GROUP 4

The Globalization of
Religion

KENN RUNEL BASTO

INSTRUCTOR
 What is Religion?
 human beings’ relation to that
which they regard as holy, sacred,
absolute, spiritual, divine, or
worthy of especial reverence.

 a set of beliefs concerning the

cause, nature, and purpose of the
universe, especially when
considered as the creation of a
superhuman agency or agencies,
usually involving devotional and
ritual observances, and often
containing a moral code governing
the conduct of human affairs.
 What is Globalization?
  the growing interdependence of the
world's economies, cultures, and
populations, brought about by cross-
border trade in goods and services,
technology, and flows of investment,
people, and information.

  the speedup of movements and

exchanges (of human beings, goods,
and services, capital, technologies or
cultural practices) all over the planet.
 Types of Religion

Monotheistic Religions
- to worship one god

Polytheistic Religions
-  belief in multiple deities

Animistic or Traditional Religions

- the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a
distinct spiritual essence.
 Major Religions of the World

Christianity Buddhism

Islam Judaism

Hinduism
Christianity
 is the world’s largest religion,
with about 2.2 billion followers
worldwide, it is based on the
teachings of Jesus Christ.
 The Bible is the Christian holy
book. It is divided into the Old
and New Testament.
 The Christian place of worship
is called a Church. Services
are led by a priest, pastor, or
reverend.
 Day of worship is normally
Sunday.
Christianity Beliefs
 God sent his son to earth to save
humanity from the consequences of its
sin.
 Jesus rose from the dead on the third day
after his Crucifixion.
 Christians believe that Jesus was the
Messiah promised in the Old Testament
 Christians believe that there is only one
God but this one God consists of 3
“persons” – God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit.
 Christians believe that God made the
world.
 Christians believe that they can have a
personal relationship with God, and that
they are save by faith, good works.
Islam
 Islam is the second most popular
religion in the world with 1.3 billion
followers.
 Islam began in Arabia and was
revealed to humanity by the Prophet
Muhammad.
 Those who follow Islam are called
Muslims.
 The Muslim scripture is the Holy
Qur’an
 The Muslim building for communal
worship is called a Mosque.
 Religious leaders are called Imams
 Normal day of worship is Friday.
 Islam Beliefs
 Muslims believe that there is only one God, called Allah.
 Five Pillars
>Shahadah: declaration of faith
“I bear witness that there is no god, but God; I bear witness that
Muhammad is the Prophet of God.” By reciting this, one enters Islamic faith.
>Salah: pray 5 times a day facing Mecca
Muslims are required to pray 5 times a day, washing themselves before
prayer and facing in the direction of Mecca while praying.
>Zakat: give a fixed proportion to charity
Muslims are required to give away a percentage of their earnings to
those less fortunate, regardless of their religion.
>Saum: fast during the month of Ramadan
Muslims fast for one lunar month each year, a period called Ramadan.
During this time, Muslims reflect on their behaviour and strive to purify their
thoughts.
>Hajj: make pilgrimage to Mecca
If it is financially possible, Muslims are required to travel to Mecca once in
their lifetime.
Hinduism
 One of the oldest religions of
humanity.
 Worship can take place anywhere –
usually a temple or in the home.
 Spiritual leaders are called gurus or
sages. Followers are called Hindus
 Veda is the central scripture of
Hinduism –  the Rig Veda contains
hymns about their mythology; the
Sama Veda consists mainly of hymns
about religious rituals; the Yajur Veda
contains instructions for religious
rituals; and the Atharva Veda
consists of spells against enemies,
sorcerers, and diseases.
Hinduism Beliefs
 Brahman – The eternal being – created and preserves the world.
Everything in the world is an aspect of Brahman.
 Atman – the soul – each person has one that is an aspect of
Brahman. Can’t ever be destroyed
 Devas – manifestations of Brahman that are active in the world
and who help to maintain order.
> 3 of the most common – Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva
 Reincarnation – being reborn into this world
 Karma – the sum effect of a person’s actions, good and bad
 Moksha – goal of human existence, escape from the cycle of
reincarnation to join with the Brahman.
 Dharma – set of spiritual duties and obligations that must be
fulfilled to achieve moksha
Buddhism
 Fourth largest religion of the world
 Spiritual leaders are called monks or
lamas
 Founded by Siddharta Gautama
 The buddhist place of worship is
called Vihara (monastery)
 Buddhists sacred text is called
Tipitaka
Buddhism Beliefs
 Four Noble Truths
> The Truth of Suffering
> The Truth of the Cause of Suffering
> The Truth of the End of Suffering
> The Truth of the Path leading to the End of Suffering
 Nirvana – a state of perfect peace in which the soul would be free
from suffering forever. It would escape the cycle of rebirth
- if nirvana is not achieved, then the soul would be reborn to
live through the cycle of suffering again.
- to reach nirvana, one must follow the Eightfold Path
Eightfold Path
Right Understanding Right Mindfulness
Right Speech Right Effort
Right Livelihood Right Action
Right Concentration Right Intention
Judaism
 Founded by Abraham in
Mesopotamia around 1300 B.C.
 The oldest of the monotheistic faiths
 Its holy city is Jerusalem.
 The most holy Jewish book is the
Torah (the first five books of the
Christian Bible).
 The Torah (scroll of teachings)
contains the five books - Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy
 Jews worship in Synagogues or
temples
 Worship led by a Rabbi.
 Day of worship is Saturday.
Judaism Beliefs
 Jews believe that there is a single God (Yahweh)
 They await the Messiah, who will be an Earthly King
 They believe in heaven, but that God determines where they go
after life on Earth.
 Ten Commandments is the basic code of law
 Globalization and Religious Beliefs
Peter Beyer (1994) identified three key impacts of globalization on
religion:
Particularism – religion has increasingly been used as an avenue for
anti-globalization activity. While one feature of globalization is a sort of
cultural homogenization (the creation of a single, global popular
culture) religion is often seen as the opposite of that: a symbol of how
people are culturally different from one another, rather than the same.
This has contributed to a rise in fundamentalism and is a feature of
political conflict in many areas of the world.

