While access to information has increased, our ability to make choices has decreased. Knowledge is a social construct produced and disseminated by human beings in societies. Religious knowledge in particular has become more complex, with a wider range of competing experts and belief systems to choose from. Gender and globalization also impact access to religious knowledge and choice. The proliferation of information from more sources has paradoxically made decision making more difficult and increased feelings of risk and uncertainty.

1. Martin Dorchester: Think piece knowledge
“Although access to knowledge has increased over the last 50 years, our ability to
make choices and take significant decisions has decreased.”
As society has developed in terms of increased learning and access to education there
also appears to have been a change in orthodoxy: People and institutions that were
once regarded as experts, i.e. priests, doctors and scientists are no longer regarded
with the same respect and veneration. Problematically this in turn creates its own
problems: where now does knowledge reside and how do individuals gain access to
these new orthodoxies? What now is meant by knowledge: has the access to
knowledge made society more or less risky, and what knowledge can now be trusted?
In terms of Religious knowledge do all people have greater access or does gender play
a part, is globalisation increasing or decreasing access and have other forms of
spiritualism replaced religion in society or is there just a wider choice?
So what is meant by the term knowledge: information in mind, general awareness or
possession of information? Is it facts, ideas, truths, or principles? Is it specific
information such as clear awareness? Is it all that can be known? Is it the
communication and transmission of information or is it intercourse as in sexual
knowledge? It is all of these so knowledge can be viewed as a social construct in that:
“All knowledge is produced, collected, collated and disseminated by human beings
living in societies.” (Goldblatt, Ed 2004). The term knowledge society has become
widely used, especially in business terminology: predominantly meaning that
knowledge now provides the motor for social, economic, cultural and political
development and change (Goldblatt, ed 2004). Supporting this concept is the
perceived increase in access to information, ideas and new practices, often supported
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2. Martin Dorchester: Think piece knowledge
by technology to enhance speed and dissemination. “Knowledge, then, is a man-
made fabric, a web of belief, its truth lying in its pragmatic usefulness as a
manageable structure helping us understand what goes on around us in the flux of
experience.” (Greetham, 2006). But is this true and is it any different to other periods
in society, if knowledge is a social construct is it not situated in time and is it not just
an output of social constructionism?
Risk and uncertainty appear to have increased as knowledge increases and knowledge
systems proliferate. Hazards have always existed in human society from plagues to
natural disaster. In some instances this was placed at god’s door or supernatural
forces. Now there are organisations and policies to deal with many of the hazards
previously faced and rather than face known threats society faces unknown threats
such as religious terrorism. The media and increased data flows now introduce these
risks to people’s living room, thus the ideology behind the concept of risk has
changed and the dissemination of it is widespread and can be instantaneous. Access
to knowledge has increased as has the speed of acquisition but it could be argued that
it has paralysed decision making as people are more fearful of the world and its
potential for obliteration than previous generations. Religious knowledge, or lack of
it, can be seen in the current “war on terror”. The ongoing attacks on Islam and
Muslims stem from ignorance rather than knowledge, yet there is a substantial amount
of knowledge available relating Islam. Similarly, expert opinion in this area is
divided with senior figures speaking for and against the current situation. Religious
knowledge and understanding here has become problematic in terms of discussion,
lack of awareness, differing expert opinion and vying belief systems and ideology.
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3. Martin Dorchester: Think piece knowledge
It could be argued that the enlightenment grew out of disbelief with religious
knowledge and that the basis of modern day philosophy is the output from an ongoing
dialogue or tension between science and religion. Words associated with religious
knowledge would probably include belief, spirituality, faith and a higher authority.
Goldblatt defines religion in two ways: substantive, which is concerned with what
religion is and functional which is what religion does. So a substantive definition
would consider beliefs, rituals and practices, attendance. Access therefore to religious
knowledge on a substantive definition would be around experts such as preachers,
religious leaders and could be measured by church attendance, tithe revenues and
membership numbers. It would also lend support to the concept of knowledge
residing within experts. Examples of this can seen in the state of Iran and in
fundamental Islamic groups dominated by extremist clerics or far right factions of the
Catholic Church.
Religious knowledge can also be viewed as functional, meaning what religion does:
mortality and life after death for example, thus we can look to incorporate a much
wider “church” which includes an interpretive approach to religious knowledge. The
functional approach enables a different form of access; it allows a phenomenological
perspective i.e. why people believe. A new debate can now be had, around belief and
belief systems rather than substantive religious cant. Knowledge here is built through
meanings, rituals, language and symbolism.
