1. Introduction to Sociology: Religion
Siniša Zrinščak
December 4, 2017

2. Sociology and religion
What to study and how? From institution to very personal feelings? Different religions in the same way?
Marx – religion as an illusion – religion as a reflection of alienation in a world / market – religion help to accept / justify unequal world, social and economic injustice
Weber – religion as an agent of change (how religion stimulated capitalism)
- religion as a way of explaining why people suffer and die (theodicy)

3. - rational character of modern world = disenchantment of the world
Durkheim – religion as a basis of the collective conscience, as a basis of social – integrative function
Basic (universal) function to be found in the simplest form – Australian aboriginals… sacred and profane
… Two broad definitions…

4. Substantive definitions – what religion is, common content of all religions?
“belief in spiritual beings” “in divine beings”, “supra empirical”...– what about practice, Eastern religions...?
P. Berger: “human production of a sacred cosmos” - concept of “sacred”
Need for broader definitions, problems of operationalization in different social and cultural contexts

5. Functional definitions – what religion does
M. Yinger: “a system of beliefs and practices by means of which a group of people struggles with the ultimate problems of human life” – functions: creating meaning, empowerment, courage, integration...
Not ethnocentric! But: other social phenomenon can have same consequences...

6. Durkheim: “a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden – beliefs and practices which unite into one singles moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them”
“sacred” + “integration”
Definition – just and academic issue? Definition and Church-state relations – e.g. which religion to be recognized / supported / tolerated….

7. Types of religious organizations
Weber: Church and sect
Church – large, hierocratic organization, universal claim (e.g. by birth), professionals, in harmony with the world
Sect – small, strict, usually in opposition to the world, intensive religious life, conversion
Denomination – subdivisions of large religions / pluralistic environment (USA)
Cult – novel, exotic, fluid…without formal organization

8. What religion is today?
Secularization theory – the most influential and the most debated
Modernization, rationalization, functional differentiation, pluralization + privatization
K. Dobbelaere: secularization at three levels
- societal (laicization due to differentiation)
- organizational (adaptation to secular values or sacralization, NRMs...)
- individual (privatized, individual, “bricolage”, “patchwork”...)

9. Relations between levels – mechanical, or
Relations between levels – mechanical, or? Influence of actors, and other processes...
But: secular Europe and religious America
A global outlook?
Sociological debates: from “civil religion” to “public religions” „global religions”…in a modern world
R. Bellah: civil religion = “a set of religious beliefs, symbols and rituals growing out of the American historical experience interpreted in the dimension of transcendence” – legitimation of the American past and present

10. A common set of principles, a common religious basis for moral order?
Beliefs, practices, and symbols that a nations hold sacred (Yamane)
But, religion and nation – e.g. use (or misuse?) of religion in wars in fr. Yugoslavia – from overlapping of ethnic and religious identity to destruction of “inimical” religious objects

11. Casanova – religion is not privatized but visible and influential in a public arena
Revised secularization theory = functional differentiation – structural trend; : privatization and declining of religion - just historical options

12. Market theory – demand and supply – religious demands – and religious institutions which offer goods and services
Two premises: rational choice (people as rational beings), and constant religious demands
Consequences: pluralization (more and competitive offers: more religious)
(If) adequate for US, adequate for other contexts?

13. Religion and globalization – from religious America / secular Europe to global outlook – what about the world in general?
From „religion and globalization” to „global religions”:
- migration
- spread of religions through missions, use of new technologies
- religion and social processes in a world

18. Religion in empirical research
Three major components: beliefs, rituals, experience
Dimensions – as researched in the EVS:
- belief
- experience (“subjective religiosity”)
- practice (+ public role)
-consequential dimension
Knowledge (not in the EVS)
Differences among dimensions – why and how to interpret?
Possible concepts – believing without belonging, belonging without believeing, believing in belonging..

19. Practice – at least once a month
EVS- VWS data
Country
Belonging
Religious persons
Practice – at least once a month
Change 2008.
Austria
88,1
-5,3
75,0
-14,3
42,5
-14,4
Croatia
88,7
-4,5
79,9
-0,9
52,5
-9,9
Czech R.
33,7
-5,8
40,4
-9,1
11,7
+1,1
Finland
-12,4
61,6
-12,6
14,0
-4,0
France
57,5
-6,5
44,4
-1,8
11,9
+0,6
Greece
96,0
+0,9
74,8
+11,9
33,5
+9,9
Germany
60.4
-6.7
24.3
-8.5
35.1
- 10.9
Hungary
57,1
-3,8
57,6
-5,2
17,6
-3,0
Italy
82,2
83,2
-1,7
53,7
-6,1
Poland
95,7
-1,5
91,8
-8,2
78,2
-8,4
Portugal
89,0
-2,1
85,4
-3,9
51,2
-3,7
Rusian F.
50,5
+12,5
60,1
+11.1
9,1
+5,3
Slovakia
76,8
+3,0
76,7
+0,3
49,8
Slovenia
70,0
+1,0
64,6
30,7
-4,8
Spain
82,0
-6,4
59,0
-3,1
35,9
-13,5

20. EVS - Croatia, 2008

21. 1999 and 2008