Notes: Religious Revivalism | Sociology Mains Optional for UPSC 2024 PDF Download

 Page 1


 
8. Religion and Society: 
 
Religious revivalism 
The role of religion in different modern societies varies considerably.  
Secularization is a feature of some societies but not of others.  
For example religion appears to be much more influential in USA the UK. 
 
Postmodernist argue that when societies move beyond modernity they will also move beyond the secular.  
Faith and religion will be rediscovered in the world in which the achievements of Science and rationality will have less 
appeal than they once had. 
 
David Martin - takes a wider view of secularization. By looking at the changing role of religion in a range of societies. 
Based on this he argues that there is little evidence of a General trend towards secularization in the world as a whole. 
Gilles kepel – Claims that any trend towards secularization was reversed in around 1970s when various religious revivals 
sprang up  
These revivals were aimed at recovering a sacred foundation for the organisation of the society by changing society if 
necessary. 
He gives the example of Christians in USA and Europe, Jews in Israel and Muslims along the world to support his case  
 
Since 1978 in France rechristianisation of society by Catholic charismatic groups. 
 
In USA - Evangelical new Christian right attracting Americans to reassert Christian values. 
Israel - Lubavitch campaigned against the watering down of traditional Jewish beliefs.  
Islamisation movements have had success in many parts of the world. Example in Algeria, Iran. 
Palestine - Radical Islam groups such as Hamas have been prominent in opposing Israeli occupations of West Bank. 
 
Gilles Kepel also points to the Salman Rushdie affair.  
The campaign by British Muslims against Rushdie’s book The Satanic Verses indicates Islamic values continue to be 
important even in western Europe. 
To Kepel all these are example of counter secularism and also the emergence of new religions movements countering 
the secularization thesis. 
These new religious movements can be classified as  
• World rejecting  
• World accommodating 
• World affirming  
 
Conclusion - Jose Casanova, thus, believes that in contemporary Societies of world religious beliefs and practices are 
not dying out but have increasingly re-entered public sphere. 
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8. Religion and Society: 
 
Religious revivalism 
The role of religion in different modern societies varies considerably.  
Secularization is a feature of some societies but not of others.  
For example religion appears to be much more influential in USA the UK. 
 
Postmodernist argue that when societies move beyond modernity they will also move beyond the secular.  
Faith and religion will be rediscovered in the world in which the achievements of Science and rationality will have less 
appeal than they once had. 
 
David Martin - takes a wider view of secularization. By looking at the changing role of religion in a range of societies. 
Based on this he argues that there is little evidence of a General trend towards secularization in the world as a whole. 
Gilles kepel – Claims that any trend towards secularization was reversed in around 1970s when various religious revivals 
sprang up  
These revivals were aimed at recovering a sacred foundation for the organisation of the society by changing society if 
necessary. 
He gives the example of Christians in USA and Europe, Jews in Israel and Muslims along the world to support his case  
 
Since 1978 in France rechristianisation of society by Catholic charismatic groups. 
 
In USA - Evangelical new Christian right attracting Americans to reassert Christian values. 
Israel - Lubavitch campaigned against the watering down of traditional Jewish beliefs.  
Islamisation movements have had success in many parts of the world. Example in Algeria, Iran. 
Palestine - Radical Islam groups such as Hamas have been prominent in opposing Israeli occupations of West Bank. 
 
Gilles Kepel also points to the Salman Rushdie affair.  
The campaign by British Muslims against Rushdie’s book The Satanic Verses indicates Islamic values continue to be 
important even in western Europe. 
To Kepel all these are example of counter secularism and also the emergence of new religions movements countering 
the secularization thesis. 
These new religious movements can be classified as  
• World rejecting  
• World accommodating 
• World affirming  
 
Conclusion - Jose Casanova, thus, believes that in contemporary Societies of world religious beliefs and practices are 
not dying out but have increasingly re-entered public sphere. 
 
Therefore, it can be concluded that though religion no longer has a central position in the structure of modern society it 
has not faded away and religion remains a significant force though in new and unfamiliar forms. 
Fundamentalism 
It refers to a movement or a belief calling for a return to the basic texts or fundamentals of revealed religions, which are 
believed to be pure and contain original values and behavior. 
It is usually contrasted with modernism and liberalism in religion. 
Without political legitimacy and power, fundamentalism is mere revivalism. 
 
When religious values are threatened by some common enemy, which is Modernity as seen by Fundamentalists, more 
and more members are recruited into the fundamentalist fold. 
 
The term has been applied to protestant trends within Christianity in the 1920s and recently to trends within Islam. 
 
The forces of social change that is “High Modernity and Globalization”, as Anthony Giddens calls it, are responsible for 
the emergence of fundamentalism. 
Whenever there are drastic changes in society and change of pace which disturbs community life, very often there is a 
loss of identity and rootlesness among people. In such situations people clutch any support for solace. 
 
Fundamentalism promises certitude and restitution of an earlier better age of stability. 
The psychological appeal of this is difficult for people to resist  
To achieve and restitute this earlier better age, the Fundamentalist evolves a comprehensive and absolutist rigid belief 
system and practice. 
This belief and practice which promises to bring happiness is capable of motivating intense commitment among its 
followers. 
So much so non believers are denied there rights. 
 