It would seem that from a substantive and functional perspective that there is access to
religious knowledge through experts and through language; however this is not
necessarily reflective of reality. Schisms between religious groups are not
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4. Martin Dorchester: Think piece knowledge
uncommon, Baptists and Anglicans for example. Perhaps more so today than at any
other time the reporting by the media of these schisms has had an affect on perceived
expert knowledge and this is further enhanced by improved modes of communication.
The effect of this is that people have been exposed to the epistemological uncertainty
that has always existed but was rarely debated in public. Ordinary people have
suddenly found themselves in a situation where they have a wide range of information
and choices and a number of dissenting and disagreeing experts who all have
knowledge to share and impart but viewed through their own lens.
In addition to the innate and now more public schisms the acquisition and sharing of
religious knowledge may also be gender biased. In the majority of religions the role
of women is subverted to that of men, they may not be allowed to attend the same
church, rituals or hold senior and influential positions in their own church. Given the
high levels of participation in most religions by women this patriarchal model has a
serious and subverting affect on women’s access and influence on religious
knowledge. Perhaps a more substantial impact that gender bias has on religious
knowledge is on a spiritual perception level, women may offer an understanding of
spiritual experience that “broadens” the church of knowledge and helps further widen
choice.
If gender bias restricts access to knowledge and lessens choice and decision making
the same might be said of the spread of globalisation: Globalisation has introduced a
flow in and out of cultures, people and religious knowledge. As societies engage in
multi-culturalism then religious differences will and do occur. Ethnicity also plays a
part in that a diaspora may use religion as part of its identity. As society is now faced
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5. Martin Dorchester: Think piece knowledge
with many diverse forms of religious knowledge then choice and decision making
becomes difficult, is a person British first or Christian? How does one choose what
defines them especially in what is increasingly viewed as a secular society. In a
global society it may also be pertinent to ask: is it not also acceptable to suggest that
any system of beliefs that we commit to for our lives is not also religion? Political
ideologies such as Marxism and fascism have been described as “secular religions”?
Is it that therefore that religion gives a “spiritual meaning” to lives that transcends
ideology, but does not necessarily mean a belief in a god or god like entity?
Questions such as this make it very difficult for people to choose and the range of
choices is intrinsically wider.
Finally the rises in new forms of spiritual worship such as new age belief and
scientology have introduced further strands of knowledge into religion. Religion now
appears to include deism, theism, spirituality and alien control! Knowledge becomes
difficult to validate, for who are the experts? Added to this is the issue identified by
Hay: “Hay argues that people are embarrassed to disclose such experiences in today’s
supposedly secular society and that the whole complex of imagery at the heart of
popular culture implies a repression of religion among ordinary people.” (Goldblatt
2006) In support of this Hay suggests that science and scientific knowledge and the
expert who espouse this are guilty of positivist science which most “ordinary” people
would not challenge! It is a controversial position, as the general population becomes
better educated they may be more able to critique science and scientists. So not only
do people have a vast array of choices, differing expert opinion, new belief systems
but society is also pressuring them into silence by the very act of secularism!
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6. Martin Dorchester: Think piece knowledge
Knowledge is a difficult concept and has a number of interpretations, however, we
can see from religious knowledge that there is differing expert opinion, competing
religions, limited access to certain people and new concepts to consider. In the UK it
would appear that secularism is overtaking religion as a belief system. However this
ignores underlying evidence of spiritual and religious commitment. Choice is wider
and decisions can be difficult but the improvements in education and access have led
to a wider church of knowledge and this will take time to disseminate. People have
better access and hidden under the rafts of hard data there is a suggestion that the
increased access is not making choice more difficult but just wider in reach.
References
Goldblatt D (ed) (2004) Knowledge and the Social Sciences: theory, method, practice.
(2nd
Edition) London, Routledge/The Open University
Greetham B (2006) Philosophy, Houndsmill, Basingstoke, Hampshire, Palgrave
Macmillan
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7. Martin Dorchester: Think piece knowledge
Knowledge is a difficult concept and has a number of interpretations, however, we
can see from religious knowledge that there is differing expert opinion, competing
religions, limited access to certain people and new concepts to consider. In the UK it
would appear that secularism is overtaking religion as a belief system. However this
ignores underlying evidence of spiritual and religious commitment. Choice is wider
and decisions can be difficult but the improvements in education and access have led
to a wider church of knowledge and this will take time to disseminate. People have
better access and hidden under the rafts of hard data there is a suggestion that the
increased access is not making choice more difficult but just wider in reach.
References
Goldblatt D (ed) (2004) Knowledge and the Social Sciences: theory, method, practice.
(2nd
Edition) London, Routledge/The Open University
Greetham B (2006) Philosophy, Houndsmill, Basingstoke, Hampshire, Palgrave
Macmillan
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