Religion Matters : The Contemporary Relevance of Religion

This book draws together leaders in science, the health sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences to investigate the role of religion, its meaning and relevance, for their area of specialization. It provides a much-needed fresh perspective on the way in which religion operates within the modern, neo-liberal world. The book approaches the topic by way of a critical engagement between religion, broadly defined, and the individual disciplines in which each of the contributors is expert. Rather than simply taking the dogmatic position that religion offers something to every possible discipline, each of the chapters in this collection addresses the question: is there something that religion can offer to the discipline in question? That is the value of the book – it takes a truly critical stance on the place of religion in contemporary society. Foreword 6 Acknowledgements 9 Contents 11 Contributors 13 List of Figures 15 1 Why Religion Matters, or, Does It Matter? 16 I Sciences 23 2 Immortal Beings Without Soul or Conscience: Toward a Corporate and an AI Ethic 24 2.1 Introduction 24 2.2 Human Rights and Conscience in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: ‘Brave New World’ or a Bad Case of Déjà Vu? 28 2.2.1 Dire Predictions and AI, AGI, and Superintelligence 28 2.2.2 Conscience, Dignity, Human Rights, and Machines 30 2.3 The ‘Frankenstein’s Monster’ Trope 31 2.4 A History of the Large Corporation as Monster 32 2.4.1 The Monstrous Beginnings of the Supranational Corporation 33 2.4.2 The Continuation of the Monstrous Supranational Corporate Legacy 35 2.4.3 Attempts to Rehabilitate the Corporate Monster 39 2.4.4 Attempt to Humanise the Corporate Monster: Attribution of Conscience 41 2.5 Lessons for Machine Intelligence 43 2.6 Conclusion 46 References 47 3 Creation Myths: A Deeper Truth for Today’s Religionists 54 3.1 Cosmology 55 3.2 Biology 56 3.3 Human Culture 58 3.4 Religion 59 3.5 Actuation 59 3.6 Myth 60 3.7 Religious Myth 61 3.8 Creation Stories 62 3.9 Conclusion 64 References 65 II Health Sciences 66 4 A Court of Morals, a Court of Law, or a Little Bit of Both? 67 4.1 Introduction 68 4.2 The Conjoined Twins Case: Can We End One Life to Save Another? 69 4.2.1 Background: The Facts and Issues of re A 69 4.2.2 Archbishop of Westminster’s Submission 71 4.3 Five Salient Principles 72 4.3.1 Human Life Is Sacred and Inviolable 72 4.3.2 Bodily Integrity Should not Be Invaded When that Can Confer no Benefit 73 4.3.3 The Duty to Preserve One Persons’ Life Cannot Without Grave Injustice Be Effected by a Lethal Assault on Another 75 4.3.4 There Is no Duty on Doctors to Resort to Extraordinary Means in Order to Preserve Life 76 4.3.5 The Rights of a Parent Should Be Overridden Only When They Were Clearly Contrary to What Is Strictly Owing to Their Children 76 4.4 Conclusion 77 References 78 III Social Sciences 79 5 Making Religion Relevant in the World of Politics: A Personal Reflection 80 5.1 Introduction 80 5.2 The Death Penalty 82 5.3 The Civil Rights Movement 83 5.4 Labor Unions 87 5.5 The Vietnam War 88 5.6 Women’s Rights 88 5.7 Women in the Resurrection Narratives 90 5.8 The Rights of LGBT Persons 91 5.9 President Donald J. Trump 92 5.10 Conclusion 94 References 95 6 Religious Education, Radicalisation and Neoliberal Governmentalities 96 6.1 Introduction 96 6.2 Defining Religion 97 6.3 Religious Education and Ideology 98 6.4 Religion, Schools and State-Funding 100 6.5 Religious Schooling, Governmentality and Neoliberalism 102 6.6 Neoliberal Governmentalities and Violent Religious Extremism 106 6.7 Conclusion: From Radicalisation to Radical Religion and Ethics 108 References 109 7 Restorative Justice 112 7.1 Why “Restorative” Justice? 114 7.2 Expanding Field of Application 117 7.3 Religious Roots 121 7.4 A Curious Legacy 123 7.5 Conclusion 126 References 127 8 The Contemporary Relevance of Religion to Criminological Sciences 129 8.1 How Criminology and Religion Intersect 129 8.2 Acceptance of Conjecture as a Path to Rapprochement 131 8.3 Common Ground: Progressive Christianity and Critical Criminology 132 8.4 Bringing Religion to the Criminological Table 133 8.4.1 Restorative Justice 133 8.4.2 Feminism 134 8.4.3 Juvenile Justice 135 8.4.4 Human Motivation 136 8.4.5 Moral Values 137 8.4.6 Capital Punishment 138 8.4.7 Prison Ministries 139 8.5 Where to from Here? 139 8.6 Conclusion 141 References 141 9 Shaking the Invisible Hand: Religion and Individualism as Economic Foundations 144 9.1 The Price of Religion 145 9.2 The Economics of Everything 146 9.3 Methodological Individualism and Holism 147 9.4 The Individual in the Social Setting 149 9.5 Evolution for Grouping or Group Evolution or Neither? 150 9.6 Are Religions Prosocial? 