Globalization as a Challenge for the Catholic Church in the United States of America in the 21st Century

• Authors: Grzegorz Rozborski

Title variants

PL

Globalizacja jako wyzwanie dla Kościoła katolickiego w Stanach Zjednoczonych Ameryki w XXI wieku

Abstracts

PL

Celem artykułu jest ukazanie, w jaki sposób globalizacja przyczynia się do zmian w kulturze Stanów Zjednoczonych, zwłaszcza do degradacji społecznej, wykluczenia ekonomicznego, stylu życia i uczestnictwa w życiu Kościoła katolickiego. Artykuł ma na celu pokazanie wyzwań stojących przed Kościołem katolickim w wypełnianiu swojej misji w społeczeństwie pogrążonym w procesach globalizacji. Problem niniejszego opracowania można ująć w następujących pytaniach: jaki wpływ globalizacja ma na współczesną tkankę społeczną, kulturową i religijną w Stanach Zjednoczonych, jakie wyzwania niesie ona dla Kościoła katolickiego XXI wieku oraz w jaki sposób Kościół ma wypełnić swoją misję w społeczeństwie amerykańskim? Odpowiedź na te pytania da się uzyskać poprzez analizę przedmiotową dokumentów Kościoła powszechnego, przedstawienie nauczania Kościoła w Stanach Zjednoczonych oraz przegląd publikacji amerykańskich teologów i socjologów. Po krótkim wprowadzeniu zostanie przeanalizowany wpływ globalizacji na kulturę, strukturę społeczną i religijną społeczeństwa USA. Następnie zostaną poddane analizie związane z globalizacją zjawisko dezintegracji i wykluczenia społecznego. Na przeciwległym biegunie globalizacji znajduje się inne zjawisko społeczne – konsumpcjonizm jako styl życia. Finalnym elementem struktury artykułu jest analiza propozycji działalności pastoralnej Kościoła w USA wobec wyzwań, jakie niesie ze sobą globalizacja.

EN

The aim of the article is to show how globalization contributes to changes in the culture of the United States, especially to social degradation, economic exclusion, lifestyle and participation in the life of the Catholic Church. The article aims to show the challenges facing the Catholic Church in fulfilling its mission in a society immersed in the processes of globalization. The problem of this study can be summarized in the following questions: What impact does globalization have on the contemporary social, cultural, and religious fabric in the United States, what challenges does it pose to the Catholic Church in the twenty-first century? How is the Church to fulfill its mission in American society? These questions can be answered through a physical examination of the documents of the universal Church, a presentation of the teaching of the Church in the United States, and a review of the publications of American theologians and sociologists. After a brief introduction, the impact of globalization on the culture, social and religious structure of U.S. society will be analyzed. Then, the phenomenon of disintegration and social exclusion related to globalization will be analyzed. At the opposite pole of globalization there is another social phenomenon – consumerism as a lifestyle. Finally, the article examines the proposals for pastoral activity of the Church in the U.S.A. in the face of the challenges posed by globalization.

Keywords

EN

globalization; Catholic Church; social disintegration; social-economic exclusion; consumerism; poverty

PL

globalizacja; Kościół katolicki; dezintegracja społeczna; konsumpcjonizm; ubóstwo; wykluczenie społeczno-ekonomiczne

• Publisher: Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II. Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL
• Journal: Roczniki Teologiczne
• Year: 2024
• Volume: 71
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 57-75

