GEC-TCW

Globalization of
Religion
Presented by:
Colis, Jannen V.
BSMARE – 2B
I. Intended Learning Outcome (ILO)
At the end of the discussion, the students should be
able to:

 discuss what is the globalization of religion;

 determine the positive effects of globalization on
religion; and
 determine the negative effects of globalization on
religion.
II. Content
Globalization of Religion
• Globalization is one of the strongest forces that have a
profound and wide effect around the world. It does not only
have a deep impact on the economy but also on various
aspects of life and society, including religion.
• Religion is a system of beliefs and practices that creates both
cultural and religious differences and gives the strength to
respect and tolerate other religions in the age of globalization.
On the other hand, globalization creates a new door to
strengthen religion such as enhancing beliefs and values,
teaching equality for everyone, showing kindness, etc. 
Five major religions around the world:

1. Christianity
2. Islam
3. Hinduism
4. Buddhism
5. Judaism
1. Christianity – It is the world’s largest religion with
over 2.4 billion followers. Christianity is a monotheistic
religion, which means that followers believe there is
only one true God.
• The believers of this religion are called Christians.
• Their scripture is called the Bible.
2. Islam – Islam is the second-largest religion in the
world with over 1.9 billion followers. This is the top
religion in countries located in Northern Africa, Middle
East, and in Indonesia. They believe that there is only
one God who is Allah and that is their prophet who
conveyed his teachings as told by Archangel Gabriel.
• The believers of this religion are called Muslims.
• Their scripture is called the Qur’an or Koran.
3. Hinduism – It is the third largest religion in the world
with over 1.2 billion followers and is mainly practiced
in India. The people who believe in his religion are
polytheistic or in simplest terms, they believe in many
different gods.
• The believers of this religion are called Hindus.
• They believe in the sanctity of all life,
reincarnation, and karma.
• They don’t have scriptures, but they have
traditions that have been passed down through
generations.
4. Buddhism – This is the major religion across South
East Asia and Japan with over 535 million followers
around the world. It promotes a solitary and spiritual
way of life, strives for deep insights into the true
nature of life, and does not worship gods or deities.
• Its believers are called Buddhists.
• They focus on personal development.
5. Judaism – It is the smallest of the top five religions
with 14 million followers. Judaism is a monotheistic
religion, with followers recognizing and worshiping
only one true God. It is actually the oldest
monotheistic religion.
• The believers of this religion are called Jews or
Jewish.
• Their scripture is called Tanakh or the Hebrew
Bible.
A. Key Concepts:

1. Globalization of religion
2. Systems of beliefs and practices
3. Cultural and religious differences
4. Age of globalization
5. Globalization creates a new door to strengthen
religion such as enhancing beliefs and values,
teaching equality for everyone, showing kindness,
etc. 
B. Graphic Presentation:
Contrasting Beliefs System Between a
Religious Person and a Globalist

Religious Person Globalist

• Less concerned with material • Less worried about whether
wealth, higher social status, they will end up in heaven or
and standard of living is hell.
similar to the rest of the
community.
• Avoid anything material for • Skills are vicious to seal trade
complete simplicity form. deals for profit.
• Talks a lot in parables or • Talks a lot about money and
allegories. business opportunities.
• Main duty is to live a virtuous • Sees his work as
and sinless life to assure a contributing to the general
place in heaven progress
• Detests politics and the • Values politics and power for
quest for power for they are they are the means and ends
evidence of human to open opportunities.
weaknesses.
 Positive and Negative Effects of
Globalization on Religion

