as no surprise when, as the void left by religion was opened, people began to create an identity that had to do with different ideas and ideologies. More specifically, new political movements, ideas of nationalism, and change of social norms brought on by many writers and theorists such as Karl Marx, John Mill, and many others. The spread of such ideas was also helped by the spread of public education and rising literacy rates in western society.

    Read More

  • The Variations in Religious Beliefs in the British Isles Today

    1806 Words  | 4 Pages

    middle of paper ... ... onclusion then we can say that sociological accounts of the role and functions of religious institutions and movements in contemporary society have, of necessity had to be modified to take into account the many changes which religion is undergoing in the twenty-first century. Traditional Functionalist theories emphasising the cohesive function of religion are as outdated as classical Marxist perspectives portraying religion as the ally of the ruling classes and a means of oppressing the working-class. Clearly society has moved on and the certainty of early, deterministic perspectives of religion (namely functionalist and Marxist) have been challenged by the apparent variety in contemporary social life - including the extent to which individualism and diversity is presenting a challenge to sociological Grand theory.

    Read More

  • Religions Role in a Totalitarian Government

    900 Words  | 2 Pages

    A person’s religion has a large affect on how they live their day-to-day lives. It can influence the choices they make. Someone’s opinion on the government and the running of a country can also affect what they can and cannot do about religious issues. When religious freedom is taken away or silenced, people will either back down or speak up. A totalitarian government controls over everything society does, from public to private things. In a totalitarian government, religion can be put aside on certain issues.

    Read More

  • Religion and State Sovereignty

    1319 Words  | 3 Pages

    The influence of religion on humankind can be traced back to the first records of history. Religion has served as a pillar of strength to some and binding chains to others. There are vast amounts of information and anthropological studies revealing the interaction of religion and humankind. However, for the purposes of this paper, the time periods of study will be broken up into three sections. Each section will give a general description of how religion affected the institution of the state and its Sovereignty in a Euro-centric perspective. The first period is the early period, which will encompass from Christianity and the Roman Empire to the Medieval times (approx. 311 to 1100 A.D.).

    Read More

  • Devastation Of The Indies Essay

    1265 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to the Oxford Dictionary, religion is defined as, “The beliefs, values, and practices in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or god.” Although there is some debate as to the origin of religion, it can be traced back to pre-historic times. Religion has been used to establish social stratification to gain power, privilege, and prestige in society. So, What’s the purpose of religion? Some might say it’s to blind, divide, and control the society. Others insist that religion keeps people on the path to moral righteousness promoting love and harmony. For years religion has influenced civic liberties, politics, and issues of morality.

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down

    1772 Words  | 4 Pages

    Religion is considered as a pervasive force in this world. It shapes people as to how they behave and interact with almost everything present in the society. Influencing behavior, character formations, ideals, policies, standards are just among the dimensions and societal perspectives affected and impacted by religion. Because of these applications and implications in human lives and existence, religion should be understood deeply, particularly, on how it affects the world. Looking at the American perspective of the term "religion," it could be simply

    Read More

  • Panopticisim and the Social Institution of Religion: Personal Opinion

    941 Words  | 2 Pages

    Religion can be described as a social institution built up around the idea of a supernatural being or beings, and the relation of human beings to them. In addition, religion provides individuals a belief to which they understand their existence as well network of emotional support during times of distress. Moreover, religious institutions provide individuals a proper perspective of life and establish values. Religion involves three major aspects: A conception of the nature and character of divinity (2) A set of principles concerning the duties and obligations between divinity and humanity. (3) A set of behavior patterns designed to conform to God’s will (Thorman, 154). The theme of panopticisim is to assert and maintain power by being unseen. In Christianity, God, unable to be to seen, is a supernatural being with infinite power. In addition, the Holy Bible reaffirms this power and establishes accordance among civilians. The social institution of religion is a form of a panoptic system where individuals are compelled to act accordingly.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Christianity And Islam

