Religion and Social Change

Religion and social change are interlinked phenomena, where each influences the other over time. As societies evolve, religious organizations may adapt their beliefs and practices in response to changing worldviews, a process known as secularization. Conversely, religious adherents often draw upon their faith to advocate for social justice, human rights, and social responsibility, aiming to address perceived injustices in the secular world. Prominent sociological theories, such as Max Weber's concept of the Protestant ethic and liberation theology, provide frameworks for understanding this dynamic relationship. Weber argued that certain Protestant values contributed to the development of capitalism, while liberation theology emphasizes the church's role in advocating for the poor and marginalized through political activism. Despite these frameworks, the interaction between religion and social change remains complex and multifaceted, influenced by diverse religious traditions and cultural contexts. Religions worldwide, including major monotheistic faiths like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, often share common ethical teachings that encourage adherents to engage in social action. Ultimately, the role of religion in promoting social change varies, reflecting a spectrum of beliefs about the balance between spirituality and social action.

Published in: 2021

By: Wienclaw, Ruth A.

Subject Terms

Religion and Social Change

Religions and society influence each other. Religious organizations can be affected as they gradually adopt the worldview of society through the process of secularization, while society can be affected as religious adherents act out their religious belief systems in the world. Many religions teach about human rights, social justice, and social responsibility, and their adherents are likely to go out into the world and put their faith into practice. There are two major sociological approaches to viewing the role of religion in causing social change: Weber's Protestant ethic and liberation theology. Both of these views have strengths and weaknesses and neither well explains well the differences that can be observed in the real world. Although the analysis of historical data and current trends shows that religion does indeed influence social change, the mechanisms for this are complex and are still not well articulated.

Keywords Catholic; Liberation Theology; Protestant; Protestant Ethic; Religion; Social Change; Social Justice

Overview

There is a great deal of discussion in both sociological and theological circles about secularization, the process by which the worldview of society influences religion. Through secularization, it is said, religion is changed from a thing of faith and spirituality to one of philosophy and reason. Through the process of secularization, religious groups and activities can lose their religious significance. However, the relationship between religious and secular cultures is not a one-way thing. Religion, too, can influence society to right what it perceives as social injustices in the secular world and help bring them in line with the teachings of religion.

As illustrated in the daily newspaper, there is a great need for social change across the globe. Genocide in Africa, religious persecution in China, torture and terrorism in the Middle East, and issues of equality and the rights of women and gays in the United States can all be addressed by the moral codes of many religions. In some cases, these shortfalls can be addressed by acts of justice and mercy by individuals or religious groups giving spiritual, emotional, or physical aid to those in need. In other cases, religious groups act to affect the politics of a society either to change laws that are more in keeping with their religious views or to work together to elect politicians who will do this for them in the political arena. Goals could include helping to shape the country to better reflect the standards of social justice, human rights, or other religious beliefs, or to bring the nation's power and influence to bear internationally so as to bring about change in other nations and societies that are not living by the same principles.

Religious Belief & Societal Concern

Most religions teach not only about spiritual things, but also about one's life and actions in the world through encouraging ethical decisions and actions according to the moral principles of the religion. Although these are sometimes unique to a given religion, there are frequently more areas of overlap than there are dissimilarities. Many religions, for example, teach about doing what is right and just towards both individuals and society, the basic birthright of all humans to be free and equal in dignity and rights, and to treat others as one would like to be treated oneself. In particular, the three major monotheistic religions of the world — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — each subscribe to a similar moral code that stresses concepts of human dignity, equality, social justice, and human rights. However, it is not only these three major monotheistic religions that are concerned with social change. The Bahá'ís, for example, believe that human beings were created to promote the continual advancement of civilization and to undertake social and economic development efforts around the world in support of this belief. In fact, one of the basic tenets of the Bahá'í religion is the recognition that there is a deep and inseparable connection between the practical and spiritual. Based on this belief, Bahá'ís attempt to create a desire for social change and instill a concomitant confidence that social change can be accomplished through an awakening of the human spirit. This is accomplished not only through the acquisition of technical skills, but also through the development of attitudes and actions that encourage cooperation and creativity in human interaction.

