The Different Roles Played by Global Religions within Different Cultural Contexts - Article Example

Research 2 One can see that global religions play multiple roles in the modern society. For instance, some consider that religions unify different cultures but some others consider that global religions pressurize local belief systems. Within this scenario, the influence of global religions on Ghanaian context is dual because it helped the people to adopt cosmopolitanism, but threatened the existence of local belief systems. To be specific, the elite class is able to enjoy the benefits related to cosmopolitanism. On the other side, the people who represent the agrarian society are threatened by the encroachment of global religions. This is a serious problem because religious influence on culture can result in drastic effects, including the destruction of a genuine culture. Thesis statement: In Appiah’s analysis, religion plays multiple roles like the link between local and global cultures, promoter of cultural diversity, globalization, cosmopolitanism, terrorism, neofundamentalism, and can result in the formation of hybrid culture. Religions and roles; in The Case for Contamination This section is broadly divided as: Religions connect regional and global cultures, Link between local and global cultures, Promoter of cultural diversity, Globalization, Cosmopolitanism, Terrorism, Neofundamentalism, and Hybrid culture. Religions connect regional and global cultures In the article/analysis named as The Case for Contamination, the author (say, Kwame Anthony Appiah) is of the opinion that religions connect regional and global cultures. For instance Ghanaians are in touch with global cultures because those who embraced Christian faith began to communicate with other cultures. Besides, people began to consider that religious identity is a medium to link their regional culture with other cultures. Appiah (2006), made clear that, “Missionaries came awhile ago, so many of these villagers will be Christian, even if they have also kept some of the rites from earlier days” (section 1, para. 11). Still, this is not a rapid change because took hundreds of years to connect regional and global cultures. Besides, the missionaries got new ‘recruits’ to their religions and the local community considered new religions as an opportunity to go beyond their national boundaries. So, the author considers that different global religions helped the regional cultures in Ghanaian context to connect the regional cultures with global cultures in general. Promoter of cultural diversity Similarly, the author considers that religions promote cultural diversity because its (religion’s) spread is linked with cultural characteristics. When some global religions stretched their influence in Ghana, the people got a unique chance to know the basics of European culture. But the religious authorities including the missionaries did not try to absorb African culture to their religion. To be specific, the invaders did not consider the colonized people as equal, but they tried to spread their belief among them. Gradually, the influence of other religions resulted in cultural diversity in Ghanaian context. This sort of colonization and related cultural diversity is a global happening because colonization was not limited within the sphere of African continent. In Ghana, the people in large cities, and even in some villages, have relatives in foreign nations. One can see that this sort of amalgamation of different cultures can result in cultural diversity in general. Still, this cultural diversity is contaminating regional cultures because people consider foreign culture as unique and discard their own cultures. This is painful because a uniform cultural code cannot result in cultural diversity, but can result in the domination of dominant race over the downtrodden classes. Globalization In the article, the author portrays how new religions promoted globalization within Ghana. To be specific, new religions made use of the influence of their religious belief among the dominated class to spread the message of globalization. In Ghana, the multinational corporations try to distribute their products with the help of religions. To be specific, elite class people consider that globalization can help them to gain more profit. On the other side, local products are totally ignored and the local markets are under the influence of multinational corporations. When globalization became a reality, the people of Ghana began to cultivate cash crops, instead of food crops and cereals. This was a rapid change because traditional methods of cultivation were totally ignored. This can be linked with negative effect of globalization and its relation with religion. Cosmopolitanism One can see that cosmopolitanism is a choice because it helps people to make choices based upon their own ideas without any external influence. As globalization is trying to transform regional cultures into a global mono-culture, it is important to point out that cosmopolitanism can limit the negative effect of the same. To be specific, cosmopolitanism is a broader outlook gained by the educated class with enough exposure. They never try to follow the rules put forth by the religious groups. Instead, they try to depend upon rational ideas to evaluate the influence of religions over cultures. Within this scenario, global citizens living in metros can be considered as the promoters of cosmopolitanism. In Ghana, the educated class interested in social development can be considered as the promoters of cosmopolitanism. On the other side, different religious sects consider cosmopolitanism as a threat to their religions. To be specific, cosmopolitanism with a broader outlook on culture and religions belief can help the people to keep themselves away from contamination. Terrorism The author is of the opinion that religions are solely responsible for terrorism based upon different religious beliefs. One can see that basic differences among different religious groups lead to terrorism. Within this scenario, religious groups make use of globalization and related development within the field of IT to spread their influence. The global terrorist groups make use of IT to have global reach and for proper and uninterrupted communication. If not, the 9/11 incident would not happen because proper communication is essential to co-ordinate any international incident. The author argues that global religions are helpless while dealing with terrorism because the terrorists claim that they are living according to the basic rules of their religious belief. If their religion is asking them to hunt the infidels, they will be ready to do the same. So, it is evident that religious belief based upon fundamentalism, can deeply influence the followers and create chaos among the global community. Neofundamentalism After pointing out the positive/negative effects of global religions over the society of