Religion: Social Change & Conservative Force

• Interpretivists believe religion is used by its followers to create meanings and interpretations of the world
• Berger says religion offers a ”universe of meaning”
• ”Universe of meaning” means people will turn to religion as it provides a way to explain events
• ”Universe of meaning” creates a protective ’sacred canopy’
• ”Sacred canopy” means religion will sheild people from lifes uncertainties
• Weber argues that Calvinism can be an example of religion being a force of social change
• Calvinism/The Protestant Work Ethic says that restraint, self sacrifice and committing to work can lead to salvation
• Calvinism says that ignoring leisure can be a way to prove faith
• Weber says Calvinism was a framework for contemporary capitalism
• However, despite this Calvinism was common in Scotland and Scotland stayed impoverished
• Liberation Theology, the American Civil Rights Movement and the 1979 Iranian Revolution can be examples of religion being a force for social change
• Liberation Theology came out in 20th century Latin America and created base communities for those fighting against the military dictatorship
• American Civil Rights Movement was lead by a Pastor called MLK JR
• MLK Jr said the backbone of the American Civil Rights movement was the black clergy and used his faith to appeal to white Christians
• The 1979 Iranian Revolution was led my Islamic fundamentalists who saw the Shah to be sympathetic to Western culture, using strikes/protests to revolt against the Shah
• However, religion can be a force for social change that is not inherently progressive
• Westboro Baptist Church is a homophobic, antisemitic and Islamophobic group
• New Christian Right is an anti-abortion and anti-gay group that creates gender divisions, it is a very traditionalist and evangelist belief system