Dumb question, but does it compete with Capitalism, Socialism, Communism? Or does it just compete with other faiths, i.e., Judaism, Buddhism, Islamism, etc.?

Quo Vadis? said:

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If your Religious values do not influence your political views you have no Religious values

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JFK say what?

whatthehey78 said:

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Dumb question, but does it compete with Capitalism, Socialism, Communism? Or does it just compete with other faiths, i.e., Judaism, Buddhism, Islamism, etc.?

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Yes, and yes. The term commonly used is "world view." In this sense, these are all competing ideologies, though they may find common ground sometimes. Richard Niebuhr's Christ and Culture deals with this, as do the writings of CS Lewis. My favorite biblical passages are in Heb. 11, and the passages in Revelation that discuss the fall of Babylon, and the ultimate triumph of Christ over all ideologies. Ralph Winter's work in Christian missions deals with contextualization of the Gospel, which includes finding the redemptive metaphor in different religions. When Solzhenitsyn came to the US, he quickly gained critics when they realized that his opposition to godless Soviet communism did not make him an ally of godless American capitalism. He found his religious ideology to be at odds with both.

The term ideology is generally regulated to things like politics, law, economics, almost exclusively in the social realm. It is focused on ideas that effect human relationships with each other and institutions of humanity.

Religion should deal with theology, which focuses on four relationship.
God - Humanity
God - Creation
Humanity - Humanity
Humanity - Creation

There are some overlaps but religion is not an ideology as it explores the meta verse.

whatthehey78 said:

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Dumb question, but does it compete with Capitalism, Socialism, Communism? Or does it just compete with other faiths, i.e., Judaism, Buddhism, Islamism, etc.?

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I would absolutely say that American protestant Christianity is both a religion & an ideology. Nationalism and capitalism are wrapped into it deeply.

I love me some nationalism and capitalism, but I don't intertwine it with my faith. In fact, it's a critique I would have with myself in regards to my faith.

"Foreigners got to go and we should crush China now because they might hurt our economy" type stuff.

Not terribly Christian of me…

Perhaps generically "religion" is an ideology but as Sapper pointed out, Christianity is more about a relationship with Jesus than an ideology. That relationship should then inform how you respond to the political, economic, and social environments in which you exist.