The Challenge of Religious Re-Awakening in Asia, Today

The Challenge of Religious Re-Awakening
in Asia Today
by  Fr. Eliseo R. Mercado,Jr., OMI
Notre Dame University – Graduate School
San Beda University – Graduate School of Laws

Introduction

We are living in an interesting age. Everywhere, the slogan of nations is globalization. This is one of the major trends that greatly impact our societies and diverse communities. Briefly stated, this trend paves the way for the collapse of borders, frontiers, and geographical distances as people, trade and resources move more freely and faster. Globalization is poised as the single key factor that levels the playing field. And the leveling of playing field includes among others the homogenization of cultures.

This trend is further enhanced by science and technology, particularly of cyberspace. Cable TV and Internet bring the whole world right at your home.

While the whole world becomes a global village and playing fields get more even, the “believers” see the coming together of nations and communities into truly one humankind. But our coming together albeit cable TV and Internet does not level off cultures and distinct ethnicity.

Asia is a complex continent. Religions, ideologies, culture and poverty are integral features of Asia’s complex realities. It is a home to diverse ethnic groups and major world religions. And if we include the Middle East to the Asian region, all major religions have their origins from the continent. Animism, the diverse Chinese beliefs, Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam find their natural matrix in Asia. The last three had their origin in the desert context and thus consider the environment as hostile – something to conquer, subdue or dominate.  Others emerged from a more environment-friendly matrix thus find harmony and unity with the environment as paramount value to ensure the continuity in creation’s cycle of birth and re-birth.

Religious Re-Awakening

To everybody’s surprise, in this so-called modern age, the new surge of religions and ethnicity and often in their violent forms continues to haunt governments and citizens alike. In fact, religious re-awakening is a major phenomenon in the world today. Religions and ethnicity, despite the much-daunted globalization, continue to endure. In fact, I believe that this new surge of religion and ethnicity owes their new life to the powerful secularizing influence of today’s new “modernism”. 

This new religious re-awakening goes by diverse names and labels. Their many names reveal to us that this awakening is not at all a monolithic movement. They are to be found within a broad range, from militarism to pacifism; and from genuine spiritual renewal to aggressive intervention in political affairs.

The basic root of religious revivalism is also diverse. In a Christian tradition, revivalism has always been associated with a “reaction” to a modernist trend in the living as well as interpretation of religion. The “modernists” or “liberals” advocate for a new worldview and order that no longer reflect a strict and literal adherence to the scripturs. The onset of Darwin’s evolution, Marx’s dialectic materialism and the scientific methodology in human endeavors and morality is perceived as an erosion of the absolute authority of the bible and tradition as the sources of the doctrine and salvation. Moral absolutes based on the literal reading of scriptures are also questioned.

This religious re-awakening is different from the usual “conservatives” in these varied Christian churches and denominations. While the traditional “conservatives” resist these modernizing and secularizing trends, they nevertheless adapt to modern conceptions of the heart of the scriptures whose message is centered on the divine rescue from sin and death.

On the other hand, the new religious re-awakening rejects the present social order and calls the faithful to fully adopt the slogan:  “back to the bible” in its literal and strictest understanding.

The label “fundamentalism” originates from the Christian matrix of re-awakening movements. From its inception fundamentalism carries a tradition of militancy and separatism. It is militant not only in its confrontation of the world and call to be born again but also in its structure and governance. This movement separates itself from the mainstream Protestant denominations known for being “liberals” or “modernists” and their perceived complete absorption by the world.

Re-awakening in Other Religious Traditions

In Islam, religious revivalism is often understood by non-Muslims as Islamic fundamentalism. Yet, the revivalism in Islam is much wider and broader. In fact, the Muslims do not accept the label fundamentalism, because of its Christian derivation. Like their Christian antecedents, the religious re-awakening in Islam is a reaction to the present realities.

First, there is the strong reaction to the domination exercised by the West (understood as Christian) over the Muslims and their territories. The imposition by the West of a secular nation state during the era of colonialism and post independence period is “resented” by the adherents of this revivalist movement.  The concept of nation state is opposed to their understanding of Islamic ummah (community) whose existence is guaranteed only by a government based of the Shari’a (Islamic Law).

From this trend flows the Islamic state movement that strives to re-establish the state governed according to the Islamic Law. And since the Islamic Law originates from divine revelation, it may not be developed or modified, but merely applied.    The strict implementation of the Islamic Law preserves the moral order upon which the integrity of the community depends.

Second, the Islamic revivalism perceives the corrupting influence of Western “materialism”.  The secularizing trend has caught the Muslim youth and erodes the community’s moral and social order that is based on the Shari’a.