Weber's Protestant Ethic

There are two major sociological approaches to viewing the interaction between religion and social change. Max Weber undertook an analysis of the connection between religious allegiance and the development of capitalism. The results of this analysis were published in 1904 in "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism." Examining the societies in European nations with both Roman Catholic and Protestant citizens, Weber found that the vast majority of business leaders, owners of capital, and skilled workers were Protestant rather than Catholic. Examining in particular the actions and habits of the followers of John Calvin (a sixteenth century leader of the Protestant Reformation), Weber developed a definition of the Protestant ethic: An emphasis on disciplined work ethic, concerns over at the needs of this world, and rational orientation towards life. Also associated with this cluster of attitudes was the tendency to accumulate savings that could be used for future investment, which Weber referred to as the spirit of capitalism. Weber further contrasted the Protestant ethic with what he believed to be the more common ethics of the times: Moderate work hours, bad work habits, and lack of ambition.

Weber's theory on religion and social change in general and the Protestant ethic in particular has met with both acclaim and criticism. In some sectors, Weber's work on the Protestant ethic and capitalism has been hailed as the most important theoretical work in the field. Specifically within the discipline of the sociology of religion, Weber demonstrated that although religion is a matter of personal beliefs, it is also much more than that. Weber stressed that religion also is collective in nature, and religious beliefs have social consequences not only for its adherents but for society as a whole. However, Weber's theory is not without its flaws. Although his observations from the data of the early beginnings of capitalism may be valid, the capitalist economic system has subsequently been adopted by many non-Calvinist Protestants since that time and is no longer the sole product of Calvinist theology. Contemporary studies typically show little or no difference in the achievement orientation of Protestants and Catholics in the United States. This has led many sociologists to theorize that the spirit of capitalism has, in fact, become a cultural trait rather than one specifically associated with a particular religion. Further, those viewing capitalism from a conflict perspective caution that Weber's analysis does not adequately reflect the reality of mature capitalism as exhibited in modern multinational corporations. Marxists also disagree with the Weber and his theories on capitalism, projecting that capitalism cannot endure as an economic system into the indefinite future.

Liberation Theology

The second approach to viewing the interaction between social change and religion is that of liberation theology. In its essence, liberation theology is the use of the power and influence of the church to affect politics in an attempt reduce or eliminate poverty, discrimination, and work towards social justice in secular society. Liberation theology is primarily a process within the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America. Liberation theology views salvation in terms of the here-and-now as the liberation from injustice. It combines this theology with an often Marxist social philosophy of action in the world.

Liberation theology is based on the belief that organized religion has a moral responsibility in keeping with the tenets of its faith to stand out and work against the oppression of the poor, racial and ethnic minorities, and women. The term liberation theology originated in 1973 from a book by Gustavo Gutierrez, a Peruvian priest, called the "A Theology of Liberation." Gutierrez lived in the slums of Lima during the early 1960s and came to the conclusion that the church needed to move into the arena of political action in order to truly serve the poor. In addition, a number of Latin American theologians were strongly influenced by social scientists who believed that capitalism and multinational corporations were the source of many of the problems in South America. Liberation theology, therefore, rejected the models of capitalism and work that had been developed in Europe and the United States and developed instead a new model based on the cultural and religious traditions of Latin America.

Liberation theology has many adherents in Latin America and its practices have been implemented elsewhere in the world where people live in poverty or have been marginalized. However, it must be noted that liberation theology has not received wide acceptance within Christianity in general or even within the Roman Catholic Church in which it started. Pope John Paul II, for example, came out strongly against liberation theology in his visit to Mexico in 1999, reminding Roman Catholic clergy that their primary mission was to perform traditional pastoral duties and not become involved in radical politics. In fact, many theologians and other observers believe that liberation theology may be dysfunctional and distort the message of the Gospel for political ends. Even within Latin America, some Roman Catholics are converting to Protestant denominations or Mormonism, due in part to their disenchantment with a Roman Catholicism that stresses political activism and social justice while ignoring its primary responsibility to care for the spiritual needs of its adherents.

Further to Go

Despite these attempts at simplifying and articulating the relationship between religion and social change, this interaction remains complex and not yet well understood. This may be due, in part, to the fact that there is great diversity among religions and denominations as to what the proper role of religion is in affecting secular society. Although many religions teach that it is important to live out one's faith and spirituality in the world, there is great difference in opinion on how this should be implemented. On one of the spectrum are religious organizations that emphasize spirituality and a personal nature of religion. On the opposite end of the spectrum are religious organizations that emphasize social action, social justice, and social change.

