Rashid Begg - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Drafts by Rashid Begg
Romantic love is unlike any other. It is a love that is felt for only one person at a time. Ultra... more Romantic love is unlike any other. It is a love that is felt for only one person at a time. Ultrasound scans show that it stimulates the same area of the brain that is stimulated when one becomes obsessed. The craving part of the brain is said to be activated. The same portion of the brain that is stimulated by chocolate or cocaine (Helen Fisher).
Free Press
I was born during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud 11 during the first quarter of the 19 th... more I was born during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud 11 during the first quarter of the 19 th century. My father named me Abubkr after the famous Rashidun caliph. My people, the Kurds of the plains of Hewlêr, were Muslim, Khosnaw and Osmanli. When I think back, we were always Muslim first, Khosnaw second, and as was the case with most of the people of the Middle East, we were Osmanli. My father, Malla Umr Beg, like his father, Malla Mustafa Beg and his grandfather before, Maulana Sulaiman Bapir, were Mallas. They taught in the madrassas build by our great ancestors. And as destiny would have it, I would follow in the tradition of my family. That I would become the grand-Mufti of Shaharizur was not a goal that I set for myself as a young man focused on learning the laws and rights of Islam. I was happy enough to teach in the madrassas of my forefathers in Harir and Shaqlawa. We were never paid a salary for our efforts. The self-knowledge that we would be rewarded with Janna for our investments we accepted to be significantly more than the coins used in the souks around Harir. I was gifted with the ability to understand exactly who I was. Knowledge was to be my lifelong pursuit. I was never satiated and always looked forward to the next lesson that my father and uncles would deliver. They already knew then that I would eventually leave the madrassa to acquire more knowledge in the famous madrassas of Baghdad, Medina and Mecca. There were no poor people in my village. We all lived in very similar mud houses. We had very little furnishings in our homes. We didn't need those. We sat on the floors, like our prophet did, and we slept on reed mats. We were never hungry as the region was abundant in vegetation and the goats and geese were always well-fed. We loved the tea that we harvested from the surrounding chai bush around the mountain slopes and our mothers took pride in presenting these to the visitors who would frequent our home.
Books by Rashid Begg
UofKH, 2013
The white Afrikaners of South Africa — descended from a variety of European nationalities, includ... more The white Afrikaners of South Africa — descended from a variety of European nationalities, including French, Dutch, German and Scandinavian, as well as local Khoisan people and slaves of the Dutch colonies brought to the Cape by the VOC — trace their roots to this period. Despite other influences, including slave and indigenous cultures, they have retained an overwhelmingly Dutch cultural heritage. Part of this cultural commitment is because their language, Afrikaans, borrowed a high percentage of its vocabulary from Dutch, and is essentially a patois form of this language. However, it is the Calvinist religious ties with the churches of the Netherlands that connect Afrikaner culture most intimately with Dutch culture. It was my fascination with this religious nexus, including the intellectual ideas of John Calvin, which would eventually inspire me to investigate Weber’s famous thesis in the South African context for my doctoral research.
The purpose of this book is to use Weber’s thesis to provide an explanation of the Afrikaner version of Protestantism between 1652 and 1948. Weber’s thesis is taken largely as a given with important explanatory power which offers a different way of understanding developments in South Africa from, for example, Marxist revisionism. My intention is to show how Weber can be used in the South African context to explain Afrikaner Calvinism and its meeting with modern industrial capitalism in the 20th century. In other words, I am drawing on Weber, both theoretically and methodologically, to investigate the extent to which the people who would later come to be identified as Afrikaners embraced the Protestant ethic — initially as European settlers from the second half of the seventeenth century, then later as a self-identified Afrikaner volk (nation) from the early twentieth century. Having established the salience of this ethic, at least for significant segments of this group, I then aim to show the relevance of Weber for understanding how, still later, when Afrikaners were confronted with modern industrial capitalism in its particular South African incarnation, some entrenched religious attitudes of the group were able to find affinity with the underlying spirit of capitalism. To state my thesis in another way, in terms of its underlying research questions: did the early European settlers of the seventeenth century display Calvinist values like hard work, honesty and frugality? Were these values able to take root and survive, despite countervailing and divergent forces, until a time when a significant segment of Afrikaners as a self-identified volk were confronted with modern industrial capitalism? If the answer to these questions is, broadly, yes, does Weber’s famous thesis have significant explanatory power when applied to this South African case? I argue that it does, and that the use of a Weberian analysis is particularly relevant since white Afrikaners were able to dominate not only politically but, increasingly, economically after 1948. In answering these research questions, my intention, then, is to determine with some precision the significance of Calvinist religious ideas for Afrikaner economic attitudes throughout the post 1652 period.
