Religion and Politics R ELIGION AND P OLITICS

M ODERNIZATION AND S ECULARIZATION – P ERSPECTIVES OVER TIME 1960s:  “Once, the world was filled with the sacred – in thought, practice, and institutional form. After the Reformation and the Renaissance, forces of modernizations swept across the globe, and secularization, a corollary process, loosened the dominance of the sacred. In due course, the sacred will disappear altogether, except, possibly, in the private realm.” (C. Wright Mills) 2000s:  “The world today, with some exceptions, is as furiously religious as it ever was, and in some places even more so than ever. This means that a whole body of literature by historians and social scientists loosely labeled “modernization” is mistaken.” (Peter L. Berger)

What is secularization about? Protecting the state from religion? or Protect religion from the state?

C HRISTIANITY ’ S SOUTHERN SHIFT * Sub-Saharan Africa: the Christian share of the population has soared from 9% a century ago to 63%. 24% of the world’s Christians live there. Nigeria has more Protestants than Germany: 80 mln. people Europe: the Christian share has dropped from 95% to 76%. The Americas: decline from 96% to 86%. *Pew Research, Dec growth-africa-europe/ /1 growth-africa-europe/ /1

T RENDS IN THE W EST Church attendance has fallen Clergy has lost its authority over the public in such matters as birth control, divorce, sexual orientation, and necessity of marriage before childbirth Growing religious diversity and politicization of religious differences In America: rising power of Christian fundamentalists

T RENDS IN THE POST - COMMUNIST E AST End of persecution of religion Post-atheistic religious revival in most countries, especially among Orthodox Christians and Muslims The church increases its influence on state and society Religion acquires a growing role in underpinning conservative forces in societies

T RENDS IN THE G LOBAL S OUTH The rise of political Islam The growth of Christian churches, especially in Africa Rising Christian-Muslim tensions and conflicts

Nationality and faith: competing identities

M ODELS OF CHURCH - STATE RELATIONS 1.Religious and state institutions are closely bound together 2.Religion is separate from the state and persecuted by it 3.Religion and the state are constitutionally separate, faith is a private matter, no religious discrimination

T HE S TATE AND R ELIGION The state is defined by its monopoly on the use of force And by its legitimacy For legitimation of power, most states in history have needed religion The state’s need to justify itself in the minds of the ruled The church (mosque, ashram, synagogue) plays a mediating role between the rulers and the ruled:  It helps rulers maintain a social order  And, as a major institution of civil society, it helps the people adapt to a social order – or change it Interactions, contradictions and balances between these two functions are at the core of the problematic of church-state relations

With rare exceptions, the rulers need religion But they often keep a wary eye on religious activities Because the church can never be fully controlled What are the loyalties of the church?  To God  To the ruler  To the state, irrespective of the ruler  To the nation Can these loyalties be broken?  Criticizing the ruler  Questioning some laws  Criticizing society

To what extent and in what ways can the Church influence the exercise of state power?  The church may help protect society from the state’s aggressions  It may help maintain a moral order  It may speak out against injustice in society  It may foster national unity in the face of threats to the nation Or,  It may stand in the way of social and political change  Advocate discrimination and oppression  Foster social discord  Rationalize tyranny, aggression and militarism

Whether organized religion sides with the state against society or reinforces society vis-a-vis the state Whether the church helps society to solve its problems or hinders the search for solutions -  Depends on many different factors: Political, economic, cultural In an age of democratic proliferation, the roles of organized religion are determined less and less by its power structures, and more and more by the laity – common people (believers)