Lecture 11

Religion
Introduction to religion
 What is religion
 Why do sociologists study religion? For centuries, humankind has sought to
understand and explain the “meaning of life.” Many philosophers believe this
contemplation and the desire to understand our place in the universe are what
differentiate humankind from other species.
 Religion, in one form or another, has been found in all human societies since
human societies first appeared. Archaeological digs have revealed ritual objects,
ceremonial burial sites, and other religious artifacts. Social conflict and even wars
often result from religious disputes. To understand a culture, sociologists must
study its religion
 What is religion
 What is religion? Pioneer sociologist Emile Durkheim described it with the
ethereal statement that it consists of “things that surpass the limits of our
knowledge” (1915). He went on to elaborate: Religion is “a unified system
of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say set apart
and forbidden, beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral
community, .
 Some people associate religion with places of worship (a synagogue or
church), others with a practice (confession or meditation), and still others
with a concept that guides their daily lives (like dharma or sin).
 What is religion
 All of these people can agree that religion is a system of beliefs, values, and
practices concerning what a person holds sacred or considers to be
spiritually significant. Religion can also serve as a filter for examining other
issues in society and other components of a culture.
 For example, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, it became
important for teachers, church leaders, and the media to educate Americans
about Islam to prevent stereotyping and to promote religious tolerance.
 The Sociological Approach to Religion
 From the Latin religio (respect for what is sacred) and religare (to bind, in
the sense of an obligation), the term religion describes various systems of
belief and practice concerning what people determine to be sacred or
spiritual .
 Throughout history, and in societies across the world, leaders have used
religious narratives, symbols, and traditions in an attempt to give more
meaning to life and understand the universe.
 CON
 While some people think of religion as something individual because
religious beliefs can be highly personal, religion is also a social institution.
Social scientists recognize that religion exists as an organized and integrated
set of beliefs, behaviors, and norms centered on basic social needs and
values.
 Moreover, religion is a cultural universal found in all social groups. For
instance, in every culture, funeral rites are practiced in some way, although
these customs vary between cultures and within religious affiliations.
 Religious experience
 In studying religion, sociologists distinguish between what they term the
experience, beliefs, and rituals of a religion. Religious experience refers to
the conviction or sensation that one is connected to “the divine.” This
type of communion might be experienced when people are praying or
meditating.
 Religious beliefs are specific ideas that members of a particular faith
hold to be true.
 Religious rituals are behaviors or practices that are either required or
expected of the members of a particular group.
 The History of Religion as a Sociological Concept
 In the wake of 19th century European industrialization and secularization,
three social theorists attempted to examine the relationship between religion
and society: Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Karl Marx.
 They are among the founding thinkers of modern sociology.
 Durkheim (1858–1917) defined religion as a “unified system of beliefs and
practices relative to sacred things”
 Sociological Concepts
 Max Weber examined the effects of religion on economic activities and
noticed that heavily Protestant societies—such as those in the Netherlands,
England, Scotland, and Germany—were the most highly developed
capitalist societies and that their most successful business leaders were
Protestant.
 Marx (1818–1883) also studied the social impact of religion. He believed
religion reflects the social stratification of society and that it maintains
inequality and be responsible for the status .
Theoretical Perspectives on Religion
 Functionalists
 Functionalists contend that religion serves several functions in society.
Religion, in fact, depends on society for its existence, value, and
significance, and vice versa. From this perspective, religion serves several
purposes, like providing answers to spiritual mysteries, offering emotional
comfort, and creating a place for social interaction and social control.
 In providing answers, religion defines the spiritual world and spiritual
forces, including divine beings. For example, it helps answer questions like
“How was the world created?” “Why do we suffer?” “Is there a plan for our
lives?” and “Is there an afterlife?”
 Conflict Theory
 Conflict theorists view religion as an institution that helps maintain patterns
of social inequality. For example, the Vatican has a tremendous amount of
wealth, while the average income of Catholic parishioners is small.
According to this perspective, religion has been used to support the “divine
right” of oppressive monarchs and to justify unequal social structures, like
India’s caste system.
 Conflict theorists are critical of the way many religions promote the idea
that one should be satisfied with existing circumstances because they are
divinely ordained
 Symbolic Interactionism
 Rising from the concept that our world is socially constructed, symbolic
interactionism studies the symbols and interactions of everyday life.
 To interactionists, beliefs and experiences are not sacred unless individuals
in a society regard them as sacred.
 The Star of David in Judaism, the cross in Christianity, and the crescent and
star in Islam are examples of sacred symbols. Interactionists are interested in
what these symbols communicate
World Religions
 Cont
 The major religions of the world (Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam,
Confucianism, Christianity, Taoism, and Judaism) differ in many respects,
including how each religion is organized and the belief system each upholds.
 Other differences include the nature of belief in a higher power, the history
of how the world and the religion began, and the use of sacred texts and
objects.
 Types of Religious Organizations

