This weeks input dealt with Religion, Culture and Unchurched Spirituality, the influence they have on each other and on wider society. We also looked at the work of a number of theorists on the subject, each with varying attitudes and approaches to religion and its influence on society.
For me, it was important to note that it is not simply enough to state that religion influences culture, but it must also be recognised that the surrounding culture can influence religion. Religion can be seen as an expression of identity – through dress for example, or food and music, while it can also be seen as a way of life, informing education, law and relationships.
The idea was presented to us that religion, while possessing positive attributes, such as promoting altruism, provision of a physical community and provision of a spiritual community, it can be viewed as a social issue to a certain extent. My understanding of this is that it is not the religion itself which presents the issue, but how those individuals and institutions which follow that religion do so which causes issues.
An example of this would be in the above point regarding altruism. Altruism for its own sake or for the sake of kindness is not an issue, but if an institution, for example a church, were to not only promote altruism amongst its followers, but also use it as a means to recruit members and expand their congregation (as a ‘gimmick’ to promote their idealogy), then it becomes a problem. There were subsequent points made during the lecture about certain unethical aspects of religion, the impact that certain beliefs can have on health, and the vulnerability to internal extremist forces.
With these ideas in mind, we looked at the work of theorists in this area. The first was Max Weber, who proposed that, as a part of culture, the Protestant branch of Christianity provided the foundation for the ideological atmosphere which allowed the capitalist system to thrive in Europe. He spoke about the “Protestant Ethic”, this ideology which saw the work ethic of Protestant denominations enable the flourishing of the capitalist system. In this way, Weber deemed that religion could be an agent for social change, enable society to alter itself based on the ethics of their religious beliefs.
In contrast to this, we looked at the work of Karl Marx. Marx claimed that religion was a tool used by ruling classes to control the people below them. In this way, Marx argued that religion was an unnecessary aspect of society as it was purely man-made. He called religion “the opium of the people”, proposing that religion kept people down and encouraged them to simply accept the situation in which they found themselves.
Out of the theorists that we looked at in this input, the one I find I agree with the most is Bruce Lincoln, after some further reading. He proposed that religion is a man made phenomenon, but that it still has an inherent value to those who participate in it. I find that this ties in most with my own beliefs about religion.
With regards to unchurched spirituality, I found it quite interesting to consider the change in some parts of society, particularly western countries, from following established religions to a more personal approach to spirituality.
This seems to have occurred following increasing secularisation in western countries, where the cultural significance of established religions seems to have declined. It was impressed on us during the input that this was not necessarily a case of established religion declining simply in the face of secularisation, but that while numbers engaging in established religion (for example, attending church) have declined, the numbers of people moving towards unorganised religion or spirituality outwith churches.
Despite this increase in unchurched spirituality,it is not without its criticisms. Largely, the criticisms tend towards the seemingly consumerist aspect of spirituality, lack of commitment to rationality (i.e. rejecting science – though I personally do not believe this to be true in all cases) and the lack of impact it has on maintaining moral order in society.
For me, the main aspect to take from this input, and what I feel will influence my career as a teacher, is the understanding that not everyone who calls themselves religious would assign themselves to organised religion. It is important for me to bear this in mind when welcoming pupils and parents into my classroom. I think it is also important to bear in mind varying approaches to religion, and to keep in mind that not everyone will subscribe to the same beliefs as I do, but that it is essential to be respectful and welcoming towards all religious and spiritual background, and create a classroom ethos which follows suit.
