Religious beliefs are important elements of human life because they influence how people choose to live and make decisions. Most people believe in the existence of supernatural powers which are responsible for shaping their future about many aspects, including the person’s social and financial status.
In spite of the fact that religious principles are associated with the importance of maintaining peace, love, and charity, the modern world of religious expression is mostly based on the economic factors which are closely interrelated in the people’s consciousness with not only religious ideals and values but also with political doctrines and principles of religious fundamentalism.
The modern religious expression can often be discussed as a product of a man’s intention to become wealthier. Many people believe that economic success can improve their living conditions, and the improvement of the financial state can be the main desire expressed with the help of daily praying.
Although religious groups and leaders usually advocate that the hard work and patience are the key principles necessary to reach the prosperity, there is a tendency to defeat negative thinking as the barrier to the wealth (Nongbri 54; Putnam and Campbell 326). Declaring such religious principles that people should not get wealth through stealing, corruption, and other unethical sources, religious leaders can note that “God wants you to be a winner in every area of life” (Putnam and Campbell 326).
As a result, a Christian begins to orient to winning at work and in the financial sphere (Putnam and Campbell 327; Welker and Etzelmuller 12). Thus, it is rather surprising to hear direct proclamations that “God rewards his followers and wants them to obtain as much wealth and influence as possible” (Putnam and Campbell 326). However, such proclamations are the reality in many churches, and these statements can form the modern world of religious expression.
The religion, politics, religious fundamentalism, social sphere, and economic sphere interrelate and influence people’s life significantly. It is almost impossible to separate religion from politics because politics is about leadership in the secular world, and religion is also about leadership in the religious sphere. Thus, Christians believe that God chooses leaders, and people should respect elected leaders while giving them chances to serve the public.
Good leaders must be wise to ensure that they make good decisions which can provide benefits for the society (Hodgson 112). However, there are always representatives of religious fundamentalism who state that the political and social worlds cannot be connected with the religious world. Religious fundamentalism is used to ensure that the Christians do not just practice Christianity for their benefits, but also obey and follow its principles strictly (Welker and Etzelmuller 54).
Referring to the social and economic spheres, it is important to note that religion has no social classes, and all people have equal freedoms and rights because they were created by one God (Nongbri 94). Religious beliefs promote equality by advocating the fair treatment of society’s members. In this case, differences in the financial state are the result of God’s will or the illustration of God’s treatment and grace.
Those Christians who follow the principles of the evangelical movement, such as the followers of Mac Hammond’s preaching at Living Word Christian Center, believe that the members of the community should not only work hard to have money in order to acquire what they need but also believe that God can provide them with the desired wealth (Putnam and Campbell 328). In this case, God is discussed as the provider of all the material and non-material wealth in the world.
Therefore, God knows the amount of money that every person should have, and He can also respond to the person’s praying. The Christians believe that wealth is a blessing from God, and people can refer to different ways of acquiring some wealth in the modern world (Welker and Etzelmuller 38).
The only point is that people should not use their economic strengths to oppress weaker members in society, as it is observed about political leaders. From this point, economic factors are actively discussed in the community of Christians today as the source of changing the living conditions and social status.
Economic factors matter while discussing the role of religion in the modern society in its connection with the social sphere and politics because many people choose to turn to religion to seek divine interventions in creating wealth and maintaining it. Most people believe that their problems can be solved if they pray intensively in addition to the hard work.
As a result, the world of investments, religion, and politics become closely interconnected, and it is impossible to state what factors can influence the progress of the modern religious expression most of all. However, discussing the social sphere, politics, and religion, it is possible to note that economic factors remain to be influential ones and playing one of the key roles in human life.
Works Cited
Hodgson, Peter. Hegel: Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion: Introduction and the Concept of Religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print.
Nongbri, Brent. Before Religion: A History of a Modern Concept. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2013. Print.
Putnam, Robert, and David Campbell. American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2012. Print.
Welker, Michael, and Gregor Etzelmuller. Concepts of Law in the Sciences, Legal Studies, and Theology (Religion in Philosophy and Theology). Verlag: Mohr Siebeck, 2013. Print.