Third, it is believed that the society’s blueprint is designed, lived and completed during the golden era of Islam, that is, the Medinan era (622 to 661).  They accept that the vision of Islam is realized during the time of the prophet and the four “rightly guided Caliphs:  Abu Bakr (632-634), ‘Umar (634-644), ‘Uthman (644-656) and ‘Ali (656-661).

The Islamic revivalist movements derive their inspiration from the “nahda” (renaissance) that is stimulated by the teaching of the Salaf (the prophet and his companions).  This is translated as strict adherence to the Qur’an and the Hadiths.  All other traditions are considered as blameworthy innovation and need to be rejected.

Again as in Christian revivalist movement, the Islamic one differs from country to country in their understanding of a return to the basics of the religion.  There are those who are inspired by the ancient grandeur of Islam and want to go back as far as possible to the institutions and   the way of acting and living during the golden era of Islam.  On the other hand, there are those who try to recapture the dynamism of Islam and reconcile it with the exigencies of the modern technological era and the condition of a modern state on which the old rules of the Shari’a cannot possibly remain unaltered.  Then there are those who embrace the Islamic revivalist movement to oppose the increasing secularization of the contemporary society.

Common Characteristics of Religious Revivalism

There are four basic common characteristics of the current religious revivalism.

First, there is the accepted blueprint of societal as well as individual life.  God gives this blueprint in the revelation.  The blueprint is completed and/or nearing completion.  The members of the movement are call back to this blueprint either to hasten the realization of the blueprint once again in our times.

Second, the fact that religious revivalism is a reaction to the contemporary trends that are perceived menace to faith of the individuals and the community.  “Modernism”, secularization and the moral and social “corruption” destroy the very fiber of the traditional moorings of the individuals and societies.  Revivalism is a strong reaction to the present social and moral order that is perceived as new paganism.

Third, religious revivalism gives answer to individual’s need for healing and identity.  No doubt, the “woundedness” and injustice, particularly of the poverty of the greater number of citizens, seek healing and redress.  The re-awakening movement emphasizes healing, wholeness by strict adherence to the imperatives of faith as given.  In the same vein, the growing alienation of people in our contemporary world surfaces the need for identity and belonging whose lines and parameters are clearly defined and delineated.  These parameters are also given and cannot be changed and modified for all times.  The revivalist movement gives this security and identity as well as belonging to a group that is saved and already living under a completed and realized blueprint.

Fourth, the revivalism is an alternative being poised vis-à-vis the arrogance of the state to think and decide for all.  The imposition of a uniform economic and social order destroys the specific character of peoples, nations and communities.  The new religious revival movement takes this power from the state and restores it to God.

There is, no doubt, a very powerful force in religion and ethnicity.  It is a power to create or destroy, life of death, unity or dispersal, segregate or congregate, to call or to expel, and to make peace or war as well.  Often, religious awakening is accompanied by a powerful ethnic centrism that re-enforces a worldview that sees others as foreigners and sources of corruption and defilement. 

The examples are the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Jami’a group in Pakistan and Middle East, Janata in India, the militant Buddhists in Sri Lanka, the Soka Gakai in Japan, the diverse fundamentalist groups in Christianity, the ultra Orthodox in Judaism, the Hezbollah and the Hamas in the Middle East, and the variety of nativistic and millenarian movements in indigenous beliefs. 

Conclusion:  The Battleship and the Lighthouse.

The point I wish to share is better illustrated in a story borrowed from a Navy Journal as quoted by Stephen Covey in his famous book, the Seven Habits…

“A battleship assigned to a training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days.  The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained open at the bridge keeping an eye on all activities.  Shortly after dark the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported,  ‘light bearing on the starboard.’ ‘Is it steady or moving astern?’ the captain called out.  Lookout replied:  ‘steady, captain.’  This meant that they were on a dangerous collision course.  The captain called to the signalman:  ‘signal that we are on collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees.’  Back came the signal, ‘advisable for you to change 20 degrees.’  The captain said: ‘said I’m a captain, change course 20 degrees.’  ‘I’m a seaman second class came the reply, ‘you better change course 20 degrees.’  By that time the captain was furious.  He spat out send”  ‘I’m battleship, change course 20 degrees.’  Back came a flashing light:  ‘I’m a lighthouse.’  The battleship and the captain changed course!

Religion and ethnicity are like lighthouses…  We, specialists, theologians, ideologues, politicians and even revolutionaries, are merely captains. Our battleship may have several forms and shapes.  But in the final analysis we have to change course else we find ourselves colliding at lighthouses.