Details of Module and Its Structure
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Details of Module and its Structure Module Detail Subject Name Sociology Paper Name Development, Globalisation and Society Module Name/Title Religious Resurgence Pre-requisites Understanding implications of globalisation on religion Objectives The module aims to understand the impact of globalisation on religion; initially religion losing its significance and then resurging with new dimensions. Keywords globalisation, secularisation and religious resurgence Structure of Module / Syllabus of a module (Define Topic / Sub-topic of module) Globalisation and its Impacts – Religious Resurgence Role Name Affiliation Principal Investigator Prof Sujata Patel Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad Paper Coordinator Prof Sherry Sabbarwal Department of Sociology, Panjab University, Chandigarh Content Writer/Author (CW) Veenat Department of Sociology, Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Sector-11, Chandigarh Content Reviewer (CR) Prof Sherry Sabbarwal Department of Sociology, Panjab University, Chandigarh Language Editor (LE) Prof Sherry Sabbarwal Department of Sociology, Panjab University, Chandigarh 1 Course: Development, Globalisation and Society Unit: Globalisation and its Impacts Module Title: Religious Resurgence Introduction In the present times, religious terrorism, love jihad, religious conversions and re-conversions (ghar wapsi), fundamentalists’ agendas, etc. are the buzzwords. Interestingly, this is happening in midst of the phase that is supposedly the most advanced stage of civilisation where human beings are acquainted with best of scientific innovations and information technology and the whole world has shrunk, to what McLuhan calls a ‘global village’. When the process of globalisation gained momentum in the twentieth century, affecting almost all facets of human life like economy, politics, intellect and culture, surpassing all constraints of time and space, it also had a significant impact on religion. The large genre of social theorists believed that as the whole world is being engulfed by globalisation and is heading towards modernity, religion is losing its significance and a few also opined that gradually religion will completely disappear and will be replaced by virtues of modernity (the process is called as secularisation). However, incidents like 9/11 and evidences of strengthening of different religious organisations in different parts of the world indicated a different reality than anticipated by the proponents of secularisation. This phenomenon of religion’s comeback is called as religious resurgence. With this backdrop, the present module attempts to explain how in the initial phase of globalisation, religion appeared to be becoming less important or losing its significance and then made a comeback. So, this module is divided into two sections; in the first section an overview on secularisation of religion is presented; and in the second, religious resurgence is discussed with emphasis on its indicators. Secularisation of Religion From the times immemorial, religion has provided with the belief system that links all existence with some divine supreme powers and seeks to establish the connection between the divinity and living beings. In pre-industrial times, religion played a very dominant role by governing all affairs of human beings and dictating people the ‘righteous’ way to live. It enjoyed dominance over social, political and intellectual institutions. From eighteenth century onwards with the 2 advent of Enlightenment movement, French revolution and industrial revolution, attributes of reasoning, rationality and critical thinking etc. started emerging and religion began to lose its authority; starting with the separation of State and Church. Further, in later periods various institutions of society gradually became distinct from one another and increasingly free from the matrix of religious assumptions that had earlier dominated their operations and this process is called as secularisation. Amongst the classical thinkers, Durkheim viewed secularisation in optimistic light, considering replacement of religious beliefs with science as a part social change; Weber explained this phenomenon as disenchantment and rationalisation, implying that in modern times, there is increase in zweck (means-end) rationality based on scientific principles. Amongst the later theorists, Berger (1967), in his famous publication, ‘The Sacred Canopy’ emphasized on religious decline on both at macro level and at micro level, stating that modernization in West has resulted in individualization and produced increasing number of people who take their decisions without religious influence. However, in his later publications, “Desecularisation of the World” and “Secularisation Falsified”, he rejected his own assumptions and highlighted the coming back of religion. Dobbelaere’s (1981) also talked on the similar lines, stating that secularisation happened at both societal (macro) and individual (micro) levels. (1) At societal level, there are several functional subsystems like economy, polity and family. These subsystems run on money, power and love and develop their own norms and values, rejecting religiously prescribed values. These institutions function autonomously in times of modernity and globalisation. (2) At individual level, secularisation is seen due to growth of indvidualisation. Individuals exercise freedom of choice in everyday life based on rational thinking. Odea (1969), explained secularisation in terms of ‘desacralization’ of the attitude towards the persons and things; this involves withdrawal of emotional involvement which was earlier found in the religious response, in viewing the sacred. Secondly, he stated that use of logic rather than emotion for thinking got prominent in the globalising world. He also emphasised that elements of globalisation like technological advancement in the west, growth of markets, economic exchange and capitalism contributed to the process of secularisation. Further, adding on to above discussed notions, Lorne (2006) argues that secularisation also amounts to privatisation of religious beliefs and practices. 3 Thus, the secularisation thesis that emerged simultaneously with globalisation and modernisation focussed that religion has lost its presidency over other institutions and individual orientation and responses to their everyday life affairs have shifted from the domain of religious frame of reference to logic and rational thinking. Religious Resurgence In the recent years, to the shock of many social theorists, society witnessed the ‘comeback’ of religion and that too with such an intensity that scholars , who earlier predicted that gradually in modernity it will disappear, refuted their own theories and rewrote their theories calling them descularisation or religious resurgence (coming back). So, an anti-thesis critiquing secularisation emerged. To a few scholars it appeared as revival of religion; others explained that secularisation has been misconstrued. They believe that religion never declined rather in modern times with the impact of globalisation, different forms of religions emerged. For instance, Hadden (1995) notes that the proponents of secularisation have mistakenly confused plurality of religion with secularity. Cultural exchange at the global level, according to him has lead to increasing of plurality in terms of increasing of different beliefs and values and religious affiliations and not decline of religious traditions. Further, Stark (1999) in his work, “Requiescat in pace (Rest in Peace) Secularisation” claims that religious participation has increased in modernity; it is even more than it was in medieval times. He demonstrates that there has been no decline in Christendom, in Christian dominated societies. In non- Christian societies in Asia even the ‘folk religions’ have not declined in this era of globalisation and modernisation. Even in Europe religiousness remains high and many scientists also report to be religious. He lists statistics in his publication Secularisation R.I.P, of religious groups that have grown significantly in numbers over a short period of time. Thus, religious resurgence is a process whereby religion reasserts its societal influence through religious values, institutions, sectors of society and symbols, in reaction to previous secularisation process (Marsh, 2011) 4 Indicators of Religious Resurgence As discussed in the closing decades of twentieth century, a comeback of religion was witnessed in the different parts of world. This resurgence can be measured by the following indicators: 1. Fall of Atheism: In later years of twentieth century, there has been a significant decline in the number of Atheists. A report by the Centre for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon –Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton states that the number of atheists is declining worldwide; the number has fallen from 4.5% of the world’s population in 1970 to 2.0% in 2010 and it is predicted to decline more (1.8 %) by 2020 (cf. CNS news report; July, 24, 2013). Further, Kauffmann (2010) quotes “the rate of secularisation has flattened to zero in most of the Protestant Europe and France” (cf. www.conservapedia.com/Desecularisation). Beckford (2012) notes that the Google trend data as of August 2013 reflects that amongst the English speaking countries, the interest in the topics of atheism and evolution has declined since 2004, whereas, interest in God has increased. Further, country likes China and Russia, too has witnessed decline