Globalization of Religion
Presented by: Jemar Degracia Ampo
► Objectives
► Revisit concept of religion;
► Explain how globalization affects religious
practices and beliefs; and
► Analyze the relationship between religion
and global conflict, conversely,and global
peace.
Definition of Terms
► Religion – a unified system of beliefs and
practice related to faith, the sacred, higher moral
values.
► Secularization – diminishing role of religion in
the society.
► Globalization of Religion – intermingling of
universal and local religious beliefs.
INTRODUCTION
► There are more than 7 billion people in the world today.
► Almost 84 percent of these people (approximately 5.8 billion)
identify themselves as part of a religious group. Pew Research
Center (2012).
► The same study revealed that majority of these people are either
Christians, Muslims, or Hindus.
► A huge minority expressed that they are unaffiliated, a little more
than 16 percent.
Religion
► Religions have been diversely defined
both academically and spritualy by
Theorists in the field of social sciences
and subjectively by people who engage
in it.
► Three (3) essential elements of Religion.
1. Religion is defined as an “observable
phenomena” which can be studied objectively.
2. It is constructed as an organized and ordered
system.
3. The sacredness of religious entities is
collectively constructed in a social process toward
a united “moral community”. Formes, Field
imparted, was founded upon this definition.
► On the other hand, Kenneth Pargament, a
psychologist specializing in the study of
religion and psychological well-being,
defined religion as “a process or a search
for significance in ways related to the
sacred”, distinguishing it from spirituality
which is “ a search for the sacred”. For
Pargament, spirituality is religion’s “most
critical function”.
► Religion serves as an indicator of social
proximity and, thus provides a platform for social
connection.
► Others affiliate with a religion as a form of
coping with stressful situations – what Pargament
(1997) would refer to as religious coping.
Secularization
► Victor Roudometof (2014) addressed
this question in his essay, Religion and
Globalization. Secularization is the
hypothesized demise of religion and its
value in societies, manifested, for
instance, in the separation of the
church and state.
► Stark (1999) has discussed the secularization
hypothesis – suggesting that the demise of
religion will happen alongside the rise of
modernization – does not hold fast as a sound
sociological hypothesis, citing evidence that
across centuries there have not been a stark
change in people’s religious beliefs and
commitments.
► According to Roudometof (2014), there have
been two distinct perspective related to
secularization in the modern times:
1. The notion of post-secularity or the return of
religious consciousness in the public sphere; and
2. Religious modernity, where secularization is an
active process emerging from social action.
Religious Pluralism and Tolerance
► This is where people let ideas flow in and out of
geographical spaces, we bring in and out, as well, our
beliefs, values, and traditions.
► And as people move in and out of territories, they also
carry with them their religious affiliation and its
correspondent philosophies and practices.
► This phenomenon when a small group of shared
identity maintains their cultural practices as long as it
aligns with the larger society’s norms is referred to as
cultural pluralism.
► In the context of religion, cultural pluralism requires a
certain form of religious tolerance – allowing others to
abide by their own religious practices and beliefs, such as
quintessential in fostering peace in the community
(Firdaus, 2018).
► An interesting case in understanding the concept of
religious pluralism in the age of globalization is that of
the Baha’I Faith – a small religion with approximately 7
million followers around the globe. Baha’I upholds
principles of equality and social justice, peace and unity,
world citizenship, and cultural pluralism, among others.
Religious Fundamentalism
“The belief that there is one set of religious
teachings that clearly contains the
fundamental, basic, intrinsic, essential,
inerrant truth about humanity and deity.”
-Altemeyer and Hunsberger (1992)
2 Manifestations of Religious
Fundamentalism
► Nonviolent Intolerance – extreme
identification with a particular religion.
► Violent Intolerance – direct use of physical
violence in pursuing subjectively-defined
religious missions.
Glocalization of Religions
Glocalization
- A phenomenon that matters in analyzing
religion trends in age of globalization
Deterritorialization
- The flow of religious traditions in areas where
traditions are unfamiliar or unpopular, paving way
for the emergence of transnational religions.
Transnational Religions
- means “religions going global”
Four (4) Forms of Glocalization
► Vernacularization
► Indigenization
► Nationalization
► Transnationalization
Vernacularization
► Linking “religious universalism with
vernacular language”
► Sacred practices remain to be tied to
particular sacred language.
► e.g., Arabic to Islam
Indigenization
► Linking “religious universalism with
local particularism”
► Religious practices are blended with
indigenous practices
► e.g.,African traditional forms meet
Christianity.
Nationalism
► Linking “universal religion and local,
national particularism”
► Emergence of local religions tied with
universal religions
► e.g.,Church of England
Transnationalism
► Absorption of a universal religion into
ones one’s own culture; naturalization of
religion
► Allegiance to global religious community
► e.g.,White Anglo-Saxon Protestant among
Americans
Thank you for
listening!!
