Religion and Society
What Is Religion?
 Durkheim defined religion by three elements
1.
2.
3.
Beliefs that are some things are sacred (Set
apart, Forbidden)
Practices (rituals) centering on things
considered sacred
A Moral Community (a church) resulting
from a groups beliefs and practices
Why Study Religion?
 Religion is a universal social institution
 What is a universal social institution?
 Sociologists study the relationship between society
and religion
 They do not seek to prove or disprove religions
 The study of religion helps us define and understand
our world
Sociologists Ideas On Religion
 Karl Marx
 Religion
 The
is a destructive force in society
promise that hard work and good acts gain
entrance is an empty one
 Believed religion was meant to distract people from
their unequal or unfair treatments
 “The opiate of the People”
Sociologists Ideas On Religion
 Emile Durkheim:
 Durkheim
 Why
did not agree with Marx
would something so destructive be at the center of
every religion
 He believed that religion must serve a function in
society
 It encourages cooperation
 Religion needs to change to reflect society
Sociologists Ideas On Religion
 Religion and Social Change
 Religion helps maintain a societies solidarity
 Mechanical
Solidarity
 People need to follow a specific set of rules
• Gods make specific demands that must be followed
• These change with the society's values
 Organic Solidarity
 People in complex societies need to adapt their
behavior to a variety of complex situations
 Its better for the society to have a general set of rules
to follow
Sociologists Ideas On Religion
 Max Weber (The Middle Man)
 Agreed
 Like
with Marx and Durkheim
Marx: religious values are not always in sync with
society and can cause conflict
 Like Durkheim: Religion serves as a powerful social
glue that ensures cooperation and achievement of the
societies goals
Class Discussion
 In your own words, what do each of these
sociologists think about religion?
 Which ideas do you agree or disagree with? Why?
 How do this ideas apply to religious philosophies or
movements today? Provide an example.
Functionalist Perspective
 Religion is universal because it meets basic
human needs
 Function
of Religion
Question about ultimate meaning
Emotional comfort
Guidelines for everyday life
Social control
Adaptation
Support of the government
Social change
Dysfunctions of Religion
 Religion as justification of persecution
 Examples
 War and Terrorism
 Examples
Symbolic Interactionist perspective
 Focus on the meanings of experiences

Rituals: Ceremonies or practices; are symbols that help
people unite into a moral community

Beliefs: values and perceptions (cosmology)

Religious experience: a sudden awareness of the supernatural or a feeling of coming in contact with god

Community: United though beliefs, experiences, and
rituals
The Conflict Perspective
 Focuses on how religion supports the status quo or
social inequality

Marx’s opiate of the people

The Legitimation of social inequalities
 How would this be done? (I mean, we have talked
about it enough)
 Ex: Hinduism supports a caste system
Types of Religious Groups
 The religious line:
 Cult: A new religion with a few followers
Views can put it at odds with society
 Sect: Members feel tension toward and from
society
 Church: Religious group that becomes highly
bureaucratized
 Ecclesia: A religious group so intergraded into
the dominant culture that it is difficult to tell
them apart
The Future of Religion
 Religion will be around as long as humanity
exists
4
concerns science can not address
1. The existence of god
2. The purpose of life
3. The idea of an afterlife
4. Mortality
World Religions Project
World Religions Project
 Task: Create a presentation for your assigned
religion (30 points total)
 It must include in detail (25 Points 5 points per
question):





Estimated population and locations of major populations
The groups essential teachings (Beliefs, Rituals, Artifacts)
Sub sects of the religion (off shoots) and what they believe
Culture (art, food, culture, dress)
Global impact of your religion
 Works Cited (5 points)
 Religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism,
Buddhism, Confucianism