RELIGION
Common Themes of Religion
Love
Purpose
Mysteries
Death
A Sociological Analysis of Religion

Characteristics of Religion
Common
Elements:
Beliefs
The
Sacred and Profane
Rituals and Ceremonies
Personal Experience

Functions of Religion
Social
Cohesion
Social Control
Provides Meaning and Purpose
HISTORY OF RELIGION
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IN PREINDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
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RITUALS PRACTICED 40,000 YEARS AGO
EMBRACED “ANIMISM”
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ELEMENTS OF THE NATURAL WORLD ARE
CONSCIOUS LIFE FORMS THAT AFFECT
HUMANITY
NO FULL-TIME RELIGIOUS LEADERS
IN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
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SCIENCE HAS OFTEN REPLACED
RELIGION AS A SOURCE OF COMFORT
AND CERTAINTY
SCIENCE IS SILENT WHEN IT COMES TO
ANSWERING “WHY” WE AND THE REST
OF THE UNIVERSE EXISTS
OFTEN THESE TWO BELIEF SYSTEM ARE
AT ODDS WITH ONE ANOTHER
ALIKE, YET
VERY
DIFFERENT
A Sociological Analysis of Religion
Beliefs – Convictions that certain things are true. There are
mysteries that confound and mock our abilities to understand
them. (Name some?) Religion serves a function for society in
providing answers to those mysteries, and by providing meaning
and hope to people who might otherwise feel hopelessly
insignificant and lost. These answers, however, sometimes are
more abstract and difficult to understand than the mysteries
themselves, and require a level of belief that is often referred to as
faith; unquestioning belief in God, religion, and other things
sacred.

CAN THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE GET ALONG?

FAITH


BELIEF ANCHORED IN
CONVICTION RATHER
THAN SCIENTIFIC
EVIDENCE
IF NOT SCIENCE, WHAT?

SCIENTIFIC SOCIOLOGY IS
INTERESTED IN THE
CONSEQUENCES OF
RELIGIOUS BELIEF
RATHER THAN A DIRECT
CRITIQUE OF THE BELIEF
SYSTEMS
A Sociological Analysis of Religion
Beliefs are found in all religions, and include the Christian
belief that Jesus is the son of God, and that Jesus arose from the
dead after crucifixion; the Judaic belief in the “covenant” under
which the Jews became God’s chosen people; the Islamic belief
that there is only one God (monotheism), and that Mohammad,
and Jesus, were only messengers; and the Hindu belief, not in a
single deity, but in a spiritual force, “dharma”, that resides
everywhere in the universe (pantheism) and in several deities
(polytheism) who have influence over different aspects of our
existence.
Historically religious beliefs are not subject to the laws of
science or philosophical inquiry, and many “heretics” of all
religions have felt the power of religious rebuke, including death.

Sociological Analysis of Religion
 Polytheism
-
Sociological Analysis of Religion
 Pantheism
-
God is the Universe
Sociological Analysis of Religion
 Monotheism
-
A Sociological Analysis of Religion
The Sacred and the Profane – According to Durkheim, all
religions distinguish between the sacred, those things which have
supernatural significance and qualities, and the profane, those
things which are regarded as part of ordinary life. The sacred
includes items that are symbols of other holy things, thus in
Christianity, the cross is a common symbol for the act of Jesus
dying for our sins. (Things inside and outside the temple)

THE PROFANE AND SACRED
DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN THE ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY

DURKHEIM
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
THE PROFANE
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
ORDINARY ELEMENTS OF EVERYDAY LIFE
THE SACRED
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RELIGION FOCUSES ON THINGS THAT SURPASS THE
LIMITS OF OUR OWN KNOWLEDGE
THAT WHICH IS EXTRAORDINARY, INSPIRING A SENSE OF
AWE, REVERENCE, AND EVEN FEAR
RELIGION

THE SOCIAL INSTITUTION INVOLVING BELIEFS AND
PRACTICES BASED UPON A CONCEPTION OF THE SACRED
A Sociological Analysis of Religion
Rituals and Ceremonies – routinized behaviors which allow
the believer to temporarily approach their deity and bring the
sacred and profane together within a social setting, thus
reinforcing the power of the belief as part of a group experience;
lighting candles on a menorah, the daily prayer cycle, communion,
and bathing in the Ganges River.

