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Religion

Religion. Profane and Sacred Differentiating Between Ordinary & Extraordinary. Emile Durkheim Religion focuses on things that surpass the limits of our own knowledge. Profane – “outside the temple”- Ordinary elements of everyday life

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Religion

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  1. Religion

  2. Profane and SacredDifferentiating Between Ordinary & Extraordinary • Emile Durkheim • Religion focuses on things that surpass the limits of our own knowledge

  3. Profane – “outside the temple”- Ordinary elements of everyday life Sacred – That which is extraordinary, inspiring a sense of awe, reverence, and even fear

  4. Religion – The social institution involving beliefs and practices based upon a conception of the sacred Ritual – formal, ceremonial behavior

  5. Faith • Belief anchored in conviction rather than scientific evidence • If not science, what? • Scientific sociology is interested in the consequences of religious belief rather than a direct critique of the belief systems

  6. Structural Functional Analysis of Religion • According to Durkheim religion has 3 major functions • Social cohesion – Unites people through shared symbols, values, and norms • Totem – an object in the natural world collectively defined as sacred • Social control – The use of religious symbols and language to control human behavior has always been with us • Provides meaning and purpose – Personal spirituality allows humans to pass through tough times without total collapse • Critical Evaluation • Downplays religion’s dysfunctions such as generating social conflict and violence

  7. Symbolic-interaction Analysis of Religion • Religion is socially constructed (although perhaps with divine inspiration). Through rituals like prayers, fasts, observances we sharpen the distinction between sacred and profane • According to Peter Burger placing our brief lives in some cosmic frame of reference gives us the semblance of security and permanence • Critical Evaluation • Socially constructed religion only works if we ignore that it is a social construct • Downplays religion’s link to social inequality

  8. Social-conflict Analysis of Religion • Religion serves the ruling elites by legitimizing the status quo and diverting people’s attention from social inequities • Disrupts cultures with attempts to “convert heathens” • Focuses on the “better world to come” Marx called it the “opium of the people” • Critical Evaluation • Downplays religion’s efforts to promote social equality as in the abolition of slavery and the civil rights movement

  9. Religious Organizations • Church – organization that is well integrated into society • State church – formally allied with the state • Denomination – independent of the state and pluralistic • Sect – a type of religious organization that stands apart from the larger society • Leaders sometimes have charisma – extraordinary personal qualities that can turn an audience into followers • Cult – religious organizations that are substantially outside a society’s cultural traditions

  10. Religion in the U.S. • RELIGIOSITY • REFERS TO IMPORTANCE OF RELIGION IN A PERSON’S LIFE • TYPES: • EXPERIENTIAL: EMOTIONAL TIES • RITUALISTIC: FREQUENCY OF ACTIVITIES • IDEOLOGICAL: DEGREE OF BELIEF IN DOCTRINE • CONSEQUENTIAL: TIE INTO DAILY ACTIVITIES • INTELLECTUAL: KNOWLEDGE OF RELIGION

  11. Religious Practices Are Found to Be Tied to Various Other Social Patterns • Social class • High achievement: Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and United Church of Christ congregations • Moderate achievement: Methodists and Catholics • Lower achievement: Baptists, Lutherans, and members of sects • Jewish people tend to be represented among the higher achievers due to stress on education and achievement • Race and ethnicity • Many religions are tied to specific regions and societies in America • Irish Catholics, Anglo-Saxon protestants, Greek orthodox, Russian Jews, etc

  12. History of religion • IN PREINDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES • RITUALS PRACTICED 40,000 YEARS AGO • EMBRACED “ANIMISM” • ELEMENTS OF THE NATURAL WORLD ARE CONSCIOUS LIFE FORMS THAT AFFECT HUMANITY • NO FULL-TIME RELIGIOUS LEADERS • IN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES • SCIENCE HAS OFTEN REPLACED RELIGION AS A SOURCE OF COMFORT AND CERTAINTY • SCIENCE IS SILENT WHEN IT COMES TO ANSWERING “WHY” WE AND THE REST OF THE UNIVERSE EXISTS • OFTEN THESE TWO BELIEF SYSTEM ARE AT ODDS WITH ONE ANOTHER

