Religion and Globalization: Catholicism and Islam
This curricular module explores how specific religious communities contribute to globalization, complicating the traditional secularization thesis that religion will become less important as societies progress. José Casanova explores how Jesuits impacted—and were impacted by—early modern globalization in a 2016 article on “The Jesuits Through the Prism of Globalization” [PDF]. Jocelyne Cesari considers the relationship between globalization and European Muslims in a 2017 article on “Religious Trends in European Islam” [PDF].
Below, you can explore more resources on religion and globalization, including an expanded module guide, with additional materials on the globalization of Catholicism and European Islam.
These materials are designed to engage students with the following issues:
- Jesuits in the era of early modern globalization and the historical factors which shaped their success as globalizers [Casanova article, PDF; “Early Modern Globalization Through a Jesuit Prism,” video; “The Jesuits, Globalization, and Dialogue,” video]
- Catholicism and globalization throughout history in the Asian-Pacific region and America [Casanova article, PDF; “The Church and the Asian-Pacific Region,” video; “The Globalization of the American Culture Wars,” video]
- Islam in Europe and the impacts of globalization [Cesari, “Religious Trends in European Islam,” PDF; “Freedom of the Press and Global Jihad,” open access; “European Conundrum: Integration of Muslims or Securitisation of Islam,” open access]
Instructors are encouraged to look through topics below and adapt these questions to their needs. For a related module, please see "Religion and Globalization: Gender and Theory."
