Ahmetova L. S.
Senior
Lecturer, MA in History
Kostanay
state university named after A. Baytursynov
Kazakhstan,
Kostanay
Evolution of religion in the modern world.
The history of
humanity and history of religion testify the continuous changes in the
religious sphere. Varied types of religions, disappeared various forms of
national religions, strengthened and developed the world's religions, there
were changes in the religions themselves. This process of changing the forms of
religion in different nationalities and in different regions does not always
happen peacefully. Thus, the history of Christianity, and Islam indicates the
violent expulsion of the old beliefs during the conquest of nations and
peoples.
This way, in the
history of religion have been various evolutionary and
"revolutionary" processes.
The evolution of
religion in the broadest sense of the word can be understood relatively
peaceful, gradual process of change, which appears in both the appearance and
disappearance of all forms of religion, and in the mutual influence of
different religions, as well as changes in the framework of a particular
religion, due to the impact of changing public relationship. Evolution can be
considered as an objective historical process, independent of the will and
desires of the people, while flowing through the struggle and collision of
representatives of various organizations. In this process, one can’t ignore the
personal qualities of the founders of various religious movements.
The modern era,
with its increasingly accelerating pace of change, global, more clearly reveals
the dependence between the development of scientific knowledge, scientific and
technical progress, changes in lifestyles and the evolution of religion. Of
course, this relationship can’t be simplified, much less argue that the
development of science sphere of influence of religion automatically narrows,
that this or that scientific and technical achievement is a testament in favor
of "a refutation of religion." For example, in 50 -60s talked a lot
(and even theologians) of the "crisis of religion" in the modern
world, a sort of reality such judgments reflect, but hardly correct to speak of
a "global crisis" of religion.
In fact, the relationship
between the evolution of religion and the development of science, technology,
social relationships and lifestyles is more complex and mediated, it is
specifically manifested at different levels of religious consciousness,
worship, religious activities. The fact that man does not live only in the
natural world, but also the world's "second nature", the world's
material and spiritual culture, creates and modifies the people themselves.
Transforming it, he changes himself, his views and beliefs, habits and customs,
norms of relations between individuals and peoples. All this should be
reflected in religion, in all its components’ change, after all, believers and
theologians are living in the same changing world. The changes also taking
place in recent years, are global in nature, they affect all nations and
peoples living in different corners of the globe.
The current stage of
scientific and technological revolution, which began at the turn of the 70-80s,
opens up broad prospects of development of the productive forces of society.
The main directions of this stage of the STR are such new scientific and
technological industries as microelectronics, computer science, robotics,
biotechnology, creating materials with predetermined properties. Continuing
studies which are investigating the possibility of creating new sources of
energy, including nuclear fusion. On the basis of scientific and technological
achievements, as their distribution in different regions of the world is enhanced
interconnection and interdependence of all economic, social and political
processes in the world. It is no exaggeration to say that the rapid scientific
and technological development is accompanied by an equally significant social
and political processes. Radically changed the political map of the world.
Almost disappeared colonial countries and on the world stage came as an
influential political force of the state and unions of states, which until
recently belonged to the dependent countries - India, Indonesia, the countries
of the Arab East, Brazil and others. All these scientific, technical and
socio-political changes lead to changes in the lifestyle of different nations,
in their minds, including in the sphere of religion.
One such notable change is the
process of secularization, which is most evident in the developed countries of
Europe, makes itself felt in other countries and regions. In medieval Europe,
the term "secularization" means facing the church and monastery lands
in public ownership. The same term refers to transfer of any functions of the
church conducting the civilian authorities. Currently, secularization refers to
a complex multi-faceted process of liberation of different spheres of society
and culture from the domination of religious institutions and symbols.
If we are talking about
institutions and companies related to the recent history of the West,
secularization is manifested in the loss of the Christian Church spheres,
especially under its control or influence: in the separation of church and
state, the expropriation of church lands, in the liberation of the education
system under the authority of the Church authorities. If we talk about the
culture and symbols, then the secularization meant something more than a social
process. It has an effect on the totality of the cultural life of society. It
can be observed by reducing the growth of religious themes in art, philosophy
and literature, and most importantly - the development of science as an
autonomous, purely secular view of the world. The process of secularization has
a subjective side: along with the secularization of society and culture exists
the secularization of consciousness. This means that modern society produces
more individuals who, in their relation to the world and ourselves are not
religious all the time.
