Religious Fundamentalism and Anti-Democratic Orientation

Religious Fundamentalism and Anti-Democratic Orientation Religion and Politics 12 November 2006

Overview • Six readings • First and second – Christian right and extremism • Third - Judaism as example of all religions naturally leading to extremism • Fourth – Stability through institutionalization – Belgium • Fifth and sixth – Minority/majority status and religions within society

Christian Violence in America – Mark Juergensmeyer • Millennium Thinking • Iran • Japan • India • US

Story of Reverend Bray – Lutheran Minister • Equate America with Nazi Germany – elimination of a class of citizens – the unborn • Bonhoffer – hanged by Nazis • Niebuhr - Just War Theory – Fulfill social Justice – realist • A capture of Niebuhr

Dominion Theology – Van Til,\Rushdoony, Gary North, Greg Bahnsen • Creation mandate – subdue the earth and populate • New Testament – Matthew 2820 ”and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Jesus)

Christian Identity • Eric Rudolph – Atlanta • Timothy McVeigh – Oklahoma City • Ruby Ridge • Aryan nation • Fear Jewish takeover – true Jews are Anglo Saxon (Issac’s Sons)– like Jesus/ Freemasons • Lost Sheep of the House of Israel – • Apocalyptic

Nature of violence • Destructive Display of Power • Incidents of power on God’s behalf • Compel to obedience • Re-establish order

Popular Christianity and Political Extremism in the United States –James Aho (Smith chapter 9) • Extremism includes – • efforts to deny civil rights to certain people • thwarting attempts by other to organize in opposition to us • not playing according to legal and constitutional rules of political fairness (idea of organic constitution)

American Right Wing Extremism – • Manichaenism – world divided into warring principles of absolute good and veil • Populism – citizenry would align with good except uninformed of present eveil • Conspiracy – forces of evil have a scheme of control • Anti-modernism – progressive movement is institutionalism of this conspiracy • Apocalypticism – the end is coming

Every thirty years an upsurge in America • 1790s – Federalist Party activists – opposed Illumanti-Illuminati • 1830s – The Masonic Lodge • 1890s – Papist and Jesuits • 1920s – Hidden Hand • 1950s – The Insiders of Force X • 1980s – Trilateral Society/Rockerfellerians

Several parallels • Secret societies in their own right (Ku Klux Klan) • No connection with economic turns • Christian Preachers have been instrumental

Christian Extremists Religious Pedigrees – Reformation heritage/Reformed/Baptist/fundamentalist • Beliefs – • Total human depravity • America a chosen people • Covenant theology and the right to revolt (strict covenant to be chosen people) • 2 Chron 7:14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (national mission) • Millennialism (Hal Lindsey Late Great Planet Earth, recently – Left Behind series – Tim Lahaye) • Anti-Semitism

Practice • Christianity is more than adhering to a particular doctrine – it is to live righteously • No two realm cosmology • Calvin’s Geneva – • Organization – social network theory – • John Frame – Christianity as Philosophy – pg 32 – • Rushdoony – Thy Kingdom Come – pg 194 • Christian Nation • Samuel Rutherford –

Samuel Rutherford – 1600-1661 • Lex, Rex was, after the Restoration, burned by the common hangman, and led to the citation of the author for high treason, which his death prevented from taking effect. It presented a theory of limited government and constitutionalism that laid the foundation for later political philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke and thus for modern political systems such as that of the United States. He advocates a rule by law rather than rule by men and discusses such concepts as the separation of powers and the covenant, a precursor to the social contract. His chief fame, however, rests upon his spiritual and devotional works, such as Christ Dying and drawing Sinners to Himself, but especially upon his Letters, which display a fervour of feeling and a rich imagery which, while highly relished by some, repel others.

Legitimation Problems in the Modern State - Habermas • The state does not, it is true, itself establish the collective identity of the society; nor can it itself carry out social integration through values and norms, which are not at its disposition. But inasmuch as the state assumes the guarantee to prevent social disintegration by way of binding decisions, the exercise of state power is tied to the claim of maintaining society in its normatively determined identify. The legitimacy of state power is then measured against this; and it must be recognized as legitimate if it is to last. (112)

Extremism as a Religious Norm – Charles S. Liebman • Religion claims absolute truth about ultimate reality • Gains adherents • Supplies the “right way” • Religion can evaluate culture and forms of truth in terms of religious truth • Religious commitment is total commitment – religious behavior is moral behavior

Definition –by dimension • First – Expansion of Religious law - halakha • Scope – from public to family to private (includes social institutions) • Elaboration of the Details of the Law – centralized control • Strictness versus leniency in interpretation – strict being imposition of restrictions and hardships • Second – Social Isolation – • May be physical isolation • May be emotional isolation – intense evangelism • Third – Cultural Rejection – rejection of cultural forms and values that are not perceived as indigenous to the religious tradition • Modern thought • Modern science • Modern entertainment • Modern education

Extremism cannot exist in reality – The Shakers • The norm – Religious Extremism – • The abnormal – Religious liberalism or moderation – this needs explanation • Extremism is restrained when religion is an organic part of the society diffused throughout its institutions. To survive it must compromise and avoid isolation but adapt • Successful religion confers status and material benefits on its leaders an attracts to its ranks individuals with self interested motivations, orientation and propensities inconsistent with extremism • Religion is not unidimensional attracts those inconsistent with extremist orientations

