Does religion influence your choice of friends? Religion in Sociology Does religion influence your choice of friends? Write down your own religious affiliation on a piece of paper. Write down the names of your five closest friends and their religious affiliations. What percent of your friends have the same religious affiliation as you do? Do your friendships develop because of your religious affiliation? Do you think religion plays a role in your friendships? Have your friendships ever been tested because of your religious differences?

Is the crucifix sacred or profane? Religion and Sociology Religion – Unified system of beliefs and practices concerned with sacred things Sacred – Holy and set apart and given special meaning that goes beyond, or transcends, immediate existence Profane – Non sacred Is the crucifix sacred or profane?

Religion and Sociology Sociologists do not attempt to judge the validity of religion. They examine and focus on the social and cultural aspects of religion that can be measured Sociologists are unable to study the unobservable (spiritual) world

Religions of the World

Religions of the World

Religions of the World

Religions of the World What is the fastest growing religion in the world? Why?

Religions of the World

Functionalist Perspective Religion gives formal approval to existing social arrangements Justifies or gives authority to social norms A society's religion explains why the society is and should be the way it is Religion encourages a sense of unity Religion provides a sense of understanding

Conflict Theory Conflict Theory Focuses on how religion works to either inhibit or encourage social change. Karl Marx – Religion is used by the ruling class to justify its economic, political, and social advantages over the oppressed Elites use religion to manipulate the masses

Symbolic Interactionism Symbolic Interactionism – People create symbolic meanings from their religious beliefs, rituals, and ideas Symbolic meanings cover the secular world and guide social interactions

Religious Organizations Denomination – one of several religious organizations that most members of a society accept as legitimate Sect – religious organization that arises out of a desire to reform an existing religious organization Cult – is religious organization whose characteristics are not drawn from existing religious traditions within a society

Religiosity Religiosity – ways in which people express their interests and convictions Beliefs – Jesus is the Son of God Rituals – Attending church or wearing a yamaka Consequences – Heaven or Hell Intellectual Dimension – knowledge of scripture Experiences – feeling close to a deity when praying

Religiosity

Religion in the United States Secularization – the process through which the “sacred” or the “religious” lose influence over society Fundamentalism – the resistance of secularization and the rigid adherence to traditional religious beliefs Why is fundamentalism so strong today? What is the relationship between religion and political allegiance in the United States?