Applications

A classic example of the role of religion in social change can be seen in the interaction of race, religion, and civil rights in the United States. For many African Americans, religion has been a major factor in enabling them to survive the years of oppression and damage due to segregation, racism, and discrimination. As can be seen by the words of Negro spirituals, for example, religion has frequently served to allow oppressed peoples to channel their emotions. In addition, religion in general and churches in particular frequently serve as sources of political activism and social and community services. As a result, churches and religious organizations have arguably become the most important institution in many black communities. In fact, religious organizations in the black community have given rise to many prominent leaders: The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Malcolm X., and Louis Farrakhan.

Civil Rights Movement

African-American churches had a prominent role in leadership during the civil rights movement in the United States. Not only did churches give rise to leaders of the civil rights movement, they also served as headquarters for protesters, clearing houses for information, and meeting places to develop strategies and tactics. This, however, was more than the Church merely providing a physical venue for facilitating social justice and social change. The association of the Church with the activities of the civil rights movement went at the moral authority and helped reinforce the rightness of the movement based on religious values.

Islam

Christianity is not the only religion that has affected social change among African-Americans. Islam, for example, includes strict dietary regulation and prohibits many socially undesirable behaviors such as drinking, gambling, and drug use. In this way, religion has had great effect on many Black Muslims, raising the bar not only for socially acceptable behavior, but even changing the diets of many Black Muslims. Based on attendance of their religion, Black Muslims have emphasized self-control, self-reliance, and traditional African identity. In addition, Black Muslims are often critical of white power structures, thereby giving them a radical political dimension.

Renewed Religious Fervor

Promoting the civil rights of African Americans, however, is not the only example of religion affecting social change in the world. Starting in the late twentieth century, religion and the developed world began to experience significant growth. This occurred in two seemingly contradictory ways: The formation of heterodox sects as well as a return to greater orthodoxy both within Catholicism and Protestantism. In addition, during this period, there was a concomitant growth in charismatic churches within the Third World, with an increasing number of individuals in traditionally Catholic nations in Latin America turning to charismatic Protestantism.

Edendale, South Africa

Garner (2000) studied the social and economic effects of this new religiosity on the Edendale township of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. Edendale is the largest Black township in the vicinity of Pietermaritzburg and is economically in the center of such townships with 30 percent of residents living in extreme poverty but a significant proportion of citizens earning substantial wages. Similarly, housing and facilities run the gamut from squatter shacks through suburban chic homes of concrete blocks or bricks. However, there is an ever-present threat of violence in the area with a murder rate that is approximately double that of the national average.

Garner interviewed a sample of 78 individuals across five types of churches that represent the churches in Edendale: members of mainline Protestant, Pentecostal, Apostolic, and Zionist churches and those with no church affiliation. The Pentecostal and Apostolic churches had the highest levels of giving among those surveyed. This observation is in keeping with the teachings of these churches which place great emphasis on tithing and (in the case of the apostolic church), monitors members' giving against their known incomes. Although the mainline churches also monitor giving, they make no attempt to ascertain income and neither explicitly teach nor expect church members to tithe. Of church groups, the Zionist shows the lowest level of giving and saving as their members tend to have no discretionary income. Occupational status of those interviewed was also compared to their parents'. A generational increase in income was found for all but the Zionist groups. The research also found that mainline churches — with their emphasis on social and political considerations — have contributed to social change in the township. Change is being effected from below in a way that strengthens capitalism and helps it to endure. The study also supported the observation made in other underdeveloped countries in Africa and Latin America that Pentecostalism also acts in this manner. Membership in these groups results in demonstrable changes in economic attitudes and behavior and increases the probability of upward mobility.

Conclusion

Religions and their concomitant belief systems have been shown to be able to positively affect social change in many situations and countries around the world. Part of the reason for this is due to the fact that many religions teach about human rights, social justice, and social responsibility. In those religions where such teachings are emphasized, individuals are more likely to go out into the world and put their faith into practice. Both of the two major sociological approaches to viewing the interaction between religion and social change have strengths and weaknesses, and neither explains well the differences that can be observed in the real world. Weber's approach of the Protestant ethic has been found to be more than only a Protestant phenomenon and has grown to include indifferent support from theorists. On the other hand, liberation theology is not well-received in many sectors and has often been accused of watering down the message of the church to the point that it is a secular organization rather than a truly religious one. However, analysis of historical data and current trends shows that religion does indeed influence social change. The mechanisms for this, however, are complex and are still not well understood.

Terms & Concepts

Catholic: When capitalized, the term refers to a specific denomination (e.g., the Roman Catholic Church) or a specific congregation within such a denomination (St. George's Roman Catholic Church). When in lower case, the term is used to mean "universal" (e.g., "the holy, apostolic, and catholic church").

