Communication Between Cultures

Religion in the Twenty-First Century

We ended the last section by noting the tandem relationship between religious

activity and many of the dimensions of culture. This means that religion is part

of a larger system. In this way, it is attached to countries’economic, healthcare,

political, and educational organizations. As these four organizations and the entire

world become more complex, religion is undergoing a modern-day reassessment.

From globalization to the rise of religious extremism to domestic changes in demo-

graphics to debates between secularistsand Evangelical Christians, the world is

confronted with an excess of events that are having a profound effect on religion

in this century. It seems that“peoples of religion are no longer long distances from

each other. Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians are highly mobile popula-

tions that have crossed geographical and cultural boundaries to meet and live

among each other.”^35

Globalization and Religion

As you learned in previous chapters, globalization has both economic and social con-

sequences. The advanced technologies and sophisticated communication systems at

the heart of globalization have created unparalleled changes for people throughout

the world.“In much the same way that markets have been globalizing over the past

decade, the revolution in information and communication has had far-reaching

effects on the various ecclesiastical religions of the world.”^36 Newman speaks to

some of the changes when he points out that“this globalization of religion is creating

a crisis for religious communities. Exposure to competing worldviews challenges tradi-

tional beliefs.”^37

The idea that globalization should have effects on religion should not be surpris-

ing, as globalization, combined with the forces of modern technology, has made

human contact inevitable. In the past, religions have usually consisted of the beliefs,

values, and practices of a particular religious community. However, now those reli-

gious communities are confronted with messages being sent via new technologies as

well as the challenges created by major shifts in international migration patterns.

Because of these two forces, religious institutions have had to adapt to a series of

novel and often disturbing images and ideas. According to Roberts, one of the most

troubling new concepts faced by religion today is secularism. He notes,“Globalization

impacts religion in a number of ways. The emerging global culture is a highly secular-

ized one stressing a rational-utilitarian outlook on the world and calling for institu-

tional differentiation of religion from other spheres.”^38 What is worrisome to many

religious leaders is that these“other spheres”pull their adherents away from well-

established doctrines and values.

Violence and Religion

For thousands of years violence in the name of religion has been part of the record

of nearly every culture. As Schmidt and his colleagues remind us, “Religious

experiences are not always positive. Sometimes religiously‘sanctioned’ behavior

seems more pathological and diseased than ecstatic and liberating.”^39 Religious lea-

ders have always had to explain the dichotomy between preaching about peace

while engaging in bloody and brutal wars. At the core of this violence is the reality

Religion in the Twenty-First Century 111

Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).