Gross, Rita ‘Religious Diversity: Some Implications for Monotheism’.
With a specific focus on monotheistic religions, Rita Gross’s article explores religious diversity and the steps that must be taken in order to arrive at genuine religious pluralism. Gross places a large amount of responsibility on religious leaders, seeing it as their duty not only to be open to understanding what genuine pluralism is about but to be responsible for encouraging an understanding of religious diversity. She believes that an important religious problem that needs to be tackled is ignorance of different religions and beliefs, caused by a lack of understanding in monotheistic religions and which can lead to hostility and feelings of inferiority towards different religions. She states “Such religious ethnocentrism truly parallels racial, ethnic, class, and gender chauvinisms and is, unfortunately, frequently combined with them by those who dislike diversity” (Gross, 1999).
Gross affirms that religious tolerance alone is not enough; curiosity and a willingness to understand other religions must be a top priority. However, in order to develop religious pluralism, Gross advises that curiosity of other religions must be accompanied by empathy so that differences are not something which can be used as points of contention.
Gross is eager to emphasise that an education and appreciation of different religions does not mean a conversion to different religions. Instead, she believes that in learning about other religions, people have a basis for comparison and as such can gain a deeper understanding of their own religion. She states, “…once one really beings to understand other religions accurately, one is in a position also to appreciate one’s own religion much more fully” (Gross, 1999). Additionally, if people have a strong mature love of their own religious tradition, Gross believes that they will not feel insecure or threatened when faced with religious diversity.
Gross’ article encourages people to be open-minded and unafraid when it comes to religious pluralism, so that we can appreciate what different religions have to offer.
Source:
Gross, Rita M. ‘Religious Diversity: Some Implications for Monotheism’. Cross Currents 1999, Vol. 49, Issue 3 http://www.crosscurrents.org/gross.htm
Zuckerman, Phil ‘Religion is Socially Learned’ from ‘Invitation to the Sociology of Religion’.
Zuckerman’s article explores the acquisition of religion with the notion that religion is socially learnt. Drawing comprehensively upon a number of studies and reports dealing with the correlation between religious beliefs of parents with the religious beliefs of their children, Zuckerman argues that our religious identities are usually dependent on how we are socialised and who we socialise with; in other words, we learn our religion. This can also be the case when people switch religions due to the influence of spouses or close acquaintances, however Zuckerman cites the major influence as being parents. He states “Ultimately, religious identity and conviction aren’t generally so much a matter of choice or faith or soul-searching as a matter of who and what one’s parents, friends, neighbors, and community practice and profess” (Zuckermann, 2003).
Zuckerman debates whether holy texts such as the Bible or the Qur’an would have such a great religious importance if their significance hadn’t been socially learnt and passed on, and if passionate religious believers who insist on the truthfulness of their specific religion would do so if they had received a substantially different upbringing.
In order to strengthen his argument, Zuckerman tackles two questions; the first concerning if religious experiences can be socially learnt and the second relating to the beginning of new religions. With regards to the first question, Zuckerman maintains that different religions set up the construct for their particular religious experiences and, as such, people following a certain religion will often have a religious experience that fits in with their religious culture. In this way, Zuckerman argues that religious experiences are socially learnt because the social influences and expectations of a religion will determine the type of religious experience that will occur. Regarding the second question, Zuckerman acknowledges the social influences but does not provide a conclusive answer as to the origination of new religions.
Whilst Zuckerman doesn’t completely discount the possibility of a divine or supreme reality, his article does reveal the incredible social forces at play with regards to religion.
Source:
Zuckerman, P. (2003). Invitation to the Sociology of Religion. New York: Routledge. Chapter 3, pp. 47-60.
Howell, Julia Day ‘The New Spiritualities, East and West: Colonial Legacies and the Global Spiritual Marketplace in Southeast Asia’.
Julia Howell’s article investigates the new spiritual movements in Indonesia and how they are operating on a different sphere to religion. Howell points out that whilst religion and spirituality were traditionally aligned they are now seen to be somewhat opposing, with some people emphasising their spirituality rather than their religiousness.
Drawing on studies regarding the ‘new spirituality’ in Southeast Asia, Howell investigates the different spiritual movements and in what way they relate to the growth of new Western spiritual movements and the ‘holistic milieu’. The trend of participation in new forms of spirituality began in the West and whilst there are resemblances, Howell argues that the Indonesian spiritual movements do differ from those in the West.
With both Muslim and non-Muslims Indonesians eager to participate in the new forms of spirituality, people are taking it upon themselves to use these spiritual movements as opportunities to add a new dimension to their lives that is of benefit to their personal wellbeing. Howell views the new spiritual movements as supplementing what spiritual depth may be lacking in people’s lives. She says, “In Indonesia there has emerged, over the course of the twentieth century, a domain of depth spirituality that has become loosened from, and conceptually framed in contrast to, a normative, congregational domain of ‘religion’ proper” (Howell, 2006). Whilst religion is state-enforced and regulated in Indonesia, Howell states that there has been a rise in religious autonomy amongst Indonesians.
Howell views the growth and widespread appeal in spiritual movements as a result of the pluralism of modern society, where an increasing number of people desire to have a greater engagement with their own selves and with the world around them.
Source:
Howell, J.D. (2006). The New Spiritualities, East and West: Colonial Legacies and the Global Spiritual Marketplace in Southeast Asia. 2005 Penny Magee Memorial Lecture.
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