LESSON 9: THE GLOBALIZATION OF RELIGION

 RELIGION
- the belief in a God or in a group of Gods.
- an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a God or
a group of Gods.

 Religion plays a vital role in the lives of Filipinos

- naging deboto tayo ng Christianity noong sinakop ang Pilipinas way back 1521
(when Ferdinand Magellan came).

 Roudometof (2014) - Globalization has affected religion in various ways:

1. It paved the way of the rise of religious nationalism
2. Turn of religion into public life
3. The proliferation of international terrorism
4. The increase of individual religiosity

1. Globalization gave rise to religious nationalism that came about after the
Second World War.
 For example in the Philippines, crafting the law is sometimes anchored on
the lawmakers’ belief in Christianity.
 2018 - a National Bible Day (made my Sen. Manny Pacquiao) was
declared as a special working holiday.

2. Globalization led to the turn of religion into public life as a reaction to

post - World War II modernism.
 Cassanova (1994) - The often forceful entrance of religious traditions, such
as the Catholic liberation theology and Islamic fundamentalism, from private
sphere into public life.
3. Globalization affected the proliferation of international terrorism.
 Martin (2017) - For one religious extremism (a type of political violence
anchored on the belief that a Supreme being grants violence in the act of
Glorifying one’s faith) has become a central issue faced by the global
community.
 Extremists believe that it is their duty to fulfill God’s Will through
violence.
 2017 - the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a known extremist group,
triggered the locals Mindanao to launch the Marawi Siege for five months.

4. Globalization prompted the increase of individual religiosity.

 Brought about by the individual’s need to rely on his or her beliefs and
relationship with the supreme being.

 Roudometof (2014)
 Global migration also influences religions.
 Because of migration, globalization has forced the appearance of “religious
traditions in places monitory”

 Deterritorialization of Religion
 Deterritorialization - a cultural feature that blurs the lines between
characteristic of migration amidst globalization.

 Campbell (2007)
 Global migration also resulted to Easternization of the West ( the starting
point for the spread of world religions, is now the recipient of a new system of
beliefs from the East )

 Roudometof (2014)
 Religion is influenced by global trends and impulse and is forced to respond
to new found situations
 One good example is the use of social media as tool for evangelization
American Evangelists Joel Scott Osteen and Kirk Thomas Cameron
make use of Facebook and other social media platforms to spread their
beliefs.
 Another example is the call for ecumenism among Christian churches to
have closer relationship and better recognition.
 2006 - the Catholic-Orthodox dialogue transpired

 Roudometof (2014) - the interaction of religion and culture resulted in a

global-local religion, developed a model of four distinct glocalization -
indigenization, vernacularization, nationalization, and
transnationalization.

1. Vernacularization
- refers to blending of universal religions with local languages.
 Arabic - is used as Islam’s scared language even outside the Arab world.
 Greek and Latin - remains to be the primary languages of Christianity.

2. Indigenization
- transform a universal religion to suit the specifics of a particular ethnic group.
 Example: Practice of Islam by various ethnic groups in the Zamboanga
peninsula.

3. Nationalization
- constructs a link between the nation and church.
 Philippines Independent Church - an independent Christian denomination.
It is an example of a national modifiers to their religious identification (e.g.
Greek Orthodox Christianity).
4. Transnationalization
- has complemented religious nationalism by focusing groups on identifying
specific religious traditions of real or imagined national homeland.
 Iglesia ni Cristo - 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.
 The globalization of religion brought two opposing result.
 Starting from the late 20th century - religion has been a source of globe
conflict and peace.
 June 2017 - In Britain, Muslims were linked to the jihadist attack on the
London Bridge.
 June 2017 - Jewish extremists in Israel were accused of targeting and
beating Palestinians.
 2017 - The American-based organization New Christian right questioned the
teaching of evolution in school in the same year.

 Juergensmeyer (2014) - claims that the conflicts are about identity and
economics and privilege and power.
 2001 - Osama bin Laeden’s attack on the World Trade Center was
triggered by the American exploitation of the oil reserves of the Middle East,
but the jihadist warriors carried out the attack for they were willing to be
martyred in the name of Allah
 The Marawi City siege, in which the ISIS - Maute group alliance was
responsible, was the small group’s quest for Bangsamoro identity and
power over its exclusive jurisdiction.

