Religion as a source of social change — practice questions

Weber's thesis: Calvinist predestination → anxiety → worldly asceticism + this-worldly success as sign of grace → rational capitalism in Northern Europe.

Supporting points: Historical overlap Protestant regions and early industrial capitalism; work ethic cultural legacy.

Criticisms: Marxist — material conditions primary; capitalism existed before Protestantism elsewhere; Tawney — reverse causation (capitalism shaped religion); multicausal industrialisation.

Evaluation: Influential on cultural factors in development — not sole cause of capitalism.

Conclusion: Religion one factor among economic and political conditions.

Part 1: Calculation

• Step 1: Find the absolute increase in the Protestant percentage. 22% (in 2010) - 5% (in 1970) = 17 percentage points.

• Step 2: Calculate the percentage increase relative to the original 1970 figure. Formula: (Absolute Increase / Original Value) × 100 (17 / 5) × 100 = 3.4 × 100 = 340%.

• Answer: The Protestant population increased by 340% relative to its 1970 size.

Part 2: Sociological Explanation

This dramatic growth of Protestantism, particularly Pentecostalism, is a key factor in evaluating the limited impact of Liberation Theology.

1. Competition in the 'Religious Market': Liberation Theology was a Catholic movement aiming for collective political change. The rapid rise of Pentecostalism offered a competing religious 'product' that focused on individual salvation, divine healing, and personal prosperity. Sociologists like David Martin argue this created a competitive religious marketplace.
2. Diverting the 'Oppressed': Many of the poor and oppressed, the target audience for Liberation Theology, were attracted to the emotional, charismatic, and individualistic solutions offered by Pentecostal churches. This diverted potential support away from the more political and structural approach of Liberation Theology.
3. Evaluation: Therefore, the data illustrates a key reason for Liberation Theology's limited success. While internal opposition from the Vatican was a factor (as noted by Maduro), the external competition from fast-growing Pentecostalism was a powerful social force that reshaped the religious landscape and undermined the base of support for a Catholic-led political movement.