scholarly journals A Theory of Political Backlash: Assessing the Religious Right’s Effects on the Religious Field

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Braunstein
Keyword(s):  
Religious Right ◽  
Religious Change ◽  
Ripple Effects ◽  
General Account ◽  
Liberal Religion ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Religious Left ◽  
Political Backlash

Abstract A growing body of evidence suggests that the rise in religious disaffiliation can be partly attributed to a political backlash against the Religious Right. Yet the concept of “political backlash” remains undertheorized, limiting our ability to evaluate how backlash against the Religious Right has impacted the religious field as a whole. This article develops a general account of how political backlash against a radical actor can impact participants within a given field, distinguishing between broad backlash, narrow backlash, and counter backlash. It then applies this framework to the case of the religious field. An analysis of available evidence suggests that backlash against the Religious Right has had ripple effects beyond the rise of the “nones,” including a rise in “spiritual” identification, positive attention to the “Religious Left,” depoliticization of liberal religion, and purification and radicalization within the Religious Right itself. This article encourages religion scholars to connect dots between trends that have not been understood as related, and deepens our understanding of the relational nature of religious change. More generally, it offers a framework for understanding how backlash against radical actors can shape entire fields.

Secular State and the ‘Religious Left’: Navayana Buddhism and Dr Ambedkar’s Vision for the Future of Democracy in South Asia

2021 ◽  
pp. 239448112199595
Author(s):  
Kalinga Tudor Silva
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Religious Faith ◽  
Religious Right ◽  
Social Philosophy ◽  
European Origin ◽  
Buddhist Tradition ◽  
Democratic Change ◽  
Religious Left ◽  
Secular State

In the light of ongoing debates about secular state and religious right in India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, this article examines the intellectual contribution of Dr B. R. Ambedkar towards sustaining democracy in South Asia. His critical contributions included non-violent mobilisation of Dalits and adivasis around their human rights, identity, citizenship and religious faith. Most importantly, he argued that democratic values of equality, liberty and fraternity are not only of European origin but also have roots in South Asia, particularly within the Buddhist tradition. The article reflects on Ambedkar’s politics, social philosophy and contribution to the formation of ‘religious left’ and the process of progressive democratic change via Navayana Buddhism.

Modern Day Moabites: The Bible and the Debate About Same-Sex Marriage

2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 442-475
Author(s):  
Lesleigh Cushing Stahlberg
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Relationship ◽  
Religious Right ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Biblical Law ◽  
Same Sex Marriage ◽  
King David ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Religious Left ◽  
To Come

AbstractWith the debate about same-sex marriage raging in the United States, this paper asks whether the canonical scriptures of Judaism and Christianity offer any justification for blessing same-sex unions. It looks to the ways that the Bible is used by proponents and opponents of same-sex marriage. It analyzes the hermeneutics of the religious left and the religious right, particularly as they grapple with the "clobber texts" of Lev. 18:22 and 20:13. It then turns to the biblical book of Ruth, which critic J. Hillis Miller describes as having "been alienated from itself, translated from itself" through new uses. The paper puts the book of Ruth to yet another new use/misprision, using it as a prooftext to support same-sex marriage. The book has already been upheld by lesbian readers of scripture because of the intimate relationship between the protagonists, Ruth and Naomi, but this paper "misreads" the text differently. Ruth describes how a marriage made between an Israelite and a Moabite brings about the line of King David, one of the most important figures in the Bible and the man from whose line the Messiah is expected to come. The biblical law, however, is unequivocal: Moabites are not permitted to enter into the community of Israel. Juxtaposing the levitical laws (ostensibly) prohibiting homosexuality with those banning Moabites from Israel, this paper argues that the religious left could hold up the book of Ruth as a biblical model for allowing marriage that seems explicitly forbidden by biblical law.

Is the Religious Left Resurgent?

2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph O Baker ◽  
Gerardo Martí
Keyword(s):  
General Social Survey ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Religious Right ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
The Public ◽  
Political Impact ◽  
Conservative Christian ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Religious Left

