Religion, Idealism, Ideology, Revolution: Three radical-left views of the socio-political significance of Christianity

Contrary to some predictions, it appears religion is coming back. We are constantly being reminded that religion is becoming more important again in late modernity. Despite this, religion is still “banished to the sidelines in the contemporary field of theoretical struggle” (Beckford 2003: 12). Moreover, when religion is studied, it is often a concept of ‘religion’ so reified and generalised as to be of questionable use (Beckford 2003: 15-16). Theorists will sometimes write on the specific type of religion they see, and assume it is true of ‘religion’ or ‘Christianity’ in general (McLellan 1987: 5-6); other times certain topics are highlighted at the expense of others. With regard to religion’s relation to the social order, the “legitimizing effects of religion” have been studied at length, while the emancipatory potential of religion is “almost always ignored” (Torres 1992: 105).