Chapter 18: Religion
Sociology: A Down-to-Earth
Approach 7/e
James M. Henslin
Chapter Eighteen: Religion
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Chapter 18: Religion
What is Religion?
Emile Durkheim said, “A religion is a unified
system of beliefs and practices relative to
sacred things.”
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Chapter 18: Religion
Three Elements of Religion

Beliefs that Some Things are Sacred

Practices Centering on Things
Considered Sacred

A Moral Community Resulting from a
Group’s Beliefs and Practices
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Chapter 18: Religion
The Functionalist Perspective

Questions about Ultimate Meaning

Emotional Comfort

Social Solidarity

Guidelines for Everyday Life
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Chapter 18: Religion
The Functionalist Perspective

Social Control

Adaptation

Support for the Government

Social Change
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Chapter 18: Religion
Functional Equivalents of Religion

Organizations Like Alcoholics Anonymous

Psychotherapy

Humanism

Transcendental Meditation

Political Parties
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Chapter 18: Religion
Dysfunctions of Religion

Religion as Justification for Persecution

War and Terrorism
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Chapter 18: Religion
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

Religious Symbols

Rituals, Ceremonies, Repetitive Practices

Beliefs—Cosmology

Religious Experience—Contact with God

Community Shared Through Symbols, Rituals, and
Beliefs
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Chapter 18: Religion
Conflict Perspective

Marx’s Opium of the People

Legitimization of Social Inequalities

Social Arrangements Represent God’s Desires

Divine Rights of Kings

Pharaoh as God

Hindu Caste System
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Chapter 18: Religion
Religion and the Spirit of Capitalism

Weber—Religion Held the Key to
Modernization

Protestant Ethic

Personal Duty to Make and Invest Money

A Move away from Traditional Thrift

Spend Only on Necessities, Reinvest the Rest
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Chapter 18: Religion
The World’s Major Religions

Judaism

Originated 4,000 Years Ago

Originated in Mesopotamia

God’s Chosen People Through Covenant with Abraham

Fundamental Change in Religion to Monotheism

Contemporary—Orthodox, Reform, Conservative
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Chapter 18: Religion
The World’s Major Religions

Christianity

Also Monotheistic

Believe Jesus Christ is Messiah

Born in Poverty to a Virgin

At about 30 Jesus Began Teaching
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Chapter 18: Religion
The World’s Major Religions

Christianity

12 Main Followers—Apostles

Belief in Christ’s Resurrection

Split to Greek Orthodoxy in 11th Century,
Reformation in 16th Century

Currently about 2 Billion Adherents
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Chapter 18: Religion
The World’s Major Religions

Islam

World’s Third Monotheistic Religion

Founded by Muhammad (Born in Mecca)

About Age 40 had Visions from God

Visions and Teachings Written in Koran
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Chapter 18: Religion
The World’s Major Religions

Islam

Muhammad Founded a Theocracy in Median

Two Main Branches—Sunni and Shiite

Shiites More Conservative and Fundamentalist

Consider Bible Sacred but Koran Final Word
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Chapter 18: Religion
The World’s Major Religions

Hinduism

No Specific Founder

Chief Religion in India for 4,000 Years

No Canonical Scripture

Brahmanas, Bhagavad-Gita, and Upanishads
Expound Moral Virtues
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Chapter 18: Religion
The World’s Major Religions

Hinduism

People Make Sacrifices to gods

Polytheistic—Many gods

Central Belief is Karma—Spiritual Progress

No Final Judgment—Reincarnation

Spiritual Perfection Results in Nirvana
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Chapter 18: Religion
The World’s Major Religions

Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama Founded in about 600 B.C.

Four Noble Truths

Existence is Suffering

Origin of Suffering is Desire

Suffering Ceases when Desire Ceases

Follow “Noble Eightfold Path” to End Desire
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Chapter 18: Religion
The World’s Major Religions

Buddhism—Eightfold Path

Right Belief

Right Occupation or Living

Right Resolve

Right Effort

Right Speech

Right-Mindedness

Right Conduct

Right Ecstasy
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Chapter 18: Religion
The World’s Major Religions

Confucianism

K’ung Fu-tsu Born in China 551 B.C.

Public Official Distressed by Corruption in
Government

Urged Social Reform

Developed System of Morality Based on Peace,
Justice, Universal Order
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Chapter 18: Religion
The World’s Major Religions

Confucianism

Teaching Written in the Analects

Basic Moral Principle—Jen

Loyalty and Morality above Self-Interest

Confucian Golden Rule

Taught the “Middle Way”

Originally Atheistic, Gods Added along the Way
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Chapter 18: Religion
Types of Religious Groups


Cults

Begin with Charismatic Leader

Most Popular Religions Started this Way

Most Cults Fail
Sects

Loosely Organized and Fairly Small

Emphasize Personal Salvation
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Chapter 18: Religion
Types of Religious Groups


Churches

Highly Bureaucratized

National and International

Relationship with God Less Intense
Ecclesia

State Religions

Part of Cultural Identification
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Chapter 18: Religion
When Religion and Culture Conflict

Members Reject Dominant Culture

Members Reject Specific Elements of a
Culture

Society Rejects Religious Group
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Chapter 18: Religion
Religion in the U.S.

Characteristics of Members

Social Class

Race and Ethnicity

Age
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Chapter 18: Religion
Religion in the U.S.

Characteristics of Religious Groups

Diversity

Pluralism and Freedom

Competition and Recruitment

Commitment
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Chapter 18: Religion
Religion in the U.S.

Characteristics of Religious Groups

Toleration

Fundamentalist Revival

The Electronic Church

The Internet and Religion
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Chapter 18: Religion
Secularization of Religion
and Culture

The Secularization of Religion

The Secularization of Culture
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Chapter 18: Religion
The Future of Religion

Religion Thrives

People Will Always Ponder Purpose

Science Cannot Tell Us About…

The Existence of God

The Purpose of Life

An Afterlife

Morality
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