1. Chapter 9
Religion
Lecture PowerPoint
© W. W. Norton & Company, 2008

2. What Is Religion? Religion
A system of beliefs and practices around sacred things, a set of shared “stories” that guide belief and action
Religious beliefs help shape social behavior by setting expectations and helping people distinguish between right and wrong
Secularism is a general movement away from religiosity and spiritual belief and toward a rational, scientific orientation
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Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

3. What Is Religion?
There are many religions throughout the world, all of which fall into one of three categories:
Theism — the worship of a god or gods
Ethicalism — the adherence to certain principles to lead a moral life
Animism — the belief that spirits roam the natural world
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4. Theory: Marx, Weber, and Durkheim
In accordance with his belief that all social facts of life are grounded in conflict, Karl Marx argued religion was used to keep workers from questioning their oppressed position in everyday life by promising them riches in the afterlife.
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5. Theory: Marx, Weber, and Durkheim
Max Weber
Argued that Protestantism was a prerequisite for the development of capitalism because it introduced the idea that a person fulfilled his duty to God through hard work and asceticism
Making money was not frowned upon, although spending that money on pleasure and personal enjoyment was
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6. Theory: Marx, Weber, and Durkheim
Emile Durkheim
Argued that religions perform the social function of promoting solidarity by strengthening the collective conscience
Felt that sacred symbols become powerful because people collectively invest them with power through their shared beliefs
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7. Secularization or Speculation?
Pluralism
The presence of numerous distinct religious groups in one society
Viewed as having a negative effect on religion overall because the plethora of choices weakens the credibility of any one religion
A more positive view of pluralism sees it as a way for diverse religions to engage with one another to build a common sense of community
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8. Secularization or Speculation?
Sacred canopy: the entire set of religious norms, symbols, and beliefs that convey the feeling that life is worth living, reality is meaningful and ordered, and all is not just random chaos.

9. Secularization or Speculation?
Attendance at religious services is declining overall in the United States, but the number of people who profess to have religious or spiritual beliefs is holding steady or rising.
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10. At the Micro Level: Is It a Great Big Delusion?
Microsociologists look at religion in terms of its meaning and uses in people’s everyday lives.
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11. The Power of Religion: Social Movements
The mid-nineteenth century was a time of rapid growth in the United States. Religious organizations were also growing quickly and provided an important infrastructure for the development of social movements such as the antislavery and temperance campaigns.
This idea weakens Marx’s idea that religion is the “opium of the masses.”
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12. The Power of Religion: Social Movements
Churches and church organizations also played a key role in the civil rights movement through coalition building, fundraising, and communications.
The church has long played an important role in African American communities, building strong social networks, providing social services, and functioning as a safe haven for people who have experienced enormous marginalization in society at large.
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13. Religion and the Social Landscape
Religious affiliation and practice can be closely connected to elements as varied as family structure, gender, social status, age, educational attainment level, type of involvement in the church, geography, and politics.
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14. Selling God and Shopping for Faith: The Commercialization of Religious Life
Americans donate billions of dollars per year to religious organizations, and in addition to donations, there is a huge market for religious products, particularly Christian products.
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15. Selling God and Shopping for Faith: The Commercialization of Religious Life
Some argue that America’s religious pluralism has created a kind of religious marketplace, where people shop around for the brand of faith that best suits them, and churches feel compelled to compete for these customers.
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16. Selling God and Shopping for Faith: The Commercialization of Religious Life
This can be viewed positively or negatively, but either way, the high level of religious freedom of choice in the United States may be one reason there is such a high level of religiosity as compared to other industrialized countries.
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17. Selling God and Shopping for Faith: The Commercialization of Religious Life
In an effort to appeal to a wider audience, especially young people, many churches have incorporated elements of pop culture into their services and messages and added more secular activities to attract members.
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18. Selling God and Shopping for Faith: The Commercialization of Religious Life
A megachurch is typically a conservative Protestant church that attracts at least 2,000 people to worship services per week.
Megachurches stress family values above religious tradition and are known for being flexible and creative.
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19. The Paradox of Popularity: How the Protestant Church Is Like Indie Rock
One explanation for the existence of so many types of Christian churches in the United States is what is called the sect-church cycle.
Sects usually start out by splintering off from an existing church because of disagreements over the direction or emphasis of the church.
Over time, if the sect develops a large enough following, it may become a church in its own right and eventually another sect may split off from it.
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20. The Paradox of Popularity: How the Protestant Church Is Like Indie Rock
Stricter religious institutions are more likely to grow faster than more lenient or open groups because members of stricter groups are likely to be more committed and to buy more into the group’s overall mission.
Members value the high demands of a stricter organization and are willing to spend more time and effort supporting it.
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21. Figure 9.1 | World Religions

22. Figure 9.2 | Percentages of Religious Adherents Worldwide
Total adds up to more than 100% as a result of rounding and because upper-bound estimates were used for each group.

23. Figure 9.3 | Percentage of National Populations That Rated the Importance of God in Their Lives as “10”

24. Figure 9.4 | One Nation, Many Faiths
Each symbol represents 1% of the U.S. population.

25. Figure 9.5 | Attendance at Religious Services

26. Figure 9.6 | Religious Denomination of U.S. Presidents

27. Figure 9.7 | Rates of Evangelical Denomination Adherence per 1,000