Sociology Now, Census Update

New Age beliefs have certainly benefited from increased globalization because

followers can now travel the world in search of meaningful rituals. Indeed, travel com-

panies have developed that cater especially to the spiritual nomads, who travel the

world seeking meaning (Gooch, 2002). The rapid development and number of these

groups also suggests that we are, in essence, a spiritual nation—with a spirituality

that covers vast areas of our mental landscape and welcomes multiple beliefs but does

not go very deep. The trend in industrialized countries is that the decline in “tradi-

tional” religion is accompanied by a rise in New Age spirituality (Moghadam, 2003).

The United States is seeing a rise in both.

Religion as Politics

Religion has always been “political”—indeed, manifesting the vision of one’s religious

beliefs in the political arena is often an essential part of the religion. The great reli-

gious leaders, like Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, found out firsthand that existing

authorities find new religious beliefs threatening to their political control.

In the twentieth century, religion has been embroiled in political debates on all

sides of the political spectrum. In the former Soviet Union or in China today, just

professingreligion could be threatening to social control by the Communist party,

providing an alternative authority structure. In twentieth-century Latin America,

liberation theologywithin the Catholic Church was a source of popular mobilization

against ruthless political dictators. Liberation theology focuses on Jesus not only as

savior but specifically as the savior of the poor and oppressed and emphasizes the

Christian mission of bringing justice to the poor.

Most commonly, religious mobilization has aimed to move society to the polit-

ical right, to restore a conservative agenda of a “Christian America” or an “Islamic

Republic.” In contemporary America, the mobilization of the Christian right has

had an enormous effect on everyday life, from the sorts of books one can read in

508 CHAPTER 15RELIGION AND SCIENCE

What Is the Bible?

The Bible is the main religious text for Christians (as is the Old Testament for the Jews). Often,

scientific theories, such as those about evolution and the origin of Earth, seem to contradict

what is said in the Bible. How one views the Bible has an effect on how one uses it in evaluating

and theorizing about the surrounding world. So, what do you think?

15.1

What

do

you

think

❍The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be

taken literally, word for word.

❍The Bible is the inspired word of God but not every-

thing in it should be taken literally, word for word.

❍The Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends,

history, and moral precepts recorded by humans.

Which of these statements comes closest to describing your feelings about the Bible?

?

See the back of the chapter to compare your answers to national survey data.