Download The Sociology of Religion

The Sociology of Religion
Religion is a serious phenomenon
‘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 internal conviction (normally socially
expressed)
Sociologically speaking, what is
religion?
– A social institution that develops in history
– It relates in some way to the supernatural
– Religion is a group phenomenon that is concerned with
responses to existential questions (i.e big questions!)
– Just as religion moulds individual action, so it is in turn
developed by events
– It develops over time
Religiosity
• How religious a society is, looking at, for
example, beliefs and practices
Durkheim (1912)
a classical sociologist
• A unified system of beliefs and practices
relative to sacred things, that is to say,
things set apart and forbidden – beliefs and
practices which unite into one single moral
community called a Church, all those who
adhere to them.
Source: Aldridge, 2004, pg 8
Sacredness
• You are in awe of it
• It is special and powerful
• Different religions have different scared
things
• Durkheim believed that sharing scared
things unites people
Sacred examples
• Buddhist – a noble person, begging bowl, mandala,
incense burner,
singing bowl, etc
• Christian – bible, cross, holy water, rosary and some buildings
Jewish - Yarmulke or Kipa, Tallit & Tzitzit
• Sikhism - the Guru Granth Sahib (the Holy book)
• Muslin - the Quaran, the Ka’aba and black stone
• Hindu - the cow, bindi, tilak, yantra
Contemporary Definitions
• Inclusive
• Exclusive
Inclusive
– Functional and necessary to society
– It considers what religion does for its followers
and guides them
– Believes that beliefs about forces that shapes
human destiny , what shapes man
– Avoid referring to supernatural, transcendental
or other worldly powers
– It unites beliefs and practices
Inclusive
• Strengths
– To think beyond major religions e.g. Christianity
– Inclusive, less likely to be ethnocentric
– encourages analysis if what purpose religion is within
a culture
• Weakness
– some sociologists find it to broad
– includes too much, stretching the definition to include
everyone and everything.
– Bruce sees reference to World Cup is that religion is
losing its significance
Exclusive definition
• Substantive – they say what religion is
• Refers to beliefs practices and institutions
that advocate powers or beings not of this
world
• Superhuman/supernatural
• Restrictive and exclude links to football
teams or celebrities
Exclusive
• Strengths
– Sociologists favour them
– Closer to what we understand religion to be
– Excludes secular activities
• Weakness
– Definitions may be to narrow
– It only applies to some religions in some social contexts
– Advantages & Disadvantages of being a religion
• Aldrifge 2004 – Tax concessions, Social acceptance
WHAT IS A SOCIAL
INSTITUTION?
• ‘Stable sets of statuses, roles, groups and
organisations…[that] provide the
foundation for addressing fundamental
social needs’ (Newman, D. M. (2000) Sociology. Exploring the
architecture of everyday life.
• ‘holding society together…by providing
ordered and structured ways of doing
things that continue over long periods of
time…[and tend to] perpetuate social
inequality’ Penny Jaffray
The Social Functions of Religion
• Religion articulates a culture’s “beliefs” and
conception of “the beyond.”
• Durkheim saw religion as worship of
society, not as worship of a deity:
– “…rites are a means through which a group
reaffirms itself.”
– Religious rites strengthen commonly-held
attitudes.
Providing Emotional Support and
Security for Believers
• Religion provides meaning in a natural
world in which humans have little or no
control over certain phenomena. Humans
use religion to deal with:
– Dependence
– Powerlessness
– Scarcity
• Religion offers a transcendental
relationship with “the beyond,” which
provides people with
– New security
– A firmer identity in this world (believers and
priests) and the next
Religion Provides Social Control
• As Durkheim implied, religion sacralizes
the norms and values of established society,
maintaining the dominance of group goals
over individual wishes: Religion is a means
of social control.
Religion Provides Mechanisms
for Social Change.
• Religion has served a “prophetic” function
in which absolute standards take precedence
over “earthly” ones.
• Religious belief is thus used as justification
for social protests, social movements,
political revolutions, etc.
Religion Contributes to
Individuals’ Identities
• Religion is an aspect of heritage, like
ethnicity.
• Religion furnishes part of individuals’
understanding of who and what they
are: eg, “I am Catholic” or “I am
Muslim.”
Religion is a Factor in directing the
Individual’s Lifecourse
• Religion contributes to the developing
identity of the individual: This is the
maturation function of religion.
• Religions prescribe rites, privileges and
responsibilities that are associated with life
stages, as with the identity of “elder,”
ceremonies for entry into “adulthood,”
marriage, etc.
Marx, Durkheim, Weber
All three believed that religion in its traditional
forms would die out
• Marx thought religion has a strong IDEOLOGICAL role –
it teaches us not to question society – e.g. religion was
often used to justify slavery.
• Durkheim identified that religion helps maintain SOCIAL
COHESION/SOLIDARITY. Cohesive religious groups
are often ones in conflict with other groups – name some
• Durkheim is also useful when talking about ceremony and
ritual and values – define some
• Weber shows how religion can cause social change
Any of these “functions” might
also be seen as “dysfunctional.”
For example, religion might
recommend quietism, not social
protest; religion might instill
immaturity, not personal
development.
Religion and Secular Society
• Generally, religion concerns the “sacred,”
and secular society comprises the “profane.”
• However, there are important and enduring
relationships between these two separate
spheres.
• The religion-society link is expressed
differently in different religious
organizations.
Religions as Organizations
• A church is a formal organization that shares features with
all formal organizations: it is bureaucratic in nature and
integrated into the larger society.
• A sect is a form of religious organization that is nonbureaucratic and clearly distinct from the larger society.
• A cult is distinct not only from the larger society but from
other religions as well- it does not emerge from preexisting religious forms; it is completely new.