I think the premise is overdrawn. A relative handful of men from the “first world” seem to have become radicalized. And the answer isn’t to be found in parsing Islam for degrees of extremism,or lack of extremism. The more relevant question is really what was alluded to in one of the posts - the feminizing, or perceived feminizing, of Christianity - again, in the “first world.” Many, many cultural and sociological factors here. Several generations ago men were expected to be the spiritual head of the family. Religion - Christianity specifically - was integrated into the culture. Somewhere along the line men fell from - or were pushed from - the train. If we look around the world, Islam, Buddhism, the Sikh faith, Shintoism, comservative and Orthodox Judaism: these are male-dominated, faith and its active practice are integrated into daily life, and men see their adherence to their faith as part of their male identity. But in the West – no, by and large. The reasons for this could fill multiple Ph.D. theses. Christianity is seen as passive and feminized, and and male identity has been molded by a culture that goes out of its way to demean religion, and has replaced that niche in male identity with the hypnotic televised mixture of sports and beer. Gender feminism has also had a role in this, as have many other factors.
I find myself agreeing with this in part.
I recall some cultural commentator; might have been Kenneth Clark, declaring that certain religions are assertively “masculine” in manifestation. Among those, he listed Orthodox Judaism, Islam and Lutheranism. Now, keep in mind that was written some time ago.
What he found in common among them was a sort of windswept plainness as opposed to a more feminine ornateness, and a kind of assertiveness that relegated women to “Kinder, Kirche, Kuchen”.
On the other hand, he commented at how Catholic churches, particularly in Europe are “full of women and babies”, and, by comparison with Lutheran churches both in Europe and here, that’s an apt comparison at least as to decor.
He suggested that there was additional meaning to that, e.g., how northern Europe (mostly Protestant) was more assertive and, well, acquisitive, than central or southern Europe on the whole. In his time, that was regarded as being correct as well.
But it would be incorrect to say that Catholicism or Christianity as a whole is “feminine” or “effeminate”. If one looks at the religious makeup of the armed forces, one finds a high degree of religiosity. Interestingly, the composition of the Air Force Academy is disproportionately Catholic. Also, if one looks at older churches, one finds a reasonable representation of very masculine men. In the cathedrals of Europe there are mailed knights represented. St. Patrick, in Irish churches in America, is represented as a very robust fellow taking it out on the snakes, and no one could accuse St. Michael of being an effeminate representation as he spears Satan from horseback. In some parishes, like my own, Jesus on the crucifix is a well-muscled representation, robust despite his tortured condition.
But of course, masculinity is in disrepute in our modern society, so instead of grandeur designed to inspire awe in men and boys, we find “intimate worship spaces” in which no one at all is represented to speak of other than near-cadaverous representations of Jesus or some saint.
Now, I don’t know whether there is any greater degree of willing conversion among men from Christianity to Islam than was ever the case for the last millenium or so. I have my doubts, at least outside prisons. It is my belief that these guys from the U.S. or Britain or wherever who convert and go to fight with ISIS are anomalous personalities. One asks oneself whether it is Islam that makes them murderous, or whether they are sociopathic and turn to Islam because they perceive it as justifying being murderous. If the latter, then Islam needs to look at itself and figure out what it is about Islam that seems to be more open to such people than are some other religions. And it needs to do something to correct it; assuming it has the desire to do it. (Yes, I know, Islam is a diverse as is American protestantism only more so.)
It is, however, possible that Catholicism could benefit from a return to architectural grandeur and robust representations of male figures. I still favor giving boys a “role” on the altar peculiar to themselves. It could be beneficial if there were some favorable stories of heroes in school, including in Catholic schools, instead of so many stories about boys or men who “came to see the error of their ways” in being boys or men.
I still think Catholic churches should be “full of women and babies”. Boys and young men should see those representations. Respect, even reverence for femininity should sink into their conscious and subconscious minds. But at the same time, boys are not girls and men are not women, and I think emphasizing a better role; perhaps simply a role at all, for boys and men in society is long overdue. I think a better balance can be, and ought to be, struck.
