Poverty and Religiosity

Introduction

The Global South church is can be generally defined as a culmination of all Christian churches that operate parallel to those in the Western and Westernized world. They are basically located in what is conventionally termed as the developing world which incorporates a large number of countries that are considered to be in the ‘third world.’ This church is derived from the Anglican Church albeit with a large bias toward conservatism on matters of sexual orientation matters and other life issues (Jenkins, 2006 p 36). This is what sets this group of churches apart from what can be termed as the mainstream churches. The Anglican congregations that are part of this movement are sourced from Oceania, most of the Asian churches as well as all of the ones found in the African continent. This church has repeatedly been on the limelight when it joined other Christian groups in opposition to the same-sex Unions being allowed in the Clergy of some Anglican Churches.

This document however does not deal exclusively with the controversies that this church has engaged in. On the contrary, the aim of this analysis is to explore the various ways that the Global South Church can reach out to devout people of other faiths in the geographical locations that these churches operate in. Relevant Biblical passages from the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and James will be incorporated into the analysis as the study employs the shared characteristics of intense social stratification, philosophical detachment, the omnipresence of poverty and also the transience of life. These similarities are so chosen due to the fact that they can provide an ideal common ground for shared religious forums.

It is important to establish and illustrate the implications of these similarities on the subject matter at hand. This way it will be easier to relate them to the subject matter of this discussion. Intense social stratification is similar to excessive social stratification which is a situation in which society is defined by a class system that is highly influenced by the financial status of the members of the given society (Saint Bede, 2010 p 1-9). In other instances academic qualifications or culture also fuel this classification of people with those perceived to be well endowed in any of the mentioned parameters assuming superiority to those who are found to be lacking. Affairs in such societies often come down to issues of superiority and inferiority dictating the manner in which people interact.

The omnipresence of poverty basically refers to the universality of this phenomenon. In this situation, vast populations of people spread out across several regions are afflicted by poverty; usually to the extent that makes it extremely difficult for them to afford the basic amenities essential for their survival. This not only affects the state of the people’s finances but also their living conditions which are characterized by discomforts of various kinds (Sluka et al, 2011 p 109).

The transience of life refers to the temporariness of life given the fact that so many people’s lives are being cut short by a host of causative factors. These include diseases, wars, natural calamities and other issues that shorten the lives of people. With globalization and improved communication technology, people are increasingly being made aware of this transience of life.

Last but not least is philosophical detachment which refers to the act of people living their lives devoid of any meaningful life-principles to guide them. This opens up the door for a host of unethical and immoral behaviors which then define the way people live their lives. When this happens, life in society becomes unbearable due to an increased frequency of social ills such as crime and other vices.

The point of confluence that the above issues have with the Global South Churches is the fact that they all characterize life in the regions covered by the global South Churches. At the same time, there regions have religious diversity. Other than Christianity, other faiths that are common include Islam, Buddhism as well as localized traditional forms of worship. Given the fact that the great commission given to Jesus’ followers commanded them to continue with the spreading the gospel to all nations and this indicates God’s desire for a universal church that takes in believers from a various sources. In this light, global south churches are somehow conveniently placed to continue with the great commission by reaching out to those who are devoted to other faiths due to these commonalties.

The book of Proverbs 14: 12 talks about the path that appears right to man but in the end leads to death and destruction. This encompasses two out of four of the commonalties earlier mentioned. The last section highlights the transience of life while the first part deals with and highlights philosophical detachment. As illustrated above, the absence of philosophical attachment in a person’s life increases the chances of people going on immoral self-destructive paths which eventually lead to their deaths. The fact that there are numerous incidences of human rights violations and high crime-rates in regions covered by Global South Churches indicates a philosophical detachment. This is because most of these countries are also said to be predominantly Christian, Muslim or other cultures. In an ideal environment that people were to have philosophical attachment, cases of abuse and other evils such as wars would be at a minimum rather than being at the level they are today.

The fact that those who commit these wrongs are not remorseful in any way indicates a gaping disconnect between what they say they believe and what they actually strand for. The members of the Global South Churches are exposed to pressures similar to these men and women. This will not be an easy task by any means but it is ultimately possible given the common ground that exists between members of the Global church and those in other churches. The congregation of the Global South church does not necessarily have to reach out exclusively through verbal means but also through their lifestyles since this appeals more and is more evident to those who are outsiders to their faith. This will boost the credibility of the Global church faithful and by extension the faith of Christianity as practiced in this church. This way the people of other faiths will be attracted to this way of life.