 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
 Internationalization of religious rebellion - where in the warfare comes
between the religious and secular politics
 Invention of global enemies - where in anti-American and anti-European
sentiments are growing
 Global war - wherein 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.

 FIVE WORLD RELIGIONS

1. HINDUISM
 the religion of Hinduism developed and evolved over a long time in India,
giving rise to a variety of beliefs and practices and to other religions,
including Buddhism.
 1500 BCE or earlier - founded in this era and one of the oldest religions of
humanity
 Brahman - God in Hinduism
 WHAT DO HINDUS BELIEVE?
1. Brahman
- the eternal being
- created and preserves the world. Everything in the world is an aspect of
Brahman.
2. Atman
- the soul
- each person has one that is an aspect of Brahman
- can’t ever be destroyed
3. Devas
- manifestations of Brahman that are active in the world and who help to maintain
order
- 3 of the most common - Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), &
Siva (the destroyer)
4. Reincarnation
- being reborn into this world lifetime after lifetime (Samsara)
5. Karma
- the sum effect of a person’s actions, good and bad, which helps shape future
experiences.
6. Moksha
- goal of human existence
- escape from the cycle of reincarnation to join with the Brahman.
7. Dharma
- set of spiritual duties and obligations that must be fulfilled to achieve Moksha.

 WHAT ARE THE RELIGIOUS PRACTICES OF HINDUISM?

 Vary greatly because worship can take place anywhere - usually a temple or
in the home.
 Gurus or sages - spiritual leaders
 Yoga - integrated physical and mental exercises. They teach people to focus
their minds and bodies which will aid their meditation in order to attain
moksha,
 Pilgrimage to Ganges - thought it flows through 2 devas so its water is holy.
Bathing in it will purify them and remove bad karma.
 Hinduism located in India and Southeast Asia.

2. BUDDHISM
 Which teaches people that they can escape the suffering of the world through
the Buddhist teachings, developed in the Northeast India in 520 BCE and
spread to other parts of Asia.
 4th largest religion in the world.
 500s B.C to A.D 600s - The Spread of Buddhism (Afghanistan, Tibet, India,
Burma, China, Korea, Japan)
 SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA (563 - 483 BCE) - THE FOUNDER
- Unlike Hinduism, Buddhism can be traced to one single founder, Siddharta
Gautama.
- Prince of a small kingdom; he lived a sheltered life and sought the answer to
ending suffering.
- After years if meditation and searching, he sat under a Bodhi tree where he
became Enlightened.
- He transformed into the BUDDHA - THE ENLIGHTENED ONE
 THE TEACHINGS OF BUDDHISM
 Desire - the fundamental cause of all suffering.
 Therefore, extinguish the self, don’t obsess about oneself. Give up all
materials and possessions of the world.
 FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
1. There is suffering the world. To live is to suffer.
2. The cause of suffering is people’s desires for pleasure and material goods.
3. The solution is to eliminate desire and attachments. (Nirvana = extinction)
4. To reach nirvana, one must follow the Eightfold Path.
 EIGHTFOLD PATH
 Right understanding
 Right speech
 Right livelihood
 Right concentration
 Right mindfulness
 Right effort
 Right action
 Right intention
 EIGHTFOLD PATH - NIRVANA
 Nirvana
- is a state of perfect peace in which the soul would be free from suffering
forever. It would escape from the cycle of rebirth.
- if nirvana is not achieved, then the soul would be reborn to live through the
cycle of suffering again.
 Monk or lamas - spiritual leaders
 Temple or meditation hall - where worship takes place.
 Buddhism located in Southeast and East Asia (China)