BOD, 2013
Ethnographic study of the Islamic hajj ritual
Teaching Documents by Rashid Begg
Free Press, 2008
sociology of religion
Thesis Chapters by Rashid Begg
SunScholar, 2011
South African Calvinism in historical context
Talks by Rashid Begg
YouTube, 2018
Podcasts Looking for Satan Hinduism Islam
Papers by Rashid Begg
Nederduitse Gereformeerde Teologiese Tydskrif, 2012
In human history it is not uncommon for religious ideas to shape the behavioural attitude of acto... more In human history it is not uncommon for religious ideas to shape the behavioural attitude of actors within it. This paper finds its influences in Max Weber's seminal essay The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. The quest of this paper is to investigate the formations of different forms of Islam in South Africa and how the ideas of early historical Islam at the Cape influences attitudes toward charity (sadaqa) and obligatory almsgiving (zakah). The Cape Islamic tradition is contrasted against the more doctrinal form of the religion in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The methodology employed is historical-sociology which, in this case study, allows further comparison with the Dutch Reformed Church in the region and its attitude toward the "poor whites". Conclusionary remarks are offered after three prominent Islamic organisations involved in Islamic forms of charity are investigated. IntroductIon This paper finds its inspiration in Max Weber's grand project published at the beginning of the twentieth century: understanding the role of religion and its "innere Zusammenhang" 3 with modern capitalism (Weber 1962). In the current paper, pressing questions-explicit and sometimes implied-are addressed, questions with regard to the relationship between religion and the attitude toward poverty alleviation in general, and more immediately, the case of "South African Islam". Questions include: How are we to understand poverty in capitalist societies where life chances are seemingly equal for all citizens? Is it fair to expect the same level of commitment to the poor given the divergent religious backgrounds in our globalising
Journal for Islamic Studies, 2009
... After historically situating Isfahani between ibn Miskawayh and al-Ghazl¥ - by no means an e... more ... After historically situating Isfahani between ibn Miskawayh and al-Ghazl¥ - by no means an easy task considering the limited biographical material available on Isfahani - Mohamed sets forth in translating Isfahani's text Kitb al-Dhar¥>ah il Makrim al-Shar¥>ah (The ...
Religion and Theology, 2012
This article unpacks some of the important debates surrounding the Islamic science of hadith coll... more This article unpacks some of the important debates surrounding the Islamic science of hadith collection. Both Euro-American and Islamic methodologies in the deconstruction of the science are examined. More particularly, the authenticity of hadith is brought into question by flagging the often spurious nature of oral transmissions, especially where chains of transmitters (isnads) are listed and can be checked. The deconstruction of hadith is followed by a socio-historical analysis of the science using Max Weber’s theory on the routinization of charisma. In the end, this article implies that even the “historical” religions point towards an a-historical reality.
LitNet Akademies
LitNet AkademiesJaargang 5 (2)Oktober 2008 Die verhouding tussen religie1 en mag in Tibettaanse... more LitNet AkademiesJaargang 5 (2)Oktober 2008 Die verhouding tussen religie1 en mag in Tibettaanse Boeddhisme Rashid Begg, Sandra Troskie ... met daardie aspekte wat die kern van die Boeddhistiese filosofie vorm, naamlik die leer van karma, hergeboorte en nirwana. ...
... While his economic traditionalism was originally the result of Pauline indifference, it later... more ... While his economic traditionalism was originally the result of Pauline indifference, it later became that of a more and more intense belief in divine providence, which identified absolute obedience to God's will, with absolute acceptance of things as they were. Starting from this ...
Brill, 2012
This article unpacks some of the important debates surrounding the Islamic science of hadith coll... more This article unpacks some of the important debates surrounding the Islamic science of hadith collection. Both Euro-American and Islamic methodologies in the deconstruction of the science are examined. More particularly, the authenticity of hadith is brought into question by flagging the often spurious nature of oral transmissions, especially where chains of transmitters (isnads) are listed and can be checked. The deconstruction of hadith is followed by a socio-historical analysis of the science using Max Weber's theory on the routinization of charisma. In the end, this article implies that even the "historical" religions point towards an a-historical reality.
