Week 12 - GLOBALISATION

article about The Role of Media in the Threats and Opportunities of Globalization for Religion

http://wwrn.org/

the globalisation of religion makes it a lot easier to study. I can go to a Sikh Gudwara or a Buddhist Temple right here in Brisbane and learn about other faiths.

notes: religion and globalisation
-p. 446 in some areas of the globe, highly individualistic and non-institutional form sunder heading like spirituality are becoming increasingly dominant
-  three reasons for the gloablisation of religion (not always geographically global but global in their effects): transnational migration, the spread of religious organisations and movements (own independent "mission" reasons) and social and political movements
-p.447 religious institutions are usually one of the first things set up in transnational migration because there are not only for religious purposes but also for : places of cultural familiarity, social service providers, educational and recreational centres, sources for community and political mobilisation and a symbol of a migrants move.
- it is a part of a number of religious traditions that "mission" be taken to spread the word and teachings of the religion, like Christianity. Hence, the globalisation of religion via religious institutions also occurs.
- p. 452 religio-political movements in global society: often used in conjunction with the term "fundamentalism" -  religious movements that advocate the public enforcement of religious precepts or the exclusive religious identification of state collectivities. e.g. "Al-Qaeda"
-e.g. Syria

Week 11 - Representations of Indigenous Spirituality

Indigenous spirituality is far apart from traditional known monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In particular, this divide can be seen between the Aboriginal and Judeo-Christian spiritualities in Australia. Indigenous spirituality is "performative rather than meditative, and relational more than privatistic" (Sutton 2010, p.71). Due to the strong history of Judeo-Christian beliefs from the British settlement made in Australia in the 1870s, Sutton (2010) puts forth that modern Indigenous people have taken on parts of each of these spiritualities in what he calls the New Age. In particular he talks about Wik Presbyterianism, a dual cosmology encompassing traditional Aboriginal beliefs with colonising Presbyterian beliefs (Sutton 2010, p.72). As opposed to the Church, Aboriginal spiritual authority comes from the inside to the outside rather than from the upper to lower hierarchy of the Church (Sutton 2010, p. 72). One of the major differences between traditional religion and Indigenous spirituality is the rejection of strict guidelines and authority. Instead it is about the embodiment of practice, ritual and ascertainable faith (Sutton 2010, p.72). 

In more recent history, there has a been a shift towards New Age Indigenous spirituality which carries with it influences of other religions, Sutton (2010) points out. New Age spirituality shows influences from nature spirituality among other things in a more climate conscious world, "Meta-explanations involving fertility beliefs and notions of the 'earth as mother' have gained great credibility in recent times, throughout Aboriginal Australia as well as internationally" (Jones: Sutton 2010, p. 74). 

Australian History Curriculum Reform: Johnson, S. (2013) The Magic Pudding. Qweekend, p.17.

Sutton also raises the issue that while we describe New Age Aboriginal spirituality, we also need to take care that it is described and accounted accurately; this goes for traditional Aboriginal spirituality as well. Australian history has often mis-represented Indigenous spirituality for lack of knowledge and/or experience. This, in turn, loses the trust of the Indigenous community. Sutton suggests this is because, 

"Many of us experience an aesthetic and ethical revulsion at cavalier shopping-around among traditions as as to create eclectic, fanciful, simplified, often bowdlerised version of indigenous religion, fit for transmission to a mass audience and typically marked by various kinds of factual errors."

In other words, people are often too lazy to go and find out the actual facts and truths of spirituality and in turn make judgements based on false evidence. As a part of this in Australian culture, in the past decade there has been an upheaval of the National Curriculum in order to make History a compulsory subject from Prep to Year 12 (Johnson 2013, p. 16). The fight is going to be difficult as not everyone is going to agree on all points of Australian history, especially those concerning the treatment of Indigenous Australians at the time of settlement. In particular, there is a disparity between the former Howard governments ideal Judeo-Christian white history to that of the left-wing unethical treatment of the Aboriginal community view (Johnson 2013, p.16). 

Australian History Comic: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/gallery-e6frf7jo-1111120757216?page=12

The collaboration has taken approximately four years in order to gain accurate information from a range of experts to provide a comprehensive work inclusive of every aspect of Australia's history. This is particularly important with regards to Aboriginal spirituality as there can be inaccurate re-inventions of the past, from something that was once complex and multi-layered to something that is dumbed-down (Sutton 2010, p.80). This new curriculum contains sections that are revolutionary towards Aboriginal culture so as to see "the way in which Aborigines have struggled against oppressive conditions and the restrictions of their rights...and that they won freedoms and rights for themselves through some quite monumental struggles (Evans: Johnson 2013, p.20).

