Chapter 15-Religion

World Religions  89% of people in the world subscribe to some type of religion  Christianity, Islam, and Judaism  All are monotheistic  All believe in a prophet  All believe in the afterlife  Hinduism and Buddhism  Use meditation to overcome selfish cravings

Religions of the World

Durkheim and the Functions of Religion  Religion- a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things  Durkheim viewed religion as an integrative force in human society.  Religion’s emphasis on the divine and supernatural allows us “to do something” about the calamities we face

Functions of Religion  Manifest Functions  Gives meaning and purpose  Offers values and ends to hold in common  Strengthens social integration within groups

Functions of Religion  Latent Functions  Encourages people to view personal misfortunes as relatively unimportant  Faith based communities take more responsibility in social assistance

Weberian Thesis  Protestant Work Ethic: followers of the Protestant Reformation emphasized discipline and hard work

Religion and Social Control  Marx believed that religion impeded social change  He called it an “opiate of the masses” by offering consolation for the harsh lives lived on earth  Religion reinforced existing patterns of dominance and inequality

Feminist Perspective  Women generally play a fundamental role in the process of religious socialization  Women play in vital role as volunteers, staff, and educators

Religious Beliefs  Religious beliefs are statements to which member so a particular religion adhere.  Fundamentalism: Rigid adherence to fundamental religious doctrines  It is found worldwide among major religious groups

Religious Rituals  Religious Rituals: Practices required or expected of members of a particular faith  Religious Experience: Feeling or perception of being in direct contact with the ultimate reality or of being overcome with religious emotion 

Religious Organization  Ecclesiae: Religious organizations claiming to include most or all members of a society  Denominations: Large, organized religion not officially linked with the state or government  Sects: relatively small religious group that has broken away from some other religious organization to renew the original vision of the faith.  Fundamentally at odds with society and does not seek to become an established national religion

New Religious Movements or Cults  Cults: 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  Top Ten Cults 