Slide 1 Richard T. Schaefer 1 st Edition Slide 1 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. chapter fifteen Sociology in Modules Religion

Slide 2 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Module 44: The Sociological Approach to Religion Module 45: World Religions Module 46: Religious Organization Religion 15

Slide 3 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. █ What social purposes does religion serve? A Look Ahead █ Does religion help to hold society together or foster social change? █ What happens when religion mixes with politics?

Slide 4 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Sociological Approach to Religion █ Durkheim and the Importance of Religion –Religion: Unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things (Durkheim) –Collective act Includes many forms of behavior in which people interact with others Module 44

Slide 5 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Sociological Approach to Religion █ Durkheim and the Importance of Religion –Sacred: elements beyond everyday life that inspire awe, respect, and even fear –Profane: includes the ordinary and commonplace –Sociologists study religion through: Norms and values of religious faiths through their substantive beliefs The social functions it fulfills Module 44

Slide 6 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. World Religions █ 89% of world’s population adheres to some religion –Christianity largest faith, Islam 2nd largest –Judaism forms historical foundation for Christianity and Islam –Hinduism embraces number of gods and reincarnation –Buddhism developed as reaction against Hinduism; uses meditation to overcome selfish cravings Module 44

Slide 7 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Figure 44-1: Major Religious Traditions in the United States Module 44

Slide 8 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Sociological Perspectives on Religion █ Manifest functions: Open and stated functions; religion defines the spiritual world and gives meaning to the divine █ Latent functions: Unintended, covert, or hidden functions; might include providing a meeting ground for unmarried members Module 44

Slide 9 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Integrative Function of Religion █ Durkheim viewed religion as an integrative force in human society –Gives meaning and purpose to lives –Offers ultimate values and ends –Strengthens social integration –Socializes young children –Can be dysfunctional Module 44

Slide 10 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion and Social Support █ Religion’s emphasis on divine and supernatural allows us to “do something” about calamities we face –Encourages people to view personal misfortunes as relatively unimportant –Faith-based community organization taken more responsibilities in social assistance Module 44

Slide 11 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion and Social Change █ The Weberian Thesis –Protestant ethic: Followers of Protestant Reformation emphasized a disciplined work ethic, this-worldly concerns, and a rational orientation for life –“Spirit of capitalism” has emerged as generalized cultural trait Module 44

Slide 12 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. May be dysfunctional Religion and Social Support █ Liberation theology: Church should be used in political efforts to eliminate poverty, discrimination, and other forms of injustice Module 44

Slide 13 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion and Social Control: A Conflict View █ Marx: religion impeded social change –People focus on other-worldly concerns –Religion drugged masses into submission by offering consolation for harsh lives on earth –To whatever extent religion influences social behavior, it reinforces existing patterns of dominance and inequality Module 44

Slide 14 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Feminist Perspective █ Theorists stressed fundamental role women play in religious socialization –Women generally take subordinate role in religious governance –Women play vital role as volunteers, staff, and educators –In U.S., women more likely than men to be affiliated with religion Module 44

Slide 15 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Research Today █ Income and Education, Religiously Speaking –Of the faiths and denominations with houses of worship in your hometown, do the houses mirror the congregation size or social class differences? –What group affiliations might suggest a person’s income or educational level? Module 44

Slide 16 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Table 44-1: Sociological Perspectives on Religion Module 44

Slide 17 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Belief █ Religious beliefs: Statements to which members of a particular religion adhere –Fundamentalism: emphasizes doctrinal conformity and literal interpretation of sacred texts Found worldwide Spirituality not as strong in industrialized nations as in developing nations Module 45

Slide 18 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Rituals █ Religious rituals: Practices required or expected of members of a faith –In recent decades, participation in religious rituals tended to hold steady or decline █ Religious experience: Feeling or perception of being in direct contact with ultimate reality or of being overcome with religious emotion Module 45

Slide 19 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Table 45-1: Major World Religions Module 45

Slide 20 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Figure 45-1: Religions of the World Module 45

Slide 21 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Figure 45-2: Religious Participation in Selected Countries, 2006 Module 45

Slide 22 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Table 45-2: Components of Religion Module 45

Slide 23 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religious Organization █ Ecclesiae: Religious organization claiming to include most or all members of a society █ Denominations: Large, organized religion not officially linked with the state or government Module 46

Slide 24 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religious Organization █ Sects: Relatively small religious group that broke away from some other religious organization to renew original vision of the faith –Fundamentally at odds with society and does not seek to become established national religions –Established sect: Out-growth of a sect that remains isolated Module 46

Slide 25 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Research Today █ Islam in the United States –Is there a mosque in your community or a Muslim congregation on campus? Are the members primarily Sunni or Shia? –Should communities be allowed to block the construction of mosques or dictate their appearance? Module 46

Slide 26 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. New Religious Movements or Cults █ New Religious Movement (NRM) or cult: 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 than more established faiths Module 46

Slide 27 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Comparing Forms of Religious Organization █ Ecclesiae, denominations, and sects best viewed as types along a continuum █ From individual perspective, religion and spirituality remarkably fluid One sign of fluidity is rapid rise of electronic church Module 46

Slide 28 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Table 46-1: Characteristics of Ecclesiae, Denominations, Sects, and New Religious Movements Module 46

Slide 29 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Research Today █ The Church of Scientology: Religion or Quasi-Religion? –What do you think of the practice of measuring a person’s mental state with an Electropsychometer? –Do you agree that Scientology would not be considered a religion? Module 46

Slide 30 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Case Study: Religion in India █ India is large and complex; it might be considered a world of its own –400 languages, of which 16 officially recognized by the government –Hinduism and Buddhism are major religions, but several other faiths exist Module 46

Slide 31 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Religious Tapestry of India █ Hinduism and Islam most important religions in India –Islam arrived in 1000 CE –Sikhism founded in 15 th century by Hindu named Nanak –Jainism founded 600 BCE –Christians play disproportionate role in country’s social safety net Module 46

Slide 32 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion and the State in India █ Religion influential in India’s drive to overturn British colonialism –India secular state dominated by Hindus –Tensions between Hindus and Muslims remain high –Many observers see religion as moving force in Indian society Module 46

Slide 33 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion in the Schools █ Understanding the Issue –Some believe there is a role for prayer and religion in schools –Others want to maintain strict separation of church and state –Controversy over teaching theories of the origin of humans and the universe Creationism: Accepting biblical account of the creation of humans and the universe Module 46

Slide 34 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion in the Schools █ Understanding the Issue –First Amendment protects religious freedom 1962: Supreme Court ruled that prayer in schools “wholly inconsistent” with amendment 1987: Supreme Court ruled states could not compel schools to teach creationism Intelligent Design (ID): Life is so complex that it could only have been created by intelligent design Module 46

Slide 35 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion in the Schools █ Applying Sociology –Supporters of school prayer and creationism: there is too much separation in schools between sacred and profane –Opponents: religious majority in a community might impose viewpoints specific to its faith at expense of religious minorities Module 46

Slide 36 © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion in the Schools █ Initiating Policy –Public school education is a fundamentally local issue –Federal courts have taken a hard line on religion in schools –Religion-school debates show no sign of ending Module 46