This is a great achievement for Indigenous culture and spirituality. Ultimately, "Scholars have a duty of care towards the integrity of those traditions to which they have been introduced by the traditions custodians," (Sutton 2013, p.81) which should never be forgotten for any piece of writing, blogging included. 

References: 

Atchison, M. (2007) First Fleet settlers giving aboriginal man "Sorry IOU" for use in the future.. Herald Sun, [online] 30th November. Available at: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/gallery-e6frf7jo-1111120757216?page=12 [Accessed: 19th May 2013].

Johnson, S. (2013) The Magic Pudding. Qweekend, p.16-20.

Sutton P. 2010. Aboriginal Spirituality in a New Age. The Australian Journal of Anthropology, 21(1): 71–89. RL.

Week 9 & 10 - Religious Racism and The Media

Before the term religious racism can be talked about in depth, particularly with regards to the media, it needs to be made known that religious racism is all about ideology, a collection of thoughts and opinions that groups and/or individuals believe. Hall (2000) also describes that ideology is a practice; which through the media produce social meaning (Hall 2000, p.273). The media then distributes these ideologies throughout society in the form of "complex, often contradictory, social relations" resulting in a stance ill-reflective of the personal inclinations of individuals (Hall 2000, p.281).  

Religious racist ideologies are portrayed throughout the media so commonly that society does not question their place, for example in the recent movie, Iron Man 3. The antagonist of the movie, known as the "Mandarin" is portrayed as a 'typical' terrorist; seen as coming from an Arab country with long dark hair and beard and dressed ornately and implied as owning a multitude of expensive things. While the portrayal of this character is actually a cover up for the more cunning villain, Aldrich Killian, the stereotype does not go unnoticed, nor should it. The theme of terrorism is used throughout the movie through threats videos and killings. It touches on themes that America fear in a post 9/11 world, but relieves the tension felt about this sensitive topic through humour and the prevailing hero, Tony Stark (Iron Man). As said in a recent news article, "They (the media) want to tap into the powerful reactions those events induced, while dodging the complex issues and especially the political arguments that might turn off ticket buyers" (Dargis 2013). Much of popular opinion since 9/11 has begun to associate terrorism with Muslims and likewise that Muslims are terrorists, further reinforcing the the classification of the world in terms of race (Hall 2000, p.273; Isakhan 2009, p.4).

The "Mandarin" in Iron Man 3: http://www.hdwallpapers.in/view/the_mandarin_in_iron_man_3-1920x1080.html

The categorisation of races in the world can be coupled with Edward Said's theory of Orientalism (1979) in which the Western World makes false cultural assumptions about the Eastern World (Said 1979). Many scholars use his original theory to shape their own. Isakhan (2009) describes that, "This orientalist fantasy served to homogenise, deominse and stereotype the Middle East according to fairly reductive and negative terms, such that the oriental was (is) viewed as the 'other' " (Isakhan 2009, p.6). This view has not disappeared as we continue to overtly and inferentially stereotype and demean Arabs and Muslims in society. Cañas (2008) also discusses the idea of Orientalism in the Canadian television series The Little Mosque on The Prairie. Whilst being a light-hearted soap-style show, The Little Mosque on The Prairie engages with the Orientalist discourse through which Muslims are "inferior, premodern, and violent" in contrast to the West who are "superior, modern, and enlightened" (Cañas 2008, p.206). The reinforcement of the Muslim woman stereotype as submissive and extremely religious in the program further silences their real day to day struggles, of which stereotypes are the least on their worries (Cañas 2008, p.196).

Another example of the Orientalist perspective is brought to the forefront by Jack Shaheen in the documentary, Reel Bad Arabs (Jhally 2006). The documentary explores the vilification of Arabs and the Arab world. In particular this is shown through the stereotypical depictions of Arabs in movies and Hollywood. From the very beginnings of Hollywood from black and white movies to children's classics like Aladdin, Arabs have been shown as the violent antagonist buffoons with more money than sense (Shaheen 2006, 6'50''). Negative stereotypes have found themselves commonplace in television, movies and media alike to the point that "all aspects of our culture project the Arab as villain" (Shaheen 2006, 2'38'').

http://pecangroup.org/documentaries/reel-bad-arabs-how-hollywood-vilifies-a-people

