Globalization

of Religion
Globalization of Religion:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 Explain how globalization affects religious practices

and beliefs;

 Identify the various religious responses to

globalization; and

 Reflect on what the future holds in store for religion in

a global world.
Globalization of Religion: INTRODUCTION

RECAP: What is globalization?

• This phenomenon refers to the interconnectedness

among people across world, time, and space. The
fast pacing production of technology made this
interconnectedness possible.

• This resulted to the emergence of the concept of

cultural pluralism in which non dominant countries
could share to the world their unique culture and
accepted by the dominant countries.
Globalization of Religion: INTRODUCTION

In general, what is religion and its underlying notions?

• Religion refers to the set of belief of people in the

divine creator which considers as holy and sacred.

• Haynes (2006)- defined the concept of religion in

the context of international relations into two
distinct but related meanings - spiritual and
material level.
Globalization of Religion: INTRODUCTION

What are the underlying notions of religion?

Based on the conception of Haynes (2006), religion has two

distinct meanings.

1. Spiritual Sense: (a) Transcendence referring to

supernatural; (b) Sacredness of holiness and system of
practice and language; and (c) Concerns ultimacy referring to
the people ultimate conditions of existence.

2. Material Sense: Religious beliefs are capable of motivating

individual and groups to collectively mobilize to achieve
political goals and consequently, suppress mass action as a
tool of repression
Globalization of Religion:
VARIOUS RELIGIONS ACROSS THE WORLD

HINDUISM. Most scholars believe Hinduism started somewhere

between 2300 B.C. and 1500 B.C. in the Indus Valley, near modern-
day Pakistan. Unlike other religions, Hinduism has no one founder but
is instead a fusion of various beliefs.

CONFUCIANISM. It was developed in China by Master Kong in 551-

479 BC, who was given the name Confucius by Jesuit missionaries.
The ideas of respect and the well-being of others were prevalent
teachings of Confucianism, but there was also an emphasis on
spiritual matters.

BUDDHISM. It is a faith founded by Siddhartha Gautama (“the

Buddha”) more than 2,500 years ago in India. With about 470
million followers, scholars consider Buddhism as one of the major
world religions.
Globalization of Religion:
VARIOUS RELIGIONS ACROSS THE WORLD

CHRISTIANITY. The religion started 2,000 years ago, when Jesus

Christ was born. Christianity is an Abrahamic, monotheistic
religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It
is the world's largest religion, with about 2.5 billion followers.

ISLAM. It is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity,

with about 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. Scholars typically date the
creation of Islam to the 7th century, making it the youngest of the
major world religions. Islam started in Mecca, in modern-day Saudi
Arabia, during the time of the prophet Muhammad’s life.

SIKHISM. Sikhs - followers of the Sikh religion, centered in Punjab

State, in northwestern India. Sikhism is an ethical monotheism
fusing elements of Hinduism and Islam. It was founded by
Nanak (1469-1539), a mystic who believed that God transcends
religious distinctions.
Globalization of Religion:
RELIGION IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALIZATION

What is the status of religion when viewed through the lens of globalization?

In the side of the Western/ In the side of Non-Western

Industrialized societies societies

• Religions guide politics

Religious affiliation and all other aspects
of life.
and • Extreme cases where
engagement are in religion instigate
decline. violence in the name
of religious beliefs.

Secularization Theory of Religion Resurgence of Religion

Globalization of Religion:
RELIGION IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALIZATION

What are the main arguments about the state of religion in the
context of Globalization?
Modernization has caused a
backlash and urged society to
Religion has been viewed to
seek refuge in religion due to
have lost its influence to some
the imposition of liberal and
extend with the advent of
Western values that are
modernization
incompatible with people’
culture, beliefs and identity.

Secularization paradigm Religious Resurgence Thesis

Globalization of Religion:
SECULARIZATION (The Consequences of Modernization)

The Secularization Paradigm refers to the belief that religion

would lose its significance with economic development and
modernization.

WHAT IS SECULARIZATION?

It is a cultural transition in which religious values are gradually

replaced with nonreligious values. In the process, religious
leaders figureheads such as church leaders lose their authority and
influence in the society.
Historical Antecents in the Course of Science and
Technology: MODERN ERA
These are few of the notable theorists of Secularization
Comte, posited that Karl Marx, views religion
society undergoes three as the opium of the people
stages: theological, created by the material
metaphysical and the condition.
scientific stage.

Emile Durkheim, argues Max Weber argues that the

that individualization of Men will undergo
societies breaking bonds of modernization which is a
community. process of disenchantment
of the universe
Globalization of Religion:
SECULARIZATION (The Consequences of Modernization)
Globalization of Religion:
SECULARIZATION (The Consequences of Modernization)

What are the impacts of modernization to religion?

Modernization involves a process of Majority of the population may hold traditional
secularization that is, it systematically religious beliefs alongside more scientific ones.
challenges religion - its institutions, Waves of religious revivalism involving large
beliefs, and practices. This involves the sections of the population are happening in
rise of reason and science over religion. some industrialized and industrializing
societies.

Although secularization is a general Against a deep background of tradition,

principle of development in modern modernization inevitably leaves many
societies, this does not imply that religion religious practices in place and may even
is driven out altogether from society (Ex. stimulate new ones.
United States).
Globalization of Religion:
THE RESURGENCE OF RELIGION

What are the factors that stimulate the resurgence of religion?

The global resurgence of religion

indicates not an end of the belief in reason
but the belief of secular reason –it is not
“anti-modern” but a re-thinking of
relationship between modernity and
religion, the search for other ways of
being “developed”, “modern” or “making
progress” that are anchored on the
different religious and cultural traditions of
the developing world.
Globalization of Religion:
THE RESURGENCE OF RELIGION

What are the existing arguments involving the matter of resurgence of

religion?

AZZOUZI (2013) argues that THOMAS (2005) defined the global resurgence
of religion in the following way: the global
religion acts as a resistance against resurgence of religion is the growing saliency and
adverse effects of globalization, persuasiveness of religion, i.e., the increasing
importance of religious beliefs, practices and
especially how Islam constituted a discourses in personal and public life, and the
challenge due to the incompatibility of growing role of religious or religiously-related
individuals, non-state groups, political parties and
Islamic norms and beliefs to the communities, and organizations in domestic
liberal aspects of globalization. politics.
Globalization of Religion:
Effects of Globalization on Religion
What are the impacts of globalization to religious practices and beliefs?

PARTICULARISM UNIVERSALISM MARGINALIZATION

Religion has increasingly The major religions have Religion is increasingly
used as an avenue for increasingly focused on marginalized in
anti-globalization activity. what unites them. Religious contemporary society,
This has contributed to a leaders emphasize shared playing less part in public
rise in fundamentalism
and is a feature of values and common life.
political conflict in many concerns.
areas of the world.
 Just a Quick recap!

 The concept of religion can be defined in its spiritual sense of

organizing the behavior of believers based on what is holy/sacred
and what is not, and in its material sense of religion’s capacity to
mobilize believers to pursue liberating or repressive political aims.
 The secularization thesis refers to the belief that religion would
lose its significance with economic development and
modernization.
 The resurgence of religion thesis views the strengthening of religion
as a backlash and resistance to the incompatibility of the values of
Western and liberal modernization to religious and cultural
identities.
Globalization of Religion

END