Religion and Social Protest

Bruce is interested in the relationship between religion and social change. Using case studies, he compares two examples of the role of religiously inspired protest movements in America that have tried to change society: the civil rights movement and the New Christian Right.

Although slavery has been abolished in 1865, blacks were denied legal and political rights in many Southern states where segregation was enforced, preventing them from using the same amenities (such as buses, shops and toilets) as whites. Schools were segregated and inter-racial marriages forbidden. Blacks were often excluded from voting by various legal restrictions and intimidation.

Bruce decribes this movement as an example of religiously motivated social change.

The civil rights movement began in 1955 when Rosa Parks, a black civil rights activist in Montgomery, Alabama, refused to sit at the back of the bus, as blacks were expected to do.

Campaigning involved direct action by black people themselves, including protest marches, boycotts and demonstrations. Almost a decade later, in 1964, segregation was outlawed.

Bruce describes the black clergy as the backbone of the movement. Led by Dr Martin Luther King, they played a decisive role, giving support and moral legitimacy to civil rights activists. Their churches provided meeting places and sanctuary from the threat of white violence, and rituals such as prayer meetings and hym singing were a source of unity in the face of oppression.

The black clergy were able to shame whites into changing the law by appealing to their shared Christian values of equality. Although the impact on white clergy in the South was limited, their message reached a wide audience outside the Southern states and gained national support.

Bruce sees religion in this context as an ideological resource - it provided beliefs and practices that protesters could draw on for motivation and support.

1. Taking the moral high ground: black clergy pointed out the hypocrisy of white clergy who preached 'love thy neighbour' but supported racial segregation.

2. Channelling dissent: religion provides channels to express political dissent. eg. the funeral of Martin Luther King was a rallying point for the civil rights cause.

3. Acting as honest broker: churches can provide a context for negotiating change because they are often respected by both sides in a conflict and seen as standing above 'mere politics'.

4. Mobilising public opinion: Black churches in the South successfully campaigned for support across the whole of America.

Bruce sees the civil rights movement as an example of religion becoming involved in secular struggle and helping to bring about change. In his view, the movement achieved its aims because it shared the same values as wider society and those in power. It brought about change by shaming those in power to put into practice the principle of equality embodied in the American Constituion that all mean and women are born equal.

The New Christian Right is a politically and morally conservative, Protestant fundamentalist movement. It has gained prominence since the 1960s because of its opposition to the liberalising of American society.

The aims of the New Christian Right are extremely ambitious, seeking nothing less than to take America 'back to God'. They wish to make abortion, homosexuality and divorce illegal, turning the clock back to a time before the liberalisation of American culture and society began

The New Christian Right believes strongly in the traditional family and traditional gender roles. it campaigns for the teaching of 'creationism' (the view that the Bible's account of creation is literally true) and to ban sex education in schools.

Their campaigns have raised the profile of the NCR since the 1970s. It has made effective use of the media and networking, notable televangelism, where church-owned TV stations raise funds and broadcast programmes aimed at making converts and recruiting new members. The Moral Majority, a right-wing Christian pressure group founded in 1978, became the focus for political campaigning and for strengthening links with the Republican Party.

Bruce suggests that:

- The Moral Majority was never a majority but 15% of the population at most

- Its campaigners find it very difficult to cooperate with people from other religious groups, even when campaigning on the same issue, such as abortion.

- The NCR lacks widespread support and has met with strong opposition from groups who stand for freedom of choice, such as Planned Parenthood and People for the American Way.

Despite enormous publicity and a high profile in the media, it has not achieved its aim of taking America 'back to God'. In his view, its attempt to impose Protestant fundamentalist morality on others has failed because of the basically liberal and democratic values of most of American society. These values include a belief in the separation of church and state - very few Americans support the idea of theocracy (rule by religious leaders).