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RELIGION
SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION
• Humans search for answers to the ultimate
questions of life and death
• According to Durkheim, societies universally have
attempted to satisfy these needs by making a sharp
distinction between the sacred and profane
• Sacred: Anything that is considered to be part of the
supernatural world and that inspires awe, respect, and
reverence
• Profane: Anything considered to be part of the ordinary
world and is commonplace and familiar
SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION
• Religion is a universal phenomenon, but the form it takes
varies from society to society
• According to sociologists, religion is a social creation
• Things take on sacred meaning only when they are socially
defined as such by a group of believers
• Ex: Hinduism – Cow = sacred; Christianity – Cow = food
• Ex: Christianity – Wafer = Body of Christ; Hinduism – Wafer = Food
• Religion also is a social creation because it is a
communal activity based on institutionalized beliefs and
practices
• Focuses on supernatural world and belief is in the truth of
religion is based on faith rather than on science
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON
RELIGION
• Functionalist
• Religion is immensely important to society and the individual
• Religion performs many functions for society
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Supporting people in the face of fear
Strengthening conformity to the norms
Acting as a source of social change
Enabling people to know who they are
• Religion can be dysfunctional when it:
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Hinders useful social change
Helps preserve unjust laws and harmful values
Creating violent fanaticism
Contributing to intense social conflict when people identify too
strongly with their own religion
FUNCTIONS OF RELIGION
• Social Cohesion: Strengthening of bonds among
people
• Some cities that contain a variety of religions have been the
sites of hostile and continuous conflict (Ex: Israel)
• Participation in religious rituals and sharing of beliefs create
a sense of belonging that makes them feel less alone in the
world
• Durkheim found that suicide rates are lowest among people
who have strong attachments to religious groups
• Religious groups serve to anchor people to society, providing
support and purpose
FUNCTIONS OF RELIGION
• Social Control
• Encourage conformity to the norms of society
• Norms and values may be supported by religious doctrine
• Works to maintain traditional social order by presenting this
order as one commanded by God
• Some religions provide formalized means through which
individuals may rid themselves of guilt for straying from
acceptable norms and values
• Rituals serve as emotional releases (Ex: confession)
• Emphasis of religion on conformity to the existing order may
inhibit innovation, freedom of thought, and social reform
FUNCTIONS OF RELIGION
• Emotional Support
• Helps people endure disappointments, suffering, and
deprivations by providing comfort and a belief that harsh
circumstances have a special purpose
• Provides answers to the ultimate questions of life and death
that cannot be provided by science and common sense
• Emotional support may block social progress and social
change
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON
RELIGION
• Durkheim
• Believed that God is the symbolic representation of society
• Religion, through rituals and the upholding of the norms
• Functional for society and helps uphold the social order
• Marx
• Religion is a mere illusion representing the dominant interest of
the ruling class by disguising and justifying the power of that
class
• Helps ruling class preserve its domination of the masses by
justifying existing inequalities
• Other sources have shown that religion actual inspires social
movements
• Weber
• Believed religion could influence economic behavior and
society
THE NATURE OF RELIGION
• Ritual: An established pattern of behavior through
which a group of believers experiences the sacred
• Often used to mark changes in status, such as those
surrounding birth, marriage, and death
• Used to unite believers and reinforce faith
• Some involve asking divine beings to intervene in human
affairs
• Others focus on giving thanks to divine beings for benefits
that have been received
• Generally involve sacred symbols (ex: Cross)
BELIEF SYSTEMS
• The Three Basic Types are
• Animism
• Theism
• Ethicalism
• We will talk about these separately
BELIEF SYSTEMS
• Animism
• Spirits are active in influencing human life
• Animals, plants, rivers, mountains, and wind are believed to
contain spirits
• Do not worship these spirits as gods, but rather see them as
supernatural forces that can be manipulated to human
advantage
• Rituals are used to bring about the good will of the spirits or
to thank them for gifts
• There are 2 sub-types of Animism
• Shamanism
• Totemisim
SHAMANISM
• Shamanism: Spirits communicate only with one
person in the group (Shaman)
• Shaman believed to communicate with spirits either by
speaking to them directly or making his soul leave his body
and enter the spirit world
• Can be found among small preindustrial societies in
northern Asia and North and South America
• Shamans may be called witch doctors or medicine men
TOTEMISM
• Totemism: Belief in a kinship between humans and
animals or natural objects
• Found in Australia and some Pacific Islands
• Totem (animal or object) is considered sacred and is
thought to represent a family, clan, or its ancestors
• Because of it is supposed supernatural quality it is treated with
awe and respect
BELIEF SYSTEMS
• Theism
• Belief in a god or gods
• God is considered a divine power worthy of worship who is
thought to be interested in human existence
• There are 2 subtypes
• Monotheism
• Polytheism
MONOTHEISM
• Belief in 1 god
• Ex: Judaism, Christianity, Islam
• All contain:
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Organizational structure
Sacred writings
Worship rituals
Organized priesthood or minister
POLYTHEISM
• Belief in a number of gods
• Ex: Hinduism
• Usually center around one powerful god who has
control over a number of lesser gods
• These lesser gods are thought to have their own
separate spheres of influence, controlling such
things as:
• Harvests
• Childbirth
• Earthquakes
BELIEF SYSTEMS
• Ethicalism
• Belief that moral principles have a sacred quality
• Based on a set of principles, such as truth, honor, and
tolerance
• These principles serve as a guide to living a righteous life
• Ex: Found in Asia = Buddhism, Confucianism, Shinotoism
• Involves meditation and purity of thought and action
• Goal for followers is to reach their highest human potential
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES
• Categorized into 4 ideal types of organizational
structures that apply mainly to religious found in the
Western World
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Ecclesia
Denomination
Sect
Cult
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
• Ecclesia
• All people in the society are members by virtue of their birth
• Formally allied with state and are structured, bureaucratic
organizations
• Usually longlived
• Trained officials who use considerable power and don’t
tolerate religions differences among the population, often
making membership a matter of law
• Ex: Fundamentalist Islam in Iran
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
• Denomination
• Well established religious organization in which a substantial
portion of the population are members
• Formal bureaucratic structures with trained officials
• Typically tolerant, holding strongly to their own beliefs while
acknowledging the rights of others to hold beliefs that differ
• Longlived
• Upper and middle-class members
• Welcome converts, even though you’re mostly born into it
• Ex: Presbyterians and Baptists
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
• Sect
• Relatively small religious organization that typically has split
off from a denomination because of doctrinal differences
• Tend to claim exclusive access to religious truth and
generally tolerant of other faiths
• Hostile toward the existing power structure, seeing it as
corrupt and worldly
• Clergy tend not to have had formal training
• Worship ceremonies encourage emotion, spontaneity, and
active participation by the entire congregation
• Many are short-lived
• Some do become denominations over time (ex: Methodists)
• Ex: Assemblies of God, Jehovah’s Witness, Hassidic Jews
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
• Cult
• Religious group founded on the revelations of a person
believed to have special knowledge
• Usually reject society and express devotion to their leaders
• Typically led by charismatic figures who are believed by
their converts to have supernatural qualities
• Generally reject the rest of society, including its institutions
• People who join cults are usually disillusioned by traditional
religion and by life in general
• Ex: People’s Temple led by Jim Jones; Mass suicide in
Jonestown, Guyana
RELIGION IN AMERICAN SOCIETY
• Great variety of religions reflects pluralism of
American culture
• Religion is categorized by the high value that
Americans place on it
• Tend to use their religious beliefs to uphold other
treasured American values (democracy, hard work,
individualism, etc)
• Separation of church and state = Given formal
sanction in the Constitution
• Government does support religion in general by exempting
religious organizations from taxation and regulating
extremist sects (ex: Terrorists)
RELIGION IN AMERICAN SOCIETY
• Religious Affiliation
• Protestants are most numerous in the US when compared to
Roman Catholicism and Judaism
• Roman Catholic Church is largest religious organization
• Jews, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians tend to be better
educated and have higher incomes than other religious
groups
• Baptists and Methodists reside mainly in the South and
Midwest
• Catholics, Jews, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians live in the
Northeast
• Protestants = Republican
• Catholics and Jews = Democrat
RELIGION IN AMERICAN SOCIETY
• Religious Participation
• Women, African Americans and older Americans are more
likely to participate regularly in services
• Higher class = more likely to attend church regularly and
hold leadership positions
• Poor = More emotionally involved in their religion
• Tends to increase with age
• Religion attendance at church or synagogue is a poor
indicator of religious involvement
• Religiosity: Importance of religion in a person’s life
• Sociologists find it hard to measure religiosity because religious
experience and commitment vary from person to person
• Affiliation with religious organization give little info about
religiosity because people attend service for various reasons
(socializing, business, etc.)
RELIGION IN AMERICAN SOCIETY
• New Age Religion
• Represent the most affluent, well-educated, and successful
Americans
• Not very organized
• Believe that the divine resides in humanity
• Many follow Eastern religions
• “Promise Keepers”
• Started by and for men who often pray as part of athletic
events
• Form men’s support ministries
• Oppose homosexuality and abortion
• Believe that men should take over leadership of their wives
• Civil Religion
• Collection of beliefs, symbols, and rituals that sanctify the
dominant values of the society and combine religion and
politics
RELIGION IN AMERICAN SOCIETY
• Ethnic Trends
• African Americans
• More likely than whites to be church members
• Churches serve as center of community
• Native Americans
• Practice religions based on worship of the environment
• Hispanic Americans
• Mostly Catholic
• See the church as central to community life
• Asian Americans
• Largely brought Buddhism with them
• Most of the younger generation is Christian