BELIEFS: THEORIES OF RELIGION

Question 1

what is society’s most basic need and how is order possible in society according to functionalists?

Answer 1

-social order and social solidarity
-made possible through the existence of value consensus

Question 2

DURKHEIM: what is the sacred and the profane?

Answer 2

-the sacred: evokes a strong feeling in people that binds them to their community e.g. religious symbols/practices
-the profane: are ordinary and mundane

Question 3

what is the significance of the TOTEM in clan worship?

Answer 3

-totems= are sacred; symbolise the clan and are ‘visible form of God’
-the totem symbolises God and society- inspires feelings of awe in clan mergers

Question 4

what is the collective conscience?

Answer 4

-when people worship God, they are really worshipping society and this encourages social order and social solidarity
-religion performs an important function for the individual - makes us feel part of something greater than ourselves

Question 5

how do rituals reinforce the collective conscience?

Answer 5

-regular acts of collective worship play a crucial role in ensuring society’s survival reaffirms support, shared values and beliefs

Question 6

what are cognitive functions of religion?

Answer 6

-shaping our thoughts e.g. with concept of time
-share same categories of thoughts

Religion = source of our cognitive capacities (ability to reason)

Religion provides the concepts & categories we need for understanding the world & communicating

DURKHEIM & MAUSS - religion provides basic categories like time, space & causation

Question 7

what are 3 criticisms of DURKHEIM’S view on religion?

Answer 7

-creates conflict e.g. Israel and Palestine demonstrates religion creates a dysfunctional society as it can be seen as a negative force/ an instrument of oppression
-society becoming more secular=decline collective worship
-increase in religious pluralism as we live in a large scale complex society with various religions

Question 8

MALINOWSKI (1945) (study of psychological functions)

Answer 8

-Religion helps ppl cope w/ emotional stress that would otherwise undermine social solidarity

Performs this role in two situations:
- where the outcome is important but uncontrollable & uncertain
- at times of life crises

Question 9

MALINOWSKI: what are 2 types of situations he suggests religion promotes social solidarity?

Answer 9

Study of the Trobriand Islanders - contrasts lagoon & ocean fishing

Lagoon fishing = safe
Ocean fishing = dangerous & is accompanied by ‘canoe magic’, rituals to ensure a safe expedition

These rituals give a sense of control, which eases tension, gives confidence & reinforces group solidarity

Question 10

MALINOWSKI: rites of passage at times of crisis

Answer 10

-Events like birth, puberty, marriage & death = potentially disruptive changes and can cause social solidarity to weaken, so that’s why we have rite of passage, to help people deal w/ these changes

Funerals reinforce solidarity among survivors & notion of life after death comforts them by denying the fact of death

Question 11

PARSONS: two essential functions of religion?

Answer 11

Religion creates & legitimates society’s norms & values by sacralising them - promotes value consensus & solidarity
- e.g. Protestantism sacralising American values of individualism and meritocracy

Religion provides a source of meaning & answers ‘ultimate’ qs about life - these may undermine society’s values, but by answering such qs, religion helps people adjust & it maintains stability

Question 12

BELLAH (1970): civil religion

Answer 12

-civil religion= having faith in an organisation /a society in a religious like way; attaching sacred qualities to that society
-ignores religion as a source of division

Question 13

marxists and religion:

Answer 13

Religion = a feature only of class-divided society, it justifies exploitation & inequality

In an equal, classless society, there’s no need for religion & it will disappear

-capitalism creates dehumanising conditions= the exploited turn to religion

Question 14

how does religion act as an ideological weapon?

Answer 14

• that it’s harder for people to get into heaven
  -used by r/c to legitimate suffering of w/c as inevitable & God-given

‘it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God’ - ISA are deceiving the proletariat to make it seem that they will benefit by going to heaven, making capitalism appear good - religion taking the side of the proletariat.

Question 15

what did LENIN mean by the claim that religion is “a spiritual gin”?

Answer 15

-LENIN - religion as ‘spiritual gin’ that confuses w./c and keeps them where they are
- r/c use religion to manipulate masses & prevent revolution

Religion legitimate power & privilege of r/c by making their position seem God-given

Question 16

how does religion legitimate the power and privilege of the dominant class ?

