Good morning young world, I woke up in a canyon this morning, birds chirping, sun shining and the crisp fall air nipping at my nose. I find myself meditating on a plethora of ideas. alas here is one of them! What is Religion and how does Globalization effect change in religion? now I grew up more spiritual (studying Wicca) yet I have studied a few religions and do understand the concept.
Religion is defined as the belief in and worship of a supernatural “controlling” power, especially when in the form a personal god or gods. Furthermore, it can be described as a mere system of worship, or in a more modern sense, the pursuit of an interest to which someone accredits prestigious value. Now we know that religion plays such a vital role in human life and culture. But do all religions have Similar sets of values or beliefs? Anthropologists have been attempting to answer this questions for decades.
Now to expand on Globalization, Globalization refers to the tendency of international trade, investments, information, technology and the outsourcing of manufacturing. This weaves the economies of diverse countries together. In business and finance, it primarily refers to the economic integration of the global markets, Albeit, the term is also used to describe a socio-cultural integration amounts countries. There are pros and cons within globalization like anything. Its been credited to helping shift wealth to less developed countries but has also been blamed for the loss of employment in the developed nations, due to corporations shipping jobs in the manufacturing sector to reduce costs.
Those opposed to the idea say it weakens national sovereignty. It is worth noting that this notion is not a new concept. Dating back as far as ancient times, where people would travel long distances to obtain materials such as salt, spices and of course gold. They would then trade or sell the product when back in their home counties.
It is important to note that there is a way in which globalization in a sense flattens out cultural differences, therefore eroding local customs and beliefs, which spreads a secular and capitalist way of life. That seems to be at odds with religions of all sorts, but at the same time, there is the way in which religion serves as the source of globalization’s great resistance. Also as a haven for those standing in opposition to its ubiquitous yet subtle power. I guess in both these views, the relationship between the two can be seen as one of antagonistic, meaning one of struggle and immense conflict.
While the opposition is a fundamental part of the relationship, it seems that many people fail to see the two as anything other than foes. Which hinders their understanding of the complex nature of the interactions, not only in the past but more importantly in our own postmodern world.
You see, globalization and religion can be seen as partners in historical change, how can this be?? In the past, religion in its various manifestations. Has been a carrier of globalizing tendencies in the world. Take the history of Christianity for example. We can see this an effort to create a global network of believers. Its astounding growth and influence as a world religion was a result of a link between its own global ambitions and the expansion of various political and economic regimes. It effectively succeeded as a globalizing force long before there was a phenomenon called globalization. We can see elements of this historical pattern in Buddhism, and Islam to name a few.
Religion continues to play an intricate and even contracting role in our old, it was once thought that secularization was the Inevitable outcome of our modern world. Clearing this was not the case. Religions faith persists in a complex iteration with the structures and process of the modern world, it seems as the complexity has only intensified under the conditions we know as contemporary globalization. Globalization brings a culture of pluralism, meaning religions are free to interact with one another, even those who exhibit overlapping ethics or morals.