Orientalism and stereotyping races have also flowed into Australia and its media. In fact, these negative representations have been present before and more so after Australia's colonisation. "Much of the early Australian press took for granted the long-held divide between Europe and its 'others' " (Isakhan 2009, p.12). This racism was shown not only towards the 'Orient' of Australia in the form of the "Asian Invasion" (Isakhan 2009) during the time of the gold rush, but more commonly seen towards the Indigenous peoples. This racism was and has been apparent since the White Australia Policy in 1901 to events like the 2005 Cronulla Riots in recent years. 

http://gabrieldunn.com/post/2936133403/jingoism-racism-fear-religious-fundamentalism

Even when we think we are being more accepting and breaking down barriers, we are inferentially still being racist. For example, Kevin Rudd's public Apology to the Stolen Generation of the Indigenous community of Australia in 2008. Breaking down the walls of racism is making everyone equal, but is this apology not just vilifying the 'white' people of Australia? Through this public apology everyone who was an anglo-saxon and/or non-Indigenous Australian felt guilty and morally obligated to affirm Rudd's speech, even though a number had little knowledge of the events or any involvement in them. In no way does this excuse the ill-treatment of the Indigenous of the Stolen Generation, but there needs to be some mediation between racism against other people and racism against oneself which can sometimes be more inferential. From all perspectives, the constant religious racism seen in the media is not going to change any time soon because of the ingrained ideologies of times past. 

References: 

Cañas S. 2008. The Little Mosque on the Prairie: Examining (Multi) Cultural Spaces of Nation and Religion. Cultural Dynamics, 20: 195-211. (RL).

Hall S. 2000. Racist Ideologies and the Media. In P Marris and S Thornham, Eds., Media Studies: A Reader. 2nd Edn., New York, New York University Press. Ch. 22, 271-282. (RL)

Isakhan B. 2009. Orientalism and the Australian News Media. Origins and Questions. In Rane H., J. Ewart and M. Abdalla, Eds., Islam and the Australian News Media. Carlton: Melbourne University Press. Ch. 1, 3-25. (RL)

Movies.nytimes.com (2013) Log In - The New York Times. [online] Available at: http://movies.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/movies/iron-man-3-with-robert-downey-jr.html?_r=1& [Accessed: 8 May 2013].

Said W. 1979. Orientalism. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group: New York City. 

YouTube (1972) Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People (part 1). [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1-Bbz_TBMc [Accessed: 8 May 2013].

Week 8 - Religion In The Forest

This week, the class was lucky enough to spend half the lecture among the trees by The Lakes at UQ. Stepping outside the classroom was refreshing and enjoyable. It allowed time to escape the busyness of university life which is usually bogged down with assignments and endless amounts of time spent indoors. 

The results of the time spent by the lake is summarised in this poem I wrote: 

The light warms my skin and dances on my eyelids

The trees absorb and provide me with the air I breath

From the dead and decomposed I sit on.

The lake thrives as a metropolis of life;

The dragonfly buzzes in my peripherals

While the water hen stalks and ponders my company.

My experience resonates with Bron Taylor's (2010) point on 'green religion'. 'Green religion' is more than nature religion in that it is "often derived from a Darwinian understanding that all forms of life have evolved from a common ancestor and are therefore related" (Taylor in Klassen 2012, p.75). As seen in the picture to the right, observing the nature by the lake made me acknowledge that the elements I could see were playing a role in keeping the whole ecosystem and each individual element alive. 

References: 

Klassen C. 2012. Avatar, Dark Green Religion, and the Technological Construction of Nature. Cultural Studies Review 18(2): 74-86 .

Week 7 - Music, Media, and Religion

WRIT2011 Interview – Religion in the Media and Music

Patrick Keady interviewed by Madeleine Gardner

Both religion and music exhibit emotive and transformative elements. It is no wonder then that music plays a dynamic role in religion and the perpetuation of this is facilitated through modern media. Birgit Meyer (2012) talks about this through the term sensational forms while Rupert Till (2010) addresses the pop-cultism of religion and music. Both of these were discussed and will be used to frame the opinions of interviewee, Patrick (Pat) Keady, Director of Emmanuelworship within the Emmanuel Community in Paddington, Brisbane. Pat has always had a passion for music and the education, travel and spiritual experiences he has encountered throughout his life have led him to the position he holds today. He aims at promoting contemporary Catholic music to the world “for the Church of the future” (emmanuelworship - About).