In the book of James 1: 22-24 there is a passage about a man who goes to look at his reflection and immediately forgets what he looks like. This is likened to the act of a section of believers who received the word and immediately forgot what they had learnt. This scripture ridicules those who fail to put into practice the things they learn from God’s word. This too is tantamount to philosophical detachment in which people lose their ideals despite having access to moral teachings from scripture. This is one of the easiest ways for a Christian or a group of Christians to lose their credibility. As a result is it crucial for Christians from the Global South Churches to carry themselves in a manner that reflects their teachings (Morrison, 2012 p 1-5).

One of the central concepts of Christianity is humanitarianism and sensitivity to the human condition. In Proverbs 19:17 the Bible instructs believers to continually give to the poor for this will earn them a reward from God. What this does is to encourage believers to go out of their way to ensure that the less fortunate around them are catered for to the fullest extent possible. With regard to the task at hand, this calls believers from this church to directly tackle intense social stratification as well as the abject poverty that has affected a large proportion of believers across the board. Africa, the middle East and also Oceania are some of the world’s worst hit areas in terms of poverty levels. The church could therefore reach out to poverty stricken people in these regions through benevolence programs that seek to provide these people with items that will make up for their lack of basic needs. This usually includes foodstuffs, clothing and also financial assistance.

Such a program should be conducted on a wide scale that ensures people of different faiths are helped. In so doing, the devotees of other faiths can get inspired by the act of true religion as practiced by the Global South Church. This will slowly but surely generate curiosity and positive images about the movement which in turn attracts various people to come and see what the church is all about. The initiative to care for the poverty stricken should not just end with them coming to church. The congregation through the guidance of the clergy needs to also formulate strategies that will help these people to gain financials stability and independence. This will in effect kill the proverbial two birds with one stone since the people’s spiritual as well as physical needs get to be adequately catered for. This is also much simpler than directly challenging the beliefs of those the Global South church wants to reach out to as this will only generate conflicts and controversy thus being completely counterproductive.Such an activity will also oblige the well to do members of the congregation to interact with lowly members of society and in so doing fight the socially constructed notions of hierarchy that tend to divide people unnecessarily. Those who have been victims of social stratification will also get inspired upon seeing that they too are considered as deserving members of society. This will act as a unifying factor between the haves and have-nots whose relationship is always characterized by apathy and mutual suspicion.

The first half of Ecclesiastes chapter 3 talks about there being a time for everything. The first example that appears is the existence of a time to be born and a time to die. The chapter then continues with more examples of situations in life and the existence of their limitations. What comes to mind as one begins reading this scripture is the transience of life and the fact that there is a general sense of the limitations of different situations in life whether they are pleasurable or painful to the person. When a person or a group of people are consumed by worrisome or fearful thoughts about the transience of life, they are bound to make a lot of unethical decisions all in the name of self-preservation. This is especially common in areas stricken with war and other forms of civil strife. This then creates a recipe for chaos that can be adequately dealt with through encouraging the people about having a purpose in life. The Bible teaches that man’s main goal should be aligned towards the will of God so that he may ultimately find fulfillment in whatever he or she does. Different people have different destinies and they more often than not need to be shown direction so that they can effectively realize their goals. This can be done through support groups which will help those who have had traumatic experiences to overcome the hopelessness and renew hope. This scripture also talks about the temporal nature of uncomfortable times and this should grant hope to those who have fallen victim to social stratification.

In James 1:2 the Bible tells believers to “Consider it pure joy” when they face trying times. This seems paradoxical on the onset given the fact that these situations are by design associated with misery for those who find themselves in unfortunate decisions. The omnipresence of poverty becomes relevant once again in light of this scripture. This is due to the fact that at times people get bitter about life due to the different challenges they face on a day to day basis. News reports about third world countries often feature different humanitarian disasters or situations taking place. It is in these same countries where the Global South Churches have taken root and it would overwhelm the church if it attempted to provide for all the affected people. What can be done however is the organization of counseling sessions in which people are given an opportunity to share their challenges and in turn they are prayed for or prayed with. At the same time, those they come to should enlighten them on the fact that God is aware of their challenges and the fact that these are meant to refine them and make them better equipped to deal with life’s challenges.