Positive Effects:
1. Media and technology
With these innovations, ideas and knowledge of every religion
is much easier to spread to people so that they can know about
every religion and can choose the right path in their life.
2. Culture pluralism
Culture pluralism is an aspect that teaches us to respect other
religions. For instance, in one country, people from different
religions live in harmony and peace and also respect one
another.
Negative Effects:
1. Religious and traditional beliefs are decreasing
As people become more globally connected, they are slowly
breaking their traditional beliefs which weaken their own religious
beliefs. The explosion of new religions is another prominent religious
phenomenon in this globalized world. New religions separate
themselves from conventional ones and develop their own identities.
2. Religious terrorism
Terrorism is carried out based on motivations and goals that have a
predominantly religious character or influence. As the world is
connected because of globalization, people can spread their ideas
and beliefs everywhere, and often by inspiring those ideas, people
come up together in order to fulfill their purpose in the name of
religion which often causes terrorist activities.
3. Competition and conflicts arise
Religions have distinct internal structures, their
connections to different cultures and their rituals and beliefs
contradict which causes chaos to the world religions. Future
conflicts are most likely to occur between “Muslims and non-
Muslims”, identifying the “bloody borders” between Islamic
and non-Islamic civilizations because they are mostly
incompatible with each other. Such conflicts among the world
religions exhibit solid proof confirming the erosion and the
failure of hybridization.
A. Key Concepts

1. Culture pluralism
2. Media
3. Technology
4. Traditional beliefs
5. Religious terrorism
6. Failure of hybridization
B. Graphic Presentation:
Different Aspects of Globalization and
Religion
Possibilities Challenges
Globalization helps to With the advancement of
increase greater religious technology, media and the free
tolerance and acceptance of flow of information, people are
other cultures and religions that losing their own religious
enhances our minds, values and terror groups have
knowledge, etc. used their political agendas by
using religion as a tool to fulfill
their political gains.
Overview:
Finally, we can see that the relationship between globalization
and religion is a complex issue as it has brought both new
possibilities and further challenges. So, from the above analysis,
we can see that globalization enhances both positive and
negative aspects of religion. Every religion has its own beliefs,
values, perspectives and ideas in order to make human life
better, to choose the right path, to enrich our knowledge, to give
courage, to avoid wrong activities, etc. Though the differences
among various religions, we should remember that every religion
teaches the common things non-violence, harmony and peace
among every people, no discrimination with each other, respect
for every religion, behaving cordially, to help not fight, bring unity
and justice, to bring equality and freedom, human dignity, etc. In
this way, we can minimize the challenges of religion and
globalization and can bring a culture of peace and harmony.
III. Review of Related Literatures
According to Nobutaka (1997), since religion enjoys a
different status in different places around the globe, the
concept of religion itself is forced to undergo a transformation
as part of the process of globalization. These processes,
however, should not be understood merely as a breakdown of
tradition, and which must therefore be inhibited. The
globalization processes do not proceed in specific fields or
areas, but function as a rearrangement of world systems. As
a result, the globalization of religion should be understood as
one part of this process. Because it is only one part, it may be
characterized by particular unique idiosyncrasies, but not so
great that it cannot be described by the broad principles
governing the globalization metaphor. Moreover, according to
Scholte (2005), “being pursued through global channels,
assertions of religious identity have, like nationalist strivings,
often also been partly a defensive reaction to globalization“.
“Accelerated globalization of recent times has enabled co-
religionists across the planet to have greater direct contact with
one another. Global communications, global organizations,
global finance, and the like have allowed ideas of the transworld
Umma of Muslims and the universal Christian church to be
given concrete shape as never before.” Furthermore,
globalization transforms the generic “religion” into a world
system of competing and conflicting religions. This process of
institutional specification has transformed local, diverse, and
fragmented cultural practices into a recognizable system of
religion. Globalization has, therefore, had the paradoxical effect
of making religious more self-conscious of themselves as being
“world religions“, Turner (2007).
Additionally, while conflict during the Cold War occurred between
the Capitalist West and the Communist Bloc East, current and
future conflicts are most likely to occur between the world’s major
civilizations, and not the states, including Western, Latin
American, Islamic, Sinic (Chinese), Hindu, Orthodox, Japanese,
and the African. In a broader sense, having paved the way for
religions to come in direct contact with one another, globalization
has, indeed, brought religions to a circle of competition and
conflicts. As long as religions see themselves as “world religions”
and reinforce their specific identities, the chance for religions to
avoid conflict among one another is grey, Huntington (1990).
IV. Definition of Terms
• Hybridization – the modern age is regarded as a time in which
information has become a commodity that is quickly and widely
disseminated and easily available, especially through the use of
computer technology.
• Idiosyncrasies – a strange or unusual habit, way of behaving, or
feature that someone or something has.
• Monotheistic religion –the belief that there is only one deity, an
all-supreme being that is universally referred to as God.
• Polytheistic religion – the belief in multiple deities, which are
usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along
with their own religious sects and rituals.
• Scriptures – a body of writings considered sacred or
authoritative.
V. My Point of View
1. How will you connect your topic to the maritime industry?
a) My Own Idea
By simply applying and comprehending everything that has
been discussed in this topic, I can draw a connection between the
globalization of religion to the maritime industry. Religion, as one
of the most significant factors to take into consideration onboard
ships, and as aspiring seafarers, it can help us unite and live in
peace at sea. We all know that the nature of the seafarer is far
different from any other type of job; there are many things that you
need to know and put into practice, particularly when working
internationally. Working abroad, however, is not as easy as you
may believe. When working onboard ships, there are several
adaptations and changes that you must practice, such as getting
to know every person's religion, culture, and personality.
b) Other authors’ idea that connects my opinion
According to Professor Sampson, H. (2017),
“studying the different seafarers' religious life will allow us
to consider the challenges associated with working in
confined institutionalized multi-faith environments. It will
offer us the opportunity to consider how people of
different faiths can work and live harmoniously together
in difficult conditions as well as the circumstances in
which relationships may become strained.”
2. What is the relevance of your topic to the maritime
industry?