Boleswa, 2012
This essay visits some of the key patterns associated with New Religious Movements (NRMs or Cult)... more This essay visits some of the key patterns associated with New Religious Movements (NRMs or Cult). Through the use of Eileen Barker's seven characteristics of NRMs an attempt is made to position the Nation of Islam as having some of the characteristics of a NRM as well as displaying features of a politico-religious social movement. Thereafter an historical-sociological trajectory of the Black Muslims is given within the socio-political context of African American society. The paper remains within the language of sociology of religion where key concepts such as charismatic leadership, church-sect dynamics, 'routinization of charisma' and the development of sectarian religiosity form the conceptual framework of this essay. NRMs of significant importance for at least the last two centuries. And when considering the social impact of Mormonism and the Millerites as NRMs of the l800s, a much-publicized NRM like the Branch Dividians seems marginal in comparison. A closer investigation into the origins of the modern Spiritualist movement reveals distinct social conditions and catalysts that gave rise to it. According to Nelson (1974:473), mass migration, the existence of Mesmerism, Swedenborgianism, Witchcraft, Science, Rationalism, and the contact with Shamanism of the American Indian challenged existing Christian beliefs. Perhaps here lies part of the answer to the emergence of NRMs in North America and elsewhere. NRMs appear to emerge in societies that are religiously plural. One argument might be that the social reality of the 'prophet' is influenced by the religious ideas of the people he or she comes into contact with. In a plural society, the prophets of NRMs have greater opportunity to formulate a religious syncretic ideology. On the other hand one could argue that the social revolutionary components of the prophet's ideas are shaped by the prejudices and social ills that these charismatic individuals are so often confronted with in their histories. The resultant new ideology of the prophet is thus a summation of at least these two phenomena: religion and politics. There are numerous cases in history to support this model. Muhammad, the prophet of lslam, formulates a quasi Judeo-Christian-Sabean religious ideology as his interactions are with people from these traditions. His socio-political protest is with Meccan tribalism that usurps economic power and maintains hegemony over the other Arab bedouin tribes. The resultant religious
ngtt, 2012
In human history it is not uncommon for religious ideas to shape the behavioural attitude of acto... more In human history it is not uncommon for religious ideas to shape the behavioural attitude of actors within it. This paper finds its influences in Max Weber's seminal essay The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. The quest of this paper is to investigate the formations of different forms of Islam in South Africa and how the ideas of early historical Islam at the Cape influences attitudes toward charity (sadaqa) and obligatory almsgiving (zakah). The Cape Islamic tradition is contrasted against the more doctrinal form of the religion in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The methodology employed is historical-sociology which, in this case study, allows further comparison with the Dutch Reformed Church in the region and its attitude toward the "poor whites". Conclusionary remarks are offered after three prominent Islamic organisations involved in Islamic forms of charity are investigated.
Scrib, 2007
This paper compares Emmanuel Levinas’ concept of responsibility to the Madhyamika’s account of co... more This paper compares Emmanuel Levinas’ concept of responsibility to the Madhyamika’s account of compassion. Central to both philosophical ideas is the position of the “Other”. In the case of Levinas, the notion of responsibility and compassion becomes the duty of all individuals whereas in the case of the Madhyamikans, a heightened sense of
responsibility toward the “Other” becomes the duty of the bodhisattva. With these two philosophical orientations we have two systems of thought, roads that lead if not to the same mountain, at least to peaks from which very similar views may be seen.