3. JUDAISM
 The oldest of the monotheistic faiths (religions with one God)
 Abraham - the Hebrew leader who founded Judaism in Mesopotamia around
1300 B.C.
 ABRAHAM’S GENEALOGY
 All 3 religions are linked by Abraham - He is the patriarch of all 3.
 Judaism is over 3000 years old and is the oldest of the world’s
monotheistic religions. It’s also the smallest, with only about 14 million
(7th) followers around the world.
 Jerusalem - its holy city
 JUDAISM BELIEFS
 Jews believe that there is a single God (Yahweh) who not only created the
universe, but with whom every Jew can have an individual and personal
relationship.
 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 - basic code of law.
 JUDAISM HOLY BOOK
 Torah - the most holy Jewish book (the first five books of the Christian
Bible); scroll of teachings; contains the five books revealed to Moses by
God on Mount Sinai; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy
 Talmud - written form which includes Judaism’s oral tradition
 JUDAISM PLACE OF WORSHIP
 Synagogues or temples - where Jews worship. Men and women usually sit
separately.
 Rabbi - who led the worship
 Saturday (begins at sundown on Friday) - time for worship
 THE TEMPLE
 900 - 1000 BCE - according to the Bible, the First Temple for Jewish worship
was built in this time
 586 BCE - destroyed by Babylonians.
 The Jews were then sent out of Canaan, but returned after 50 years in
exile.
 Diaspora - massive migration; occurs when a group of people leave their
homeland and move to many different locations separately
 Jewish Diaspora - all of the world’s Jewish communities today that do not
live in present-day Israel are part of this.
 In 1500, Judaism located in Europe and Middle East
 Today, located in Israel and U.S.

4. CHRISTIANITY
 Jesus Christ - founded Christianity and who was crucified around A.D. 33 in
Palestine in the city of Jerusalem. It was after his death when his followers
came to believe in him as the Christ, the Messiah.
 Is the world’s largest religion, with about 2.2 billion followers worldwide.
 It is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ who lived in the Holy Land 2,000
years ago
 CHRISTIANITY BELIEFS
 Christians believe that Jesus Christ was the SON OF GOD.
 God sent his Son to earth to save humanity from the consequences of its
sins
 Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his Crucifixion
(Resurrection)
 Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old
Testament
 Christians believe that there is only one God but that this one God consists of
3 persons - God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost - Trinity
 Christians believe that God made the world.
 Christians believe that they can have a personal relationship with God, and
that they are saved by faith, and good works
 They believe in heaven and hell
 They believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God
 CHRISTIANS HOLY BOOK
 Bible - the Christian holy book; it is divided into the Old and New
Testaments; parts of the writing contained in the Old
Testament are also sacred to Jewish and Muslim people.
 CHRISTIAN PLACE OF WORSHIP
 Church - Christian place of worship which are built in the shape of a cross
with the altar facing east towards the rising sun.
 Priest, Pastor or Reverend - who led the services
 Sunday - day of worship
 CHRISTIAN SECTS
 Roman Catholicism (hindi pwedeng mag-asawa) vs. Eastern Orthodox -
Christian Church divided when the Roman Empire was divided and then fell.
Orthodox Christians do not recognize the authority of the Pope.
 Catholicism vs. Protestantism (INC, born again - as a result of the
Reformation, Protestant sects broke with the Catholic Church and
established their own separate churches.
 1500 - located in Europe and Middle East
 Today - located in Americas and Europe

5. ISLAM
 Muhammad - founded Islam in Arabia in A.D. 622
 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 (peace be upon him).
 Muslims - those who followed Islam
 Allah - only one God who speaks Arabic
 ISLAM HOLY BOOK
 Holy Qur’an - Muslim scripture; it is the word of God; Muslim beliefs and
practices are rooted here.
 Muslims treat the Qur’an with great respect because they believe that the
Qur’an is from Allah, and every word and every letter is sacred.
 Muslims regard the Qur’an as the unaltered word of God.
 ISLAM PLACE OF WORSHIP
 Mosque - Muslim building for communal worship; this word comes from the
Arabic for “place of prostration”
 Worshippers are called to prayer 5 times a day from minarets (towers on
the mosque corners.
 They contain only designs, no people or animals or furniture
 Friday- normal day of worship
 Imams- religious leaders
 FIVE PILLAR BELIEF SYSTEM / LAW CODE
1. Shadahah: 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.
2. Salah: Pray 5 times a day facing Mecca
 Muslims are required to pray five times a days, washing themselves before
prayer and facing in the direction of Mecca while praying.
3. Zakat: Give a fixed proportion to charity
 Muslims are required to give away a percentage of their earnings those less
fortunate, regardless of their religion.
4. 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 behavior and strive to purify their
thoughts.
5. Hajj: Make a pilgrimage to Mecca
 It is financially possible, Muslims are required to travel to Mecca once in their
lifetime.

 1500 - located in Middle East, Africa and Southern Europe

 Today - located in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.