Sociology of ReligionGS 138: Introduction to Sociology

Seth Allen

Chapter Outline

Religion in Historical Perspective Sociological Perspectives on Religion Types of Religious Organization Trends in Religion in the United States Religion in the Future

Questions that Sociologists Ask about Religion

How does religion affect society as a whole (does it divide/unite)? How does it affect social institutions like: › Marriages, Political Structures, Economy

How does religion, as a social institution, affect the wellbeing of individuals?

What does it mean to be ‘religious’? How does one define and measure religiosity?

Measuring Religiosity

Religiosity is the extent to which a person does one or more of the following: › (1) believes in and “feels” or experiences

certain aspects of religion› (2) becomes involved in religious activities

such as attending church or reading sacred texts

› (3) believes in the teachings of the church, › (4) lives in accordance with those teachings

and beliefs.

Religion and the Meaning of Life

Religion seeks to answer important questions such as why we exist, why people suffer and die, and what happens when we die-the ‘sacred canopy’

Things that people do not set apart as sacred are referred to as profane—the everyday, secular or “worldly” aspects of life.

Elements of Religion

Most religions have four elements: Ritual (ex. Prayer, communion) A sense of the Sacred A system of beliefs-in the

supernatural and a set of ethics OR a set of abstract ideals

Organization-each religion has a public component

Types of Religious Organization

Ernest Troeltsch (1931) created a typology of three varieties of religious organizations:

Ecclesia Church (Denomination) Sect Cult (now called New Religious

Movements, NRMs)

Characters of Churches and Sects

Organization Membership Worship SalvationAttitude

Toward Other Religions

Church

Large, bureaucratic

organization,led by professional

clergy

Open to all; members

usually from upper and

middle classes

Formal, orderly

Granted by God Tolerant

SectSmall group,high

degree of lay participation

Guarded membership, usually from lower classes

Informal, spontaneous

Achieved by moral purity Intolerant

Ecclesia

Encompasses all members of a society

People are primarily born into the ecclesia, do not convert

Influential in government affairs

Church/Denomination

Stable, institutional organization

Well-educated clergy

Elaborate rituals and beliefs

Tolerant of religious pluralism and the secular world

Sect Less organized than

denomination Charismatic, less

educated ministers Growth by recruiting,

rather than being born into church

Higher levels of devotion Reject worldliness and

‘impure’ denominations Tend to draw recruits

from the lower classes

New Religious Movements (NRMs)

Offer completely new beliefs, rituals, and means of transcendence

Live in stark opposition to the world

Informally organized, led by self-styled, charismatic leadership

Recruit people who have economic and psychological deprivation

Four Categories of Religion

Simple supernaturalism - the belief that supernatural forces affect people's lives positively or negatively.

Animism - the belief that plants, animals, and elements of the natural world are endowed with spirits that impact events in society.

Theism - belief in a God or Gods. Transcendent idealism - belief in sacred

principles of thought and conduct, such as truth, justice, life and tolerance for others.

Major World Religions

Christianity Islam Hinduism Buddhism Judaism Confucianis

m

No. of Adherents 1.7 billion 1 billion 719 million 309 million 18 million 5.9 million

Founder Jesus Muhammad No specific founder

Siddhartha Gautama

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob K’ung Fu-Tzu

Dates Founded

1st century C.E. ca. 600 C.E ca. 1500

B.C.E500 to 600

B.C.E.ca. 2000 B.C.E. 500 B.C.E

Sociological Observations of Religion in the U.S.