Litnet, 2009
Die verhouding tussen religie 1 en mag in Tibettaanse Boeddhisme Opsomming Die rol wat religie in... more Die verhouding tussen religie 1 en mag in Tibettaanse Boeddhisme Opsomming Die rol wat religie in die geskiedenis van politiek speel om die aspirasies, dominasie of belange van 'n persoon of groep te bevoordeel, is vandag goed bekend aan die sosiale wetenskappe. Van die mees invloedryke beskawings in die geskiedenis van die wêreld was immers dié van politieke aspirante wat 'n religie kon inspan om hulle imperialistiese en/of ekspansionistiese ambisies te legitimeer. Religieuse instansies se gewilligheid om politieke aspirante tot diens te wees, is egter selde gratis. Die prys vir die legitimerende rol wat hulle bereid is om te speel, is meer dikwels as nooit die politieke beskerming en die ekonomiese bevoordeling van hulle persone en instansies. Hierdie verhouding van wedersydse bevoordeling lei soms tot die stelselmatige samesmelting van religieuse simbole met politieke belange tot so 'n mate dat daar later min onderskeid is tussen religieuse aanspraak en politieke belang. Trouens, dikwels manifesteer dit selfs in 'n poging vanaf die kant van die religieuse instansie om die hoogste politieke en ekonomiese mag te bekom. Die politieke rol en aspirasies van die Kerk deur die loop van die eeue en oor baie kontinente, is 'n goeie voorbeeld hiervan. Dat Boeddhisme, 'n religie gegrond op 'n wêreldnegerende werklikheidsverstaan, egter dieselfde aspirasies kan hê-en dat hierdie ambisies die sterkste te merk is in die ontwikkeling van die persoon en rol van die Dalai Lama van Tibet-is 'n gegewe wat minder bekend is aan 'n moderne wêreld wat hierdie religie gewoonlik sterk verromantiseer as die spirituele antitese van Westerse materialisme. Abstract The role of religion in promoting the political aspirations and interests of individuals or groups are well documented within the social sciences. The history of the most influential civilisations in the world speaks to the ability of political aspirants to utilise religion for the legitimation of their imperialistic and/or expansionistic ambitions. But the willingness of religious institutions to serve the needs of political aspirants is seldom value-free. In return for the legitimating role that the institution of religion offers, political protection and economic advantages are often the expected reciprocity. This relationship of mutual advantage between these institutions often lead to the systematic fusion of religious symbols with political interests to a point where the division between religious authority and political interests become blurry. In fact, often times the manifestation of such a relationship leads to attempts by religious institutions to attain the highest levels of political and economic power. The political role and aspirations of the Christian Church over the centuries, and on most continents, abounds. The idea that Buddhism, a religion grounded in this-worldly renunciation as a cosmology, having the same aspirations as the other world religions is less known. Further, that material ambitions are strongly displayed in the person and role of the Dalai Lama of Tibet is a concept less known to a world that usually strongly romanticises Buddhism as the spiritual antithesis of Western materialism. Inleiding Daar is in die Westerse wêreld min religieuse persoonlikhede wat vandag so 'n sterk aanhang het soos die Dalai Lama van Tibet. Boeke oor hom en deur hom geskryf staan die rakke vol van daardie afdelings in boekwinkels wat oor spiritualiteit handel. Hollywood het hom al vereer met films wat oor sy lewe 2 handel en hy is 'n religieuse idool van sowel beroemde Hollywood-en rocksterre as prominente Westerse politici.
Romantic love is unlike any other. It is a love that is felt for only one person at a time. Ultra... more Romantic love is unlike any other. It is a love that is felt for only one person at a time. Ultrasound scans show that it stimulates the same area of the brain that is stimulated when one becomes obsessed. The craving part of the brain is said to be activated. The same portion of the brain that is stimulated by chocolate or cocaine (Helen Fisher).
Free Press
I was born during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud 11 during the first quarter of the 19 th... more I was born during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud 11 during the first quarter of the 19 th century. My father named me Abubkr after the famous Rashidun caliph. My people, the Kurds of the plains of Hewlêr, were Muslim, Khosnaw and Osmanli. When I think back, we were always Muslim first, Khosnaw second, and as was the case with most of the people of the Middle East, we were Osmanli. My father, Malla Umr Beg, like his father, Malla Mustafa Beg and his grandfather before, Maulana Sulaiman Bapir, were Mallas. They taught in the madrassas build by our great ancestors. And as destiny would have it, I would follow in the tradition of my family. That I would become the grand-Mufti of Shaharizur was not a goal that I set for myself as a young man focused on learning the laws and rights of Islam. I was happy enough to teach in the madrassas of my forefathers in Harir and Shaqlawa. We were never paid a salary for our efforts. The self-knowledge that we would be rewarded with Janna for our investments we accepted to be significantly more than the coins used in the souks around Harir. I was gifted with the ability to understand exactly who I was. Knowledge was to be my lifelong pursuit. I was never satiated and always looked forward to the next lesson that my father and uncles would deliver. They already knew then that I would eventually leave the madrassa to acquire more knowledge in the famous madrassas of Baghdad, Medina and Mecca. There were no poor people in my village. We all lived in very similar mud houses. We had very little furnishings in our homes. We didn't need those. We sat on the floors, like our prophet did, and we slept on reed mats. We were never hungry as the region was abundant in vegetation and the goats and geese were always well-fed. We loved the tea that we harvested from the surrounding chai bush around the mountain slopes and our mothers took pride in presenting these to the visitors who would frequent our home.
