Social Change and Religion

Religion can inspire protest that leads to social change

• Bruce: During the American civil rights movement, Martin Luther King used religion as an ideological resource to legitimise social change, by appealing to the shared Christian values of equality and loving thy neighbour Therefore, religion acted as an ideological resource for the American Civil Rights movement, helping to reduce inequalities and bring about change.

• Weber – Religious beliefs of Calvinism acted as a force for social change by becoming the spirit of Capitalism. This is because Calvinism led people to believe working hard and being successful was a way to prove to themselves that they were one of the elect. As a result, people began only investing money into their own businesses to make more profit and live an ascetic lifestyle, ultimately giving capitalism its spirit.

Therefore, religion acted as a force for social change by causing capitalism to expand in society.

Evaluation:

Calvinism may not be what caused capitalism to expand.

Marxists criticise Weber, arguing that it was only after capitalism expanded that the bourgeoisie adopted Calvinist beliefs in an attempt to legitimise their drive for economic gain.

This suggests that instead of acting as a force for social change, religion is maintaining class inequalities in society and being used to legitimise them, therefore, acting as a conservative force.