Assess the extent to which Marxist and Feminist theories help our understanding of religion in society today.

       Neo-Marxist see religion as something that has independence, relative autonomy and Neo-Marxist Manduro believes that religion as a conservative force at times is the only channel to bring about social change. Manduro introduced liberation theology that’s linked into Marxist ideologies that led to a series of conflicts in Latin America, because of the unfair hierarchal status that the pope and Vatican City had. The priest who were at the ‘grass route’ of the situation wanted radical change in society as they saw the immense absolute poverty crushing the people and therefore they wanted people to develop ‘class consciousness’. They saw it essential for the people to be principle agents of their own disimproverishment, developing class-consciousness and getting out of poverty. This meant understanding their situation and not looking to a theocracy to save them. Priest like Father Camilo Torees were so desperate for change that they joined ‘guerrilla movements’.

         However a limitation for Marxism as a whole is that they don’t explain religion where it doesn’t refer to the contribution of an oppressed class/ group.  

     Feminist on the other hand see religion as a patriarchal based institution that’s ‘for men, by men, about men’. Giddens 1997 sees that the Christian religion is a resolutely male affair in its symbolism and hierarchy. Like Marxism, feminist believe that one group, females, are being exploited by another group, males. Beavour claims religion is the ‘oppressor’ of women and it distorts their reality because religion is controlled by men. However feminist sociologist like El Saadawi don’t see religion itself as the source by which women are exploited but sees the way religion is interpreted and manipulated as the main factor. In ‘Hidden Face of Eve’ concerning patriarchy in Islam she explains how Islam stresses equality of everyone however in reality this does no happen, as women are always placed in a subordinate position e.g. Holm’s found how in Japanese folk religion women have to prepare all religious rituals but it’s the men who get to take part in them. Holms also argues that women are second rate due to their sexuality as menstruation and child birth are regarded as polluting but she’s does recognise some reduction of inequality over time.

          A criticism of feminism, like Marxism, is that they tend to ignore the positive changes in society e.g. In Islam women get to keep their names and in 1994 there was the first women clergy. Some of the feminist and Marxist views are anachronistic and due to the collapse of the grand narrative people are becoming disenchanted by religion as a result of rationalisation and globalisation, which has also increased secularisation and religion is no longer according to Berger providing its main purpose which is a bulwark against anomie. This leads to individuals doubting the monopoly of truth and leads them to feeling homelessness and religion stops providing a religious canopy.