Abstract Journalistic sources seem to suggest that there has been a resurgence of the American Religious Left (i.e., politically liberal Christians who support progressive agendas) in the wake of the strong support from the conservative Christian right in the 2016 presidential election of Donald J. Trump. Using quantitative analysis, we draw on survey data from the General Social Survey, the Public Religion Research Institute, and the National Congregations Study to assess the possibility of a resurgence among the Religious Left. In comparison with a speculated rise, our analysis indicates a notable decline in both the prevalence and engagement of Americans who self-identify as both religious and politically liberal. Not only is the constituency of the Religious Left shrinking, they have also been steadily disengaging from political activity in the last decade. Especially when looking at more recent elections, it has been those among the Secular Left who have been the most politically engaged. We summarize these empirical patterns in relation to the Religious Right and consider the potential for influence among the Religious Left aside from electoral politics. We also briefly consider other possibilities for their political impact and reflect on the inadequacy of the label “Religious Left” for capturing important dynamics. In the end, we urge greater attention to politics among sociologists of religion, providing a set of research questions to consider in light of the upcoming American 2020 national election.

scholarly journals Conflicted Religionists: Measuring Political Backlash on Salient Issues

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 237802312110180
Author(s):  
Sean Bock
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Church Attendance ◽  
National Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Same Sex Marriage ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Political Backlash

Scholars have pointed to “political backlash” as a key reason for why people leave religion in the United States. This study adds to the growing body of work that emphasizes backlash to localized conditions, rather than national-level phenomena, by demonstrating the importance of conflict on salient issues within churches. Using data from the Baylor Religion Survey, the author exploits a unique set of items to analyze what he calls “conflicted religionists”—those who experience attitudinal conflict with their churches—and measures conflict on two salient issues: same-sex marriage and abortion. The author finds that there is a considerable proportion of conflicted religionists and that the probability of experiencing conflict varies drastically across different groups in the sample. In line with past work, he demonstrates that experiencing conflict is significantly associated with lower church attendance. He concludes with a discussion of the possible pathways available to conflicted religionists.

Movement Commitment among Progressive and Conservative Religio-Political Activists in the United States

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 296-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura R. Olson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Movement ◽  
The United States ◽  
Religious Right ◽  
Social Movement Organizations ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Religion ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
Religious Left ◽  
Movement Organizations

AbstractIn this article, I compare progressive and conservative religio-political activists' commitment to their movements (the religious left and right, respectively). I rely on data from the Public Religion Research Institute's 2009 surveys of individuals they identified as religious left activists and religious right activists. Do these activists actually say they identify with the movement with which pollsters assume them to affiliate? How potentially influential do they perceive their movements to be? Third, to what extent do activists support their movement's core social movement organizations? I conclude by arguing that the evidence is mixed that the American religious left lacks influence because its activists tend not to be unified.

Deficits in Selective Attention Alter Gait in Frail Older Adults

GeroPsych ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Véronique Cornu ◽  
Jean-Paul Steinmetz ◽  
Carine Federspiel
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Nursing Home ◽  
Selective Attention ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Nursing Home Residents ◽  
Gait Rehabilitation ◽  
Rehabilitation Programs ◽  
Gait Parameters ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Task Conditions

Abstract. A growing body of research demonstrates an association between gait disorders, falls, and attentional capacities in older adults. The present work empirically analyzes differences in gait parameters in frail institutionalized older adults as a function of selective attention. Gait analysis under single- and dual-task conditions as well as selective attention measures were collected from a total of 33 nursing-home residents. We found that differences in selective attention performances were related to the investigated gait parameters. Poorer selective attention performances were associated with higher stride-to-stride variabilities and a slowing of gait speed under dual-task conditions. The present findings suggest a contribution of selective attention to a safe gait. Implications for gait rehabilitation programs are discussed.

How Do People Share Their Positive Events?

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 250-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cara A. Palmer ◽  
Meagan A. Ramsey ◽  
Jennifer N. Morey ◽  
Amy L. Gentzler
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Big Five ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Big Five Personality Traits ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Positive Events ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Sharing Patterns ◽  
Practical Implications

Abstract. Research suggests that sharing positive events with others is beneficial for well-being, yet little is known about how positive events are shared with others and who is most likely to share their positive events. The current study expanded on previous research by investigating how positive events are shared and individual differences in how people share these events. Participants (N = 251) reported on their likelihood to share positive events in three ways: capitalizing (sharing with close others), bragging (sharing with someone who may become jealous or upset), and mass-sharing (sharing with many people at once using communication technology) across a range of positive scenarios. Using cluster analysis, five meaningful profiles of sharing patterns emerged. These profiles were associated with gender, Big Five personality traits, narcissism, and empathy. Individuals who tended to brag when they shared their positive events were more likely to be men, reported less agreeableness, less conscientiousness, and less empathy, whereas those who tended to brag and mass-share reported the highest levels of narcissism. These results have important theoretical and practical implications for the growing body of research on sharing positive events.

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