152 9.7 Thomas Hobbes and Adam Smith: God, Government and the Individual 154 9.8 The Individual, the Economy and the Invisible Hand 156 9.9 From Birthright to Individual Right 159 9.10 The Thread of Individualism 164 References 167 10 Religion and Security in Today’s Neo-liberal World 169 10.1 Introduction 169 10.2 War, Conquest, Imperialism, and Globalisation: Westphalia to Trump 172 10.3 (Mis)Interpreting Religion 174 10.3.1 Defining, Describing, and Discussing Religion and Secularism 175 10.3.2 Defining, Describing, and Deliberating Security 177 10.3.3 (Mis)Understanding the Gradations of Salafism 180 10.4 Discussion 182 10.5 Conclusion 184 References 185 IV Humanities 188 11 Une Danse Bizarre: The Contest of Theos-Logos and Socius-Logos in the Twenty First Century Public Square 189 11.1 Theos-Logos, Socius-Logos and Faith in the Public Square 190 11.2 Three Propositions for the Relationship of Theos-Logos and Socius-Logos 191 11.3 The Changing Nature of the Individual in the Logos 194 11.4 Elements of Interaction 196 11.4.1 Theocracy ... More or Less 196 11.4.2 Narrative Appropriation 198 11.4.3 Concept Change 199 11.4.4 Transience Versus Transformation 200 11.5 Danse Bizarre 201 11.6 Conclusion 205 References 205 12 The Contemporary Relevance of Religion in the Public Square 207 References 221 13 Revivalistics: Language Reclamation, Spirituality and Wellbeing 223 13.1 Introduction 223 13.2 Revivalistics 224 13.3 Why Should We Invest Time and Money in Reclaiming ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Languages? 226 13.3.1 Ethical Reasons 226 13.3.2 Aesthetic Reasons 227 13.3.3 Utilitarian Benefits 228 13.4 Language Loss and Youth Suicide: Canada 229 13.5 Language Revival and Improved Wellbeing: Australia and Beyond 229 References 233 14 Law, Religion, and Theology: A Relationship That Matters 236 14.1 Introduction 236 14.2 Why Study the Relationship? 237 14.3 ‘Religion’ and ‘Theology’ 240 14.4 Two Methodological Approaches 242 14.5 Concluding Reflections 245 References 246 15 Religion as Conceptual Scaffolding for Architecture 249 15.1 Introduction 249 15.2 Community, Place and Identity 251 15.3 Religion, Mobility and Construction 254 15.4 Pilgrimage, Narratives and Science 257 15.5 Otherness, Discovery, and Self 259 15.6 Conclusion 263 References 264 16 Conscientious Objection as a Spiritual Path 266 16.1 The Spirit of Conscientious Objection 266 16.2 Conscientious Objectors in the Context of World War I (WWI) 268 16.3 How Conscientious Objectors Were Silenced 269 16.4 Conscientious Objectors Challenged Nationalism 270 16.5 Conscientious Objectors Challenged the Myth of Redemptive Violence 271 16.6 Conscientious Objectors Suffered in World War I 272 16.7 Disobedience to Authority and the Importance of Existentialism 273 16.8 Conscientious Objectors Participated in a Bigger Picture of Resistance in WWI 274 16.8.1 Numbers of Non-cooperators and Conscientious Objectors 274 16.8.2 Writers and Poets 275 16.8.3 Women 276 16.8.4 Reluctant Soldiers 276 16.8.5 Socialists 276 16.9 Conscientious Objectors Were Diverse 277 16.10 Conscientious Objectors and Religious Leaders in WWI 278 16.11 Conclusion 278 References 279 17 Faiths and Feminisms 282 17.1 In Sickness and in Health 283 17.2 To Have and to Hold 286 17.3 For Richer or Poorer 287 17.4 For Better or Worse 290 17.5 From This Day Forward, as Long as We Both Shall Live 294 References 296 18 The Right Thing to Do: Australian Religion and the 2017 Same-Sex Marriage Debate 298 18.1 Introduction 298 18.2 The Right Thing to Do 300 18.3 Religion in Australia 301 18.4 The ‘Legalisation of Sin’ 304 18.5 ‘It’s OK to Vote No’ 306 18.6 Getting to Yes 308 18.7 Religion and the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey 311 18.8 Conclusion 312 References 312 19 Life or Death? A Politico-philosophical Reflection on Religious Fundamentalism and Political Extremism 315 19.1 Introduction: The International Political Climate 315 19.2 Political Extremism and Fundamentalism 316 19.3 Western Neo-liberalism 319 19.4 A Christian-Jewish Response 319 19.5 Ascetical Practices 321 19.5.1 Humility 321 19.5.2 Openness for Dialogue 321 19.5.3 Generosity 322 19.6 Conclusion 323 References 323 20 Contemporary Theology as Dialogue: The Evolution of Modern Theology 325 20.1 Introduction, or Is Theology Still a Thing? 325 20.2 From Idealism to Crisis, or Faith and Reason’s Rude Awakening 327 20.2.1 Idealism 328 20.2.2 Liberal Theology 329 20.2.3 Two World Wars and the Theology of Crisis 330 20.2.4 Existentialism and Theology 332 20.3 Contemporary Theology as Dialogue, or Theology? Try Theologies 336 20.3.1 Feminist Theologies 337 20.3.2 Liberation Theologies 338 20.3.3 Womanist Theology 340 20.3.4 Latina Feminist Theology 341 20.3.5 Asian and Queer Theologies 342 20.4 Conclusion, or Is There Any Hope for Theology? 342 References 343