SOCIOLOGY RELIGION
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HOW DO WE EXPLAIN RELIGION?
What is its origins?
What are its processes
What are some theoretical positions on
religion? (paradigms)
RELIGION AND MEANING
*Meaning-refers to the interpretation of
situations and events in terms of some
broader framework.
Three things seem to distinguish man
from all living creatures:
1. The systematic use of tools
2. The use of abstract language
3. Religion
RELIGION AND NATURE
Although some observers have detected
the parallels of ritual in some birds,
mammals and other organisms,
.. no one has seriously suggested the
presence of myth or theology in
species other than human.
RELIGION AND COMMUNISM
Even Communist society before
parstoka was not without religion.
There is evidence that traditional
religion remained in the Soviet
Union between 1918 and 1989.
PARADIGMS ON RELIGION
STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONAL-religion is a functional institution in
human society…become increasingly compartmentalized in
modern society
CONFLICT=RELIGION IS THE OPIATE OF THE MASSES…IT
PASSIFIES SUBORDINATE GROUPS< KEEPS THEM
OPPRESSED
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM-RELIGION IS A MICRO PROCESS
FILLED WITH SIGNS< SYMBOLS<LANGUAGE..
ELEMENTARY FORMS
The most pertinent sociology study of
religion was E. Durkheim’s, The
Elementary Forms of Religion Life’
As soon as human society forms-religion is
present…
The totem is a collective representation of
the tribe
When we look at definitions of religion
they vary in nature and content but
they usually fall into two categories:
[Link] [Link]
PSYCHOLOGICAL/INDIVIDUAL
William James in his book The Varieties
of Religious Experience,
(Individualistic definition)
He claimed that," religion involves
feelings, acts, and experiences of
individual men in their solitude,
so far as they apprehend themselves to
stand in relation to whatever they
consider the devine"
DURKHEIM- RELIGION DEFINED
"A religion is 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”
(1982, p. 129 [excerpt from The
Elementary Forms of the Religious Life])
MYTH VS. THEOLOGY
Myth- stories or belief systems that
help people understand the nature
of the cosmos, the purpose or
meaning of life, or the role or
orgin of human suffering
Theology-religious explanations that
provide meaning to believers of
certain faith
HOW DO WE EXPLAIN RELIGION?
Not an easy task...
no societal phenomenon is more
resistant to scientific explanation
than religion...
There are generally two errors
committed when attempting to
explain religion...
Emotional and Rationalistic Bias
EMOTIONAL BIAS
The first is known as the emotional bias
The view that there is only one true
religion, his or her own, that is the
highest and the best.
Parochialism, Parochial or provincial
Thinking
RATIONALISTIC BIAS
The rationalist contends that
religion is simply the product of
ignorance,
and that its need will be eliminated
when man becomes completely
rational....(Hegel)
DURKHEIM, THE SOCIOLOGIST
To Durkheim, religion was a "social thing" par
excellence,
outside of each individual,
waiting for him/her at birth to help mould the
individual into society.
He saw religion as related to a radical division of
all human experiences
PROFANE".
1. The "profane". This is the realm of routine
experience, the secular, everyday world of
work, toil and domestic duties.
2. It is the sphere of adaptive behaviour, and is
essentially utilitarian
SACRED".
. The "sacred". This is the realm of human
experience that is residual to, and other
than, this work-a-day sphere.
It lays somewhere beyond the profane
sphere, and evokes an attitude of awe
and reverence.
TO DURKHEIM…RELIGION IS
FUNCTIONAL
Religion is able to reaffirm collective
morals and beliefs in the minds of all
members of society.
Durkheim developed his notion of
“collective conscience” from this
fact.
See Robert Bellah, “Civil Religion in
America” (1960)
WEBER’S CONCERN IS FOR RELIGIOUS
ACTION
Broadly speaking religion is made up
of a series of acts and observances
These acts and observances take place
a social context.
As members of a given group, family,
class and community, we have roles
to play in carrying out these
observances.
ANTHROPOLOGY
Early anthropologists set out to
study primitive religions with that
bias, to observe how far apart
primitives were from regular
church-going, Bible reading
Victorians...(evolutionism,
ethnocentricism)
The problem of defining religion is that
religions do not usually lend
themselves to simple characterization
on either the level of the individual
or social.
WESTERN MONOTHEISM
For example, in the West the idea of One
God predominates-
the relationship between man and the
divine is Man and God----
-ie. In God we Trust
EASTERN RELIGIONS
But in other religions,
particularly in the east God is not
present...
A.C Bouquett Comparative Religions,
says that the further east one goes
religion is not ontological but
rather a movement....
See Harvey Cox, Turning East
BUDDHISM
ie. Buddhism (eight fold path),
Japanese nationalist religion rooted in
Confucianism value -talks about
religion being `The Way'
RELIGIONS :EAST TO WEST
Confucianism- Found in Far East
Confucian culture
Based upon philosophy of Confuscious
Pragmatic
Inner worldly
More of a `way of life’
BUDDHISM
Other-worldly mystical
Fleeing the world through mystical contemplation
Seek Nirvana
HINDUISM
The religion of the Brahman
Religion of India’s high priests- Brahmanism becomes the `way
of life of the Hindu followers.