Universalism – however there is also some evidence of the opposite

trend. While small fundamentalist groups might emphasize their
difference from other people, the major religions have increasingly
focused on what unites them. Far from the feared clash of civilizations
religious leaders emphasize shared values and common concerns.
Indeed, inter-faith dialogue through global communication has helped
to diffuse conflict between religions.
 Influence of Globalization on Religion
The interaction of region and culture resulted in global-local religion.
Roudemetof (2014) developed a model of four distinct globalization –
indigenization, vernacularization, nationalization and transnationalization.

1. Vernacularization – refers to blending of universal religions with local

languages.
> For instance, Arabic is used as Islam’s sacred language even outside of
Arab World, while Greek and Latin remains to be the primary languages of
Christianity.

2. Indigenization – transform a universal religion to suit the specifics of a

particular ethic group.
> An example is the practice of Islam by various ethic groups in the
Zambaonga Peninsula
 Influence of Globalization on Religion
The interaction of region and culture resulted in global-local religion.
Roudemetof (2014) developed a model of four distinct globalization –
indigenization, vernacularization, nationalization and transnationalization.

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

> The Philippines Independent Church, an independent Christian
denomination, is an example of national modifiers to their religious
identification.

4. Transnationalization – has complemented religious nationalism by focusing

groups on identifying specific religious traditions of real or imagined national
homeland.
> 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 as
Filipino in its roots and central authority.
 Influence of Globalization on Religion
The globalization of religion brought two opposing result. Starting from late
20th Century, religion has been a source of globe conflict and peace.

 In Britain, Muslims were link to the Jihadist attack in June 2017 on the
London Bridge.

 Jewish extremists in Israel were accused of targeting and beating

Palestinians also in 2017.

 The American-based organization New Christian Right questioned the

teaching of evolution in school in the same year.
 Influence of Globalization on Religion
Juergensmeyer (2014) claims that the conflicts are about identity and
economics and privilege and power
 Influence of Globalization on Religion
Juergensmeyer (2014) also believes that there are five stages of global religious
rebellion against the secular state:

 revolt against secularism, wherein localized uprising go up against the

state’s less moral authority to govern;
 intenalionalization of religious rebellion , wherein the warfare comes
between the religious and secular politics;
 invention of global enemies, wherein anti-American and anti-European
sentiments are growing;
 global war, where in there is an expansion of range and depth of conflict
between the secular and religious forces;
 religious dimensions of post-Arab spring , wherein the jihadist strategy is
proven to be not the way to end the struggle.
• Cultural exchange, missionary activity, and
pilgrimages are just a few areas where
religious actors have served to promote the
process of globalization.
• There were “World Religions” long before the
process of globalization is thought to have
begun. Christianity, Islam and Judaism in
particular have been present across many
nations and continents. However, some
sociologists suggest that globalization has
led to the rapid spread of some religious
organizations.