Diverse-85 denominations with atleast 50,000 members *

Positive slant of religion-heaven, personal blessings, etc. due to ‘religious marketplace’

Freedom from Anticlericalism-Americans do not have bitter feelings towards priests as protectors of the status quo

Civil religion-God is frequently invoked in American rituals, symbols, etc, with little reference to which God/beliefs

Example of Civil Religion

Rates of Church Membership in U.S., 1776-2000

Secularization of U.S.?‘Proof’ that the U.S. is more

secular‘Proof’ that the U.S. is NOT more

secular

1 out of 4 people between 18-28 yrs. of age were unaffiliated with any

religion

Slighlty more people (38% of population) claims to have had a born again experience in 2008 than 20 yrs

earlier

28% of US adults raised in faith have abandoned faith or chosen another

one

Percentage of people believing the Bible is the ‘inspired Word of God’ is roughly the same in 2008 as 1984

Major denominations, like the Disciples of Christ, PC-USA,

Episcopalians, AME Zion have lost at least 20% of their membership in the

last 20 yrs. (link)

In 2007, 38% of 18-29 yrs old ‘strongly agreed’ that God was

‘angered by human sin’, the highest of any age group

The no. of Americans having never attended church doubled between

1973 and 2008 (link)

33% of the same age group reported witnessing to friends at least once in the past month, the highest of any

age group (Link)

No. of Americans who believe that the Bible is the actual Word of God

decreased from 37% in 1984 to 31% in 2008 (link)

Church membership was nearly 62% in 2000, only 17% in 1776 (Starke &

Finke)

U.S. Religious Traditions’ Membership

Leading Church Bodies

Social Stratification and Religion

Social Stratification and Religion

Theoretical Perspectives on Religion

Conflict Theory and Religion

Religion is the ‘opiate of the masses’ according to Karl Marx-a way for the elites to reinforce the oppression of the lower classes

Later conflict theorists point to the use of religion to justify racism, sexism, and oppression of homosexuals

Focus on the ‘hereafter’ blinds people to current oppression

Conflict Theory and Religion

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

Religion serves as a reference group to help people define themselves.

People are socialized into certain roles (ex. Being reverent during communion) through group expectations

People attach sacred meaning to symbols

Symbols and Religion

What does the head covering

for women represent in the Christian faith? (Hint: 1

Cor. 11)

How do head coverings in

various faiths function as a sociological

symbol?

Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism

Max Weber studied the attitudes of Protestants and Catholics in Western Europe towards work and this life in late 19th century

He discovered that Protestants, particularly Calvnists, developed a rational worldview of hard work and thrift that propelled their economic activities

Protestant Ethic spread to America, to non-Calvinists › Example: Ben Franklin is famous for his quote “A

penny saved is a penny earned”

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Protestant Ethic in Modern Day U.S.

Modern evangelical leaders often express their belief that economic freedom and Bible are compatible

Jerry Falwell once stated: › “God is in favor of freedom, property, ownership, competition,

diligence, work and acquisition. All of this is taught in the Word of God, in both the Old and New Testaments”

Pat Robertson› ”…Communism and capitalism in their most extreme, secular

manifestations are equally doomed to failure,….free enterprise is the economic system most nearly meeting humanity’s God-given need for freedom”.

Functionalist Perspective and Religion

Religion is a ‘social glue’ that binds people with sacred rituals

Religion upholds basic social norms Legitimates governmental authority Religion is a balm for the oppressed

and marginalized But also dysfunctional…. Prevents social change Enhances political conflict

Functionalism and Religion

Events like the “Meet You at the Pole” (pictured below) bind people by sacred rituals

Most monarchies, like Great Britain, invoke a ‘divine right’ of the monarchy to rule the people. Vestiges of this system can be seen in the coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II (1952).

Rational Choice Theory and Religion

People engage in a rational cost-benefit analysis when ‘shopping’ for churches

Churches vary in their promise of rewards in this life and the hereafter

Successful churches are those that promise the most rewards

Rational Choice theory explains why prosperity

gospel churches, like Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, gather 40,000+ each week.

Future of Religion

Secularization theory, which believed that modernization, democratization, and globalization would decreased the need for faith, has been debunked

Worldwide surge of fundamentalism(s) across religious traditions

Religious devotion will increasingly be coupled with religious tolerance

Polarization of beliefs within traditions