That is why fundamentalism very often takes on a rather aggressive militant form, where killing and terrorism are justified.  
Since the end, usually the establishment of Homeland, that is Israel or Khalistan or Caliph, justifies the means. 
 
The two most prominent forms of religious fundamentalism are Islamic fundamentalism and Christian fundamentalism. 
Recently we also witnessing and increasing trend of Hindu fundamentalism. 
Christian fundamentalism in the US - reaction against secular values and a perceived moral crisis in American society. 
Islamic - Khomeini in 1979 and has been spreading ever since. 
Also leading to ISIS and related terrorism across the world. 
 
Conclusion - the challange for the modern muslim nations lies in achieving a balance to return to the fundamental 
religious values conducive to the Welfare of society rather than those that obstruct it. 
Page 3


 
8. Religion and Society: 
 
Religious revivalism 
The role of religion in different modern societies varies considerably.  
Secularization is a feature of some societies but not of others.  
For example religion appears to be much more influential in USA the UK. 
 
Postmodernist argue that when societies move beyond modernity they will also move beyond the secular.  
Faith and religion will be rediscovered in the world in which the achievements of Science and rationality will have less 
appeal than they once had. 
 
David Martin - takes a wider view of secularization. By looking at the changing role of religion in a range of societies. 
Based on this he argues that there is little evidence of a General trend towards secularization in the world as a whole. 
Gilles kepel – Claims that any trend towards secularization was reversed in around 1970s when various religious revivals 
sprang up  
These revivals were aimed at recovering a sacred foundation for the organisation of the society by changing society if 
necessary. 
He gives the example of Christians in USA and Europe, Jews in Israel and Muslims along the world to support his case  
 
Since 1978 in France rechristianisation of society by Catholic charismatic groups. 
 
In USA - Evangelical new Christian right attracting Americans to reassert Christian values. 
Israel - Lubavitch campaigned against the watering down of traditional Jewish beliefs.  
Islamisation movements have had success in many parts of the world. Example in Algeria, Iran. 
Palestine - Radical Islam groups such as Hamas have been prominent in opposing Israeli occupations of West Bank. 
 
Gilles Kepel also points to the Salman Rushdie affair.  
The campaign by British Muslims against Rushdie’s book The Satanic Verses indicates Islamic values continue to be 
important even in western Europe. 
To Kepel all these are example of counter secularism and also the emergence of new religions movements countering 
the secularization thesis. 
These new religious movements can be classified as  
• World rejecting  
• World accommodating 
• World affirming  
 
Conclusion - Jose Casanova, thus, believes that in contemporary Societies of world religious beliefs and practices are 
not dying out but have increasingly re-entered public sphere. 
 
Therefore, it can be concluded that though religion no longer has a central position in the structure of modern society it 
has not faded away and religion remains a significant force though in new and unfamiliar forms. 
Fundamentalism 
It refers to a movement or a belief calling for a return to the basic texts or fundamentals of revealed religions, which are 
believed to be pure and contain original values and behavior. 
It is usually contrasted with modernism and liberalism in religion. 
Without political legitimacy and power, fundamentalism is mere revivalism. 
 
When religious values are threatened by some common enemy, which is Modernity as seen by Fundamentalists, more 
and more members are recruited into the fundamentalist fold. 
 
The term has been applied to protestant trends within Christianity in the 1920s and recently to trends within Islam. 
 
The forces of social change that is “High Modernity and Globalization”, as Anthony Giddens calls it, are responsible for 
the emergence of fundamentalism. 
Whenever there are drastic changes in society and change of pace which disturbs community life, very often there is a 
loss of identity and rootlesness among people. In such situations people clutch any support for solace. 
 
Fundamentalism promises certitude and restitution of an earlier better age of stability. 
The psychological appeal of this is difficult for people to resist  
To achieve and restitute this earlier better age, the Fundamentalist evolves a comprehensive and absolutist rigid belief 
system and practice. 
This belief and practice which promises to bring happiness is capable of motivating intense commitment among its 
followers. 
So much so non believers are denied there rights. 
 
That is why fundamentalism very often takes on a rather aggressive militant form, where killing and terrorism are justified.  
Since the end, usually the establishment of Homeland, that is Israel or Khalistan or Caliph, justifies the means. 
 
The two most prominent forms of religious fundamentalism are Islamic fundamentalism and Christian fundamentalism. 
Recently we also witnessing and increasing trend of Hindu fundamentalism. 
Christian fundamentalism in the US - reaction against secular values and a perceived moral crisis in American society. 
Islamic - Khomeini in 1979 and has been spreading ever since. 
Also leading to ISIS and related terrorism across the world. 
 
Conclusion - the challange for the modern muslim nations lies in achieving a balance to return to the fundamental 
religious values conducive to the Welfare of society rather than those that obstruct it. 
 
The strength of religious fundamentalism is another indication that secularization has not triumphed in the modern 
world.