chapter 17 religion. an overview of religion religion is a system of beliefs and practices based on...

Chapter 17Chapter 17

ReligionReligion

An Overview Of ReligionAn Overview Of Religion

• Religion is a system of beliefs Religion is a system of beliefs and practices based on some and practices based on some sacred or supernatural realm, sacred or supernatural realm, that guides human behavior, that guides human behavior, gives meaning to life, and gives meaning to life, and unites believers into a single unites believers into a single moral communitymoral community..

An Overview Of ReligionAn Overview Of Religion

• The sociology of religion The sociology of religion focuses on religious groups focuses on religious groups and organizations, on the and organizations, on the behavior of individuals within behavior of individuals within those groups, and on ways those groups, and on ways religion is intertwined with religion is intertwined with social institutions.social institutions.

How Much Do You Know About the How Much Do You Know About the Impact of Religion on U.S. Education?Impact of Religion on U.S. Education?

• True or False?True or False?– The Constitution of the United States The Constitution of the United States

originally specified that religion should be originally specified that religion should be taught in the public schools.taught in the public schools.


• False. – Due to the diversity of religious backgrounds of Due to the diversity of religious backgrounds of

the early settlers, no mention of religion was the early settlers, no mention of religion was made in the original Constitution. Even the sole made in the original Constitution. Even the sole provision that currently exists (the establishment provision that currently exists (the establishment clause of the First Amendment) does not speak clause of the First Amendment) does not speak directly of the issue of religious learning in public directly of the issue of religious learning in public education.education.


• True or False? True or False? – Parochial schools have decreased in Parochial schools have decreased in

enrollment as interest in religion has enrollment as interest in religion has waned in the United States.waned in the United States.


• False. – Just the opposite has happened. As parents have Just the opposite has happened. As parents have

felt that children were not receiving the type of felt that children were not receiving the type of education they desired in public schools, education they desired in public schools, parochial schools have flourished. Christian parochial schools have flourished. Christian schools have grown to more than 5,000 in schools have grown to more than 5,000 in number; Jewish parochial schools have also number; Jewish parochial schools have also grown rapidly over the past decade.grown rapidly over the past decade.

QuestionQuestion

• When you were a child, how often did your When you were a child, how often did your mother attend religious services?mother attend religious services?

a.a. Rarely to NeverRarely to Never(Never or 1 or 2 per year) (Never or 1 or 2 per year)

b.b. Infrequently to Several a year Infrequently to Several a year (1 to 3 per month)(1 to 3 per month)

c.c. Often Often (About weekly, Weekly, (About weekly, Weekly, Several times/week)Several times/week)

Religion Religion

• Seeks to answer questions such as Seeks to answer questions such as why we exist, why people suffer and die why we exist, why people suffer and die and what happens when we die.and what happens when we die.

Religion Religion


• Comprised of beliefs, symbols and Comprised of beliefs, symbols and rituals.rituals.

Religion Religion


• Comprised of beliefs, symbols and Comprised of beliefs, symbols and rituals.rituals.

• All known groups over the past 100,000 All known groups over the past 100,000 years have had some form of religion.years have had some form of religion.

ReligionReligion

• Faith is unquestioning belief that does not Faith is unquestioning belief that does not require proof or scientific evidence. require proof or scientific evidence.

ReligionReligion


• Sacred refers to those aspects of life that are Sacred refers to those aspects of life that are extraordinary or supernatural.extraordinary or supernatural.

ReligionReligion



• Profane refers to the everyday, secular aspects Profane refers to the everyday, secular aspects of life. of life.

ReligionReligion



• Profane refers to the everyday, secular aspects Profane refers to the everyday, secular aspects of life. of life.

• Rituals are regularly repeated and carefully Rituals are regularly repeated and carefully prescribed forms of behaviors that symbolize a prescribed forms of behaviors that symbolize a cherished value or belief.cherished value or belief.

Four Categories of ReligionFour Categories of Religion

• Simple supernaturalism - the belief that Simple supernaturalism - the belief that supernatural forces affect people's lives supernatural forces affect people's lives positively or negatively.positively or negatively.


• Simple supernaturalism - the belief that Simple supernaturalism - the belief that supernatural forces affect people's lives supernatural forces affect people's lives positively or negatively.positively or negatively.

• Animism - the belief that plants, animals, Animism - the belief that plants, animals, and elements of the natural world are and elements of the natural world are endowed with spirits that impact events in endowed with spirits that impact events in society.society.


• Theism - belief in a God or Gods.Theism - belief in a God or Gods.


• Theism - belief in a God or Gods.Theism - belief in a God or Gods.

• Transcendent idealism - belief in sacred Transcendent idealism - belief in sacred principles of thought and conduct, such as principles of thought and conduct, such as truth, justice, life and tolerance for others.truth, justice, life and tolerance for others.

SecularizationSecularization

• The process by which religious beliefs, The process by which religious beliefs, practices, and institutions lose their practices, and institutions lose their significance in sectors of society and significance in sectors of society and culture.culture.

Major World Religions

Christianity Islam

CurrentFollowers

1.7 billion 1 billion

Founder Jesus Muhammad

Date 1st century C.E. ca. 600 C.E


Hinduism Buddhism

CurrentFollowers

719 million 309 million

FounderNo specific

founderSiddhartha Gautama

Date ca. 1500 B.C.E500 to 600

B.C.E.