UofKH, 2013
The white Afrikaners of South Africa — descended from a variety of European nationalities, includ... more The white Afrikaners of South Africa — descended from a variety of European nationalities, including French, Dutch, German and Scandinavian, as well as local Khoisan people and slaves of the Dutch colonies brought to the Cape by the VOC — trace their roots to this period. Despite other influences, including slave and indigenous cultures, they have retained an overwhelmingly Dutch cultural heritage. Part of this cultural commitment is because their language, Afrikaans, borrowed a high percentage of its vocabulary from Dutch, and is essentially a patois form of this language. However, it is the Calvinist religious ties with the churches of the Netherlands that connect Afrikaner culture most intimately with Dutch culture. It was my fascination with this religious nexus, including the intellectual ideas of John Calvin, which would eventually inspire me to investigate Weber’s famous thesis in the South African context for my doctoral research.
The purpose of this book is to use Weber’s thesis to provide an explanation of the Afrikaner version of Protestantism between 1652 and 1948. Weber’s thesis is taken largely as a given with important explanatory power which offers a different way of understanding developments in South Africa from, for example, Marxist revisionism. My intention is to show how Weber can be used in the South African context to explain Afrikaner Calvinism and its meeting with modern industrial capitalism in the 20th century. In other words, I am drawing on Weber, both theoretically and methodologically, to investigate the extent to which the people who would later come to be identified as Afrikaners embraced the Protestant ethic — initially as European settlers from the second half of the seventeenth century, then later as a self-identified Afrikaner volk (nation) from the early twentieth century. Having established the salience of this ethic, at least for significant segments of this group, I then aim to show the relevance of Weber for understanding how, still later, when Afrikaners were confronted with modern industrial capitalism in its particular South African incarnation, some entrenched religious attitudes of the group were able to find affinity with the underlying spirit of capitalism. To state my thesis in another way, in terms of its underlying research questions: did the early European settlers of the seventeenth century display Calvinist values like hard work, honesty and frugality? Were these values able to take root and survive, despite countervailing and divergent forces, until a time when a significant segment of Afrikaners as a self-identified volk were confronted with modern industrial capitalism? If the answer to these questions is, broadly, yes, does Weber’s famous thesis have significant explanatory power when applied to this South African case? I argue that it does, and that the use of a Weberian analysis is particularly relevant since white Afrikaners were able to dominate not only politically but, increasingly, economically after 1948. In answering these research questions, my intention, then, is to determine with some precision the significance of Calvinist religious ideas for Afrikaner economic attitudes throughout the post 1652 period.
BOD, 2013
Ethnographic study of the Islamic hajj ritual
Free Press, 2008
sociology of religion
YouTube, 2018
Podcasts Looking for Satan Hinduism Islam
Nederduitse Gereformeerde Teologiese Tydskrif, 2012
In human history it is not uncommon for religious ideas to shape the behavioural attitude of acto... more In human history it is not uncommon for religious ideas to shape the behavioural attitude of actors within it. This paper finds its influences in Max Weber's seminal essay The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. The quest of this paper is to investigate the formations of different forms of Islam in South Africa and how the ideas of early historical Islam at the Cape influences attitudes toward charity (sadaqa) and obligatory almsgiving (zakah). The Cape Islamic tradition is contrasted against the more doctrinal form of the religion in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The methodology employed is historical-sociology which, in this case study, allows further comparison with the Dutch Reformed Church in the region and its attitude toward the "poor whites". Conclusionary remarks are offered after three prominent Islamic organisations involved in Islamic forms of charity are investigated. IntroductIon This paper finds its inspiration in Max Weber's grand project published at the beginning of the twentieth century: understanding the role of religion and its "innere Zusammenhang" 3 with modern capitalism (Weber 1962). In the current paper, pressing questions-explicit and sometimes implied-are addressed, questions with regard to the relationship between religion and the attitude toward poverty alleviation in general, and more immediately, the case of "South African Islam". Questions include: How are we to understand poverty in capitalist societies where life chances are seemingly equal for all citizens? Is it fair to expect the same level of commitment to the poor given the divergent religious backgrounds in our globalising
Journal for Islamic Studies, 2009
... After historically situating Isfahani between ibn Miskawayh and al-Ghazl¥ - by no means an e... more ... After historically situating Isfahani between ibn Miskawayh and al-Ghazl¥ - by no means an easy task considering the limited biographical material available on Isfahani - Mohamed sets forth in translating Isfahani's text Kitb al-Dhar¥>ah il Makrim al-Shar¥>ah (The ...