The fact that religion plays a particular role in the

growth of global operations makes my topic relevant to
the marine sector. For the welfare of seafarers who are
actively engaged in their profession and for the crew, it is
crucial to establish a framework for the unrestricted
growth of religious beliefs on board ship. The lack of such
framework could cause frustration or the emergence of
intolerable settings, generating issues with crew safety
risks, low productivity, or a lack of teamwork.
VI. Insights
Indeed, technology plays a significant role in the globalization
of religion because countless websites that provide information
about religion have been created. It is now possible for any
religion to spread beyond national borders, allowing even small
religious movements to engage in overseas activities and leading
to new unseen religious developments. In addition, the internet
allows people to contact each other worldwide and therefore hold
forums and debates that allow religious ideas to spread. For
example, the use of social media by Pope Francis has enabled
the Catholic Church to reach a wider audience and engage with
younger generations who are increasingly using technology to
connect with others.
3 Topics I Discovered:
1. Positive effects of globalization on religion
2. Negative effects of Globalization on Religion
3. The relevance of religion in the maritime industry

3 Things I Found Significant:

4. Globalization helps religion to be known globally
5. Religion plays a significant role in the maritime industry
6. Technological innovation plays a major impact in religion
3 Questions I Have:
1. How would you describe religion without globalization?
2. In what way does globalization affect religious practices and
beliefs?
3. Why is it important to understand the globalization of religion?
IV. References
Khaled, M. (2007). Globalization and Religion: Conflict & the Experience of
Localities. Rome, Italy: Institute of Hazrat Mohammad (SAW). Retrieved
March 7, 2023, from http://ihmsaw.org/resourcefiles/1260067215.pdf
Nobutaka, I. (1997). Globalization and Indigenous Culture. Shibuya City,
Tokyo, Japan: Institute for Japanese Culture and Classics, Kokugakuin
University. Retrieved from
https://www2.kokugakuin.ac.jp/ijcc/wp/global/index.html
Sampson, H. (2017, June 26). New study to focus on seafarers' religious
lives. Cardiff University’s Seafarers International Research Centre
(SIRC). Retrieved from safety4sea.com:
https://safety4sea.com/new-study-to-focus-on-seafarers-religious-lives/
Scholte, J. (2005). Globalization: A Critical Introduction (2nd ed.) Chapter 6,
pp.185-223. New York: Palgrave, Houndmills.
Turner, B. S. (2007). Globalization, Religion and Empire in Asia”, in Religion,
Globalization and Culture,. (B. P. L., Ed.) Koninklijke Brill NV: Leiden.
Retrieved from:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Monaim-El-Azzouzi/publication/359
831477_RELIGION_AND_GLOBALISATION_BENEFITS_AND_CHALL
ENGES/links/6250a7ffb0cee02d695b9afa/RELIGION-AND-GLOBALISA
TION-BENEFITS-AND-CHALLENGES.pdf