Dates

published

2024

Contributors

author

Grzegorz Rozborski

• https://orcid.org/0000000222016164

References

• Al-Khasawneh, Mohammad H., Shafig Al-Haddad, Rahaf Mbaideen, Raghad Ghazi, Tala Irshaid, and Husam Alnaimi. “Investigating the Impact of Social Media Marketing on Research Online and Purchasing Offline for Fashion Luxury Brands.” International Journal of Business Excellence 32, no. 1 (2024): 25–49.
• Anievas, Alexander. “Theory of the Global State: Globality as an Unfinished Revolution A Theory of Global Capitalism: Production, Class, and the State in a Transnational World.” Historical Materialism 16, no, 2 (2008): 190–206. Accessed June 18, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1163/156920608x296123.
• Antoniolo, Justis, and Jack Malde. The Demographic Transition: An Overview of America’s Aging Population and Immigration’s Mediating Role. Report by Bipartisan Policy Center, 2023. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://bipartisanpolicy.org/download/?file=/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/BPC_LIT-Review.pdf.
• Ashlin-Mayo, Bryce. Review of Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth through Online Education, by Stephen D. Lowe and Mary E. Lowe. International Journal of Christianity & Education 23, no. 2 (2019): 237–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056997118822963.
• Azevedo, António. “Recognizing Consumerism as an ‘Illness of an Empty Soul’: A Catholic Morality Perspective.” Psychology & Marketing 37, no. 2 (2020): 250–59. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21267.
• Barron, Robert. Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture. Skokie: Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, 2014.
• Boorstein, Michelle. 2023. “Donations to Catholic Parishes Steady, Post-Pandemic, but by Far Fewer Donors.” Washington Post, February 9, 2023. Accessed July 2024. https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2023/02/09/catholic-pandemic-covid-charity-giving.
• Chesnut, R. Andrew. Competitive Spirits: Latin America’s New Religious Economy. 8th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.
• Cheung, Johnson C.-S. “Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other.” Journal of Social Work Practice 27, no. 4 (2013): 471–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2013.769209.
• Dhima, Kostanca, and Matt Golder. “Secularization Theory and Religion.” Politics and Religion 14, no. 1 (2021): 37–53. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755048319000464.
• Duh, Helen I. “Antecedents and Consequences of Materialism: An Integrated Theoretical Framework.” Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies 7, no. 1 (2015): 20–35.
• Evrard, Amy Young. An Analysis of Arjun Appadurai’s Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalisation. London: Routledge, 2017.
• Formicola, Jo R. “Globalization: A Twenty-First Century Challenge to Catholicism and Its Church.” Journal of Church and State 54, no. 1 (2012): 106–21. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcs/csr144.
• Garðarsdóttir, Ragna B, and Helga Dittmar. “The Relationship of Materialism to Debt and Financial Well-Being: The Case of Iceland’s Perceived Prosperity.” Journal of Economic Psychology 33, no. 3 (2012): 471–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2011.12.008.
• Gedzi, Victor S., and George Anderson Jr. “Situating the Religious Market Theory in Ghanaian Religious Context : Merits and Demerits.” African Journal of Religion, Philosophy and Culture 2, no. 1 (2021): 57–75. https://doi.org/10.31920/2634-7644/2020/v2n1a4.
• Greenwood, Martin. “Materialism and Poverty in America”. The University of Manchester, April 29, 2021. Accessed July 7, 2024. https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/global-social-challenges/2021/04/29/materialism-and-poverty-in-america.
• Griffiths, Brian. “The Challenge of Globalization to the Church.” Religion & Liberty 17, no. 1 (2007): 8.
• Hegde, Raviraj. “Catholic Fundraising at a Crossroads.” DonorboxBlog, July 24, 2024. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/catholic-fundraising-at-a-crossroads.
• Hirschman, Charles. “The Contributions of Immigrants to American Culture.” Daedalus 142, no. 3 (2013): 26–47. https://doi.org/10.1162/DAED_a_00217.
• Horymski, Chris. “Experian Study: Average U.S. Consumer Debt and Statistics.” Experian, February 14, 2024. Accessed July 24, 2024. https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/research/consumer-debt-study.
• Jones, Jeffrey M. “Church Attendance Has Declined in Most U.S. Religious Groups.” Gallup, March 25, 2024. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://news.gallup.com/poll/642548/church-attendance-declined-religious-groups.aspx.
• Jones, Nicholas, Rachel Marks, Roberto Ramirez, and Merarys Ríos-Vargas. “Improved Race and Ethnicity Measures Reveal U.S. Population is Much More Multiracial: 2020 Census Illuminates Racial and Ethnic Composition of the Country.” United States Census Bureau, August 12, 2021. Accessed July 23, 2024. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/08/improved-race-ethnicity-measures-reveal-united-states-population-much-more-multiracial.html.
• Jones, Robert P., Natalie Jackson, Diane Orcés, and Ian Huff. The 2020 PRRI Census of American Religion. PRRI Report, 2021. https://www.prri.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/PRRI-Jul-2021-Religion.pdf
• Kailashpati, Prayank Sharma, Rubi Mishra, and Rohit Krishnani. “Rise in Consumerism and Its Impact on Sustainable Development.” Adhyayan: A Journal of Management Sciences 13, no. 2 (2023): 37–41. https://doi.org/10.21567/adhyayan.v13i2.06.
• Kent, Ana Hernández, and Lowell R. Ricketts. “The State of U.S. Wealth Inequality.” Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis, February 7, 2024. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.stlouisfed.org/institute-for-economic-equity/the-state-of-us-wealth-inequality.
• Kita, ChigU.S.A. Review of Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other, by Sherry Tuckle. Technology and Culture 53, no. 4 (2012): 960–61. https://doi.org/10.1353/tech.2012.0157.