A Sociological Analysis of Religion
Rituals and Ceremonies – Prayer as a ritualistic and/or
ceremonial link to personal experience.

A Sociological Analysis of Religion
Moral Communities – religious groups that share common
beliefs and values.
 A religious community serves several functions:

provides continuity form one generation to another (education or
indoctrination?)
 allows the laity to look after the profane matters while an elite tend to the
sacred
 provides social support
 in times of threat, religious communities can offer some protections

A Sociological Analysis of Religion
Personal Experience – religion can provide the interpretations
for understanding one’s own behaviors, the personal meanings of
these interpretations, and the resolve to do something about these
problems or feelings that vex them. Individuals can feel that a
“divine message” has been received personally, or has been
received by one or more of their community members. A religious
experience can be liberating in terms of guilt, depression, or any
other number of maladies. A common expression is to give oneself
up to God, Allah, or dharma. Individual problems and issues are
absorbed by something bigger than themselves. These experiences
can be very individualistic, yet also be consistent with the religious
beliefs of the religious community as a whole.

Personal Experience
Personal Experience
 Losing
ourselves in contemplation
Gaining Social Approval
Extrinsic
An
Religiosity -
orientation that sees religion as a
means of gaining friendship, status,
comfort, or other valuable ends.
Gaining Social Approval
Intrinsic
An
Religiosity -
orientation in which people attempt
to internalize religious teachings,
seeing religion as an end in itself.
Gaining Social Approval
Quest
 An
religiosity -
orientation that sees religion as a
journey taken to understand complex
spiritual and moral issues (vs. quick, simple
answers)
A Sociological Analysis of Religion

Religious Organizations
Church – 1) organized bureaucratically, 2) has a large membership,
 3) follows well-established rituals, and, 4) accepted by society even if not
practiced
 Denomination – as contrasted with an ecclesia, which is the official state
religion, such as the Church of England, a denomination is a religion that
maintains friendly relations with the government and other religions but does
not claim to be the nation’s only legitimate religion
 Sects – rejects the accepted form of a church, has little bureaucratic
organization, follows emotions rather than rituals, are very committed to their
beliefs, and may advocate violence to gain their ends.
 Cults – has little to do with traditional religion, develop around a
charismatic leader, often reject the greater society

CHURCHES AT ONE END OF THE SPECTRUM
WITH SECTS AT THE OTHER
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CHURCH

ORGANIZATION THAT IS WELL INTEGRATED INTO SOCIETY


FORMS OF CHURCH

ECCLESIA
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A CHURCH FORMALLY ALLIED WITH THE STATE
DENOMINATION
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CHURCH AND COMMUNITY OFTEN FORM A DUALITY
INDEPENDENT OF THE STATE AND PLURALISTIC
SECT

A TYPE OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION THAT STANDS APART
FROM THE LARGER SOCIETY

THE AMISH PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF A NORTH AMERICAN
SECT
A Sociological Analysis of Religion

Religious Organizations
– a religious group larger than a sect, but smaller than a
church. The term denomination is used to describe a recognized religious
organization that is self-governing and has doctrinal autonomy.
Denomination
Religion-
Christianity
Churches-Catholicism, Protestantism, Eastern Orthodox
Denominations (Protestantism)
Baptists
Presbyterians
Lutherans
Anglicans
(Church of England)
Seventh Day Adventists
Sects
– Shakers, Mennonites, Amish
CULTS
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE SUBSTANTIALLY
OUTSIDE A SOCIETY’S CULTURAL TRADITIONS
 CHARISMATIC
LEADERSHIP
 VIEWED AS DEVIANT
 OFTEN HAVE A DOCTRINE THAT
VARIES FROM MAINSTREAM
RELIGIONS
 OFTEN REQUIRES MEMBERS TO
RADICALLY ALTER THEIR
LIFESTYLES
 BRAINWASHING?
A Sociological Analysis of Religion
Bureaucratic and Political Organization
Roles