Religion and Theology, 2012
This article unpacks some of the important debates surrounding the Islamic science of hadith coll... more This article unpacks some of the important debates surrounding the Islamic science of hadith collection. Both Euro-American and Islamic methodologies in the deconstruction of the science are examined. More particularly, the authenticity of hadith is brought into question by flagging the often spurious nature of oral transmissions, especially where chains of transmitters (isnads) are listed and can be checked. The deconstruction of hadith is followed by a socio-historical analysis of the science using Max Weber’s theory on the routinization of charisma. In the end, this article implies that even the “historical” religions point towards an a-historical reality.
LitNet Akademies
LitNet AkademiesJaargang 5 (2)Oktober 2008 Die verhouding tussen religie1 en mag in Tibettaanse... more LitNet AkademiesJaargang 5 (2)Oktober 2008 Die verhouding tussen religie1 en mag in Tibettaanse Boeddhisme Rashid Begg, Sandra Troskie ... met daardie aspekte wat die kern van die Boeddhistiese filosofie vorm, naamlik die leer van karma, hergeboorte en nirwana. ...
... While his economic traditionalism was originally the result of Pauline indifference, it later... more ... While his economic traditionalism was originally the result of Pauline indifference, it later became that of a more and more intense belief in divine providence, which identified absolute obedience to God's will, with absolute acceptance of things as they were. Starting from this ...
Brill, 2012
This article unpacks some of the important debates surrounding the Islamic science of hadith coll... more This article unpacks some of the important debates surrounding the Islamic science of hadith collection. Both Euro-American and Islamic methodologies in the deconstruction of the science are examined. More particularly, the authenticity of hadith is brought into question by flagging the often spurious nature of oral transmissions, especially where chains of transmitters (isnads) are listed and can be checked. The deconstruction of hadith is followed by a socio-historical analysis of the science using Max Weber's theory on the routinization of charisma. In the end, this article implies that even the "historical" religions point towards an a-historical reality.
Boleswa, 2012
This essay visits some of the key patterns associated with New Religious Movements (NRMs or Cult)... more This essay visits some of the key patterns associated with New Religious Movements (NRMs or Cult). Through the use of Eileen Barker's seven characteristics of NRMs an attempt is made to position the Nation of Islam as having some of the characteristics of a NRM as well as displaying features of a politico-religious social movement. Thereafter an historical-sociological trajectory of the Black Muslims is given within the socio-political context of African American society. The paper remains within the language of sociology of religion where key concepts such as charismatic leadership, church-sect dynamics, 'routinization of charisma' and the development of sectarian religiosity form the conceptual framework of this essay. NRMs of significant importance for at least the last two centuries. And when considering the social impact of Mormonism and the Millerites as NRMs of the l800s, a much-publicized NRM like the Branch Dividians seems marginal in comparison. A closer investigation into the origins of the modern Spiritualist movement reveals distinct social conditions and catalysts that gave rise to it. According to Nelson (1974:473), mass migration, the existence of Mesmerism, Swedenborgianism, Witchcraft, Science, Rationalism, and the contact with Shamanism of the American Indian challenged existing Christian beliefs. Perhaps here lies part of the answer to the emergence of NRMs in North America and elsewhere. NRMs appear to emerge in societies that are religiously plural. One argument might be that the social reality of the 'prophet' is influenced by the religious ideas of the people he or she comes into contact with. In a plural society, the prophets of NRMs have greater opportunity to formulate a religious syncretic ideology. On the other hand one could argue that the social revolutionary components of the prophet's ideas are shaped by the prejudices and social ills that these charismatic individuals are so often confronted with in their histories. The resultant new ideology of the prophet is thus a summation of at least these two phenomena: religion and politics. There are numerous cases in history to support this model. Muhammad, the prophet of lslam, formulates a quasi Judeo-Christian-Sabean religious ideology as his interactions are with people from these traditions. His socio-political protest is with Meccan tribalism that usurps economic power and maintains hegemony over the other Arab bedouin tribes. The resultant religious
ngtt, 2012
In human history it is not uncommon for religious ideas to shape the behavioural attitude of acto... more In human history it is not uncommon for religious ideas to shape the behavioural attitude of actors within it. This paper finds its influences in Max Weber's seminal essay The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. The quest of this paper is to investigate the formations of different forms of Islam in South Africa and how the ideas of early historical Islam at the Cape influences attitudes toward charity (sadaqa) and obligatory almsgiving (zakah). The Cape Islamic tradition is contrasted against the more doctrinal form of the religion in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The methodology employed is historical-sociology which, in this case study, allows further comparison with the Dutch Reformed Church in the region and its attitude toward the "poor whites". Conclusionary remarks are offered after three prominent Islamic organisations involved in Islamic forms of charity are investigated.