• Kumar, Arun, and Mrinalini Pandey. “Social Media and Impact of Altruistic Motivation, Egoistic Motivation, Subjective Norms, and EWOM toward Green Consumption Behavior: An Empirical Investigation.” Sustainability 15, no. 5 (2023): 4222, https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054222.
• Lamelas, Isidro Pereira. “The Canticle of the Creatures by Francis of Assisi (1181/82–1226) and the Care of Our Common Home.” Religions 15, no. 2 (2024): 184, https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15020184.
• Marks-Williams, Sheryl. “Globalization and Its Effects on the Expansion of the Church: Doing and Being Church Among Immigrant in the USA.” The Asbury Journal 71, no. 1 (2016): 128–44.
• Moghadam, Valentine M. “What Was Globalization?” Globalizations 18, no. 5 (2020): 695–706.
• Morrow, Elizabeth, and Lindsay Scorgie-Porter. An Analysis of Robert D. Putnam’s Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. London: Routledge, 2017.
• Muliarchuk, Yevhen I. “From Anthropocentrism to Care for Our Common Home: Ethical Response to the Environmental Crisis.” Anthropological Measurements of Philosophical Research, no. 19 (2021): 88–96.
• Müller, Tobias. “Secularisation Theory and Its Discontents: Recapturing Decolonial and Gendered Narratives. Debate on Jörg Stolz’s Article on Secularization Theories in the 21st Century: Ideas, Evidence, and Problems.” Social Compass 67, no, 2 (2020): 315–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0037768620917328.
• Neve, Monali, and Rahul Trivedi. “Materialism and Media Usage: To Study the Role of Media in Increasing Materialism Among Youths with Special Reference to Social Media Exposure.” International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology 29, no. 7, special issue (2020): 2431–36.
• Norris, Pippa, and Ronald Inglehart. Sacred and Secular: Religion and Politics Worldwide. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
• Opade, Ochenia F. “Perspectives on Digital Evangelism: Exploring the Intersection of Technology and Faith.” African Journal of Culture, History, Religion and Traditions 6, no. 2 (2023): 15–24. https://doi.org/10.52589/ajchrt-idap2p2m.
• Ozimek, Phillip, Julia Brailovskaia, Hans-Werner Bierhoff, and Elke Rohmann. “Materialism in Social Media–More Social Media Addiction and Stress Symptoms, Less Satisfaction with Life.” Telematics and Informatics Reports 13 (2024): 100117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teler.2024.100117.
• Portin, Fredrik. 2020. “Consumerism as a Moral Attitude: Defining Consumerism through the Works of Pope Francis, Cornel West, and William T. Cavanaugh.” Studia Theologica – Nordic Journal of Theology 74, no. 1 (2020): 4–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/0039338X.2020.1751278.
• Russell, Jesse. “The Catholic Neoconservative Misreading of John Paul II Centesimus Annus Revisited.” Political Theology 21, no. 3 (2020): 172–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/1462317X.2019.1701285.
• Sengers, Erik. “Religion, Globalization and Culture.” Comparative Sociology 8, no. 2 (2009): 314–16.
• Shimemura, Yoichi. “Globalization vs. Americanization: Is the World Being Americanized by the Dominance of American Culture.” Comparative Civilizations Review 47 (Fall 2002): 80–91.
• Simoonga, Rockiner K., and Kingford Chimfwembe. “Globalization, Technological Advancement and the Elderly People: A Systematic Review of Literature.” Asian Research Journal of Arts & Social Sciences 20, no. 4 (2023): 24–31. https://doi.org/10.9734/arjass/2023/v20i4454.
• Staples, Clifford L. “A Theory of Global Capitalism: Production, Class, and State in a Transnational World.” European Journal of Social Theory 8, no. 4 (2005): 533–36. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368431005057028.
• Starks, Brian, and Christian Smith. Unleashing Catholic Generosity: Explaining the Catholic Giving Gap in the United States. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Institute for Church Life, 2013. https://mcgrath.nd.edu/assets/96494/unleashing_catholic_generosity.pdf%22%3Eunleashing_catholic_generosity.pdf.
• Stempień, Jakub R. “Six Theorems of the Social Disintegration Theory.” Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Sociologica, no. 87 (2023): 89–99. https://doi.org/10.18778/0208-600x.87.07.
• Suárez-Orozco, Marcelo M. “Global Shifts: U.S. Immigration and the Cultural Impact of Demographic Change. An Address.” In Conference Series [Proceedings], 46:179–88. Boston: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, 2001.
• Sullivan, Tim. “‘A Step Back in Time’: America’s Catholic Church Sees an Immense Shift toward the Old Ways.” Associated Press News, April 30, 2024. Accessed July 12, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/catholic-church-shift-orthodoxy-tradition-7638fa2013a593f8cb07483ffc8ed487.
• USCCB. Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States, rev. ed. Washington, D.C.: USCCB, 2015.
• USCCB. Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1998.
• USCCB. “The Globalized Economy: Challenges to the Church in the U.S.” Presentation by the U.S. Catholic Conference 3-October 5, 1996. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://www.usccb.org/ issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/global-issues/trade/presentation-on-globalization-and-challenges-to-church-in-us-1996-10-05.
• Vrolijk, Kasper. “How Does Globalization Affect Social Cohesion?” SSRN Electronic Journal (May 5, 2022): 1–37. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4096851.
• Wilkinson, Richard, and Kate Pickett. “The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better.” In Sunday Best: 80 Great Books from a Lifetime of Reviews, edited by John Carey, 60–63. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2022.
• Yang, Fenggang. “The Religious Market Theory and Religious Change in the United States and China.” Review of Religion and Chinese Society 8, no. 1 (2021): 1–8.

Identifiers

DOI

10.18290/rt2024.15

Biblioteka Nauki

56476595