FOCUS ON THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES RELIGION

FUNCTIONALIST FOCUS: LOOK AT CONTRIBUTIONS OF RELIGION TO SOCIETY

KEY POINTS: *LEGITIMATES SOCIAL ARRAGEMENT *SOCIAL UNITY AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT *PROVIDES SENSE OF UNDERSTANDING AND BELONGING

What do you think are the top two dysfunctions of religion? What do you think are the top two dysfunctions of religion? – War and religious persecution

CONFLICT THEORY FOCUS: ELITES USE RELIGION TO MANIPULATE THE MASSES FOCUS: ELITES USE RELIGION TO MANIPULATE THE MASSES

KEY DETAILS: RELGION IS USES BY THE MOST POWERFUL TO JUSTIFY THEIR ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND SOCIAL ADVANTAGES KEY DETAILS: RELGION IS USES BY THE MOST POWERFUL TO JUSTIFY THEIR ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND SOCIAL ADVANTAGES

SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM FOCUS: PEOPLE CREATE SYMBOLIC MEANINGS FROM THEIR RELGIONS BELIEFS, RITUALS, AND IDEAS FOCUS: PEOPLE CREATE SYMBOLIC MEANINGS FROM THEIR RELGIONS BELIEFS, RITUALS, AND IDEAS

KEY DETAILS: PEOPLE USE THEIR SOCIALLY CREATED MEANINGS TO GUIDE EVERYDAY SOCIAL INTERACTION KEY DETAILS: PEOPLE USE THEIR SOCIALLY CREATED MEANINGS TO GUIDE EVERYDAY SOCIAL INTERACTION

KEY PEOPLE DURKHEIM - DURKHEIM - – RELIGIONS IS THE BEILIEFS AND PRACTICES THAT SEPARATE THE PROFANE FROM THE SACRED AND UNITE ITS ADHERENTS INTO A MORAL COMMUNITY

Karl Marx- referred to religion as the “opium of the people (masses); promised future happiness to lesson chances of rebellion Karl Marx- referred to religion as the “opium of the people (masses); promised future happiness to lesson chances of rebellion

Weber- a change in religion, led to a change in thought and behavior Weber- a change in religion, led to a change in thought and behavior – The Protestant Ethic – Spirit of Capitalism

Robert Bellah: Civil Religion Robert Bellah: Civil Religion Richard Niehuhr: suggested the splintering of Christianity may have more to do with social change than with religious conflict Richard Niehuhr: suggested the splintering of Christianity may have more to do with social change than with religious conflict Ian Robertson- distinction between “functional equivalent of religion and religion Ian Robertson- distinction between “functional equivalent of religion and religion