Sociology Of Religion Essay Example
Sociology Of Religion Essay Example

Sociology Of Religion Essay Example

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  • Pages: 10 (2635 words)
  • Published: May 23, 2016
  • Type: Case Study
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The vast range and numerous religious organizations and beliefs found globally pose challenges for sociologists when attempting to create a single definition of religion.

In the Western world, Christianity is often associated with religion. It centers around the belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and offers salvation through faith and an afterlife. However, there are many other diverse and intricate global religions that do not share Christianity's core principles, deviating significantly from its essence.

Religion can be categorized as either monotheistic, believing in a single deity, or polytheistic, believing in multiple deities. Certain religions, such as Confucianism, do not recognize any gods. Additionally, religion extends beyond simply prescribing moral principles and expectations for its adherents.

Many religions do not endorse the idea of divine surveillance over believers' conduc

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t. Religion does not necessarily encompass faith in supernatural entities, life after death, or realms like heaven or hell. For example, Confucianism emphasizes embracing the inherent balance of the natural world instead of pursuing truths that surpass it. Moreover, religion may not always prioritize elucidating the origins of existence.

Although Christianity utilizes the story of Adam and Eve to elucidate the inception of mankind, alternative religions possess their own myths for this specific intention. Diverse religious customs entail unique accounts regarding the genesis of existence. Sociologists delve into religion's defining characteristics by scrutinizing what it lacks.

According to sociologists, religion is a structured set of ethical principles that govern the behavior of followers within a religious community. This definition includes various religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, totemism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and animism.

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1200 B.C, Judaism originated as the first Hebrews settled in Canaan near Egypt. Unlike their polytheistic neighbors, the leaders and teachers of the Jewish community devoted themselves to a single omnipotent God.

Both the Jewish people and Christians have different names for their sacred text. The Jewish people call it the Tenakh, while Christians refer to it as the "Old Testament." The Tenakh is composed of the five books of the Torah, which starts with God's word creating the world. In these books, there is a strong emphasis on absolute obedience to Yahweh through a strict moral code known as the law. The Torah mainly centers around the history of early Hebrews and Moses receiving communication from Yahweh, which establishes rules for worship and daily life.

The Torah holds great importance in Jewish worship. In the synagogue, the rabbi takes out the scroll from the ark, a cupboard. Subsequently, the rabbi carries the scroll to a lectern in a procession, accompanied by a silver crown on top. The rabbi proceeds to open it and read from it to the congregation. This is how the Torah is involved in Jewish worship. Additionally, Christianity also has its own religious practices.

Christians hold the belief that Jesus Christ, referred to as the Son of God and the "Messiah," is the world's savior. Initially emerging within Judaism, this worldwide religion initially encompassed diverse Jewish viewpoints and customs.

Following Jesus' death, Christians began to distinguish themselves from the Jewish community by interpreting sections of the Tenakh with a Christian perspective in the "New Testament" of the Bible. Comprising 26 books and letters, this section serves as

an important point of differentiation.

The New Testament consists of different teachings, including the letters of St. Paul that were sent to newly established churches by early Christians, and the Gospels that depict the life and teachings of Jesus. The exact time when the Gospels were written is uncertain, as Biblical scholars have differing opinions on this matter. Christianity is the largest religion globally and has a more balanced distribution across the world compared to other religions.

Christianity encompasses numerous denominations with unique theology and organizational structure, including Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. With over one billion followers, Christianity is a major religion alongside Islam.

Islam, the second largest religion in the world currently, was established by Mohammed in the 7th century. The teachings of Mohammed directly convey Allah's will, who is the one God worshipped in Islam. Moslems, followers of Islam, believe that Allah communicated through earlier prophets such as Jesus and Moses before enlightening Mohammed.

The Koran, which is also called the collection of messages that Mohammed received from Allah, gets its name from the Arabic term "to recite." Despite being unable to read or write, Mohammed committed Allah's words to memory and transmitted them to his disciples.

After Mohammed's demise, his disciples documented the divine messages that are presently recognized as the Quran. This sacred scripture offers direction for everyday conduct and delineates the five fundamental religious obligations, known as "The Pillars of Islam." These responsibilities encompass reciting the Islamic creed and acknowledging Allah as the sole deity with Mohammed being His selected messenger.

Engaging in ceremonial washings and reciting formal prayers five times daily while facing

towards Mecca in Saudi Arabia, as well as observing Ramadan - a month of fasting during daylight hours - and donating money to the poor.

In Hindu traditions, it is customary to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once.