Scrib, 2007
This paper compares Emmanuel Levinas’ concept of responsibility to the Madhyamika’s account of co... more This paper compares Emmanuel Levinas’ concept of responsibility to the Madhyamika’s account of compassion. Central to both philosophical ideas is the position of the “Other”. In the case of Levinas, the notion of responsibility and compassion becomes the duty of all individuals whereas in the case of the Madhyamikans, a heightened sense of
responsibility toward the “Other” becomes the duty of the bodhisattva. With these two philosophical orientations we have two systems of thought, roads that lead if not to the same mountain, at least to peaks from which very similar views may be seen.
Litnet, 2009
Die verhouding tussen religie 1 en mag in Tibettaanse Boeddhisme Opsomming Die rol wat religie in... more Die verhouding tussen religie 1 en mag in Tibettaanse Boeddhisme Opsomming Die rol wat religie in die geskiedenis van politiek speel om die aspirasies, dominasie of belange van 'n persoon of groep te bevoordeel, is vandag goed bekend aan die sosiale wetenskappe. Van die mees invloedryke beskawings in die geskiedenis van die wêreld was immers dié van politieke aspirante wat 'n religie kon inspan om hulle imperialistiese en/of ekspansionistiese ambisies te legitimeer. Religieuse instansies se gewilligheid om politieke aspirante tot diens te wees, is egter selde gratis. Die prys vir die legitimerende rol wat hulle bereid is om te speel, is meer dikwels as nooit die politieke beskerming en die ekonomiese bevoordeling van hulle persone en instansies. Hierdie verhouding van wedersydse bevoordeling lei soms tot die stelselmatige samesmelting van religieuse simbole met politieke belange tot so 'n mate dat daar later min onderskeid is tussen religieuse aanspraak en politieke belang. Trouens, dikwels manifesteer dit selfs in 'n poging vanaf die kant van die religieuse instansie om die hoogste politieke en ekonomiese mag te bekom. Die politieke rol en aspirasies van die Kerk deur die loop van die eeue en oor baie kontinente, is 'n goeie voorbeeld hiervan. Dat Boeddhisme, 'n religie gegrond op 'n wêreldnegerende werklikheidsverstaan, egter dieselfde aspirasies kan hê-en dat hierdie ambisies die sterkste te merk is in die ontwikkeling van die persoon en rol van die Dalai Lama van Tibet-is 'n gegewe wat minder bekend is aan 'n moderne wêreld wat hierdie religie gewoonlik sterk verromantiseer as die spirituele antitese van Westerse materialisme. Abstract The role of religion in promoting the political aspirations and interests of individuals or groups are well documented within the social sciences. The history of the most influential civilisations in the world speaks to the ability of political aspirants to utilise religion for the legitimation of their imperialistic and/or expansionistic ambitions. But the willingness of religious institutions to serve the needs of political aspirants is seldom value-free. In return for the legitimating role that the institution of religion offers, political protection and economic advantages are often the expected reciprocity. This relationship of mutual advantage between these institutions often lead to the systematic fusion of religious symbols with political interests to a point where the division between religious authority and political interests become blurry. In fact, often times the manifestation of such a relationship leads to attempts by religious institutions to attain the highest levels of political and economic power. The political role and aspirations of the Christian Church over the centuries, and on most continents, abounds. The idea that Buddhism, a religion grounded in this-worldly renunciation as a cosmology, having the same aspirations as the other world religions is less known. Further, that material ambitions are strongly displayed in the person and role of the Dalai Lama of Tibet is a concept less known to a world that usually strongly romanticises Buddhism as the spiritual antithesis of Western materialism. Inleiding Daar is in die Westerse wêreld min religieuse persoonlikhede wat vandag so 'n sterk aanhang het soos die Dalai Lama van Tibet. Boeke oor hom en deur hom geskryf staan die rakke vol van daardie afdelings in boekwinkels wat oor spiritualiteit handel. Hollywood het hom al vereer met films wat oor sy lewe 2 handel en hy is 'n religieuse idool van sowel beroemde Hollywood-en rocksterre as prominente Westerse politici.