Conflict Perspective: An approach to analyzing social behavior that is based on the assumption that social behavior is best explained and understood in terms of conflict or tension between competing groups.

Denomination: A large group of congregations united under a common statement of faith and organized under a single legal and administrative hierarchy. Many individual congregations include the name of their denomination in the title of their church (e.g., First Baptist Church, St. Luke's Lutheran Church).

Human Rights Movement: An international movement that promotes the cause of human rights throughout the globe. According to Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act toward one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

Liberation Theology: The use of the power and influence of the church to affect politics in an attempt reduce or eliminate poverty, discrimination, and other injustices in secular society. Liberation theology is primarily a process within the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America. Liberation theologians view salvation as the liberation from social injustice and combines this theology with an often Marxist social philosophy of action in the world.

Marginalization: To relegate a person or subgroup to the outer edge of the group (i.e., margin) by demonstrating through word or action that the person or subgroup is less important and less powerful than the rest of the group.

Orthodoxy: Beliefs or teachings that are in accordance with the accepted or traditional teachings of an established faith or religion.

Protestant: A member of a western Christian church that follows the traditions of the Reformation (most notably, Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli) as opposed to those of the Roman Catholic Church. The original Protestants believed in the Bible as the sole source of God's revelation, justification by faith alone for salvation, and the universal priesthood of all believers.

Protestant Ethic: The spirit of capitalism that Max Weber believed was related to the tenets of Calvinist Protestantism: Emphasis on disciplined work ethic, concerns over at the needs of this world, rational orientation towards life, and the tendency to accumulate savings that could be used for future investment.

Religion: A personal or institutional system grounded in the belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers considered to have created and to govern the universe.

Sect: A distinct subgroup united by common beliefs or interests within a larger group. In religion, sects typically have separated from the larger denomination.

Secularization: The process of transforming a religion to a philosophy and worldview based primarily on reason and science rather than on faith and supernatural concepts. Through the process of secularization, religious groups and activities lose their religious significance.

Social Change: The significant alteration of a society or culture over time. Social change involves social behavior patterns, interactions, institutions, and stratification systems as well as elements of culture including norms and values.

Social Justice: A striving to achieve justice in every aspect of society not merely through the application of the law. Social justice is based on the principle of universal human rights and working to ensure that all individuals receive fair treatment and equally share the benefits of society.

Bibliography

Andersen, M. L. & Taylor, H. F. (2002). Sociology: Understanding a diverse society. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.

Borowik, I. (2011). The changing meanings of religion. Sociological theories of religion in the perspective of the last 100 years. International Review Of Sociology, 21, 175-189. Retrieved October 30, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database SocIndex with Full Text. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sih&AN=59702984

Garner, R. C. (2000). Religion as a source of social change in the new South Africa. Journal of Religion in Africa, 30, 310-343. Retrieved May 21, 2008, from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=4201024&site=ehost-live

Rosenthal, L., London, B., Levy, S. R., Lobel, M., & Herrera-Alcazar, A. (2011). The relation between the Protestant work ethic and undergraduate women's perceived identity compatibility in nontraditional majors. Analyses of Social Issues & Public Policy, 11, 241-262. Retrieved October 30, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database SocIndex with Full Text. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sih&AN=69703767

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Siegler, E. (2010). Engaged spirituality: Social change and American religion. Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative & Emergent Religion, 13, 114-116.Retrieved October 30, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database SocIndex with Full Text. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sih&AN=48075715

Social and economic development. (2009). Bahá'í Topics: An Information Resource of the Bahá'í International Community. Retrieved May 21, 2008, from http://info.bahai.org/article-1-8-0-1.html

Stockard, J. (2000). Sociology: Discovering society (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.

Religion and Social Change

On this Page

Subject Terms

Religion and Social Change

Overview

Religious Belief & Societal Concern

Weber's Protestant Ethic

Liberation Theology

Further to Go

Applications

Civil Rights Movement

Islam

Renewed Religious Fervor

Edendale, South Africa

Conclusion

Terms & Concepts

Bibliography

Suggested Reading

Religion and Social Change

On this Page

Subject Terms

Religion and Social Change

Sociology of Religion > Religion & Social Change

Overview

Religious Belief & Societal Concern

Sociological Study of Religion & Social Change

Weber's Protestant Ethic

Liberation Theology

Further to Go

Applications

Race, Religion & Social Change

Civil Rights Movement

Islam

Renewed Religious Fervor

Edendale, South Africa

Conclusion

Terms & Concepts

Bibliography

Suggested Reading