The Influence of Religion on Social Justice Movements

What is a world without religion? Notable institutions have shaped humanity for centuries, but it can be argued that none has been quite like religion. Religion has stood the test of time as a determining force on opinions, movements, and perspectives in all aspects of society. One of the many areas where its influence has been critical is in Social Justice Movements (SJMs). SJMs sought to bring about changes in society primarily through advocating for the protection and upholding of human rights. These movements have thus depended on religion, given that it “has historically been viewed as a central social institution, shaping moral, cultural, and ethical values” (Liu, 2025, p. 66). Therefore, a thorough examination of the influence of religion on SJMs reveals the role of religion as a double-edged sword, advocating and at the same time constraining the efforts to bring societal changes.

Religion provides an ethical framework for how individuals must coexist with each other. SJMs typically use religious teachings to frame their political demands as sacred moral imperatives. According to Liu (2025), religion supersedes individual morality to regulate societal norms and behavior, contributing to stability from shared values and practices. Religion has formed the foundation of SJMs across history, where SJMs used it to legitimize their causes. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, churches were involved in slave abolitionist movements. For example, the Baptist church leaders Roger Williams and Samuel Hopkins used Christian teachings of liberty and equality to argue that slavery violated natural law and Christian principles (Ashrof, 2025). Therefore, religion supplies the fundamental moral language to elevate the social grievances into righteous crusades. When framed through faith, these struggles became more than arguments; they became moral truths that demanded recognition.

Correspondingly, religion fortified the civil rights movement (CRM) in the United States (US). CRM pushed for the eradication of racial segregation in the US and thus the establishment of equal rights for African Americans. During this period, segregation was institutionalized and legalized; therefore, it was hard to advocate for abolition. However, King and other black civil rights leaders founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) as a way of pioneering non-violent protests (Mohamed et al., 2021). The SCLC’s philosophy of non-violent means directly represented Christianity and its principles. Therefore, religion inspired the CRM not just to fight for human rights against the backdrop of their violation, but also guided them in the means they would use to achieve their goals. In King’s speeches, he would incorporate religious discourse, the most notable one being during the March on Washington, where the book of Isiah inspired part of his speech:

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. (Mohamed et al., 2021, p.11).

In this speech, the image of the valley represented the African Americans and their current oppression and discrimination. King noted that they existed in a hole deep enough not to see the top and were surrounded by barriers on both sides. However, he talked of exaltation, and in relation to the book of Isaiah, King predicted that the African Americans were about to be restored and justice delivered on their behalf. Therefore, religion was important in mobilizing and inspiring courage in the CRM to demand freedom from oppression and violation of human rights.

Equally important to address is liberation theology (LT) and its practicality in SJMs. LT is a key example of how religion catalyzed social justice through structuring the fight against oppression as a moral and spiritual duty. According to Britannica (2025), liberation theology uses faith to support its advocacy of the poor and oppressed and highlights the ‘sinful’ socioeconomic structures perpetuating unequal opportunities in society. LT pushes people to take part in changing the biased policies and institutions. In Latin America, the catholic church was known for using the Gospel to challenge the deep-seated enablers of poverty and unjust social structures. This served as a summons for the people to practice their faith practically through community organization and demand fair treatment from the government. In this way, religion inspired and owned practical political activism for social justice.

Interestingly, religion has also worked against SJMs because of conflicts of interest in the presented causes. Liu (2025) notes that some religious institutions “were complicit in justifying and perpetuating systems of racial and economic inequality, often portraying the colonized as 'heathens' or 'inferior' and using religious doctrines to legitimize their oppression” (p.74). They argued that God ordained institutions such as slavery and those that facilitated racial segregation. In this case, the oppressors felt at liberty to do as they pleased since the church, which was supposed to provide a moral framework, supported their practices. For instance, the Hindu caste system, which supported social stratification, is said to have been supported by religious documents (Liu, 2025). With the church supporting the very inequalities that SJMs sought to eliminate, the level of injustices increased. Religion, therefore, became an umbrella where social injustices were housed and bred. The progress made by SJMs was derailed, but even more so was the confusion given the duality demonstrated.

Beyond justifying inequalities in the historical context, religion has proved obstinate against the modern world's SJMs. Two of those SJMs are the LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights movements. Both of these have intersecting ideals on matters of sexuality and gender, which challenge the traditional religious teachings on the same. Therefore, religious groups have been particularly vocal in resisting these movements. Liu posits that, “religious teachings in some contexts continue to restrict the rights of women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and minority groups” (2025, p.74). One of the primary causes of their resistance is the conservative nature of religious doctrines. Most of them are not designed to be flexible with the emerging societal changes, and even then, religious leaders are known to interpret the teachings in their favor. Therefore, they argue that LGBTQ+ ideals violate the moral and ethical foundations of Christian teachings. They oppose abortion on the basis that it threatens the foundation of moral principles, as it is murder. Therefore, religion renders these SJMs impermissible and, in so doing, delays necessary social reforms.

Conclusion

This essay explored the duality of religion in influencing social justice movements (SJMs). Throughout history, religion has provided moral authority and inspiration. A good example is the abolition of slavery and the envisioning of the US civil rights movement. It has also guided strategies such as non-violent protest movements and community organization through liberation theology, which have mobilized SJMs. However, the conservative nature of religious teachings has made it particularly difficult to support modern world SJMs, therefore slowing down their progress. Today, the challenge lies in ensuring it aligns with fairness and inclusion in the emerging social reforms.