Religious Faith and Globalization
1) According to Micklethwait and Wooldridge, the authors of God Is Back, Europe is far more secular than the USA. Explain why they think this is the case. Once you have done this consider whether, in your opinion, globalization is likely to change this any time soon.
2) Micklethwait and Wooldridge argue that American religion has a ‘competitive advantage’ over European-style religion. What do they mean, and to what extent do you agree with their analysis? Make sure you include an analysis of the phenomenon of the megachurch in your answer.
3) Do you agree with Karen Armstrong that the atheism of Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens draws upon and is the reverse mirror image of the religious fundamentalism they so despise? Please refer to the Richard Dawkins clips we watched in class and to the relevant extract from Karen Armstrong’s book The Case for God when formulating your answer.
4) In the introduction and first chapter of her book The Case for God, Karen Armstrong argues that religious fundamentalism occurs when religion is read as logos rather than mythos. Explain what she means by this and explore to what extent you find her argument persuasive.
5) Define religious pluralism, and write a couple of paragraphs exploring the challenges religious pluralism presents to France, especially on the thorny subject of women’s clothing. How is France handling this challenge, and to what extent is their strategy working?
6) In chapter 8 of her book, Sharon Delgado argues both that human institutions like corporations and political parties have taken on a life of their own and that they are concerned with their own survival rather than with the well-being of the planet and human beings. To what extent do you find her religious interpretation of the problems of capitalism persuasive? Give reasons for your answer.Need aProfessionalWriter to Work on this Paper?