As a global phenomenon,
characteristic of the modern era, it is clear that this process is uneven in
the world. On different population groups it affects differently. Research of
specialists shows that men are more susceptible to the effects of
secularization than women, middle-aged people - the young and old, city
dwellers - than rural residents, representatives of social groups that are
directly related to current production.
One of the most obvious
effects of secularization process was the beginning of the century "crisis
of faith" in religion. We can say that secularization was the result of
widespread disillusionment with the truth of the traditional religious
definitions of reality. If modern man manifests indifference to issues related
to religion, it is objectively confronted with a multitude of religious and
non-religious courts, each of which defines its own reality. These instances
are fighting among themselves, challenging attention to their positions of
religious definitions of reality.
Currently in many developed
countries the church is separated from state structures. Law, politics,
economics, science and art in the exercise of their functions are increasingly
not appeal to certain dogmas, but mainly to the "worldly" interests
of man, society, certain social groups. Thus, the United Nations as an
international body composed of almost all states of the world, in its
Constitution and the Declaration of Human Rights proclaims one of the most important
principles of its activities to ensure individual rights to decent conditions
of life, regardless of race and religion. International organizations adopted a
declaration recognizing the right of a person to choose a non-religious
outlook, as well as his right to religious choice.
All these factors indicate
that it is now possible to talk about that, along with various forms of
religious worldview formed and developed as a non-religious, secularized world.
It does not constitute an internally coherent system and combines it
essentially irreligious one sign. At different levels of social consciousness
level, depth, awareness of this irreligious are different and identify common
characteristics of this world is very difficult. Probably it can be considered
the main feature of intuitive awareness, a sense of the growing role of the
individual in changing all the conditions of their existence. For such a world
the basic principle of value orientation is becoming recognized that the main
value for the person is the person, regardless of his religion. On a
theoretical level, this world is represented in many different directions of
currents, philosophical concepts. Among them there are the natural sciences,
sociological and anthropological direction. In addition, they are used to
distinguish their products and concepts such as "agnostic",
"skeptic", "atheist", "secularist",
"humanist" and others. At the same time the most common features of
this secularized world are humanism and focus on science. Among the well-known
open-minded enough domestic readers can call Feuerbach, Freud, Bertrand
Russell, Albert Camus, Sartre and others.
So, for most of human history,
religion had a monopoly on the right to regulate individual and social life.
Currently, we are witnessing the fact that secularization leads to the
formation of a radically different situation - a situation of pluralism. In the
framework of modern society is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain
previous position of religion and religious beliefs as eternal and immutable
truth. These effects combine to form a "crisis of faith" in religion.
Pluralistic situation leads to
an increase in the number of different competing with each other religious
structures. Religion is increasingly becoming a "matter of individual
taste," a matter of subjective preference, and religious traditions lose
their character of universal symbolic systems.
At the moment for religious
organizations there are two possibilities. They can adapt to any situation or
try to maintain viability in the face of numerous competitors. Both options
can’t be done without addressing, which form what is called a "crisis of
religion in modern society."
The evolution of religion in
the modern era is also reflected in the weakening of the influence and authority
of traditional forms.
By the meaning of traditional
religions, we understand the religious complexes, preserved for a long time and
transmitted to future generations in a certain area, among certain ethnic
groups and communities of people. They revive and develop within their
respective ethnic or national boundaries. Traditional religions are deeply
rooted in everyday life, the system of holidays and rituals, the type and
manner of thinking, culture, and psychology.
Mid XX century was marked by
the emergence of a significant number of new religious movements,
organizations, worship, which in the literature is often called non-traditional
religions. The term "non-traditional religions" refers to the
religious systems that have historically not been inherited from past eras a
particular ethnic group, are not peculiar to his religious spirituality, not
rooted in everyday life, culture, and have proliferated as a result of the
missionary activity of preachers with their historical homeland.