Clerics
Laity
Political
Structure
Authoritarian
Democratic
Power
Centralized
Diffused
 2.0
BILLION FOLLOWERS
 85% OF AMERICANS AND CANADIANS
 CHRISTIANITY BEGAN AS A CULT
 IT IS MONOTHEISTIC (ONE GOD)
 JESUS CHRIST IS CENTRAL FIGURE AS
BOTH MAN ON EARTH AND SON OF GOD
 PREACHES PERSONAL SALVATION
 MANY SPLITS FROM ORIGINAL FORM OF
ROMAN CATHOLICISM
ISLAM
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1.2 BILLION FOLLOWERS
NOT ALL MUSLIMS ARE ARABS
THE MIDDLE-EAST, ASIA, AND PARTS OF AFRICA ARE
ISLAMIC-CENTERED
ISLAM IS THE WORD OF GOD AS REVEALED TO THE
PROPHET MUHAMMAD, BORN IN MECCA AROUND 570
THE QUR’AN URGES SUBMISSION TO GOD (ALLAH) AS
THE PATH TO INNER PEACE
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
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RECOGNIZE ALLAH AS THE TRUE GOD
RITUAL PRAYER
GIVING OF ALMS TO THE POOR
FASTING DURING RAMADAN
MAKING THE ONCE IN A LIFETIME PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA
JUDAISM
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15 MILLION ADHERENTS WORLDWIDE
NATIONAL MAJORITY ONLY IN ISRAEL
JEWS BELIEVE THAT A COVENANT EXISTS
BETWEEN GOD AND GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE
THE TORAH EMPHASIZES MORAL BEHAVIOR IN
THE WORLD
DENOMINATIONS:
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ORTHODOX JEWS ARE VERY TRADITIONAL
REFORM JUDAISM IS MORE CHURCH-LIKE
CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM ACTS TO BRIDGE THE FIRST
TWO BELIEF SYSTEMS
ANTI-SEMITISM

PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST JEWISH
PEOPLE
THE OLDEST OF ALL WORLD RELIGIONS
MORE THAN 800 MILLION BELIEVERS
 FOUND MOSTLY IN INDIA AND AFRICA
 NO SACRED WRITINGS LIKE THE BIBLE
 PRINCIPLES:

DHARMA REFERS TO CORRECT LIVING
 KARMA REFERS TO BELIEF IN SPIRITUAL
PROGRESS THROUGH REINCARNATION


NIRVANA REPRESENTS SPIRITUAL
PERFECTION AND A RELEASE FROM THE
CYCLE OF REBIRTH
OTHER RELIGIONS

BUDDHISM

350 MILLION PERSONS
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
ALMOST ALL ASIANS
RESEMBLES HINDUISM IN DOCTRINE
AND CHRISTIANITY DUE TO ITS TIES TO
THE LIFE OF ONE INDIVIDUAL

SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA
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


ACHIEVED “BODHI” OR ENLIGHTENMENT
BECAME “BUDDHA”
NO “GOD OF JUDGMENT,” BUT DAILY
ACTION HAS ITS CONSEQUENCES
CONFUCIANISM



100,000 PERSONS IN NORTH AMERICA
PRIOR TO THE 1949 REVOLUTION, IT
WAS AN ECCLESIA: THE OFFICIAL
RELIGION OF CHINA
PERHAPS IT IS MORE A WAY OF
DISCIPLINED LIVING THAN A RELIGION
Copyright © 2003 Allyn & Bacon
RELIGION IN THE U.S.

AFFILIATION
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56.2% PROTESTANTS (20.6% BAPTIST)
25.1% CATHOLICS
9.2% NO PREFERENCE
2.3% JEWISH
1.7% OTHER OR NO ANSWER
RELIGIOSITY


REFERS TO IMPORTANCE OF RELIGION IN A PERSON’S LIFE
TYPES:
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EXPERIENTIAL: EMOTIONAL TIES
RITUALISTIC: FREQUENCY OF ACTIVITIES
IDEOLOGICAL: DEGREE OF BELIEF IN DOCTRINE
CONSEQUENTIAL: TIE INTO DAILY ACTIVITIES
INTELLECTUAL: KNOWLEDGE OF RELIGION
IN THE U.S. THERE IS A LOT OF THE EXPERIENTIAL TYPE
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES ARE FOUND TO BE TIED
TO VARIOUS OTHER SOCIAL PATTERNS

SOCIAL CLASS
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HIGH ACHIEVEMENT: EPISCOPALIANS, PRESBYTERIANS, AND
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST CONGREGATIONS
MODERATE ACHIEVEMENT: METHODISTS AND CATHOLICS
LOWER ACHIEVEMENT: BAPTISTS, LUTHERANS, AND
MEMBERS OF SECTS
JEWISH PEOPLE TEND TO BE REPRESENTED AMONG THE
HIGHER ACHIEVERS DUE TO EMPHASIS ON EDUCATION AND
ACHIEVEMENT
RACE AND ETHNICITY

