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Introduction to Sociology: Religion. Siniša Zrinščak December 4, 2017 sinisa.zrinscak@pravo.hr http://www.sinisazrinscak.com/. Sociology and religion. What to study and how? From institution to very personal feelings? Different religions in the same way?
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Introduction to Sociology:Religion Siniša Zrinščak December 4, 2017 sinisa.zrinscak@pravo.hr http://www.sinisazrinscak.com/
Sociology and religion • What to study and how? From institution to very personal feelings? Different religions in the same way? • Marx – religion as an illusion – religion as a reflection of alienation in a world / market – religion help to accept / justify unequal world, social and economic injustice • Weber – religion as an agent of change (how religion stimulated capitalism) • - religion as a way of explaining why people suffer and die (theodicy)
- rational character of modern world = disenchantment of the world • Durkheim – religion as a basis of the collective conscience, as a basis of social – integrative function • Basic (universal) function to be found in the simplest form – Australian aboriginals… sacred and profane • … Two broad definitions…
Substantive definitions – what religion is, common content of all religions? • “belief in spiritual beings” “in divine beings”, “supra empirical”...– what about practice, Eastern religions...? • P. Berger: “human production of a sacred cosmos” - concept of “sacred” • Need for broader definitions, problems of operationalization in different social and cultural contexts
Functional definitions – what religion does • M. Yinger: “a system of beliefs and practices by means of which a group of people struggles with the ultimate problems of human life” – functions: creating meaning, empowerment, courage, integration... • Not ethnocentric! But: other social phenomenon can have same consequences...
Durkheim: “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 singles moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them” • “sacred” + “integration” • Definition – just and academic issue? Definition and Church-state relations – e.g. which religion to be recognized / supported / tolerated….
Types of religious organizations • Weber: Church and sect • Church – large,hierocratic organization, universal claim (e.g. by birth), professionals, in harmony with the world • Sect – small, strict, usually in opposition to the world, intensive religious life, conversion • Denomination – subdivisions of large religions / pluralistic environment (USA) • Cult – novel, exotic, fluid…without formal organization
What religion is today? • Secularization theory – the most influential and the most debated • Modernization, rationalization, functional differentiation, pluralization + privatization • K. Dobbelaere: secularization at three levels • - societal (laicization due to differentiation) • - organizational (adaptation to secular values or sacralization, NRMs...) • - individual (privatized, individual, “bricolage”, “patchwork”...)
Relations between levels – mechanical, or? Influence of actors, and other processes... • But: secular Europe and religious America • A global outlook? • Sociological debates: from “civil religion” to “public religions” „global religions”…in a modern world • R. Bellah: civil religion = “a set of religious beliefs, symbols and rituals growing out of the American historical experience interpreted in the dimension of transcendence” – legitimation of the American past and present
A common set of principles, a common religious basis for moral order? • Beliefs, practices, and symbols that a nations hold sacred (Yamane) • But, religion and nation – e.g. use (or misuse?) of religion in wars in fr. Yugoslavia – from overlapping of ethnic and religious identity to destruction of “inimical” religious objects
Casanova – religion is not privatized but visible and influential in a public arena • Revised secularization theory = functional differentiation – structural trend; : privatization and declining of religion - just historical options
Market theory – demand and supply – religious demands – and religious institutions which offer goods and services • Two premises: rational choice (people as rational beings), and constant religious demands • Consequences: pluralization (more and competitive offers: more religious) • (If) adequate for US, adequate for other contexts?
Religion and globalization – from religious America / secular Europe to global outlook – what about the world in general? • From „religion and globalization” to „global religions”: • - migration • - spread of religions through missions, use of new technologies • - religion and social processes in a world
Religion in empirical research • Three major components: beliefs, rituals, experience • Dimensions – as researched in the EVS: • - belief • - experience (“subjective religiosity”) • - practice (+ public role) • -consequential dimension • Knowledge (not in the EVS) • Differences among dimensions – why and how to interpret? • Possible concepts – believing without belonging, belonging without believeing, believing in belonging..
