Q: For you what are your top 5 most Globalization affects religion in

known religions in the whole world. many ways

1. The rise of religious nationalism

Introduction 2. The return of religion into the public

life
“Imagine you’re at a festival in a big city,
like New York, London, or Manila. Around 3. The proliferation of international
you, you see people from all over the terrorism
world. You hear a mix of languages, see
4. The Increasing personalized individual
traditional clothes from different cultures,
religiosity
and even witness people practicing
various religious rituals. A Christian
couple is praying quietly, a group of
1.The rise of religious nationalism
Muslims is finding a spot to lay out
prayer mats, and someone nearby is Nationalism was closely associated with
setting up an altar for a Buddhist particular religious beliefs.
meditation session.
Ex. Some of the basis of passing laws in
This scene could happen in almost any the Philippines are based on Christianity.
big city today, and it’s a glimpse into how
(Religious nationalism is when a
religions are not just limited to their
country’s identity or values are closely
places of origin but have spread globally.
linked to a particular religion. It means
But how did this happen? How did
that religious beliefs or traditions become
different beliefs travel and adapt across
part of the nation’s culture, laws, and
continents, shaping—and being shaped
customs, showing how important that
by—new cultures?
religion is to the country’s identity. In the
Globalization of religion isn’t just about Philippines, Christianity, particularly
people moving around and bringing their Catholicism, is deeply embedded in
beliefs with them; it’s also about how national values, affecting laws and
religions influence each other, how policies.
technology connects religious
Example: The Philippines declared the
communities worldwide, and how shared
last Monday of January as “National Bible
global issues impact all faiths. Let’s dive
Day,” which reflects Christian values in
into how these interactions have
government decisions. Additionally,
reshaped religions and created a more
religious views influence laws like those
interconnected spiritual world.”
against divorce, Same sex marriage and
abortion, which many Filipinos support
due to Catholic teachings. )
RELIGION
2. The return of religion into the
- The belief in a god or in a group of
public life
gods
- An organized system of beliefs, Religion goes beyond administration of
ceremonies, and rules used to sacraments among catholics.
worship a god or a group of gods
Ex. Catholic Liberation Theology
Religion – Plays a vital role in the lives
Religion becomes the sole basis of the
of Filipinos for Their values are anchored
believers’ life.
on it. It has affected their attitudes,
characters and perspectives in life. Ex. Islam Fundamentalism