Ghana, the author turns towards the conflict between cosmopolitanism and neofundamentalism. One can see that cosmopolitanism and neofundamentalism are the by-products of global religions. To be specific, the influence of regional religions never goes beyond the limits of regional boundaries. The author declared that, “The neofundamentalist conception of a global ummah, by contrast, admits of local variations - but only in matters that dont matter” (section 4, para. 8). On the other side, global religions try to move beyond their national boundaries with the help of missionaries. From a different angle of view, global religions helped the dominated nations to understand the importance of education. This sort of development within education resulted in the formation of elite educated classes in developing nations. When the educated people began to communicate with the foreigners, they came to know that they must create awareness among the mass on the cultural and religious problems faced by them. This sort of awareness and mass movement resulted in the conflict between cosmopolitanism and fundamentalism, and the origin of neofundamentalism. Hybrid culture Towards the end of the work/article, the author states that global religions unknowingly promote hybrid culture. Similarly, global religions promoted mass migration to other nations and this resulted in the formation of hybrid cultures in different nations. Those who returned from foreign nations to Ghana promoted global religions and related hybrid culture. This sort of hybridization within local cultures created confusion because most of the ideas put forth by global culture were inacceptable. The author declared that, “Living cultures do not, in any case, evolve from purity into contamination; change is more a gradual transformation from one mixture to a new mixture, a process that usually takes place at some distance from rules and rulers, in the conversations that occur across cultural boundaries” (section 5, para. 1). Still, one need not misunderstand that this sort of hybridization helped the regional cultures and religious beliefs. Instead, the origin of hybrid cultures destroyed the concept of contamination and cultural purity in general. But those who support regional cultures never accept this because they consider that external influence can contaminate their belief. If a culture is not ready to accept change, it will not survive in the modern society. The disappearance of several cultures proves that cultures cannot survive without accepting change as an essential factor of growth. My approach: As far as I am concerned, my approach will be based upon the amalgamation of some of the ideas put forth by the author into a generally acceptable approach. For instance, I cannot accept the argument that global religions are the grass-root level reason behind the disappearance of different regional cultures. To be specific, I accept the fact that slavery hindered the people from different cultures to accept global religions. But when they accepted the global religions, they were allowed be in touch with the global culture. Besides, this benefited them by helping them to have broader outlook. On the other side, some regional cultures were not ready to accept change and they were forced to face marginalization. The author declared that, “The ideals of purity and preservation have licensed a great deal of mischief in the past century, but they have never had much to do with lived culture” (section 6, para. 1). Still, the elite class began to enjoy the benefits of cosmopolitanism because their broader outlook helped them to do so. For instance, the ruling class in Ghana was ready to accept global religions, globalization and modern education. This helped them to link their regional culture with the global culture. To be specific, western education helped them to understand the importance of cultural amalgamation. Besides, they did not try to discard their regional culture. On the other side, those who support cosmopolitanism knew that they need to change their outlook on global culture and its influence of regional cultures. In my opinion, survival of regional cultures is not based upon the influence of global religions and related culture. Instead, the capacity to go beyond the influence and to accept innovative ideas related to culture is the reason behind the survival of regional cultures. On the other side, I am ready to accept the fact that cosmopolitanism threatens the survival and spread of neofundamentalism. To be specific, the author’s argument that neofundamentalism based upon certain religious belief is threatened by cosmopolitanism is valid. I consider that those who support neofundamentalism make use of their religious texts to create problems among different religions. Besides, they never accept any difference in opinion, but they are ready to use modern technology to threaten others. Those who support neofundamentalism are of the opinion that the religious authorities of their religion are not real believers and are not ready to create awareness among the followers. Besides, they claim that they are real believers because the strictly follow the guidelines put forth by their religions. Within this scenario, the followers are threatened by those who support neofundamentalism. So, I consider that most of the approaches put forth by the author are valid, but I am not ready to accept a few approaches. Still, I consider that this article is an important study on the influence of global religions (say, global culture) on regional religions (say, regional culture). Besides, the author’s approaches are based upon the idea of cosmopolitanism because I guess that the author is one among who support cosmopolitanism in general. Summing, the author tries to examine the different roles played by global religions within different cultural contexts. Besides, the analysis proves that religions with global outlook and reach can link local and global cultures. Similarly, religions can promote cultural diversity and globalization. On the other side, cosmopolitanism, terrorism, and neofundamentalism are the by-products of the global reach of different religions. Still, cosmopolitanism criticizes religions because the supporters of cosmopolitanism make use of the follies within religious belief to gain broader outlook. But the whole world is forced to face the problems originating from terrorism and neofundamentalism. But the formation of a hybrid culture within the global context is the key contribution of global religions in general. In short, the author’s approaches are innovative and relevant within the modern society because it is essential to understand the roles of global religions in different cultural contexts. References Appiah, K.A. (2006, January 1). The Case for Contamination. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/magazine/01cosmopolitan.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Read More