Judaism Confucianism

CurrentFollowers

18 million 5.9 million

FounderAbraham, Isaac,

JacobK’ung Fu-Tzu

Date ca. 2000 B.C.E. 500 B.C.E

Durkheim on Religion

• According to Emile Durkheim, all religions share three elements:



1. Beliefs held by adherents.



1. Beliefs held by adherents.2. Practices (rituals) engaged in collectively

by believers.



1. Beliefs held by adherents.2. Practices (rituals) engaged in collectively

by believers.3. A moral community based on the group’s

shared beliefs and practices pertaining to the sacred.

Functionalist Perspective

Religion has 3 functions:



1. Providing meaning and purpose to life.




2. Promoting social cohesion and a sense of belonging.




2. Promoting social cohesion and a sense of belonging.

3. Providing social control and support for the government.

Civil Religion

• The set of beliefs, rituals, and symbols that makes sacred the values of the society and places the nation in the context of the ultimate system of meaning.

Civil Religion

• The set of beliefs, rituals, and symbols that makes sacred the values of the society and places the nation in the context of the ultimate system of meaning.

• Civil religion is not tied to any one denomination or religious group.

Conflict Perspective

• According to Karl Marx, religion is the "opiate of the people."

Conflict Perspective

• According to Karl Marx, religion is the "opiate of the people."

• Max Weber argued that religion could be a catalyst to produce social change.

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

• Religion serves as a reference group to help people define themselves.

• Women’s versions of a certain religion usually differ from men’s versions.

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

• Religion serves as a reference group to help people define themselves.

Original Locations of the World’s Major Religions

Major U.S. Denominations That Self-identify As Christian

Religious BodyReligious Body MembersMembers ChurchesChurches

Roman CatholicRoman Catholic 66,407,00066,407,000 19,48419,484

Southern Baptist Southern Baptist ConventionConvention

16,248,00016,248,000 42,77542,775

United MethodistUnited Methodist 8,251,0008,251,000 35,10235,102

Church of God in Church of God in ChristChrist

5,500,0005,500,000 15,30015,300

Church of Jesus Christ Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saintsof Latter Day Saints

5,411,0005,411,000 11,87911,879

Major U.S. Denominations That Self-identify As Christian

Religious Body Members Churches

Evangelical Lutheran Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaChurch in America

5,038,0005,038,000 10,72110,721

National Baptist National Baptist Convention,USAConvention,USA

5,000,0005,000,000 9,0009,000

National Baptist National Baptist Convention of AmericaConvention of America

3,500,0003,500,000 N.A.N.A.

Presbyterian Church Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)(U.S.A.)

3,407,0003,407,000 11,09711,097

Assemblies of GodAssemblies of God 2,687,0002,687,000 12,13312,133

GSS National Data

RegionRegion EastEast MidwestMidwest SouthSouth WestWest

ProtestantProtestant 43%43% 64.7%64.7% 79%79% 61.3%61.3%

CatholicCatholic 53.453.4 34.334.3 19.819.8 34.634.6

JewishJewish 3.73.7 11 1.21.2 4.14.1

U.S. Religious BodiesU.S. Religious BodiesMembershipMembership

Religious BodyReligious Body MembersMembers

ProtestantsProtestants 91,500,00091,500,000

Roman CatholicsRoman Catholics 63,683,00063,683,000

MuslimsMuslims 6,000,0006,000,000

JewsJews 5,602,0005,602,000

Orthodox ChristiansOrthodox Christians 5,631,0005,631,000

BuddhistsBuddhists 1,864,0001,864,000

HindusHindus 795,000795,000

Sociological Perspectives Of Religion

FunctionalistFunctionalist Sacred beliefs and rituals bind people Sacred beliefs and rituals bind people together and help maintain social control.together and help maintain social control.

ConflictConflict Religion may be used to justify the status Religion may be used to justify the status quo (Marx) or to promote social change.quo (Marx) or to promote social change.

Symbolic Symbolic InteractionistInteractionist

Religion may serve as a reference group for Religion may serve as a reference group for many people, but because of race, class, and many people, but because of race, class, and gender people may experience it differently.gender people may experience it differently.

Types of Religious OrganizationTypes of Religious Organization

• Ecclesia – a religious organization that Ecclesia – a religious organization that is so integrated into the dominant is so integrated into the dominant culture that it claims as its membership culture that it claims as its membership all members of a societyall members of a society


• Church – large, bureaucratically Church – large, bureaucratically organized religious organization that organized religious organization that tends to seek accommodation with the tends to seek accommodation with the larger society in order to maintain larger society in order to maintain some degree of control over it. some degree of control over it.


• Cults – loosely organized religious Cults – loosely organized religious group with practices and teachings group with practices and teachings outside the dominant cultural and outside the dominant cultural and religious traditions of a society.religious traditions of a society.

FundamentalismFundamentalism

• A traditional religious doctrine that is A traditional religious doctrine that is conservative, is typically opposed to conservative, is typically opposed to modernity, and rejects “worldly pleasures” modernity, and rejects “worldly pleasures” in favor of otherworldly spirituality.in favor of otherworldly spirituality.

Liberation TheologyLiberation Theology

• The Christian movement that advocates The Christian movement that advocates freedom from political subjugation within a freedom from political subjugation within a traditional perspective and the need for traditional perspective and the need for social transformation to benefit the poor social transformation to benefit the poor and downtrodden.and downtrodden.

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