Bruce

Religion and Social

ProtestRelationship between religion and social change

Case studies on civil rights movement and the new Christian right

The American Civil Rights Movement

Struggle for black civil rights in 50s and 60s

Religiously motivated social change

Segregated on skin colour

Began with Rosa Parks

Direct Action

Marches

Boycotts

Demonstrations

1964 – segregation outlawed

The American Civil Rights Movement

Black Clergy – backbone of movement

Supported and legitimised civil rights activists

Churches – meeting places and sanctuaries

Prayers and hymns – unity in face of oppression.

Religion provided beliefs and practices drawn on for motivation and support

Several ways in which religious organisations are well equipped to support protests and contribute to social change

Taking the moral high ground

Channelling dissent

Acting as honest broker

Mobilising public opinion

Civil rights movement – religion becoming involved in secular struggle and helping to bring about change

The New Christian Right

Politically and morally conservative.

Aims – take America back to God.

Abortion, homosexuality and divorce illegal.

Believes in traditional family and gender roles. Campaigns for teaching of

creationism and to ban sex education in schools.

Campaigns raised profile of NCR since 70s. Used media and networking, e.g.

church owned television stations to raise funds, and to recruit and convert

new members.

The Moral Majority – pressure group – focus for political campaigning and

strengthening republican links.

The New Christian Right

Largely unsuccessful in achieving its aims.

Moral majority – never majority, at most 15%.

Campaigners have trouble cooperating with people from other religious groups.

NCR lacks widespread support – strong opposition from prochoice groups e.g.

Planned Parenthood.

Bruce – failed movement for change.

Not achieved aims, although it has a high media profile. Bruce sees it as an

attempt to impose Protestant fundamentalist morality on others and it has failed

because of the mainly liberal and democratic values of most of American society.

Very few Americans support theocracy – separation of church and state.

The New Christian Right

Surveys show

Most Americans are comfortable legalising activities that they personally believe

are immoral

Abortion

Homosexuality

Pornography

And are unwilling to accept other people’s definition of how they should live their

lives.

This is a problem for the NCR who believe the literal truth of the bible and

insists everybody should conform to its teaching.

Comparison between New Christian Right and

The American Civil Rights Movement.

To achieve success, the beliefs and demands of religiously motivated protest

movements and pressure groups need to be consistent with those of wider

society.

They need to conform with mainstream beliefs about democracy, equality and

religious freedom

The civil rights movement did this, where as the New Christian Right did not.