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RELIGION AND GLOBALIZATION: UNDERSTANDING

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

The historical process by which the entire world's population progressively comes
to live in one social unit is known as globalization. It is one of the most powerful forces
in the world with far-reaching consequences. Globalization has a significant impact not
only on the economy, but also on many elements of life and culture, including religion.
For many, religion and globalization are two different realms with myriad of incongruities
in terms of objectives and mechanisms. In order to understand this discourse better, let
us dig deeper into their relationship with each other by probing these questions: What
are the conflicts and realities between religion and globalization? Is religion for or
against globalization?
Religion and Globalization are believed as a complete contrast of belief system.
There are many conflicts between the two, some of which include the following: the
abomination of the pursuit of power and shunning of any worldly possessions by the
theological oriented observers, which was perceived by globalists as a form of
asceticism, and thereby favoring material prosperity; the isolation of religions from the
modern world where authorities and globalization cannot hinder their practice of
devotion (e.g. Rizalistas isolated themselves in a secluded area of Mt. Banahaw, and
Essenes −members of a religious sect of Palestine− who secluded themselves in the
dessert); and the clash over the fact that evangelization by religions is a form of
globalization. However, in reality, the relationship of the two is way more complicated. It
can be seen on the fact that religions are the foundation of modern republics. For
example in Islam, the Malayan government places religion at the center of the political
system. Constitution explicitly states that Islam is the religion of the Federation; but
other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation
(Fernando, 2006). Also in Christianity, the rationalism of modern democratic and
bureaucratic society shaped the Church of England.
So much with the abovementioned, is religion really for or against globalization?
One of the desires of religion is to consolidate its mission of spreading its beliefs and
vision, and one of the many ways to do that is through communication and technology,
which are both forms of globalization. In order to emerge, religion made good use of
media. As Scholte (2005) explained: “Accelerated globalization of recent times has
enabled co-religionists across the planet to have greater direct contact with one
another”. Howbeit, globalization caused not just positive impacts on religion, but also
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THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
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otherwise. Globalization created a category called "world religions" where it categorizes

religions in terms of largeness and influence. Because of this, conflicts and competition
between religions arose, consequently making them more self-conscious (GKToday,
2016). Moreover, hybridization -- bringing cultures and identities as one or in direct
contact -- is one of globalization's aims, and this did not result to its ideal outcome. An
example would be the fusion of Christianity and Islam. The two indisputably have
contradicting practices and beliefs, thereby should not be homogenized (Azzouzi,
2013). Generally, these disputes among religions only denote failure of hybridization
brought about by globalization. On another aspect, terrorism also becomes an example
of “religion against globalization”. It can be seen on the involvement of other countries
on conflicts (involving religion) happening in a certain country. A perfect example of this
is the happenings in Afghanistan, specifically the incursion of the Taliban, a religious-
political movement. In 2001, the US-led forces put an end to Taliban’s regime and
established a base in the country. However, on August 15, 2021, the Taliban had
successfully invaded the country, putting an end to the presence of the US-led coalition
in Afghanistan (BBC, 2021).
In conclusion, the relationship between religion and globalization is a major
discourse characterized by a broad discussion involving plethora of factors and points of
view. The relationship between these two is one with many opportunities and
challenges; it is like mutualism in symbiotic relationship, so to speak, where both can
benefit from each other.
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REFERENCES
Azzouzi, M. (2013). Religion and Globalization: Benefits and Challenges. Retrieved
October 13, 2021 from
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/01/75121/religion-and-globalisation-
benefits-and-challenges#_ftn1
GKToday. (2016). Impacts of Globalization on Religion. Retrieved October 13, 2021
from https://www.gktoday.in/topic/impacts-of-globalization-on-religion/
Scholte, J. A. (2005). Globalization: A Critical Introduction (p.245). New York: Palgrave
Macmillan.