ASC211 - Religion and Social Change

Content

Religion was catapulted into the public mind at the turn of the 21st Century, following the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Religions have long played a role in promoting both cultures of peace and cultures of violence. Notable examples include religiously inspired social movements such as Gandhi's Satyagraha movement in India, the Civil Rights movement in the USA, and the global multifaith movement. From the 1970s onward, due to processes of globalisation, many societies have also become increasing religiously diverse and everyday religion and spirituality continue to play a role in many people’s lives. All of these factors have led to a questioning of secularisation theory, which had predicted the decline of religious influence from public and political life. More recently, however, the rise of New Atheism, the public scrutiny of religious organisations and an increasing number of people declaring themselves to have no religious affiliation indicates that those who were quick to declare a new post-secular age may have been mistaken. This Unit will explore and critically evaluate the current state of religion in society, and the role of religious movements in social change, both peaceful and violent.

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