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| Karl Marx |
The Marxist approach to history,
even when it is critiqued and used as a springboard, is problematic for
historians who believe in the involvement of a divine being in human destiny. Religious historians don’t oppose Marx’s theory because of his political
ideology; we take issue with the premise
that materialism rather than God is the driving force of historic change. Positivist capitalists seek to demonstrate human progress by glorifying the relentless acquisition
of resources and capital by one group or culture over time. Marxists incite those with less to revolt against those with more and to work to overturn the capitalist system. Neither of these political approaches has laid the groundwork for a
peaceful coexistence. On the contrary, both
approaches have contributed to the sustained state of political polarization and
frustration that has thwarted the human pursuit of happiness and destabilized
life on the planet. John Tosh provided some helpful ideas
for a methodology to redirect the human course of events away from self-destruction. He suggested
that social theorists view history either from observation of the interconnection
of all aspects of human existence in a particular period, analysis of
fundamental changes over time in the structures and practices of a particular
society, or identification with some deeper meaning underlying human destiny
that can be demonstrated across time and space. Tosh claimed, “Full-blown professions of
faith in progress may be rare today, given the trail of destruction that marked
the history of the twentieth century.”[1] That does not mean that belief in God is in vain, or that religion is to blame for the human tendency to violence. The advance of secularism
and moral relativism have played greater roles in blazing the current trail of
tears than any of the world’s religions.
[1] John
Tosh, The Pursuit of History: Aims, Methods and New Directions in the Study
of Modern History. (New York: Routledge, Taylor and Francis, 2015), 182.