Pat grew up in the small town of Coonamble, NSW, where he attended the local Catholic primary school. Music was always encouraged in his family and Pat found great solace in exploring the piano and learning by ear: “Every song I wrote was like a new diary entry”. Music played such a pivotal role in his life that he went on to study music at Southern Cross University before travelling to LA on a composing and arranging scholarship. It was here that Pat, over a period of 3 years, became evangelised, straying from his Catholic upbringing towards the more charismatic nature of Christian Evangelicalism. Among his later travels to Ireland, he converted to Protestantism, before coming back to the Catholic Church which is where he now calls home.

The great power of music to influence the mind is not a new concept. Quite often it is the group mentality of music that exerts such an influence (Till 2010, 1). Naturally, when this is combined with religious rituals there is an ability to interact with the transcendental. Through the work of Emmanuelworship, individual religiosity is brought about in a community setting through their weekly presence at Fuel and annual presence at The Ignite Conference (emmanuelworship - About). This group setting, as Till suggest, is often associated with the term ‘cult’. These ‘pop-cults’ of modern popular music stem from musicians’ claim of a special gift which links them to the divine (Till 2010, 7). Pat believes that if you’re a Catholic and you have a calling to a particular area of culture, like music, “that you need to use your gifts to be a channel of your belief”. Pat did not reach this conclusion initially, having to explore other denominations to feel comfortable with his eventual decision. This is the same for members of pop-cults who strive to find their own niche or genre through spending time getting to know the scene and its inner workings (Till 2010, 7). Ultimately, Pat wanted to be knowledgeable about his faith for if he was truly meant to be a Catholic, he wanted to know if it was a cult.

Music has the power to be evocative and spiritual. As Meyer describes, music is a sensational form of society; meaning it can be used within religion to experience the presence of the transcendental (Meyer 2012, 160). Music has always had an influence in the Church as a vehicle to connect with God, from the Gregorian chants of the early Catholic monks to the modern worship music of today, such as Emmanuelworship. Pat not only believes in the use of worship music in order to connect with God, but also recognises the power of all styles of music as there are many cultures God wants to reach people through. The sensation of music “helps people get in touch with what they feel,” and when it helps one get in touch with an important figure, for example God, Pat believes it is “doubly powerful”.

Media also plays a pivotal role in promulgating the message of Christianity. Modern media, in particular, have an increasing reach to audiences through the advancements of the internet, social media and television. When asked about the role of the media in religion, Pat agreed the media have a strong hold over how religion is portrayed in society where there is a “battle for ideas, battle for a culture and a battle for the way to think”. There is politically correct and politically incorrect spirituality the media portrays. For Pat, there is a general message that is not pro-Catholic. In order to overcome this problem he believes Christians need to be authentic. In his words, “I want to be the voice of Jesus…and so be a part of the solution…to be a voice of Grace, not law”. Music and media are a channel for religious practice as the experience of the transcendental is a mediated process through these sensational forms (Meyer 2012, 161-2). I asked Pat about other communities like Emmanuelworship and the extent to which media is used to display the message of religious groups and he replied that, “I don’t think the media is taking it too far” as “the Gospel is meant to pervade all of society… to be the leaven in the dough of society.” Modern media influences cultural religious practices, of which music is a part of, as opposed to traditional teachings in order to be relevant in society today (Till 2010, 4). Pat strives to keep the Catholic Church relevant through his work by using his call to write and record songs. By doing this, he is “promoting original Catholic music which is contemporary in style to try and reach the language that I felt like would have reached me if I’d have heard it as a teenager”.

“Without particular social structures, sensory regimes, bodily techniques, doctrines and practices that make up a religion, the searching individual craving experience of God would not exist” (Meyer 2012, 159). This is facilitated through the media and use of music to enhance sensory experiences in religion. Pat Keady strives to promote the message of the Church in his community through his engagement with Emmanuelworship. Media does not only shape sensational forms, says Meyer, but sensational forms like film and social media, mediate themselves (Meyer 2012, 162). Pat sees that “where there the good, beautiful and true, then there is God,” and that film and music exhibit these elements. While not explicitly being religious he says they “convey the true message of what religion is all about”. Pat believes that music “is a powerful medium that should not be ignored lightly…because music moves the soul”. For that reason, the promotion of religion is enhanced by not only media but music because of the great power it has to influence society.

References

Emmanuelworship.com. "emmanuelworship - About." 2013. Web. 17 Apr 2013. <http://emmanuelworship.com/about.cfm>.

Keady, Patrick 2013. "Interview on Religion, Music and Media." Personal interview. April 16 2013.

Meyer B. 2012. Religious Sensations: Media, Aesthetics, and the Study of Contemporary Religion. In Lynch G. and J. Mitchell with A. Strhan. Eds., Religion, Media and Culture: A Reader. 159-170. London and New York: Routledge.

