Suchergebnisse

Examines struggles in the democratization & modernization of Moldova that have been in development since the end of the 1980s. The national liberation of this region has allowed for a territorial competition between Latin & Russian orthodoxies, the church of the former lending itself as a fundamental cause in the entire national project throughout Romania, the latter seeking to regain the hegemony it once held in former Soviet republics. With these denominational conflicts entering onto the political stage in a seemingly inextricable way, their clash jeopardizes not merely the religious identity of the redeveloping region, but moreover the prevailing national identity & all of the socioeconomic stakes that come with it. Addressing these issues entails, for Moldovians, a choice between identification with Western European ideals or appeal to the remnants of a Soviet past. 14 References. C. Brunski

The 'new atheism' has become an established cultural reference point in Britain. The anti-religious texts of authors such as Richard Dawkins have fuelled much media discussion concerning the public role of religion in the UK and elsewhere. The new atheism has also been politically controversial, with a government minister recently criticising 'secular fundamentalism' for threatening religious identity and seeking to remove religion from public life. Many commentators have argued that new atheism effectively mirrors the features of religious fundamentalism, evincing an intolerant and absolutist worldview that may damage social and political relations. This article seeks to examine the extent to which new atheism possesses features that echo those of the religious fundamentalist. It is contended that while the new atheists display strong anti-religious convictions, they generally do not adopt stances of absolute certainty. New atheists promote uncompromising arguments for depriving religion of institutional and political privileges, yet maintain liberal tolerance for the practice of religion itself. It is suggested that while new atheists ought not to be considered secular fundamentalists, they do proselytise for radical secularism and atheism in a way which could be considered 'evangelical' in certain respects. Adapted from the source document.

Examines the important place given to religion in cultural, socioeconomic, & political explanations of ethnic conflict; the pervasive presence of religion in most ethnic conflicts of the last decade; & the absence of religion as a factor in Rwanda's recent horrific ethnic conflict. It is argued that the presence of religion in a broad array of conflicts does not mean it is the best explanation for them or even that it is the predominant factor. An exploration of two common methodological problems, a priori underdetermination & posteriori overdetermination, illustrates some of the inadequacies of religion as an explanation of ethnic conflict. A discussion of definitional difficulties calls attention to the confusion that results when the core element of ethnic identity is religious identity, as is the case in contemporary conflicts in Northern Ireland & Yugoslavia. The impact of religious secularization is discussed, along with differences between modernist & postmodernist perspectives of religion, secularization, & ethnic conflict. The potential of religion to help in finding solutions to ethnic conflict is explored. J. Lindroth

The essay analyzes the relationship of politics & religion in the Confucian countries of East Asia in historical, systematic, & comparative perspectives in order to assess the potential for economic modernization & political democratization of the various religious traditions in these countries. The analysis starts with the historical development of the relationship between politics & religion in imperial China & proceeds to the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, & South Korea. It shows that the various religious traditions contribute in varying degrees to the economic modernization & political democratization of these countries. 72 References. Adapted from the source document.

Implications of discussing religious topics for the development of critical theory are considered. Bertolt Brecht's essay on communism & religious struggles in early-20th-century Germany is reviewed, contending that Brecht's identification of three perspectives on the Nazi-Christian conflict illustrates the benefits of religious discourse for expanding critical social theory. Friedrich Schleiermacher's essay on religious indifference in the educated elite is viewed as a precursor to Brecht's perspective. Despite significant differences in the respective critics' approaches, it is asserted that both authors facilitate critical theory's exploration of the connection between politics & religion. Critical theory's concern with the issue of addressing religion from certain historical & civilizational frameworks is reviewed. Noting that previous scholarship has emphasized the political aspects of certain religions, it is concluded that approaches of critical theory to religion could offer secularized accounts of particular religious practices. J. W. Parker

Countless observers, especially in Europe, tend to view the politics of George W. Bush as being strongly inspired by Christian "fundamentalism" & powered by "missionary" zeal. This article examines the justice of such an assessment. It comes to a different conclusion, arguing that in his speeches, the current President of the United States mostly uses "civil religious" metaphors & images, but rarely those of Christian denominations; that he only adopts the domestic policy agenda of his party's Christian Right wing where this seems expedient on electoral grounds; & that his foreign policy is based on American security interests, & not on any "fundamentalist" dogmas. 37 References. Adapted from the source document.

This essay explores the existence of a political religion, or the sacralization of politics, in the former East German party-state. Ulbricht & Honecker were very charismatic leaders in the GDR, & their political 'ideology' closely resembled a secular-religious vision based on faith in science, legitimated with political rituals & mass festivals. The authors consider political religion against the background of the equally charismatic Max Weber's sociology of religion & theory of rationalization, the latter of which supports secular beliefs such as nationalism & socialism. They point out how a sacralized politics can meet the people's yearning for something beyond themselves in their everyday lives. The history of this rationalization in the Soviet Union & later in the GDR & elsewhere in Eastern Europe is closely examined. J. Stanton