Religion and Beliefs: Neo-Marxists

Religion can be used as a tool of resistance against to ruling classes and authentic expressions e.g. Martin Luther-King used Christianity to get race equality.

Some people now argue Media may now be a new tool of oppression because it stops us thinking to deeply.

• Religion is independent of the economic system.
• Religion can be used as a revolutionary force (Catholics in Latin America)
• Religion can help with protest to help the working classes rather than the oppression of them like the Marxists argue.

• Movement from the 1960's
• Latin America.
• Catholic Priests stood up against Dictatorships which left people in poverty.
• They listened to bible messages and stood up for the poor against social injustice.

• If the bourgeois can control your mind, religion can control your beliefs to stand up against something.
• Popular forms of religion help the working classes see hegemony of a fairer world through the working classes.
• Some religious people work as educators or organisers to help working class' peoples situation.

STRENGTHS:

• Shows how religion can help cause a revolution, and help bring about social change to stop inequality.

WEAKNESSES:

• Feminists would argue gender is a larger factor in oppression rather than social class & religion is used to oppress women.