The question of non-traditional
religions is very complicated. It can’t be associated with a particular
political, social or ideological process. Among its causes is primarily the
global problems of people. To varying degrees, the danger of war, environmental
issues, demographic factor become a source of negative feelings: feelings of
pessimism, hopelessness of life, psychological sense of fragility of the world.
The complex of social reasons (inability to establish harmonious relations in
society, the implementation of humane ideals) has created favorable conditions
for the spread of non-traditional religions, promising each personal salvation,
the limitless possibilities of moral self-improvement, self-expression. Social
causes of non-traditional religious and called reproduce now certain social
needs. Nontraditional religions as religion in general, perform compensatory,
ideological, regulatory, integrative, communicative function.
Often non-traditional
religions tend to form illusory compensate the need for contact, communication,
togetherness through the specific way of life in a religious commune, isolating
a person from the whole variety of social ties. Family breakdown, the decline
of parental authority, the lack of love are its alternative in the creation of
the cult of the charismatic leader, in an unbounded reverence and unquestioning
recognition of its authority. The complete subordination of the charismatic
leader, the dependence on the religious group in isolation from other
authorities converted the religious world in the social, moral and
epistemological ideal, which determines the behavior, thoughts and feelings.
This fact and determined the path to fanaticism, which are adherents of
traditional religions. The consequence of this ideological transformation becomes
a social passivity and indifference, to achieve which the mental abuse, thought
control, a sharp break lifestyle.
Widely in the characterization
of new religious movements use the concept of "non-traditional cult."
This concept refers to the authoritarian hierarchical organization, recruitment
and fraudulent practices resorted to the use of mind control to save their
followers dependent and submissive doctrine and leaders who deliberately
deceive them, tying yourself.
In contrast to non-traditional
religions of the world have some form of culture and organization, namely,
centers, mission colony commune family. They do not follow the traditional
church service. In religious practice should involve all believers, they are
required to zealous assimilation of the new doctrine, but the emphasis on
missionary work and Replenishment of the religious organization.
Here we should pay attention
to the fact that every cult - a close-knit team, inspired by multiple targets.
Entered into it, one feels as if the particle common home, get rid of feelings
of loneliness, attached to the values that, in his opinion, are long forgotten
outside world. Community leaders, understanding the appeal of such feelings and
moods, aggressively advertise their organization as an oasis of true humanity,
saving the colony gods. Such calls attract people, exhausted indifference and
callousness of others. Helps this carefully crafted system of recruitment on
the streets, railway stations, stadiums, clubs and schools.
Modern literature is devoted
to the analysis of non-traditional cults, does not give them a single
classification.
The most thorough typology
represents the principle of non-traditional cults in terms of their attraction
to a particular religious tradition. In this case, there are four main types of
non-traditional religiosity: evangelical (neo-Christian), the teachings of
Eastern religions, the occult and dental views. Of course, this typology is to
some extent arbitrary, but it helps to orient in a kaleidoscope of
non-traditional cults.
The vast majority of
non-traditional religions try to reach young people. That youth is the social
group, including curtain being the main missionary work to find new members. In
non-traditional religions attracts a kind of romantic youth, the system of
secret initiations, exotic, oriental cults extravagance. Level of education
among their followers is high enough: a person with a degree or higher
education by an average of 30-40%, with the average, incomplete higher - from 50
to 70%. Another feature of the new cults is increasing number of communities as
part of men, especially in the management and assets of the organization.
Evaluating the overall
distribution of non-traditional religions and cults in the world, it can be noted
that they are fertile ground for its existence due to the peculiarities of
socio-economic and political life of modern society.
Literature:
1.
The
collection of hadiths of the Prophet on various topics. Almaty: “Ata-mura”, 2003
2.
Yusuf Qaradawi. Islamic consciousness: the
hope of the Arab homeland. “Vostok”,2002
3.
Kapustin
U.S. Features of evolution of religion.Moskow,1994.
4.
Krevelen
I.A. Typology of modern forms .Moskow,1998.