1. Religion Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

2. Basic Concepts Emile Durkheim
Religion involves things that surpass the limits of our knowledge.
Profane–Ordinary elements of everyday life
Sacred–Set apart as extraordinary, inspiring awe and reverence
Religion–The social institution involving beliefs and practices based on recognizing the sacred
Ritual–Formal, ceremonial behavior
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

3. Religion and Sociology
Faith–Belief based conviction rather than scientific evidence
Sociology asks why religions take a particular form in one society or another.
Asks how religious activity affects society as a whole
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

4. Structural-functional Analysis
Durkheim: Religion has 3 major functions.
Social cohesion
Totem–An object in the natural world collectively defined as sacred
Social control
Provides meaning and purpose
Critical Evaluation
Downplays religion’s dysfunctions such as generating social conflict and violence
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

5. Symbolic-interaction Analysis
Religion is socially constructed.
Berger: “Cosmic frame of reference” gives us the appearance of “ultimate security and permanence.”
Critical Evaluation
Downplays religion’s link to social inequality
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

6. Social-conflict Analysis
Religion serves the elites by legitimizing the status quo and diverting attention from social inequities.
Disrupts cultures with attempts to “convert heathens”
Marx: “Opium of the people”
Critical Evaluation
Downplays religion’s efforts to promote social equality
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

7. Religion and Social Change
Max Weber: Protestantism and capitalism
Rise of industrial capitalism was encouraged by Calvinism, a movement within the Protestant reformation.
Liberation theology–The combining of Christian principles with political activism, often Marxist in character
Social oppression runs counter to Christian morality.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

8. Religious Organizations
Church–A type of religious organization that is well integrated into the larger society
State church–Church formally allied with the state
Denomination–A church, independent of the state, that recognizes religious pluralism
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

9. Religious Organizations
Sect–A type of religious organization that stands apart from the larger society
Charisma–Extraordinary personal qualities that can turn people into followers
Cult–A religious organization that is largely outside a society’s cultural traditions
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

10. Religion in History In pre-industrial societies
Animism–Elements of the natural world are conscious life forms that affect humanity
Belief in a single divine power responsible for creating the world began with pastoral and horticultural societies.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

11. Religion in History In industrial societies
The Industrial Revolution introduced a growing emphasis on science.
Science: How does the world work?
Religion: Why are we here?
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

12. Christianity Most Christians live in Europe or the Americas.
Built on the personal charisma of a leader, Jesus of Nazareth
Began as a cult, drawing elements from Judaism
Monotheism–Belief in a single divine power
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

13. Islam
Islam is the word of God as revealed to Muhammad, a prophet, not a divine being.
Followers of Islam are called Muslims.
A majority of people in the Middle East are Muslims, but most of the world’s Muslims live elsewhere.
Muslim population is large and diverse.
In Arabic, the word “islam” means both “submission” and “peace.”
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

14. Judaism Jews comprise a majority of the population only in Israel.
Judaism has special importance to the US because the largest concentration is found in North America.
Judaism has deep historical roots that extends to Mesopotamia.
A distinctive concept of Judaism is the covenant.
Judaism has three main denominations: Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

15. Hinduism The oldest religion, originating in the Indus River valley
Mostly practiced in India and Pakistan
Hinduism isn’t linked to the life of any single person.
God is a universal moral force rather than a specific entity.
Recognizes no ultimate judgment at the hands of a supreme god.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

16. Buddhism Almost all Buddhists live in Asia.
Recognizes no god of judgment; sees each daily action as having spiritual consequences, and believes in reincarnation.
Buddhism originates in the life of Siddhartha Gautama.
Much of life in this world involves suffering.
Worldly things holds back spiritual development
Emphasizes meditation
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

17. Confucianism
From about 200 B.C.E. until the beginning of the 20th century, Confucianism was China’s official religion.
After 1949, the communist government repressed all religious expression.
China is still home to Confucian thought
Confucius instructed followers to engage the world according to a code of moral conduct.
A central idea is “jen,” meaning “humaneness.”
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

18. Religion in the US Religious affiliation
New England, Southwest: Mostly Catholic
South: Mostly Baptist
Northern plains: Mostly Lutheran
Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Religiosity–The importance of religion in a person’s life
Religious affiliation is related to social class, ethnicity, and race.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

19. Religion in a Changing Society
Secularization–Historical decline in the importance of the supernatural and the sacred
Civil religion–A quasi-religious loyalty binding people in a basically secular society
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

20. Religion in a Changing Society
Religious revival
New Age spirituality flourishes
Interests increases in fundamentalism–A conservative religious doctrine that opposes intellectualism and worldly accommodation in favor of restoring traditional, otherworldly religion
The Electronic Church
“Prime-time preachers” on television
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.