Hinduism is a collection of interconnected religions with various beliefs and practices. It emphasizes the concept of reincarnation, which is the eternal cycle of birth, death, and rebirth for all living beings. Moreover, Hinduism advocates for the caste system in which individuals are allocated a hierarchical position based on their past lives.

In Hinduism, every caste has its own responsibilities and duties, which determine their status in the next life. Both male and female gods are worshipped by Hindus, but they believe that the supreme divine power goes beyond gender distinctions. This divine essence is present in all living beings and affects them. Additionally, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism are also religious traditions.

These ethical religions prioritize moral principles over specific deities, such as Yawheh or Allah, aiming to enhance believers' connection with the universe. Buddhism, which emerged from the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (also known as Buddha or the "Enlightened One"), a Hindu prince from southern Nepal in the 6th century B.C., can be associated with this tradition.

The Buddha taught that humans can attain Nirvana, a state of spiritual fulfillment, by relinquishing worldly desires and embracing meditation and self-control.

Buddhism is similar to Hinduism in allowing religious diversity but differs by rejecting rituals and the caste system. While it is a universal religion, Buddhism is mostly practiced in Far East regions including China, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka,

Thailand, and Burma. Zen Buddhism, a specific branch of Buddhism, aims to communicate Buddhist concepts without requiring strict adherence to all of Buddha's teachings.

Confucius, also referred to as K'ung Futzu, and the Buddha coexisted during a common era. Both Confucius's adherents and Lao-tzu's adherents, the initiator of Taoism, viewed him as an intelligent ethical instructor rather than a religious figure or guide. The central aim of Confucianism is to attain internal harmony with the natural world by honoring ancestors. In ancient China, Confucianism gained widespread acceptance among the ruling classes. Taoism and Confucianism have overlapping principles.

Although facing opposition from the current Communist government, Confucianism and Taoism continue to be practiced by some Chinese individuals. Lao-tzu's teachings stress the importance of meditation and nonviolence for reaching higher levels of existence. Nonetheless, their influence has significantly decreased. Nevertheless, certain elements of Taoism, such as reincarnation, have been adopted by modern "New Age" religions.

The religious forms known as totemism and animism are frequently found in smaller societies. Totems are believed to be plants or animals with supernatural abilities, and each group within the society may have its own totem along with related ceremonies. Surprisingly, totemic beliefs are not entirely unfamiliar to Westerners, as they often have their own totems in the form of school mascots, symbols, and emblems. Sociological Theories of Religion

Durkheim, Weber, and Marx were all non-religious individuals who made substantial contributions to the sociology of religion. Despite their lack of personal religious beliefs, these three theorists found immense fascination in the impact and dominance that religion held over both individuals and societies.

Durkheim and functionalism argue that

religion is a cultural and geographic construct rather than a representation of absolute truth. They also predict a diminishing influence of religion on contemporary society as time progresses.

According to Durkheim, individuals have a natural inclination to differentiate between sacred and profane elements in life. Sacred elements, including religious symbols, objects, and rituals, are commonly regarded as possessing divine qualities that distinguish them from ordinary profane objects.

Even if individuals in advanced societies do not have faith in the supernatural abilities of sacred objects, they still highly respect and admire them. Durkheim argues that religion is not just about belief, but also involves rituals and ceremonies performed by a community of believers, which creates a sense of unity among them.

Sacred rituals and ceremonies serve as a vital means of uniting religious communities and providing individuals with an avenue to transcend the ordinary aspects of everyday life. These rituals hold particular significance in honoring significant occurrences such as births, marriages, hardships, and deaths. Durkheim's theory concerning religion demonstrates the functionalist viewpoint in sociological analysis by asserting that religion contributes to the overall well-being and continued existence of society.

According to Durkheim, religion has the role of bringing society together by promoting and accepting common values and beliefs. As society progresses, he predicted that the influence of religion would decrease as scientific thinking becomes more important than religious faith, causing individuals to assign less significance to rituals and ceremonies.

According to Weber, the idea of "God" was diminishing and he proposed a society that embraced civil religion, which included civic celebrations, parades, and patriotism instead of traditional religious services. However, Weber

also recognized that if traditional religion persisted, it would still contribute to social cohesion and order.

Despite Durkheim's limited use of examples, he believed that his theory had universal applicability to all religions. In contrast, Max Weber extensively examined globally prominent religions with substantial global followings.

He extensively researched Ancient Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. One of his notable works is "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" (1904/1958), which examines how Christianity has influenced Western thought and culture.

Weber investigated the impact of religion on social change. His findings revealed that Protestantism and its "Protestant Work Ethic" contributed to the emergence of capitalism. Conversely, Hinduism and other Eastern religions hindered the development of capitalism as they prioritized achieving higher spiritual levels through detachment from worldly responsibilities.

