Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Martin, D

Titel

WESLEY'S WORLD REVOLUTION

Ist Teil von

• NATIONAL REVIEW, 1995-12, Vol.47 (25), p.26-30

Erscheinungsjahr

1995

Quelle

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• THROUGHOUT THE THIRD WORLD AND THE FORMER COMMUNIST BLOC, A VIBRANT PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY IS RADICALLY CHANGING PEOPLE'S LIVES. THE POWER OF THE MOVEMENT AND THE DEDICATION OF THE CONVERTS RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT ITS POLITICAL IMPACT. SUCH MOVEMENTS HELP ERODE ALL-EMBRACING SYSTEMS, INCLUDING POLITICAL SYSTEMS, AND CAN BEST BE UNDERSTOOD THROUGH TWO FRAMEWORKS. ONE IS HALEVY'S ARGUMENT THAT EVANGELICAL CONVERSION ASSISTS PEACEFUL CULTURAL EVOLUTION RATHER THAN VIOLENT REVOLUTIONARY UPHEAVAL. THE OTHER IS TOCQUEVILLE'S ARGUMENT ABOUT THE WAY VOLUNTARY RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS ACCUMULATE SOCIAL CAPITAL THROUGH NETWORKS BETWEEN THE STATE AND THE INDIVIDUAL. IN THAT SENSE, IT IS A POLITICAL ACT SIMPLY TO CREATE A LAYER OF INSTITUTIONS THAT COULD BE INTEGRATED INTO AN EMERGING CIVIL SOCIETY. LIKEWISE, IT IS A POLITICAL ACT TO ESTABLISH A FREE SPACE AND TO CREATE MODELS OF SELF-GOVERNMENT AND PARTICIPATION WITH A FLAT HIERARCHY OF MANAGEMENT.