Answer 16

Religion misleads the w/c into believing they’ll be rewarded in the afterlife - creates false consciousness as a distorted view of reality that prevents the poor from acting to change their situation

Question 17

MARX: religion as a product of alienation

Answer 17

-MARX - religion = product of alienation

Workers = alienated under capitalism, bc they don’t own or control anything & they repeat a monotonous task

Religion = form of consolation under dehumanising conditions - ‘it is the opium of the people. It is the sigh of the oppressed creature’
- therefore offers an illusionary happiness - after-life that distracts them from the cause= capitalism

Question 18

what are 3 criticisms of marxist view?

Answer 18

• ignores the positives of religion e.g. religion has improved conditions e.g. in education = more opportunities
  -doesn’t explain how religion exists in all societies so isn’t just a capitalist society
  -is unscientific, lacks evidence and can’t be proven/tested

Question 19

how do feminists regard religion?

Answer 19

• reflects the inequality between men and women
  -it perpetuates/reinforces gender inequality
  -religious beliefs function as patriarchal ideology that legitimises female subordination. e.g predominantly male leaders: Judaism and Catholicism

Question 20

what is the liberal feminist stance on religion?

Answer 20

-certain elements remain oppressive= males are still seen as superior within religion,
-however, change is occurring. e.g. incline in female priests. =acceptance of progress, yet other areas still require change and improvement.

Question 21

what is the radical feminist stance on religion?

Answer 21

-women continue to be oppressed by religion and there has been no progress.
-patriarchy needs to be overturned - a revolutionary approach is necessary.

Question 22

what is the marxist feminist stance on religion?

Answer 22

Religion legitmises capitalism and patriarchy, both of which oppress women.

Question 23

what is the difference feminist stance on religion?

Answer 23

-each women’s experiences are different, women are oppressed by sexuality, ethnicity, class, age and disability.
e.g. the experience of a western white woman, differs to that of a Muslim woman.

Question 24

how do religious organisations demonstrate patriarchy?
(ARMSTRONG)

Answer 24

-leadership roles are mostly male dominated e.g. only men can become cardinals in Catholicism

Question 25

how do places of worship demonstrate patriarchy?
(ARMSTRONG)

Answer 25

-in Mosque’s women are separated from men
- women are unable to pray during menstruation (same for Hinduism).

Question 26

how do sacred texts demonstrate patriarchy?
(ARMSTRONG)

Answer 26

-e.g. Eve - picked the forbidden fruit, women are seen as the sinners and are therefore they are to blame, was called the fall from Grace.

Mary Magdalene: helped Jesus cause, witness to the resurrection and burial of Jesus. Somehow labelled as a prostitute, shaming her.

Question 27

how do religious laws and customs demonstrate patriarchy?
(ARMSTRONG)

Answer 27

-religious dress+ dressing more conservative= restrictive
-traditional and arranged marriages
-gender roles= can’t leave the house to work

Question 28

according to Armstrong in what ways has the position of women within religion changed?

Answer 28

-early religions had placed women at the centre
-e.g. earth mother goddess, fertility cults, female priesthoods
-but monotheistic religions saw the establishment of a single all-powerful male god instead

Question 29

how do some women use religion to gain greater freedom and respect? (EV.)

Answer 29

-women dress more modestly to gain more respect= more power
-woodhead (2009)= women can use religion to gain greater freedom and respect

Question 30

what are piety movements and which women are most likely to join them? (Pentecostalism) EV.

Answer 30

• they’re conservative movements which support traditional teachings about women’s role, modest dress, prayer and bible study.
  e.g a strongly held belief among Pentecostals is that men should respect women.
  -rinaldo= women being empowered because of religion= can gain greater status and respect for their role in the private sphere of the home

Question 31

what are liberal protestant movements? (EV.)

Answer 31

-Quakers - often committed to gender equality and women playing lead roles.
e.g unitarian ministers are female.
CofE: female priests since 1992.
(1/3 of priests in protestant churches are female)

Question 32

how is religion a conservative force and what are the individual perspectives on this?

Answer 32

-religion as a conservative force= ‘keeping the status quo’
-functionalism= value consensus promotes social solidarity
-marxism= legitimises inequality and exploitation (discourages change)
-feminism= legitimises patriarchal power and women’s subordination
e.g. traditional gender roles are reinforced and views around marriage are sacred