Marxist and Neo-Marxist View On Religion
- Created by: Livy
- Created on: 25-02-14 14:54
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- Marxist and Neo-Marxist View On Religion
- Neo-Marxism
- OTTO MADURO : LIBERATION THEOLOGY MOVEMENT
- Believes religion has some independence or RELATIVE AUTONOMY . He denies that religion is a conservative force and believes it can become revolutionary
- Until catholic priests began to speak up for the poor the church sided with dictatorships.
- Some priests developed a new theology which interpreted Christianity as being on the side of the oppressed groups.
- Argued that power and wealth e.g. land should be redistributed from the rich to the poor
- CARGO CULTS
- Colonised by Europeans and believed that ships bearing riches would appear over the horizon to give them wealth resulting in Europeans being thrown off the island
- When the ships didnt appear the cults became radical political movements sedeking the expulsion of colonial occupiers
- Colonised by Europeans and believed that ships bearing riches would appear over the horizon to give them wealth resulting in Europeans being thrown off the island
- EVALUATION
- Plenty of evidence to support Neo Marxist view that religion is not always a conservative force supporting the ruling class
- Ironically religion has also acted as a radical force for the overthrow of communism.
- In Poland 1990- the ruling communist party was opposed by free trade unions by the Roman Catholic Church
- OTTO MADURO : LIBERATION THEOLOGY MOVEMENT
- Marxism
- According to Marxists religion is used to promote the interests of the ruling class by supporting the ruling-class ideology
- Opium of the masses
- MARX. meant that he saw religion as a drug that distorts reality and helps individuals deal with pain
- Examples. 1.Promises eternal life 2.Easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle that a rich man to enter the kingdom heaven. 3.Judgement Day intervention.
- MARX. meant that he saw religion as a drug that distorts reality and helps individuals deal with pain
- Alienation
- Humans invent an alien being God which they believe to be all powerful and have control over them....They then give up their own true humanity and free will.
- Social Control
- False Class consciousness which justifies the position of the ruling class. They believe without class there would be no need for religion.
- EXAMPLES FOR THE MARXIST VIEW ON RELIGION
- SLAVERY - Slave masters saw religion as a way of controlling the slaves. Prevented rebellion by giving the masters control over the slaves beliefs.
- HINDU CASTE SYSTEM - People were divided into five castes based upon their degree of religious purity. The system ensure the ruling class maintained power by justifying to subject class.
- THE NEW CHRISTIAN RIGHT - They justify free-market capitalism which supports ruling class in religious terms. Legitimating ruling-class power.
- HINDU CASTE SYSTEM - People were divided into five castes based upon their degree of religious purity. The system ensure the ruling class maintained power by justifying to subject class.
- SLAVERY - Slave masters saw religion as a way of controlling the slaves. Prevented rebellion by giving the masters control over the slaves beliefs.
- EXAMPLES FOR THE MARXIST VIEW ON RELIGION
- False Class consciousness which justifies the position of the ruling class. They believe without class there would be no need for religion.
- CRITICISMS
- SECULARISATION
- FEMINIST CRITICISMS
- DOESN'T ALWAYS SUPPORT STATUS QUO E.G. LIBERATION THEOLOGY
- IGNORES POSITIVE BENEFITS - STABILITY FOR SOCIETY..FUNCTIONALIST CRITICISM
- Neo-Marxism
- Humans invent an alien being God which they believe to be all powerful and have control over them....They then give up their own true humanity and free will.
- EVANGELIC CHRISTIANITY - Beliefs provide religious discipline and hope of salvation in the afterlife to the poorer societies. Encouraging support for US Style capitalist values.
- NARROW FOCUS
- CRITICISMS
- SECULARISATION
- FEMINIST CRITICISMS
- DOESN'T ALWAYS SUPPORT STATUS QUO E.G. LIBERATION THEOLOGY
- IGNORES POSITIVE BENEFITS - STABILITY FOR SOCIETY..FUNCTIONALIST CRITICISM
- CRITICISMS
- This eventually led to the overthrow of the communist system and it's replacement by a Western democratic regime
- In Poland 1990- the ruling communist party was opposed by free trade unions by the Roman Catholic Church
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