Three models – • First – interprets tradition in light of contemporary culture or values • Second – contemporary culture or values are to be understood in light of tradition • Third – Separation – compartmentalizes life into Jewish and universalist realms

Democracy and Religious Politics, Evidence from Belgium • Religious Politics inimical to democratic development • highly ideological • aliberal, antisecular • Certain contexts can foster cooperation between religious politics and democratic development • Belgium proved to be an excellent example of cooperation between religious entities and the democratic process

Democracy and Religious Politics, Evidence from Belgium • Why Belgium? • Three reasons for success: • political shift negatively affecting religious actors (moderate political insiders) • existence of competitive institutions (radical grassroots outsiders) • centralized religious structure (a centralized church) • Four Reasons to study it: • religious cleavage coupled with religious mobilization • ideological preference for an aliberal/nondemocratic regime • competitive political institutions • democratic consolidation

Democracy and Religious Politics, Evidence from Belgium • Historical Catholicism, perfect antithesis for Democracy • opposed to political liberalism, democracy • freedom of speech, conscience, religion, and press • the doctrine of progress • separation of church and state • Why did it fail to establish a “Church State” in Belgium? • unable to run countries in which it was the "subculture“ • if anything, helped to provide stabilization? how? (never really explained) • modernization in Europe lead to a movement away from church-run governments (theocracy to true democracy)

Democracy and Religious Politics, Evidence from Belgium • Belgium, historical background • revolt in 1830 • liberals and conservatives formed a "union" • liberals started to sap power from church, this lead to partisan politics • resulted in the advent of a "true" catholic party (the Ultramontanes) • Political Actors • the Church (instrumental in the creation of the state) • the Ultramontanes (highly conservative sect, interested in restoration of the "Christian Society") • the Conservatives (moderates in their position, more accepting of the state as was)

Democracy and Religious Politics, Evidence from Belgium • Conflict • election of 1878, liberals win • push church out of school related affairs • diplomatic breaks with the Vatican occurred (1880) • Ultramontanes pushed in 1878 elections (Catholique et Politique) • Ultramontanes wanted the "catholic restoration of the conservative party" • defeat of conservatives pushed for stronger bid for "pure catholic party" • conservatives asked for Vatican intervention but were denied

Democracy and Religious Politics, Evidence from Belgium • Outcome • Conservatives were embraced with the decision of Leo XIII to not attack Belgium's constitution • end of Ultramontanes party • signaled a more moderate approach to the treatment between church and state • consolidation between both parties

Rethinking Protestantism and Democratic Consolidation in Latin America • Protestantism is said to be having a positive affect on political climates • material and economic culture • political culture • Defining Democracy • universal adult franchise • freely contested competitive elections • absence of significant reserved powers • recognition of liberal rights and freedoms

Rethinking Protestantism and Democratic Consolidation in Latin America • Pentecostals in Brazil • Egalitarianism • strict adherence to moral principles • non-violence • "clean break" from traditional culture roles • external validity comes into question • one group in one country • Hope in Brazil? • Is it possible for there to be a shift away from the more authoritarian view of religion in South America?

Rethinking Protestantism and Democratic Consolidation in Latin America • Peasants in Chile • Protestantism found to be reinforcing traditional roles • new source of paternalistic authority • Protestantism therefore provides a new set of symbols and signs to combat the "changing social structure" • Protestantism’s Effects • latent changes in South America • Democratization will come • capitalism to go hand in hand with liberalism, democracy? • Protestantism > entrepreneurial spirit > capitalism > democratic stability

Rethinking Protestantism and Democratic Consolidation in Latin America • Hope in Brazil • Pentecostals, tend to be clientist • open embrace of religious freedom • mirror-images of democratizing factors seen in government • The Future? • The spread of Democracy or the co-habitation of religious communities and governmental structures seem very imminent in Latin America

Religious Minorities and Support for Immigrant Rights in the United States, France, and Germany • Religious and Social Minorities • tend to sympathize with one another • influence both political and social thought • case study of Jewish attraction to political left • Surveys were conducted in: • France • Germany • The United States

Religious Minorities and Support for Immigrant Rights in the United States, France, and Germany • Variables (in addition to whether or not respondent was in the social or political minority): • Education • Income • Religious Preference • Will religious preference play a role in view toward minorities and immigrant rights?

Religious Minorities and Support for Immigrant Rights in the United States, France, and Germany • In the United States: • Yes, Minority Status leads to Minority Support (both religiously and socially) • Who exactly supports minorities? • Jews • Catholics (independent of being Hispanic) • Those with No Religion • In Germany and France: • Similar results as those in the United States • White Protestants, however, shown to be the exception

Question • Do you think given the recent power shift in Congress that a more moderate core within the Republican Party will strive to move away from the Religious Right (a la the Ultramontanes) to try and reconcile the power it lost in the 2006 elections?

Question • Is it possible that the movement away from more religiously dominated governments could be a direct cause of some other variable besides improving social conditions? • Do you think that this in any way ties back to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Question • Collectively, minorities (social and political) can stand to gain a lot from working with one another in a hostile environment. Can you cite any potential drawbacks to this strategy? How could groups combat any unforeseen drawbacks?

Religious Fundamentalism and Anti-Democratic Orientation