Globalization – refers to the worldwide Religion goes beyond the administration

interconnectedness of all areas of of sacraments for Catholics and focuses
contemporary social life. more on the social concerns of the poor
and the oppressed inside and outside the
- One of these areas is religion which
church.
entails a personal or organized
system of religious beliefs and (Religion moves from private worship into
practices. public and social spaces, influencing
activism, social justice, and charity work. conflict where the group tried to take
Filipino Catholicism, for instance, often control of Marawi City, causing significant
motivates social justice movements. destruction and displacement. The event
highlighted how international extremist
1. Catholic Liberation Theology: In
ideologies could impact local
Catholicism, Liberation Theology is a
communities.)
movement that began in Latin America,
emphasizing the church's role in 4.The increasing personalized
addressing social injustices, poverty, and individual religiosity
oppression. Instead of just focusing on
Individuals practice religion in a more
sacraments and rituals, Catholics who
personal, customized way, often blending
follow Liberation Theology believe that
traditional beliefs with their own values
their faith calls them to help the poor and
and experiences.
fight for social change. This has
influenced many Filipino Catholic groups (This concept refers to how people are
to get involved in social justice work and increasingly shaping their own personal
community support. religious beliefs rather than strictly
following an organized or traditional
2. Islamic Fundamentalism: In some
religion. Individuals may choose beliefs
Muslim communities, Islamic
and practices that feel meaningful to
fundamentalism is an approach where
them, often focusing on their personal
believers see Islam as a complete way of
relationship with a supreme being or a
life that guides every aspect, not just
higher power rather than on rituals and
religious rituals. For fundamentalists,
doctrines.
Islamic beliefs and laws should guide all
personal and public decisions, and they Example: In the Philippines, some people
may advocate for society to strictly may practice their faith in unique ways,
follow traditional Islamic teachings. In mixing traditional Christian practices with
extreme cases, some groups use this personal beliefs. This could mean praying
idea to justify imposing strict rules on in a more informal, personal way, or
others, as seen with some militant combining Catholic practices with
groups.) indigenous beliefs. This personalized
approach reflects a trend of adapting
3. The proliferation of
religious faith to fit personal needs and
international terrorism
lifestyles.)
Extremists believe that to fulfill God’s will
Global migration also influences
it is their duty to achieve this through
religion
violence.
1. Deterritorialization of Religion
Ex. In 2017, the Islamic State of Iraq and
2. Global Trends
Syria (ISIS), a known extremist group,
3. Easternization of the West
triggered the locals of Mindanao to
launch the Marawi Siege for five months. Deterritorialization of religion –
(The Proliferation of International • Religious traditions in places
Terrorism: This refers to the spread of where these previously had
violent acts by extremist groups across been largely unknown or
borders. Some extremists believe that considered a minority
they are fulfilling a divine mission or (Roudometof, 2014)
God’s will by using violence, often • A cultural feature that blurs
targeting civilians or opposing groups. the lines between culture and
They interpret religious teachings in a place and thus transcends
way that justifies their actions, although territorial boundaries.
mainstream interpretations of these
religions do not support violence. ( Deterritorialization of religion means
that religions are no longer limited to
Example: In 2017, an extremist group their original locations or cultural
linked to ISIS influenced locals in backgrounds. Instead, they have spread
Mindanao, Philippines, leading to the and become part of new regions and
Marawi Siege. This was a five-month-long
cultures where they were previously shows how ideas from Eastern religions
uncommon or only a minority. are reshaping Western culture and
spirituality.)
Imagine religions like Buddhism or
Hinduism, which started in Asia, now
have followers all around the world,
Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest
including in places like Europe and
religions, founded by the prophet
America. This mixing of religions and
Zoroaster in ancient Persia (now
cultures “blurs the lines” between
Iran). It centers around the worship
different areas and traditions, making
of Ahura Mazda, the god of good,
religious practices more global rather
who fights against Angra Mainyu,
than tied to specific places.
the evil spirit.
For example, in the Philippines, you
Global Trends
might find communities of Muslims or
Hindus even though these religions didn’t  Respond to newfound situations.
originate there. Similarly, Filipino  The use of social media as a tool
Christians have brought Catholicism to for evangelization.
other countries through migration,
(Global Trends refer to how religion has
creating Filipino Catholic communities
adapted and spread in response to
worldwide. This is deterritorialization—it’s
changing situations around the world. As
when religions go beyond borders and
the world becomes more interconnected,
connect people globally.)
religious practices have mixed with local
Easternization of the West cultures, creating unique expressions of
global religions that still reflect local
The West, which is the starting point for
traditions and languages.
the spread of world religion, is now the
recipient of a new system of beliefs from Social Media as a Tool for
the East. Evangelization: With the rise of social
media, religious groups use platforms like
There is also a rise in the number of
Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to
believers of Asian, religions like
spread their beliefs and engage with
Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, Buddhism,
people worldwide. This allows religious
and Taoism.
teachings to reach a larger audience
(Easternization of the West refers to quickly and effectively, especially in
the trend where people in Western times of crisis or when people are unable
countries are increasingly adopting to gather physically.)
beliefs and practices from Eastern
The interaction of Religion and culture
religions and philosophies. While Western
resulted in a global-local-religion. It is a
countries historically spread religions like
global religion with a local mix.
Christianity around the world, today they
are now “receiving” or adopting spiritual (The interaction between religion and
ideas from Asia. culture has resulted in what is called a
“global-local religion,” meaning a
This means that beliefs and practices
global religion that is adapted to fit local
from religions like Buddhism, Taoism,
cultures. This means that while the core
Confucianism, and even ancient faiths
beliefs remain the same, the way they
like Zoroastrianism are becoming popular
are practiced may vary depending on the
in Western societies. People in the West
local context.)
may practice yoga, meditation, or follow
Eastern spiritual teachings because they Roudometof (2014) classifies the four (4)
find these practices helpful for personal distinct globalizations
growth, mental health, or a sense of
1.Vernacularization – refers to the
peace.
blending of universal religions with local
For example, meditation and languages.
mindfulness, which come from Buddhist
(Vernacularization: This is when a
traditions, are now widely practiced
global religion is translated or blended
across Western countries as methods for
with the local language and cultural
reducing stress and improving focus. This
practices. For example, translating the
Bible into various local languages so
people can understand it in their own
words, or adapting prayers to fit local
traditions.)

2. Indigenization -transforms a
universal religion to suit the specifics of a
particular ethnic group.

(Indigenization: This refers to how a

global religion is adjusted to fit the
specific customs, traditions, or beliefs of
a particular ethnic group. For instance, in
the Philippines, Catholicism has blended
with indigenous practices, like the Pabasa
during Holy Week, which incorporates
Filipino cultural elements into religious
rituals.)

3.Nationalization-constructs a link
between the nation and church.

(Nationalization: This is when a religion

becomes closely linked with a nation’s
identity. For example, in the Philippines,
Catholicism is not just a religion but is
also seen as part of the Filipino identity,
with religious practices influencing
national holidays and cultural events.)

4. Transnationalization- focusing
groups on identifying specific religious
traditions of real or imagined national
homelands.

(Transnationalization: This is when

religious groups form connections that
focus on religious traditions related to a
nation or a cultural homeland, even if the
people are living outside their country of
origin. For example, Filipino communities
abroad often maintain religious practices
that are tied to their Filipino identity,
creating Filipino Catholic communities
even in non-Christian countries.