Boleswa, 2012
In his refreshing but sometimes poorly structured study, Mohammad Abu-Hamdiyyah attempts to place... more In his refreshing but sometimes poorly structured study, Mohammad Abu-Hamdiyyah attempts to place the Qur'an within two contexts: the development of monotheism and the broad thematic concerns of Qur'anic scripture. Through this examination he finds justification for the Islamic self-concept of Qur'anic revelation as the culmination of a series of revelations climaxing in the unrevisable and irrevocable finality of Muhammad's message. Abu-Hamdiyyah situates the Qur'an in a final stage of canonical scripture's development. For the author, a scientist, this final era of divine revelation ushers in a new age in which science comes to replace magic. He sees the Qur'an as the least miracle-oriented of the divine texts and therefore more palatable to the rational intellect he believes increasingly commands historical developments. Abu-Hamdiyyah draws parallels between this more intellectual tone he attributes to Qur'anic thought and his analysis of the development of monotheism. Besides serving as a unifying medium for Islam's monotheistic brethren, the Jews and Christians, this increasingly abstract notion of God, Abu-Hamdiyyah asserts, contributes to the creation of a world theology. In Abu-Hamdiyyah's historiography society begins with animism and proceeds to modernity, with the achievement of monotheism placed somewhere in between. For the author, abstraction and the advancement of monotheism are teleologically intertwined. Abu-Hamdiyyah portrays humanity proceeding from the ignorant darkness of a world with multiple, all-too-tangible gods to a brighter era during which "man started to think in abstract terms, with the idolised (the deities) transcending nature, and having power over nature and society" (9). As part of this analysis Abu-Hamdiyyah requires the underlying unity of the "Semiticspeaking" people of the Arab peninsula, banding together in an ever-clearer understanding of the true nature of One God. To his credit, Abu-Hamdiyyah acknowledges the extra-peninsular origins of a monotheistic ideal. He notes the Egyptian tradition espoused by the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten long before the Hebrew fellowship so prominently featured in the Qur'an. BJTRP Volume 4 Number 1 December 2012 Rashid Begg-December 2012 251 Akhenaten's God of the fourteenth century BCE was a sun-disk, the God Aten as master of the universe by virtue of his transcendent and immanent qualities (9). Abu-Hamdiyyah also recognizes Zoroastrian and Orphic influences on the monotheism of Judaism, Christianity and eventually Islam. These religious influences had inspired Scriptures, Abu-Hamdiyyah explains. Whatever the precise value of his overall schema, the historical context of Abu-Hamdiyyah provides is a healthy reminder that the Judeo-Christian perspectives on monotheism are neither unprecedented nor exclusive. This is particularly important to bear in mind as monotheists themselves, Abu-Hamdiyyah included, tend to equate monotheism with rationality and modernity. The author maps out an intriguing analysis of the power politics of monotheistic development in Hebrew society. He speaks of the Hebrew prophets of Persian times preaching a notion of a single God to rouse their people into achieving the political aim of their tribe. In AbuHamdiyyah's analysis, "What is new here is the concept of God to achieve and consolidate a political aim for one particular people" (12). He claims that the rule rather than the exception of these times was tolerance of worship, and that religious intolerance was introduced by the prophets of Israel. Furthermore, he claims that the idea of an "Israel" as a "holy people" is developed only after the leaders of the "Exile"
Istac, 2008
Islamic Studies lays claim to a rich history of scholarship on ethical philosophy. This disciplin... more Islamic Studies lays claim to a rich history of scholarship on ethical
philosophy. This discipline owes much to the Buyyid philosopher ibn
Miskawayh (d. 1030) and the scholarly genius of the Seljuk al-GhazŒl¥
(d. 1111). The wealth of scholarship on al-GhazŒl¥ often leaves one with the nagging question: how was al-GhazŒl¥’s knowledge socialised? From a socio-historical perspective, al-GhazŒl¥’s textual contributions are often viewed in isolation, with ibn Miskawayh being one of the closest links to al-GhazŒl¥ in the sociology of knowledge for this period, which is arguably the most influential textual period in Islamic history.