Katherine Gerbner is a teacher at the University of Minnesota and authors Christian Slavery Conversion and Race in the Protestant Atlantic World which explore the relationship between Christianity and slavery. Gerbner focuses on the conversion of slaves to the Christian faith which was controversial. The slave holders held to the belief that “Christianity was a sign of freedom, and most believed that slaves should not be eligible for conversion”. Once Protestant missionaries arrived in 1670s there was conflict about whether slaves should be eligible for conversion to the Christian faith. The Protestant missionaries thought slaves should not be denied the right of conversion to the Christian faith where the slave holders believed otherwise. This led to conflict both verbal and physical between the missionaries and slaveholders. The slaveholders blamed the missionaries for the slave rebellions occurring where the missionaries created this ideology of “Christian Slavery”. Christian Slavery was the idea that is slaves were converted to Christianity it would make them more hardworking and loyal.
“Christian Slavery shows how the contentions between slave owners, enslaved people, and missionaries transformed the practice of Protestantism and the language of race in the early modern Atlantic world.”
Christian Slavery Conversion and Race in the Protestant Atlantic World by Katharine Gerbner
The statement above encapsulates Gerbner main argument about how Christian slavery influenced the perception of religion and race for the people of the modern Atlantic World. Gerbner uses a functional argument to show how the conversion of slaves to Christianity served different purposes for the Protestant missionaries, slaves, and slaveholders. The differing views on the way religion would affect the slaves is very evident throughout Gerbner’s book which explained the effects of religion and perception of religion based on variant factors.
Book Two: Holy Terrors, Thinking About Religion After September 11, Second Edition by Bruce Lincoln
Holy Terrors, Thinking About Religion After September 11, Second Edition by Bruce Lincoln discusses the perception of the terrorist who facilitated the September 11, 2001 attack on the United States. Lincoln speaks on how the motives of the individuals were religious and thus challenges what people perceive religion to be. The book walks through what the hijackers were given to religiously justify their actions in the 9/11 attack. There were passages from the Quran included in the hijackers manual. Lincoln found the actions of the perpetrators were “in the name of God, the most merciful, the most compassionate” according to the manual. However, Lincoln also investigates the rhetoric used by different leaders to identify the commonalities seen in speeches given around this time period. Lincoln uses these commonalities to discuss the intertwining relationship between religion, politics, and culture.
“These commonalities have considerable implications for our understanding of religion and its interrelationships with politics and culture in a postcolonial world, implications”
Holy Terrors, Thinking About Religion After September 11, Second Edition by Bruce Lincoln
This quote draws on the main points of Lincoln’s arguments throughout the book. Lincoln’s argument is about the way the historical event of 9/11 and the events that followed due to the event demonstrates the relationship between politics and religion. The functional argument emphasizes the way by which religion can be used to influence politics and culture.
Book Three: Pious Fashion: How Muslim Women Dress by Liz Bucar
In Pious Fashion: How Muslim Women Dress by Liz Bucar, the Islamic veil and the meaning behind it is explored. Bucar explains how the Islamic veil is viewed as a significant sign of women’s oppression by westerns. Western view on the veil is not shared universally. Bucar approaches the Islamic veil from a much different view. According to Bucar, the Muslim women’s modest clothing is “more than social control or religious orthodoxy”. In the modern world the headscarf shapes the faces of the women wearing them and have interesting patterns or fabrics which allow for expression of the individual. The allowance of individual expression challenges the western perception of the headscarves as a symbol of oppression. In fact, major fashion companies have created lines specifically for hijabs. Bucar surveyed three predominantly Muslim countries and asked Muslim women of those countries to identify the way by which they think of what to wear. Tehran, Yogyakarta, and Istanbul, are the main large cities that Bucar looks at the fashion trends of Muslim women. The main findings that came about through the surveys Bucars collected was:
“Pious fashion depends to a large extent on local aesthetic and moral values, rather than the dictates of religious doctrine.”
Pious Fashion: How Muslim Women Dress by Liz Bucar
Bucar uses the survey of the women to show the western society that their views on veils are not shared with the people wearing the veils. The local culture which includes aesthetic and moral values play a larger role than the religious doctrine. As the historical context changes in the Islamic fashion world the influence of religion on it can change as well.
Book Synthesis
The books speak on how aspects of certain religions can be used in a variety of different including non religious purposes. Durkheim views religion as a set of beliefs and practices that keep society structured. In addition, his idea of the social is sacred and everything traces back to it. However, as seen in the book arguments above religious practices are not seen as sacred all the time to everyone. Religion can be used or twisted for personal gain wether politics as seen in Bruce Lincoln’s book. Daniel Pal studied Durkheim and his view and found “Durkheim firmly believes that morality, the obligation of each to others and all to the standards of the group is inseparable from religion” (Pal, 87). This largely contradicts the arguments made by the authors above. This furthers the thought that everything might not lead back to one thing like Durkheim theorizes.
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