GLOBALIZATION IN RELIGION

What is Religion? (Aila)

 The belief in a God or in the group of Gods.
 An organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules use
to worship a God or a group of Gods.

Types of Religion (Aila)

 Monotheistic Religion
 To worship one god while denying the existence of
other gods.
 Animistic or Traditional Religions
 Animism is a religious and ontological perspective
common to many indigenous cultures across the globe.
According to an oft-quoted definition from the
Victorian anthropologist E. B. Tylor, animists believe
in the “animation of all nature”, and are characterized
as having “a sense of spiritual beings…
 Polytheistic Religion
 Polytheism is the belief or doctrine that there are
multiple gods or deities. In other words a person who
believes in multiple gods can be called a polytheist.

Different Religion in the world (Aila)

Five Major Religions of the World (Aila)
 Judaism
 The Hebrew leader Abraham founded Judaism in
Mesopotamia around 1300 B.C. Judaism is the oldest
of monotheistic faiths (Religions with one God).
 Buddhism
 Teaches people that they can escape the suffering of
the world through the Buddhist teachings, developed
in Northeast, India in 520 BCE and spread to other
parts of Asia.
 4th largest Religion in the world.
 Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE)
o Unlike Hinduism, Buddhism can be traced to one
founder, Siddhartha Gautama.
 o Prince of a small kingdom; he lived a sheltered
life and sought to answer the ending suffering.
o After years of meditation and searching, he sat
under a bodhi tree where he became enlightened.
o He transferred into the Buddha – the enlightened
one.
 Hinduism
 The Religion of Hinduism developed and evolved
over a long time in India, giving rise to a variety of
beliefs and practices to other Religions, including
Buddhism.
 One of the oldest Religion in humanity, founded in
1500 BCE or earlier.
 What do Hindus believe?
o Brahman, the eternal being. Created and
preserves the world. Everything in the world is an
aspect of Brahman.
o Atman, the soul. Each person has one that is an
aspect of Brahman. It can’t every be destroyed.
o Devas, manifestation of Brahman that are active
in the world and who help to maintain order.
 3 of the most common, Brahma, Vishnu, and
Shiva
o Reincarnation - being reborn into this world
lifetime by lifetime (samsara)
o Karma – the sum effect of a person’s action, good
and bad, which helps shape future experiences
 o Moksha – goal of human existence, escape the
cycle of reincarnation to join with the Brahma
o Dharma – set of spiritual duties and obligations
that must be fulfilled to achieve moksha
 3 Most Important Devas
o Brahman, the creator

o Shiva, the destroyer

o Vishnu, the preserver

  Islam/Muslims
 Founded in Arabia by Muhammad in A.D. 622.
 Christianity
 Founded by Jesus Christ, who has crucified around
A.D. 33 in Palestine in the city of Jerusalem. It was
after his death when his followers came to believe in
Him as the Christ, the Messiah.

What is Globalization? (Alexa)

 A process refers to a larger phenomenon that cannot be
simply reduced to the ways in which global market have
been integrated
 Is usually refers to the integration of the national market to
a wide global market signified by the increase free trade
 On one end, Globalization has affected religion in various
ways. (1) It paved the way of the rise of religious
nationalism, (2) turn of religion into public life, (3) the
proliferation of international terrorism, and (4) the increase
of individual religiosity (Roudometof, 2014)
o Effects of Globalization in Religion
(1) It paved the way of the rise of religious
nationalism
 First, Globalization gave rise to religious
nationalism that came about after the Second
World War.
For example in the Philippines crafting
the law is sometimes anchored on the
lawmakers’ belief in Christianity. In
2018, a National Bible Day was
declared as a special working holiday.

