SELF TEST

• IF YOU PRACTICE A RELIGION WHAT FUNCTION DOES IT SERVE IN YOUR LIFE?• DOES YOUR RELIGIOUS GROUP ACCEPT

THAT OTHER GROUPS BELIEFS MAY BE TRUE?

• HOW WERE YOU SOCIALIZED INTO YOUR FAITH?

• DO YOU FOLLOW EVERY RULE OF YOUR FAITH? ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO?

Sociology of Religion:

Religions of the World

What is Religion?

CULTURAL UNIVERSAL: Almost every civilization has practiced some form

of RELIGION

• Gods•Ancestors

•Totems (objects)

What do people WORSHIP?:

How do they worship?•Solitary meditation

•Frenzied rituals •Solemn prayer

Religion is a matter of faith, not science

What is Religion?

Defined: Communally-held beliefs and practices

that are based on the, supernatural

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RELIGION IS A GROUP PHENOMENON

1. Recruits & regulates MEMBERSHIP to perpetuate itself

2. Involves socialization (training, of new members)

3. Members benefit from membership4. Preserves order – motivates members

to pursue groups goals and abide by group norms

5. Maintains a sense of purpose for the group

What is Religion?Private beliefs are not “religion” if they are not shared by a community and, in

turn, institutionalized

Durkheim’s (functionalist) 3 features common to all

religions:

1. A Set of Rituals adherents will follow

3. Distinction between the SACRED and the PROFANE

2. Supernatural Belief System

What are the Essential Features Common to all

Religions?

Distinction between the SACRED and the PROFANE?

SACRED: Anything that inspires deep respect, reverence and awe.

It has supernatural qualities. Anything can be regarded as

sacred.

What are the Essential Features Common to all

Religions?Distinction and Opposition between the

SACRED and the PROFANE

PROFANE: (“Outside the temple”)

•Part of the ordinary rather than of the supernatural world.

•Has the power to weaken or corrupt people.

•Can be anything defined as such by leaders.

What function does religion

serve?

Function #1: Emotional Support and Security

• Humans use religion to deal with:–Death–The Purpose of Life–A natural world that seems random and unknowable

–Fear of the Unknown

Function #2: Religion Provides Social Control

• The group is required to follow strict rules (norms / values) and follow religious leaders and/or the edicts of GOD.

• Rituals reinforce Social Control. Used for: – Forgiveness– Punishment– Collective Worship

Function #3: Religion Provides Mechanisms for

Social Change.

• Religious vs. Secular: Because religion is supernatural and divine it is always “righteous” (i.e. My God can’t be wrong)

• Religious belief is used as justification for social protests, political revolutions, or any action deemed sacred.

Function #4: SOCIAL COHESION

• Religion is an aspect of heritage, like ethnicity.

• Religion furnishes part of individuals’ understanding of who and what they are: eg, “I am a Catholic” or “I am a Muslim.”

BELIEF SYSTEMS

1) Simple Supernaturalism

• Believers do not recognize Gods or spirits, but assume that

supernatural forces influence human events for better or worse

• Some believe these forces can only be recognized others believe they can be

influenced (Luck, “Karma”, etc)

2) Animism

•Nature Based Religion

• This kind of religion recognizes active spirits operating in the world; they are

found in people and in nature (rivers, mountains and the weather)

• These spirits are honored but rarely worshipped

3) Theism• Centers on a belief in God or Gods• God(s), presumably all-powerful, has an active interest in human affairs and,

therefore, is worthy of being worshipped

• In large, theocratic, societies there are officials (priests, rabbis, clerics) who

preside over religious ceremonies and interpret

the wishes of their God(s)• Two forms: Monotheism and

Polytheism

4) Abstract Idealism• Found mainly in Asia and centers not

on the worshipping of a God(s) but, instead, on ways of thinking and behaving

• Goal is to fulfill one’s human potential to the

utmost; to reach an elevated state of consciousness

• Two main forms: Buddhism and Hinduism

Religions as Organizations

• A church is a formal organization: it is bureaucratic in nature and integrated into the larger society.

• A sect has usually broken off from a larger church over doctrinal issues.

• A cult is a religious group founded on the revelations of person believed to have supernatural powers (Most major religions begin as cults).

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‘Faith’ or ‘Religion’ ?

•Faith is ‘an orientation of the self’ - faith relates to the

internal conviction, associated beliefs, attitudes;

•‘Religion’ relates to the formal expression of the supernatural beliefs as expressed in a group