Religion and Politics: Perception & Belief
-
date post
22-Oct-2014 -
Category
Education
-
view
1.248 -
download
1
description
Transcript of Religion and Politics: Perception & Belief
Religion and Politics
Radical Non-violent Responses
http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxejtitAPa1qagyvoo1_400.jpg (25 Feb 12)
Religion & politics
• Religion often politically conservative, but has also inspired rebellion
• Disruptive because relativises human institutions
• Every religion has long traditions of reformers and ‘protestants’
http://www.religlaw.org/index.php?contentId=463&linkId=163&pageId=19 (16 Feb 12)
Christian ‘anarchism’?
• In a nutshell: political arrangement implied in ‘Christianity’ = ‘anarchism’
• Main figures: Tolstoy, Ellul,Day & Catholic Workers, jesusradicals.com, etc
http://writeforgod.stblogs.com/tag/catholic-worker/; http://pieceofmind.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/ellul11.jpg; http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ls1hd1QtUs1qlrn6h.jpg (25 Feb 12); http://apos-archive.blogspot.com/2010/03/christian-anarchism-political.html (10/4/12)
Sermon on the Mount
• Clear moral teaching• Addressed to would-be
followers• Don’t resist evil, turn other
cheek, go extra mile• Don’t judge but forgive
(adulteress)• Don’t swear oaths (be truthful)• Don’t hate but love enemies (good
Samaritan)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sermon_on_the_Mount (10/4/12);
Political subversion
• Jesus calls to: – challenge political,
economic, religious institutions
– exemplify alternative political relations
• Arrested & crucified
• Hence: public, political, subversive but not violent
http://apos-archive.blogspot.com/2011/07/christian-pacifist-and-anarchist.html (10/4/12)
‘Secularisation’ & ‘resurgence’ of religion in politics
• Enlightenment expectation of ‘secularisation’ (separation of religion & politics)
• But: ‘resurgence’ of religion on politics since 1970s
• Why?– Religion source of basic values & ethics– Linked with ethnicity & culture– Apparent failure of secular ideologies
http://acelebrationofwomen.org/?p=54318 (26 Apr 12)
Non-violence and violence
• Many past & present non-violent religious struggles (Tolstoy, Gandhi, Ploughshares)
• Violent equivalents more visible: spectacular hence higher audiences
http://www.charityandsecurity.org/analysis/PATRIOT_Act_Material_Support_Humanitarian_Exemption (19 Dec 10)
Concluding quote...
“What a fine place this world
would be if Fundamentalist Protestants tried to exemplify the Sermon on the Mount.”
– Peter Maurin, Easy Essays
http://www.catholicworker.org/roundtable/pmbiography.cfm (26 Apr 12)
Dr Alexandre Christoyannopoulos
Loughborough University
http://sites.google.com/site/christoyannopoulos (links to many openly accessible publications)