(2) Turn Religion into public life

 Next, globalization led to the turn of
Religion into public life as a reaction to post
– World War II modernism.
The often forceful entrance of religious
traditions, such as the Catholic
liberation theology and Islamic
fundamentalism, from private sphere
into public life (Casanova 1994)

(3) The proliferation of international terrorism

 For one religious extremism – a type of
political violence anchored on the belief
that a supreme being grants violence in the
act of glorifying one’s faith (Martin, 2017)
has become a central issue face by the
global community.
  Extremists believe that it is their duty to
fulfills God’s will through violence. In 2017,
the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a
known extremists group, triggered the locals
Mindanao to launch the Marawi siege for 5
months.

(4) The increase of individual religiosity

 Finally, Globalization prompted the increase
if individual Religiosity
Brought about by the individuals need
to rely on his or her beliefs and the
relationship with the supreme being.

 Global migration influences Religion. Because of

migration, Globalization has forced the appearance of
“Religious traditions in places monitory” (Roudometof,
2014)
 This is called the deterritorialization of Religion.
Deterritorialization is a cultural future that blurs the line
between the characteristic of migration amidst
Globalization.
 Global migration also resulted in what Campbell (2007)
called the Easternization of the West. Th ewhich is the
starting point for the spread of world Religions, is the
recipient of the new system of beliefs from the East.
  On the other end, Religion is influenced by Global trends
and impulse and is forced to respond to new found
situations.
 One good example is the use of social media as tool
for evangelization American Evangilists Joel Scott
Osteen and Kirk Thomas Cameron make use of
Facebook and other social media platforms to spread
their belief.
 Another example is the call for ecumenism among
Christian churches to have closer relationship and
better recognition. In 2006, the Catholic-Orthodox
dialogue transpired.

The interaction of Region and Culture resulted in a global-local

Religion. Roudometof (2014) develop a model of four distinct
Glocalization. (Ate Juliet)
 Vernacularization
 Refers to blending of universal Religions with local
languages.
o For instance, Arabic is used as Islam’s sacred
language even outside the Arab world, while
Greek and Latin remains to be the primary
languages of Christianity.
 Indigenization
 Transform a universal Religion to suit the specifics of
the particular ethic group.
 o An example is the practice of Islam by various
ethics group in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
 Transnationalization
 Has complimented Religious nationalism by focusing
groups on identifying specific Religious tradition of
real or imagines national homeland.
o Iglesia ni Cristo is one good example of this. This
Christian organization is national in scope but it
has an international reach that is easily
identified ay Filipino in its root and central
authority.
 Nationalization
 Constructs a link between the nation and church.
o The Philippines independent church, an
independent Christian denomination, is an
example of national modifiers to their Religious
identification (e.g. Greek Orthodox Christianity).

The globalization of Religion brought (2) opposing results.

Starting from the late 20th century, Religion has been the source
of globe conflict and peace. (Ate Juliet)
 In Britain, Muslims were linked to the Jihadist attack in
June 27 in the London bridge.
 Jewish extremists in Israel were accused of targeting and
beating Palestinians also in June 2017.
  The American-based organization New Christian Right
questions the thinking of evolution in school in the same
year.
Juergensmeyer (2014) claims that the conflicts are about identity
and economics and privilege and power. (Ate Juliet)
 Osama bin Ladin’s attack on the World Trade Center in
2001 was triggered by the American exploitation of the oil
reserves of the middle East, but the Jihadist warriors
carried out the attack for they were willing to be martyred
in the name of Allah.
 The Marawi City siege, in which the ISI- Maute group
alliance was responsible, was the small group’s quest for
Bangsamoro identity and power over its exclusive
jurisdiction.

Juergensmeyer (2014) also believe that there are (5) stages of

global Religious rebellion against the secular state. (Ate Juliet)
 Revolt against Secularism, wherein localize uprising go up
against the state’s less moral authority to govern;
 Internationalization of Religious rebellion, where in the
warfare comes between the Religious and secular politics;
 Invention of global enemies, where in Anti-American and
Anti-European sentiments are growing;
 Global war, wherein there is an expansion of range and
depth of conflict between the secular and religious forces;
 Religious dimension of post-Arab spring, wherein the
Jihadist strategy is proven to be not the way to end the
struggle