3.5

Class, like many topics in religious studies, relates back to power. And power relates to religion and culture, and this cycle essentially repeats over and over. But class defines the culture, social environment, the way religion is experienced, identity, power, etc. In this lesson, McCloud mentions something that I myself have witnessed within my own community. McCloud mentions that individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more conservative in their religiosity, as it were, and individuals from higher/upper socioeconomic backgrounds are more liberal. This is because people from “higher” classes gives them more opportunities, and they are generally the people in power in terms of religion, while those in lower classes, have less power, therefore less influence on politics, economics, power, etc. For example, individuals from “higher” classes in the Middle East, have more say and power in terms of religious legislation and jurisprudential issues , whereas people from middle to lower class do not. Because of this the higher class experience religion differently than those in other classes.

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