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SOC101IntrotoSociology12ech13.pptxReligion
Chapter 13
Introduction to Sociology 12e
by Henry L. Tischler
Learning Objectives
Define the basic elements of religion.
Differentiate among the major types of religion.
Describe the functions of religion according to the functionalist perspective.
Explain the conflict theory perspective on religion.
Describe the basic types of religious organization.
Describe important aspects of contemporary American religion.
Describe the major religions in the United States.
The Nature of Religion
Religion
A system of beliefs, practices, and philosophical values shared by a group of people; it defines the sacred, helps explain life, and offers salvation from the problems of human existence.
Émile Durkheim and Religion
In his classic study, The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1915), Durkheim observed:
Religions divide the universe into two mutually exclusive categories:
Profane – empirically observable things (things that are knowable through common, everyday experiences)
Sacred – things that are awe inspiring and knowable only through extraordinary experience
Elements of Religion
Ritual and prayer
Emotion
Belief
organization
Magic
An active attempt to coerce spirits or to control supernatural forces
Used to manipulate and control matters that seem to be beyond human control and that may involve danger and uncertainty
A means to an end
Major Types of Religion
Supernaturalism
Animism
Theism
Monotheism
Abstract ideals
Supernaturalism
Postulates the existence of nonpersonalized supernatural forces that can, and often do, influence human events
Animism
The belief in inanimate, personalized spirits or ghosts of ancestors that take an interest in, and actively work to influence, human affairs
Theism
The belief in divine beings – gods and goddesses – who shape human affairs
Powerful beings worthy of being worshipped
Polytheism
The belief in a number of gods
Monotheism
The belief in the existence of a single god. Only three religions are known to be monotheistic:
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Abstract Ideals
Focus on the achievement of personal awareness and a higher state of consciousness through correct ways of thinking and behaving, rather than by manipulating spirits or worshipping gods
A Sociological Approach to Religion
Functionalist perspective
Examines the functions that religion plays in social life
Conflict theorists
View religion as a means for justifying the political status quo
The Functionalist Perspective
Satisfying individual need
Sigmund Freud
Social cohesion
Émile Durkheim
Establishing worldviews
Max Weber
Adaptations to society
Marvin Harris / Durkheim
The Conflict Theory Perspective
“Man makes religion, religion does not make man.”
(Karl Marx)
Alienation
The tool that the upper classes used to maintain control of society and to dominate the lower classes
The most alienating influence in human society, involving loss of control over the social institutions they themselves invented
Organization of Religious Life
The Universal Church
Includes all the members of a society within one united moral community
The Ecclesia
Shares the same ethical system as the secular society and has come to represent and promote the interest of the society at large
The Denomination
Limits its membership to a particular class, ethnic group, or religious group or, at least, has its leadership positions dominated by members of such a group
Organization of Religious Life
The Sect
A small group that adheres strictly to religious doctrine and often claims that they are the authentic version of the faith from which they split
Millenarian Movements
Typically prophesy the end of the world, the destruction of all evil people and their works, and the saving of the just
Aspects of American Religion
Religious diversity – the United States has always been a land of many religions
Widespread belief, differing interpretations
World Views of American Religiosity
Source: Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, June 23, 2005. Global Attitudes Survey.
Secularism
Modern society is becoming increasingly secularized and less influenced by religion.
Religious institutions are being confined to ever-narrowing spheres of social influence, while people turn to secular sources for moral guidance in their everyday lives.
Ecumenism
The trend among many religious communities to draw together and project a sense of unity and common direction
Partially a response to secularism and is evident among many religions in the United States
Major Religions in the United States
Christianity
Catholicism
Judaism
Islam
Christianity
Containing many denominations of different practices and doctrines
Catholicism
A broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, and its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole
Judaism
A set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts
Islam
Name given to the faith translates to “surrender”
Built on the prophecy of the Prophet Muhammad and on five pillars:
Shahadah (or faith)
Prayer
Almsgiving
Fasting
Pilgrimage
Social Aspects of Religious Affiliation
Strong correlation, but not necessarily cause-and-effect relationship, with many other important aspects of people’s lives
Political
Social
Economic
