Tag: conservative

  • Is religion a conservative force?

    For the purposes of A-level sociology, ‘conservative’ usually has two meanings: Preventing social change Supporting traditional values. We might also add a third: modest, reserved, austere, not showy. On important analytical point is that some Fundamentalist groups want to reverse some social changes that have undermined the role of religion in society, taking society back…

  • Religion and Conflict: The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Crusade Against Neoliberalism….

    Religion and Conflict: The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Crusade Against Neoliberalism….

    The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, seems to be firmly against corporate greed and Tory neoliberal policies which allow Corporations the freedom to exploit workers. His explicitly political stance against mainstream political and economic institutions seems to be a good example of a religious leader getting involved in political conflict. At the Trade’s Union conference…

  • World Affirming New Religious Movements

    According to Roy Walllis, World Affirming New Religious Movements aim to help individuals achieve success within mainstream society by unleashing their spiritual potential. This is the third type of movement in Wallis three fold typology of New Religious Movement, and is most closely related to Bruce’s concept of ‘the cult’. Examples of World Affirming NRMs……

  • World Accommodating New Religious Movements

    The World Accommodating New Religious Movement (NRM) is one of Roy Wallis’ three types of New Religious Movement. As the name suggests, their orientation to wider society is one of ‘accommodating’ the world rather than rejecting or affirming it. These type of religious movement have normally broken off from an already existing mainstream church or…

  • World Rejecting New Religious Movements

    The World Rejecting New Religious Movement (NRM) is one of Roy Wallis’ three types of New Religious Movement. As the name suggests, their orientation to wider society is one of rejecting most of what that society stands for. Wallis’ World Rejecting NRMs are closely related to Troeltsch’s category of the sect. Examples of World Rejecting…

  • Religion and Social Change

    Religion and Social Change

    Functionalists and Marxists argue religion prevents change, Max Weber and others disagree!

  • The Neo-Marxist Perspective on Religion

    In contrast to Marx’s view that religion was a conservative force, neo-marxists recognize the role that religion can play in bringing about radical social change. One of the earliest Marxists to recognize this was Engels, who saw similarities between some of the early Christian sects that resisted Roman rule and late 19th century communist and…