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    Religion is an organized collection of beliefs and cultural systems that entail the worship of a supernatural and metaphysical being. “Religion just like other belief systems, when held onto so much, can stop one from making significant progress in life”. Together with religion come traditions that provide the people with ways to tackle life’s complexities. A subscription to the school of thought of great scholars

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Social Justice Through Religion

    1209 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the European industrialization, theorist Émile Durkheim was the first to analyze religion in terms of societal impact. Durkheim defined religion as a “unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things” (Keirns, N. et al, p. 337, 2012). In terms of society, Durkheim overall believed that religion is about community: It binds people together (social cohesion), promotes behavior consistency (social control), and offers strength for people during life’s tribulations (meaning and purpose) (Keirns, N. et al, p. 337, 2012). He held that the source of religion is the collective mind-set of society and that this cohesive bond of social order resulted from common values in a society (Keirns, N. et al, p. 337, 2012). Additionally, he contended that these values need to be maintained to sustain social stability (Keirns, N. et al, p. 337,

    Read More

  • Approaches to the Study of Religion

    1474 Words  | 3 Pages

    The sociological approach looks at religious belief and practice in relation to the society. Sociologists are interested in two themes, the centrality of religion in society and the diversity of forms it inhabits (Hamilton 1995/2001:1). It regards religion as a social fact subject to empirical observation, which produces empirical evidence (Dillon 2003:7). The sociology of religion is a product of the enlightenment, from which it inherited a tendency to dismiss religion as incompatible with rationality (Dillon 2003:6). This dismissal has had significant impact on the attitude towards religion and it is the basis for the most influential paradigm in the history of the field; secularisation. The secularisation theory claims that religion is or will be on the decrease in society. So profound was its impact that modern sociology often aims to account for the continued presence of religion in society and has generally held a rather negative view of religion as being an unworthy subject of study(Davies 2007:2).

    Read More

  • Religion : Religion And Religion

    1514 Words  | 4 Pages

    For thousands of years, religion has exerted a great influence over economic and political life. Even today religion is called upon to support rulers, contacts and other legal procedures.

    Read More

  • Religion and Civilization

    1234 Words  | 3 Pages

    Religion helps establish mankind’s place in the order of the universe. As civilization began to be established through the domestication of animals, the irrigation and cultivation of agricultural crops, and life became more complex (moving from mainly a hunter/gather existence to one that could settle down and have more time to consider advanced ideas) people began to consider questions such as, where life comes from, is there a creator or creators who helped make the world, and what happens after we die. Religion helped answer some of these questions. It gave people purpose, meaning, and perspective. Religion helped establish nations in the case of religious theocratic governments. In many of the ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, the Mayans, and even Mesopotamia, the priests and other religious leaders played prominent roles in help shaping the laws and government of these civilizations. As his...

    Read More

  • The Role of Religion in Politics

    2726 Words  | 6 Pages

    The role of religion in politics is a topic that has long been argued, and has contributed to the start of wars, schisms (both political and religious), and other forms of inter and intra-state conflict. This topic, as a result of its checkered past, has become quite controversial, with many different viewpoints. One argument, put forth by many people throughout history, is that religion and the government should remain separate to avoid any conflicting interests. This view also typically suggests that there is one, or several, large and organized religions like the Roman Catholic Church, which would be able to use their “divine” authority to sway the politics of a given state by promising or threatening some form of godly approval or disapproval. By leveraging their divine power, individual figures within a religion, as well as the religion as a whole, could gain secular power for themselves, or over others. A second view, which was developed by many theologians through history, suggests that that without religion there would be a general lack of morality in the people and leaders of a given state, which would give way to poor political decisions that would not be in the interest of the people and perhaps even God (or the gods). This argument, however, does not address the fact that morality can exist without religion. In sociology, it is commonly accepted that social norms, which include morality, can result from any number of things. Religion, laws, or the basic desire of survival can all create these norms, so it suffices to say that as a society, our morals reflect our desire to live in relative peace through the creation of laws that serve to help us to survive. The argument of whether or not religion and politics should mix...

    Read More

More about Religion, Resistance, And Religions Of Revolution

Open Document