Till, R. 2010. Pop Cult: Religion and Popular Music. London: Continuum International Publishing, Ch. 9, Do You Believe in Rock and Roll. Musical Cults of the Sacred Popular. 168-192. Ebook.

Week 6 - Commodified Religion

Religion is everywhere; on the television, Facebook, YouTube and on the streets, billboards and radio. Religion has become a commodity, particularly in the developed world, in order to survive. This is due to the mass media that is presented to us every day. Facebook, Twitter, television etc. give reach to a wider community of devotees of religious institutions. 

With this in mind it is important to note that the proselytism of religion via advertisement can also fall short. Take The Church of Scientology as an example. Their 2009 campaign includes a series of video clips that show images of everyday people and activities with the tag line of Scientology: Know Yourself-Know Life at the very end. The advert pulls watchers in because everyone can relate to the images on the screen. The multi-million-dollar branding message transforms Scientology from the stale figure of Tom Cruise into a hip, modern and cool commodity, yet doesn't mention once what Scientology actually is (Einstein 2011).

Images and symbols play a major role in the commodity of religion. Debord (1994) talks about the 'spectacle' that is constructed in society today. This is fueled by the branding of religion intertwined with social and everpresent media. The 'spectacle' surrounds religion. It is not about looking at images as a 'spectacle', but the 'social relationship between people that is mediated by images' (Debord 1994). Everyone wants to be a part of and know about the spectacle in order to conform and accept the commodification of religion. 

Fashion is a major part of the branding of religion. A few years ago it was all about wearing jewelry with crosses on them or the branding of religious groups on t-shirts and even underwear. This religious symbolism and branding is inescapable. For me, the religious pieces of fashion I own (seen below) are about the story behind them, not merely their religious origin. All of them permeate memories of when/where I received them or who gave them to me. 

(From left to right)

Rosary beads: a present from my Mother when she went to Ireland

Rosary bead bracelet: a reminder of my European travels in 2010 from Notre Dame

St Rita medallion: a reminder of my time spent at high school

Rosary beads: originally my Grandmother's 

Cross necklace: the last present I received from my Nanna

Guitar keyring: memento from a camp I attended holding spiritual significance

Rosary beads: my first set given to me at my conformation

References: 

Einstein M. 2011. The Evolution of Religious Branding. Social Compass 58(3): 331-338. (RL)

Debord G. 1994. The Society of the Spectacle. New York: Zone Books. 

Week 5 - Music Is All I Got

Religion is emotive. Music is emotive. Naturally, religious music is highly emotive. In saying this, mainstream music is more commonly using subtle undertones of religion in the use of 'spirituality' as opposed to religious symbols in songs. This shift has not gone unrecognised, as Rupert Till (2010) discusses in his book Pop Cult: Religion and Popular Music. 

It is amazing the power music has to create feelings and rekindle memories. Love Is All I Got by Feed Me & Crystal Fighters brings the sacred into the mainstream with its transic beat and lyrics. It talks about feeding your soul with love to lead a more fulfilling life, a message of many religious traditions. More than this, the film clip follows the story of the main singer who strives to become a hero for the to save/get the girl of his dreams, to be the one to save her with love, just like a God?

More often, music is taking on spiritual meaning. With so many different genres of music emerging there is something for everyone. Last week I went to a Drum and Bass concert in Fortitude Valley where I witnessed first-hand, the spiritual elements to a style of music I'd never really heard of. At first I sat on the edge of the dancefloor observing some of the hard-core DnB fans. When the main act, Black Sun Empire came on, my friend got up and I also felt compelled to get up and dance to what a few minutes ago had seemed ridiculous. Participants threw their bodies back and forth in time to the music, shifting their weight from one leg to the other, spinning, throwing their hands up and letting their bodies flail unconsciously about. By closing my eyes, I could feel what they were. An overwhelming sense of letting go, not watching or caring what the people around me were doing, caught in the trance of the DnB. 

Black Sun Empire, DnB Concert 30/3/13

This ability to get carried away is an essesntial spiritual element to the music I listen to. Music can take us to a new place and let us forget our problems for a moment, just like religion. 

References: 

Till, R. 2010. Pop Cult: Religion and Popular Music. London: Continuum International Publishing, Ch. 9, Do You Believe in Rock and Roll. Musical Cults of the Sacred Popular. 168-192. Ebook.

Love Is All I Got. 2012. Retrieved 29 March, 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_EyOIiiNR4