Religion

1. Religion Chapter 15

2. Religion • Social institution involving beliefs and practices based upon a conception of the sacred • Faith – belief anchored in conviction rather than scientific evidence

3. Religion • Sacred – that which people set apart as extraordinary, inspiring a sense of awe and reverence • Profane – that which is an ordinary element of everyday life

4. Religion • Beliefs – statements to which members of a particular religion adhere • Fundamentalism – rigid adherence to fundamental religious doctrine • Ritual – practices required or expected of members of a faith

5. The Integrative Function of Religion • Durkheim viewed religion as an integrative force in human society • Gives meaning and purpose to lives • Offers ultimate values and ends • Strengthens social integration • Integrative power seen in work with immigrant groups • Can be dysfunctional

6. Religion and Social Support • Religion’s emphasis on divine and supernatural allows us to “do something” about calamities we face

7. Religion and Social Support • Liberation theology: use of a church in a political effort to eliminate poverty, discrimination, and other forms of injustice from a secular society

8. Religion and Social Change • The Weberian Thesis • Protestant ethic: Followers of Protestant Reformation emphasized a disciplined work ethic, this-worldly concerns, and a rational orientation for life

9. Religion and Social Control: A Conflict Perspective • Marx: religion impeded social change • People focus on other-worldly concerns • Religion’s promotion of social stability only helps to perpetuate patterns of social inequality • By inducing a “false consciousness” among disadvantaged, religion lessens the possibility of collective political action

10. Religious Behavior • Animism – belief that elements of the natural world are conscious life forms that affect humanity

11. Religious Organization • Ecclesiae: Religious organization claiming to include most or all members of a society • Denominations: Large, organized religion not officially linked with the state or government

12. Religious Organization • Sects: Relatively small religious group that broke away from some other religious organization to renew original vision of the faith • Established sect: Out-growth of a sect that remains isolated

13. New Religious Movements or Cults • New Religious Movement (NRM) or cult: Small, secretive religious groups that represent either a new religion or a major innovation of an existing faith • Similar to sects • Tend to be small • Viewed as less respectable than more established faiths