1. Chapter 15, Religion What Is Religion? Weber’s and Durkheim’s Views
Civil Religion
The Functionalist Perspective

2. Chapter 15, Religion The Conflict Perspective
Max Weber: The Interplay Between Economics And Religion
Two Opposing Trends: Secularization And Fundamentalism

3. What Is Religion? Weber’s View
Religion gives meaning to problems of existence:
Birth
Death
Illness
Aging
Injustice
Tragedy
Suffering

4. What Is Religion? Durkheim’s View
Three essential features common to all religions
Beliefs about the sacred and the profane.
Rituals
A community of worshippers.

5. Major World Religions Buddhism Christianity Confucianism Hinduism
Islam
Judaism
Taoism
Shinto

6. Functionalist Perspective of Religion
Religion serves functions for individuals:
People embrace religion to comprehend meaning of life and death and cope with misfortune and injustice.
Rely on religious beliefs and rituals to help them achieve a successful outcome.

7. Functionalist Perspective of Religion
Religion promotes group solidarity and unity:
Shared doctrine of rituals create emotional bonds among believers.
Helps individuals achieve a life better than they would lead if left to their own impulses.
Religious rituals establish, reinforce and renew relationships, binding individuals to a group.

8. Conflict Perspective of Religion
Religion turns people away from social and economic inequality.
Justifies the status quo, rationalizes inequities
Religious teachings inhibit protest and revolutionary change.

9. Trends: Secularization
Religious influences on thought and behavior are reduced.
Associated with an increase in scientific understanding and technological solutions to every day problems of life.
More than 90% of Americans have a religious preference and 70% are members of some place of worship.

10. Trends: Fundamentalism
Emphasize authority, infallibility, and timeless truth of sacred writings.
Conceive of history as a struggle between good and evil.
Do not distinguish between the sacred and the profane in their everyday lives.

11. Trends: Fundamentalism
Fundamentalist religious groups emerge in reaction to a perceived threat.
View trend toward gender equality as symptomatic of a declining moral order.