1. Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach 7/e
James M. Henslin
Chapter Eighteen: Religion
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2. What is Religion?
Emile Durkheim said, “A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things.”
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3. Three Elements of Religion
Beliefs that Some Things are Sacred
Practices Centering on Things Considered Sacred
A Moral Community Resulting from a Group’s Beliefs and Practices
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4. The Functionalist Perspective
Questions about Ultimate Meaning
Emotional Comfort
Social Solidarity
Guidelines for Everyday Life
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5. The Functionalist Perspective
Social Control
Adaptation
Support for the Government
Social Change
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6. Functional Equivalents of Religion
Organizations Like Alcoholics Anonymous
Psychotherapy
Humanism
Transcendental Meditation
Political Parties
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7. Dysfunctions of Religion
Religion as Justification for Persecution
War and Terrorism
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8. Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
Religious Symbols
Rituals, Ceremonies, Repetitive Practices
Beliefs—Cosmology
Religious Experience—Contact with God
Community Shared Through Symbols, Rituals, and Beliefs
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9. Conflict Perspective Marx’s Opium of the People
Legitimization of Social Inequalities
Social Arrangements Represent God’s Desires
Divine Rights of Kings
Pharaoh as God
Hindu Caste System
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10. Religion and the Spirit of Capitalism
Weber—Religion Held the Key to Modernization
Protestant Ethic
Personal Duty to Make and Invest Money
A Move away from Traditional Thrift
Spend Only on Necessities, Reinvest the Rest
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11. The World’s Major Religions
Judaism
Originated 4,000 Years Ago
Originated in Mesopotamia
God’s Chosen People Through Covenant with Abraham
Fundamental Change in Religion to Monotheism
Contemporary—Orthodox, Reform, Conservative
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12. The World’s Major Religions
Christianity
Also Monotheistic
Believe Jesus Christ is Messiah
Born in Poverty to a Virgin
At about 30 Jesus Began Teaching
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13. The World’s Major Religions
Christianity
12 Main Followers—Apostles
Belief in Christ’s Resurrection
Split to Greek Orthodoxy in 11th Century, Reformation in 16th Century
Currently about 2 Billion Adherents
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14. The World’s Major Religions
Islam
World’s Third Monotheistic Religion
Founded by Muhammad (Born in Mecca)
About Age 40 had Visions from God
Visions and Teachings Written in Koran
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15. The World’s Major Religions
Islam
Muhammad Founded a Theocracy in Median
Two Main Branches—Sunni and Shiite
Shiites More Conservative and Fundamentalist
Consider Bible Sacred but Koran Final Word
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16. The World’s Major Religions
Hinduism
No Specific Founder
Chief Religion in India for 4,000 Years
No Canonical Scripture
Brahmanas, Bhagavad-Gita, and Upanishads Expound Moral Virtues
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17. The World’s Major Religions
Hinduism
People Make Sacrifices to gods
Polytheistic—Many gods
Central Belief is Karma—Spiritual Progress
No Final Judgment—Reincarnation
Spiritual Perfection Results in Nirvana
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18. The World’s Major Religions
Buddhism
Siddhartha Gautama Founded in about 600 B.C.
Four Noble Truths
Existence is Suffering
Origin of Suffering is Desire
Suffering Ceases when Desire Ceases
Follow “Noble Eightfold Path” to End Desire
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19. The World’s Major Religions
Buddhism—Eightfold Path
Right Belief
Right Resolve
Right Speech
Right Conduct
Right Occupation or Living
Right Effort
Right-Mindedness
Right Ecstasy
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20. The World’s Major Religions
Confucianism
K’ung Fu-tsu Born in China 551 B.C.
Public Official Distressed by Corruption in Government
Urged Social Reform
Developed System of Morality Based on Peace, Justice, Universal Order
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21. The World’s Major Religions
Confucianism
Teaching Written in the Analects
Basic Moral Principle—Jen
Loyalty and Morality above Self-Interest
Confucian Golden Rule
Taught the “Middle Way”
Originally Atheistic, Gods Added along the Way
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22. Types of Religious Groups
Cults
Begin with Charismatic Leader
Most Popular Religions Started this Way
Most Cults Fail
Sects
Loosely Organized and Fairly Small
Emphasize Personal Salvation
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23. Types of Religious Groups
Churches
Highly Bureaucratized
National and International
Relationship with God Less Intense
Ecclesia
State Religions
Part of Cultural Identification
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24. When Religion and Culture Conflict
Members Reject Dominant Culture
Members Reject Specific Elements of a Culture
Society Rejects Religious Group
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25. Religion in the U.S. Characteristics of Members Social Class
Race and Ethnicity
Age
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26. Religion in the U.S. Characteristics of Religious Groups Diversity
Pluralism and Freedom
Competition and Recruitment
Commitment
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27. Religion in the U.S. Characteristics of Religious Groups Toleration
Fundamentalist Revival
The Electronic Church
The Internet and Religion
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28. Secularization of Religion and Culture
The Secularization of Religion
The Secularization of Culture
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29. The Future of Religion Religion Thrives
People Will Always Ponder Purpose
Science Cannot Tell Us About…
The Existence of God
The Purpose of Life
An Afterlife
Morality
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