According to Weber, the perspective of Christianity does not easily facilitate monetary pursuits. He believes that Christianity is a religion of salvation which asserts that individuals can achieve salvation by adopting specific beliefs and moral codes. Christianity places great importance on the concept of "sin" and its redress through God's grace. Unlike the passive approach of Eastern religions, Christianity is an active salvation religion that requires constant efforts in combating sin and the negative elements of society, as stated by Marx in Conflict theory.

Karl Marx, despite having an impact on the subject, did not possess a religious inclination and did not extensively examine religion. His perspectives on the sociology of religion were shaped by 19th-century philosophers and theologians like Ludwig Feuerbach, author of The Essence of Christianity (1841).

Feuerbach theorized that individuals ascribe their culturally influenced norms and values

to different entities such as deities, spirits, angels, and demons due to a lack of comprehension about society. Feuerbach argued that by acknowledging the projection of their values onto religion, humans can attain these values in their present life instead of anticipating them in an afterlife. Marx famously referred to religion as the "opium of the people."

According to him, religion instructs individuals to tolerate their present circumstances, regardless of how unfavorable they may be, and to delay happiness and rewards for a later life. Consequently, religion hinders social progress by promoting compliance with oppression, redirecting attention away from injustices in the world, justifying power and wealth disparities among the privileged few, and prioritizing future rewards as the primary focus.

Despite common misconceptions, Marx did not ignore the significance of religion. He acknowledged its potential to provide solace in individual hardships and societal oppression imposed by those who hold authority. Nevertheless, he foresaw that traditional religious establishments would gradually decline as time progressed.

Religious movements, which are social movements, involve individuals coming together to promote a new religion or reinterpret an existing one. However, the goals and influence of these movements often wane when their leaders lose power, are replaced, or pass away.

A surviving movement has the potential to transform into a church or denomination, meaning it can evolve into a structured organization of followers with established symbols, rituals, and methods of governance.

Millennial movements, which often appear at the beginning of new centuries and millennia, are present in certain fringe Christian sects and cults. These millennialists expect significant cataclysms, calamities, and societal transformations, possibly as the fulfillment of

prophecies from religious texts. Furthermore, they anticipate the collective deliverance of a specific group of believers, typically including themselves.

Denominations are established religious organizations with hierarchical structures and bureaucracy. Members of denominations are typically born into and raised within the organization. Examples of Christian denominations include the Roman Catholic Church, the United Methodist Church, and the Antiochian Orthodox Church.

In contrast, sects and cults are smaller religious groups with devoted members. They often arise as a response to larger denominations, just as Anglicans did in protest against the Roman church during the 1500s.

Sects may have limited or no leadership and a lack of formal structure. Their belief in possessing "the truth" and disregard for other denominations drive them to actively recruit new members. Sects primarily attract converts rather than individuals born into them. As they expand, sects may transition from protesting groups to establishing themselves as institutional religious bodies. If a sect manages to endure for a prolonged period, it will likely evolve into a denomination.

In comparison to sects, denominations usually acknowledge each other as valid churches (despite doctrinal errors) and peacefully coexist. Initially, cults may appear similar to sects, but notable distinctions exist. Cults, being the most temporary and casual of all religious groups, offer refuge for individuals who reject the societal norms and values. Cult members may reside apart or together in communal settings. Social Correlates of Religion

The political and religious affiliations of individuals are interconnected, with Jews and Catholics having a higher proportion of Democrats compared to Protestants. Furthermore, Jews generally hold more progressive beliefs than Catholics, who in turn lean towards progressiveness

more than Protestants. Additionally, membership in religious groups is positively correlated with socioeconomic status.

In general, Baptists typically have lower incomes compared to wealthier Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Jews. Conversely, Catholics generally have higher incomes than individuals from Protestant denominations. It is crucial to acknowledge that these statements should be viewed as broad generalizations.

Caution should be exercised when dealing with statistics due to the potential for multiple interpretations. In the United States, there are discrepancies in Roman Catholic church membership among low socio-economic groups, whereas Protestant church membership exhibits notable fluctuations. On the other hand, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as the "Mormons," is presently linked to affluent individuals. Furthermore, religious fundamentalism must be considered as a critical factor.

In the United States, fundamentalist religious groups have become prominent by adopting inflexible beliefs and rejecting modernism and progressive ideas in religion and societal matters. These groups are unwilling to entertain any concepts that contradict their interpretations or convictions. For instance, Christian fundamentalists strictly adhere to the literal truth of the Bible and often identify themselves as traditional or "non-Catholic" in terms of theology and rituals. They perceive themselves as a reaction against liberal theology.

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