  13. Religion’s Changing Face • Secularization – historical decline in the importance of the supernatural and the sacred • Religion isn’t going away, but rather some features are in decline • Civil religion – A quasi-religious loyalty binding people in a basically secular society • American way of life has its core rooted in a moral belief system • Religious revival • New age spirituality flourishes • Membership in mainstream churches dwindles • Interests increases in Fundamentalism – a conservative religious dogma that opposes intellectualism and worldly accommodation in favor of traditional otherworldly religion

  14. Fundamentalism • Interpret sacred texts literally • Rejects religious pluralism • Pursues the personal experience of God’s presence • Opposes “secular humanism” • Endorse conservative political goals

  15. The Electronic Church • Some organizations especially fundamentalist are becoming electronic churches • Prime-time preachers include: Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, and Robert Schuler • 10 million regular watchers; 40 million watch some every week • The internet is one of the most recent modalities to spread religion to people • Pope John Paul II called it the “new evangelism”

  16. Christianity • 2.0 BILLION FOLLOWERS • 85% OF AMERICANS AND CANADIANS • CHRISTIANITY BEGAN AS A CULT • IT IS MONOTHEISTIC (ONE GOD) • JESUS CHRIST IS CENTRAL FIGURE AS BOTH MAN ON EARTH AND SON OF GOD • PREACHES PERSONAL SALVATION • MANY SPLITS FROM ORIGINAL FORM OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM

  17. Islam • 1.2 BILLION FOLLOWERS • NOT ALL MUSLIMS ARE ARABS • THE MIDDLE-EAST, ASIA, AND PARTS OF AFRICA ARE ISLAMIC-CENTERED • ISLAM IS THE WORD OF GOD AS REVEALED TO THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD, BORN IN MECCA AROUND 570 • THE QUR’AN URGES SUBMISSION TO GOD (ALLAH) AS THE PATH TO INNER PEACE • FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM • RECOGNIZE ALLAH AS THE TRUE GOD • RITUAL PRAYER • GIVING OF ALMS TO THE POOR • FASTING DURING RAMADAN • MAKING THE ONCE IN A LIFETIME PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA

  18. Judaism • 15 MILLION ADHERENTS WORLDWIDE • NATIONAL MAJORITY ONLY IN ISRAEL • JEWS BELIEVE THAT A COVENANT EXISTS BETWEEN GOD AND GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE • THE TORAH EMPHASIZES MORAL BEHAVIOR IN THE WORLD • DENOMINATIONS: • ORTHODOX JEWS ARE VERY TRADITIONAL • REFORM JUDAISM IS MORE CHURCH-LIKE • CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM ACTS TO BRIDGE THE FIRST TWO BELIEF SYSTEMS • ANTI-SEMITISM • PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST JEWISH PEOPLE

  19. Hinduism • THE OLDEST OF ALL WORLD RELIGIONS • MORE THAN 800 MILLION BELIEVERS • FOUND MOSTLY IN INDIA AND AFRICA • NO SACRED WRITINGS LIKE THE BIBLE • PRINCIPLES: • DHARMA REFERS TO CORRECT LIVING • KARMA REFERS TO BELIEF IN SPIRITUAL PROGRESS THROUGH REINCARNATION • NIRVANA REPRESENTS SPIRITUAL PERFECTION AND A RELEASE FROM THE CYCLE OF REBIRTH

  20. Buddhism • 350 MILLION PERSONS • ALMOST ALL ASIANS • RESEMBLES HINDUISM IN DOCTRINE AND CHRISTIANITY DUE TO ITS TIES TO THE LIFE OF ONE INDIVIDUAL • SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA • ACHIEVED “BODHI” OR ENLIGHTENMENT • BECAME “BUDDHA” • NO “GOD OF JUDGMENT,” BUT DAILY ACTION HAS ITS CONSEQUENCES

  21. Confucianism • 100,000 PERSONS IN NORTH AMERICA • PRIOR TO THE 1949 REVOLUTION, IT WAS AN ECCLESIA: THE OFFICIAL RELIGION OF CHINA • PERHAPS IT IS MORE A WAY OF DISCIPLINED LIVING THAN A RELIGION

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