Religious belief and religious identity as separate forces in politics in the Middle East

Type :

Presentation

Pages :

7 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

11/04/2008

Category :

Political science

Sub category :

Social sciences

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Summary :

Introduction.
1. The debate over slavery.
2. Emphasis on religion.
Important exceptions in the present day Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
This is a problematic definition when it comes to sectarian political movements.
Religious identity as a political force.
Mubarak's administration.
Conclusion.

Abstract

In the debate over slavery that took place in America in the nineteenth century, apologists for both sides appealed to Christianity, the Union's dominant religion, to justify their respective cases. George Armstrong, in his 1857 book The Christian Doctrine of Slavery, stated that, "[I]t appears to us too clear to admit of either denial or doubt, that the Scriptures do sanction slave-holding; that under the old dispensation it was expressly permitted by divine command." Writing several years earlier, George Bourne called such readings of the Christian Bible "perversions" that "produced a slaveholding Christianity, the propagation of which has been visibly followed by the displeasure of God." What is interesting to note about this debate is that both authors assumed that appealing to the religious sensibilities of the majority of the (empowered) population would be sufficient to sway the undecided reader to their respective positions. While one's views on slavery might have determined one's interpretation of Christianity rather than the other way around, these sources show that Americans felt compelled to justify their political views based on religious beliefs.