 Cults, like sects, are new religious groups. In modern America this term
often carries pejorative connotations. However, almost all religions began as
cults and gradually progressed to levels of greater size and organization.
 The term cult is sometimes used interchangeably with the term new
religious movement (NRM).
 A sect is a small and relatively new group. Most of the well-known
Christian denominations in the United States today began as sects
 established sects
 Some sects dissolve without growing into denominations. Sociologists call
these established sects. Established sects, such as the Amish or
Jehovah’s Witnesses fall halfway between sect and denomination on the
ecclesia–cult continuum because they have a mixture of sect-like and
denomination-like characteristics.
 Denomination and ecclesia
 A denomination is a large, mainstream religious organization, but it
does not claim to be official or state sponsored. It is one religion among
many. For example, Baptist, African Methodist Episcopal, Catholic, and
Seventh-day Adventist are all Christian denominations.
 The term ecclesia, originally referring to a political assembly of citizens
in ancient Athens, Greece, now refers to a congregation. In sociology, the
term is used to refer to a religious group that most all
 members of a society belong to.
 Types of Religions
 Scholars from a variety of disciplines have strived to classify religions. One
widely accepted categorization that helps people understand different belief
systems considers what or who people worship (if anything).
 One way scholars have categorized religions is by classifying what or who
the hold to be divine.

 As we can see on the below table

 The World’s Religions
 Religions have emerged and developed across the world. Some have been
short-lived, while others have persisted and grown. In this section, we will
explore seven of the world’s major religions.
 Hinduism
 The oldest religion in the world, Hinduism originated in the Indus River
Valley about 4,500 years ago in what is now modern-day northwest India
and Pakistan.
 With roughly 1 billion followers, Hinduism is the third-largest of the world’s
religions. Hindus believe in a divine power that can manifest as different
entities.
 Three main incarnations—Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva—are sometimes
compared to the manifestations of the divine in the Christian Trinity.
Buddhism
 Buddhism
 Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama around 500 B.C.E.
Siddhartha was said to have given up a comfortable, upper-class life to
follow one of poverty and spiritual devotion. At the age of 35, he famously
meditated under a sacred fig tree and vowed not to rise before he achieved
enlightenment (bodhi).
 After this experience, he became known as Buddha, or “enlightened one.”
Followers were drawn to Buddha’s teachings and the practice of meditation,
and he later established a monastic order
Meditation is an important practice in Buddhism
Buddhism
 Confucianism
 Confucianism was the official religion of China from 200 B.C.E. until it was
officially abolished when communist leadership discouraged religious
practice in 1949.
 The religion was developed by Kung Fu-Tzu (Confucius), who lived in the
sixth and fifth centuries B.C.E. An extraordinary teacher, his lessons—
which were about self-discipline, respect for authority and tradition, and jen
(the kind treatment of every person)—were collected in a book called the
Analects.
 Taoism
 In Taoism, the purpose of life is inner peace and harmony. Tao is usually
translated as “way” or “path.” The founder of the religion is generally
recognized to be a man named Laozi, who lived sometime in the sixth
century B.C.E. in China. Taoist beliefs emphasize the virtues of compassion
and moderation.
 The central concept of tao can be understood to describe a spiritual reality,
the order of the universe, or the way of modern life in harmony with the
former two. The ying-yang symbol and the concept of polar forces are
central Taoist ideas (Smith 1991).
 Judaism
 After their Exodus from Egypt in the 13th century B.C.E., Jews, a nomadic
society, became monotheistic, worshipping only one God. The Jews’
covenant, or promise of a special relationship with Yahweh (God), is an
important element of Judaism, and their sacred text is the Torah, which
Christians also follow as the first five books of the Bible.
 Talmud refers to a collection of sacred Jewish oral interpretation of the
Torah. Jews emphasize moral behavior and action in this world as opposed
to beliefs or personal salvation in the next world
Islam
 con
 Islam is monotheistic religion and it follows the teaching of the prophet
Muhammad, born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 570 C.E. Muhammad is seen
only as a prophet, not as a divine being, and he is believed to be the
messenger of Allah (God), who is divine.
 The followers of Islam, whose U.S. population is projected to double in the
next 20 years (Pew Research Forum 2011), are called Muslims.
 con
 Islam means “peace” and “submission.” The sacred text for Muslims is the
Qur’an (or Koran). As with Christianity’s Old Testament, many of the
Qur’an stories are shared with the Jewish faith. Divisions exist within Islam,
but all Muslims are guided by five beliefs or practices, often called “pillars”:
 1) Allah is the only god and Muhammad is his prophet, 2) daily prayer, 3)
helping those in poverty, 4) fasting as a spiritual practice, and 5) pilgrimage
to the holy center of Mecca.
 Christianity
 Today the largest religion in the world, Christianity began 2,000 years ago in
Palestine, with Jesus of Nazareth, a charismatic leader who taught his
followers about caritas (charity) or treating others as you would like to be
treated yourself.
 The sacred text for Christians is the Bible. While Jews, Christians, and
Muslims share many of same historical religious stories, their beliefs verge.
In their shared sacred stories, it is suggested that the son of God—a messiah
—will return to save God’s followers
END of Lecture 11