Proverbs 27 vs. 17 says “As man sharpens man so does iron sharpen iron so does one man sharpen another…” The relevance of this excerpt to the task of reaching out to devotees of other faiths is that it emphasizes and captures the importance of people living together in harmony. This particular scripture talks about people adding value to each other. This calls for an end to social stratification since this only makes those involved to miss out on the goodness that would come out of appreciating the value that different people can bring to each other. In the countries that the Global South Church has taken root social stratification is determined by issues such as finance, political affiliation, ethnicity and many other issues that divide society into superior and inferior members. The church should take a conciliatory approach when tackling this matter and emphasize on the positives that can come out of the differences that people have rather than just highlight the differences that exist between people (Krause, 2011,p 420)

In the third world, incidences of social stratification are exaggerated by the fact that all of these regions also have huge income disparities. The bulk of the population as previously mentioned falls on the poor end of these income disparities. This then means that a disproportionately large number of people have to endure the social stratification. Social stratification does not necessarily operate as a single entity. It has dynamics which help to define it as well as the individuals who it avoided. These were forwarded by social scientist Max Webber. These dynamics are class, status and power. Class has to do with the economic position held by an individual and this is influenced by personal effort or inheritance. This on its own will not cause stratification. Higher class is caused by the perception of one having achieved more financially. Status on the other hand refers to the amount of honor a person is afforded by society. This may or may not be caused by a person’s financial status though that is the main influencing factor. Power is the third of these dynamics and it comes from a person’s ability to gain influence over various matters well beyond the reach of the common man. Power comes from status and class. People who are living in poverty are denied these and the result is them being at the bottom of the ‘strata of people.’ These are things that the Global South Church need to be aware of so as to adequately reach out to these people.

The influence that these have on an individual will undoubtedly influence his or her religious experience. In some cultures, stratification is culturally instigated and enforced. Such cultures include the Hindu Culture which enforces a caste system in which people are obliged to stick within the economic circumstances for the rest of their lives. In other instances racial or ethnic discrimination also lead to social stratification. These are highly interlinked to the financial element of stratification and the result is usually a vicious cycle that leaves all those found in the Web hopeless of ever finding reprieve. This is because a person would for instance be denied a job because of his or her ethnic background. As a result he or she has to live a life of poverty thus further increasing the chances of being subjected to stratification. This is influenced by factors such as lack of exposure, poor quality education, low income housing and also the type of dressing. These are all outward attributes that make these people targets for stratification and there is very little they can do to overcome it. As a result of these, many of them get to have a very low self-esteem and inferiority complex. In places where this social stratification is culturally enforced, it is very likely that this phenomenon will break religious barriers making people practice the same within their faiths and places of worship. The Global South Church should therefore take opportunity of this to reach out to such people and show them what true religion is all about.

This calls for humility on the part of the congregation members since despite being members of the church they still live in a culture where social stratification is still in force. As a result, some of the believers may be the very perpetrators of social stratification out of the church context. There may also be some members who are victims of social stratification. These need to be deal with urgently since members of other faiths will be overly watchful for signs of the same when they visit the church in its various forum. When devotees of other faiths find out that those in the Global South Church coexist harmoniously they will be utterly amazed and this in itself is enough to convict a person that this is the place to be for the fulfillment of their spiritual needs in their totality. When a change in attitude is noticed by the friends and family of new converts, more people get to know about the radical manner in which the Global church operates (Jenkins, 2006 p 36).

In conclusion it can be stated that the Global South Church has an enormous task ahead of it if it is to reach out to the devotees of other faiths. This is because it needs to provide something different from what they get in their respective places of worship. The position of the church presents a series of universal issues such as poverty, social stratification, the transience of life and philosophical detachment. These are issues that affect the peoples’ social as well as spiritual component making them ideal starting points for this intervention.

Reference

Jenkins, P. (2006). The new faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the global south. Oxford University Press.

Krause, K. (2011). Cosmopolitan charismatics?Transnational ways of belonging and cosmopolitan moments in the religious practice of New Mission Churches.Ethnic and Racial Studies, 34(3), 419-435.

Morrison, D. (2012). Reaching for the Promised Land: the role of culture, issues of leadership and social stratification within British Caribbean Christianity (Doctoral dissertation, University of Birmingham).

Saint Bede (the Venerable). (2012). Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People. R. Williams (Ed.). Continuum.

Sluka, R. D., Kaonga, M., Weatherley, J., Anand, V., Bosu, D., & Jackson, C. (2011). Christians, biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation: a potential synergy?.Biodiversity, 12(2), 108-115.