Hinduism –Karma (fate) leads to caste system
ISLAM
Followers of Mohammed
Believe in prayers and daily worship
Other worldly path of enlightenment
Order, devotion, adherence to Koran
Little room for interpretation
JUDAISM
Followers of Moses and the Torah (old
testimate)
Belief in liberal education through
religious teaching
Rational inner world religion of an urban
`pariah people’ (Weber, 1926)
Branches Orthodox, Conservative, Reform
CHRISTIANITY
Followers of Christ-Two denominations-
Protestant and Catholic includes Greek
orthodox, Russian Orthodox etc
Protestant Sects including- Baptist,
Presbyterian, United, Anglican
SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION
The scientific study of religion and its role
in the development of society’s
institutions and function.
Key concepts-secularization, totem and
taboo, religious value orientations,
rationalization.
RATIONALIZATION
Rationalization is the process whereby an
increasing number of social actions and
interactions become based on
considerations of efficiency or
calculation rather than on motivations
derived from custom, tradition, or
emotion.
SOCIETAL TYPES
1. Preliterate societies where
religious values predominate.
2. Changing preindustrial societies
with a combination of religious and
secular values.
3. Industrial societies where secular
values are ascendent
SOCIETAL TYPE/FORMS OF AUTHORITY
These societal types correspond to
charismatic, traditional and rational
legal authority
They also reflect Weber’s notion of the
rationalization of religious ideas and
values
Given an added stimulus by The
Protestant Ethic
MODERNIZATION/RATIONAL LEGAL
SOCIETY
It is conceived of as a core part of
modernization and as manifested
especially in behavior in the capitalist
market; rational administration of the
state and bureaucracy; the extension of
modern science; and the expansion of
modern technology
SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION
These definitions usually refer to
finding religion in the context of
a creed, ritual and
practice.....emphasis on religion
and its connection with the
church....which interprets and
follows Christ in a certain way...
THE WEST
In the West religion is usually
defined in terms of beliefs and
creeds associated with a
connection to Christ.
Christianity is a monotheistic
religion that excludes all
others,,,,you are either a
follower of Christ
WILLIAM ROBERTSON
One example of a Western scholar
of this type is William
Robertson Smith 1894 (Lecture on
the Religion of the Semites)
"our first business is to search
for a creed, and find in it the
key to ritual and practice"
THE MALANESIANS
Among the Malanesians of the South
Pacific....Religion consists in the
persuasion that there is a
supernatural power (Mana) religion
involves getting this power turned
on for their own benefit. The
notion of a Supreme Being is
entirely foreign to them.
ORTHODOXY
emphasis is that they can vary
significantly from group to group
and among the orthodox vs less
orthodox...
In India, Hindus revere the Cow
while among primitive people birds
animals and trees may have
religious significance....
CULTURAL ACTIONS
Food may or may not be significant ie.
pork and shellfish among the orthodox
Jews or wine and pork among the
Muslims
PARADIGMS ON RELIGION
STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONAL-religion is a functional institution in
human society…become increasingly compartmentalized in
modern society
CONFLICT=RELIGION IS THE OPIATE OF THE MASSES…IT
PASSIFIES SUBORDINATE GROUPS< KEEPS THEM
OPPRESSED
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM-RELIGION IS A MICRO PROCESS
FILLED WITH SIGNS< SYMBOLS<LANGUAGE..
SUMMARY
SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION IS IMPORTANT IN SOCIOLOGY
RELIGION IS AT THE FOUNDATION OF HUMAN SOCIETY
NO SOCIETIES ARE SET APART FROM RELIGION OF SOME TYPE
RELIGION HAS PLAYED A IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE
RATIONALIZATION OF HUMAN SOCIETY
RELIGION OF THE SEMITES)
"OUR FIRST BUSINESS IS TO SEARCH
FOR A CREED, AND FIND IN IT THE
KEY TO RITUAL AND PRACTICE"
THE PROBLEM WITH EMPHASIS ON
THINGS THAT ACQUIRE RELIGIOUS
SIGNIFICANCE IS THAT THEY CAN VARY
SIGNIFICANTLY FROM GROUP TO GROUP
AND AMONG THE ORTHODOX VS LESS
ORTHODOX...
IN INDIA, HINDUS REVERE THE COW
WHILE AMONG PRIMITIVE PEOPLE BIRDS
ANIMALS AND TREES MAY HAVE
NOT PRESENT... A.C BOUQUETT
COMPARATIVE RELIGIONS, SAYS THAT
THE FURTHER EAST ONE GOES RELIGION
IS NOT ONTOLOGICAL BUT RATHER A
MOVEMENT....
IE. BUDDISM (EIGHT FOLD PATH),
JAPANESE NATIONALIST RELIGION
ROOTED IN CONFUSIAN VALUE -TALKS
ABOUT RELIGION BEING `THE WAY'
AMONG THE MALANESIANS OF THE SOUTH
PACIFIC....RELIGION CONSISTS IN
THE PERSUASION THAT THERE IS A
SUPERNATURAL POWER (MANA)
RELIGION INVOLVES GETTING THIS
