RELIGION
• Religion is a social institution involving
beliefs and practices based upon a
conception of the sacred.
• The sacred is that which is defined as
extraordinary, inspiring a sense of awe,
reverence and even fear. In distinction, the
profane consists of ordinary elements of
everyday life.
• Religions involve ritual, formal ceremonial
behavior.
• Sociology can investigate the social
consequences of religious activity, but can
never assess the validity of any religious
doctrine because religion involves faith,
belief anchored in conviction rather than
scientific evidence.
Theoretical Analyses
Structural-functional analysis
• Durkheim understood religion as the
symbolic celebration of the power of
society over the individual.
• Totems are objects in the natural world
collectively defined as sacred.
•
Durkheim noted three major social
functions of religion:
a. Social cohesion.
b. Social control.
c. Providing meaning and purpose.
Criticism- downplays the dysfunctions of
religion.
Social Conflict
• Marx noted that religion tends to legitimize
inequality and the status quo.
• It also endorses patriarchy. Does God Favor
Males?
Religion and Social Change
• Max Weber’s Protestant ethic thesis is an
important example of how religion can
promote social change, in this instance the
growth of capitalism.
• Liberation theology is a fusion of Christian
principles with political activism, often
Marxist in character. It has been important
in much of Latin America.
Types of Religious
Organization
•
A church is a type of religious
organization well integrated into the larger
society. There are two types of churches.
a) An ecclesia is a church that is formally
allied with the state.
b) A denomination is a church, independent
of the state, in societies that accept
religious pluralism
•
a)
b)
c)
d)
A sect is a type of religious organization that
stands apart from the larger society. They
display the following characteristics:
They are less formal, more emotional, less
intellectualize.
Their leaders display charisma.
They rely on active proselytization, recruiting
many members through a process of conversion.
They usually attract lower-class members
• A cult is a religious organization that is
substantially outside the cultural traditions
of a society.
World Religions
• Christianity is the world’s most widespread
religion—monotheistic
• Islam. Moslem beliefs center around the “five
pillars of Islam.”
• Judaism is the smallest of the world religions. It
centers around the concept of the covenant
• Hinduism is the oldest of the world’s great
religions and is located principally in India.
• Buddhism also arose in India
• Confucianism was the state religion of China
• Secularization is the historical decline in
importance of the supernatural and the sacred.
• Civil religion is a quasi-religious loyalty binding
individuals in a basically secular society.
• There has been a marked revival of
fundamentalist-a conservative religious doctrine
that opposes intellectualism and worldly
accommodation in favor of restoring traditional,
other-worldly spirituality.
Fundamentalism is distinctive in the following ways:
• a. interpret the scripture literally.
• b. reject religious pluralism.
• c. pursue the personal experience of God’s
• presence.
• d. opposes “secular humanism.”
e. endorse conservative political goals