MANY RELIGIONS ARE TIED TO SPECIFIC REGIONS AND
SOCIETIES IN AMERICA,

IRISH CATHOICS, ANGLO-SAXON PROTESTANTS, GREEK
ORTHODOX, RUSSIAN JEWS, ETC.
Denomination
Percent of Ratio:
Number of Percent of Current
% of Pres.
Presidents Presidents U.S. Pop. to % of Pop.
Episcopalian
11
26.2%
1.7%
15.4
Presbyterian
10
23.8%
2.8%
5.1
Methodist
5
11.9%
8.0%
1.5
Baptist
4
9.5%
18.0%
0.5
Unitarian
4
9.5%
0.2%
47.5
Disciples of Christ
3
7.1%
0.4%
18.7
Dutch Reformed
2
4.8%
0.1%
48.0
Quaker
2
4.8%
0.7%
6.9
Congregationalist
2
2.4%
0.6%
4.0
Catholic
1
2.4%
26.5%
0.1
Jehovah's Witness
1
2.4%
0.6%
6.0
TOTAL
42
100%
59.0%
A Sociological Analysis of Religion

Functional Perspectives
Religion is just one the social institutions that contribute to the stability of a
society through the social processes of:


Societal cohesion
Social control – religion applies authority and direction to important points of a
person’s life cycle including marriage, birth, and death

Provision of purpose – religion helps reduce social anxiety by providing
answers to broad questions about the meaning of life, existence, and non-existence

A Sociological Analysis of Religion

Conflict Perspectives
like all the other social institutions, religion can be used by the powerful to
legitimate their authority, keep themselves in power, and keep the other classes
“in line”
 official religious belief (dogma) can reduce the importance of the here-andnow, and stress the importance of the other-worldly, leading to an acceptance
of the status quo, even if inequality and exploitation is obvious (a form of false
consciousness) This is what Marx had in mind when he referred to religion as
the “opiate of the masses”.
 religious belief can be used to validate the political and economic
institutions of a society, and even lead to the incorporation of the religious into
civil institutions such as law, education and the political order; Max Weber,
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

A Sociological Analysis of Religion

Conflict Perspectives
a humanistic perspective, a bit different than a true conflict perspective, is
critical of the effect that religious dogma can have on the development of the
pursuit of knowledge and freedom of expression. When Spinoza, a Jewish
philosopher, suggested that instead of taking the Bible literally, we should see
it as allegory; and instead of seeing God as separate from nature, we should
see God in all things, including nature, he was driven from his synagogue and
excommunicated. He wrote: “Those who wish to seek out the causes of
miracles, and to understand the things in nature as philosophers, and not to
stare at them in astonishment like fools, are soon considered heretical and
impious, and proclaimed as such by those whom the mob adore as the
interpreters of nature and the gods. For these men know that once ignorance is
put aside, that wonderment would be taken away which is the only means by
which their authority is preserved.”

The Conflict Perspective
Conflict theorists are highly critical of
religion.
 By diverting thoughts to future happiness in
a coming world, religion relieves one of
suffering.
 Religion legitimates the social inequalities
of society.

A Sociological Analysis of Religion

Conflict Perspectives
another humanistic perspective was offered by Nietzsche (passage from Gay
Science) Can humans exist without the social institution of religion? Nietzsche
felt that it was extremely difficult, but possible. But where would individuals
turn to for answers to the unanswerable?
Marx – religion is used by the powerful to control the classes; “opiate of the
masses”. Classical religion can be replaced with spiritualism.
 The “Ethicalist” movement can be seen as a transition stage in which
individuals emphasize living a “good” life, treating others with respect and
altruism, instead of worshiping a deity.

A Sociological Analysis of Religion

Symbolic Interaction –
religious identity serves as a reference point which affect the political
choices, sexual relationships, and other aspects of daily life for many
individuals. It is incorporated into their self, and they see themselves as acting
as a Christian/Jew/Muslim/Hindu/Buddhist.

radical changes in faith may involve entire belief systems, self identity, and
one’s positions in society.
