Beliefs- Theories of Religion Flashcards
Why is the definition of religion very hard to pin down?
Some definitions can either exclude belief systems commonly thought of as religion, or fail to distinguish between religious and secular organisations
What is the substantive definition?
The substance or content of a religion- belief in God or a higher power
What is a problem with the substantive definition?
They exclude belief systems such as Buddhism which do not worship a God
What is the functional definition?
Based on what the religion actually does, either for an individual or for society as a whole
What does the functional definition focus on?
The idea of community and integration
How can problems arise from the functional definition focusing on community?
An organisation that gives a sense of community isn’t necessarily a religion
What do social constructionists concentrate on?
How individual members of society define religion
What is good about the social constructionist attitude?
It is very inclusive
What is bad about the social constructionist attitude?
It makes it virtually impossible to come up with a general or universal definition
How do functionalists see religion?
As something that inhibits change and helps keep society as it is
What did Durkheim suggest after studying Aboriginal society?
That the sacred worship of totems was equivalent to worshipping society itself and sacred religious worship encourages shared values
What did Malinowski look at?
How religion deals with situations of emotional stress that threaten social order
What did Malinowski say?
Unpredictable or stressful events like births and deaths create disruption and religion manages these tensions and promotes stability
What did Parsons write?
That religion provides guidelines for human action in terms of ‘core values’ and religion helps to integrate people into a value consensus and allows them to make sense of their lives
What does Bellah suggest?
The idea of Civil Religion which is when secular symbols and rituals create social cohesion in a similar way to religion
What can bring about some kind of collective feeling that generates order and stability?
Flags, famous political figures and even royal deaths
What does functionalism ignore?
Dysfunctional aspects of religion, religious conflicts all over the world, religion can be a source of oppression, religion can bring about change
How is a woman’s role as primary caregiver seen as important by traditional religion?
It’s the job of a mother to raise her children to believe in God and worship God
Why are women seen as distractions from worship?
Because they’re sexually attractive
How are women treated in many religious organisations?
They are excluded from power
How do feminists view religious texts?
They transmit messages to readers through stories that reflect and uphold a patriarchal society
What does the patriarchal ideology say?
Women are part of the profane and imperfect- maintains conformity and submission of women
How did Beauvoir see religion?
As exploitative and oppressive towards women
What did Beauvoir think?
That religion promotes the idea that if women suffer in their present lives, they’ll receive equality in heaven, which allows women to put up with being treated as inferior to men in the hope of gaining in the afterlife
How is there a bigger picture of religion transmitting patriarchal ideas?
Other social and cultural influences contribute towards the creation of patriarchal society too
How may some women actively resist religious oppression?
By fighting oppression against the limitations it places on them
What did Marx say?
In capitalist society there was a conflict of interests between the ruling class and the working class because the ruling class exploit the working class to get the most profit out of them
What’s stopping the working class from uniting and overthrowing the ruling class?
The working class are in a state of false consciousness so they’re not aware of how unfair society is
Why is Marx very critical of religion?
He says it’s one of the things that keeps the working class in a state of false consciousness
What does it mean when religion is described as ‘the opium of the people’?
It dulls the pain of oppression like opium but doesn’t take away the oppression
How does religion justify social inequality? (4 points)
- People have the afterlife to look forward to if they’re good, so they don’t break the rules and don’t challenge the capitalist system
- Religion consoles people with the promise of life after death and so they put up with their suffering here on Earth more easily
- Religion often tells people that their position is decided by God and this encourages false consciousness by blaming God instead of blaming capitalism
- If God is all-powerful he could do something about the suffering if he wanted to but he doesn’t do anything so people think this is how society is meant to be
What does Marxism say that religion does?
Passes on beliefs that oppress the working class and argues that religion is a conservative force that prevents revolution
How is religion neat social control?
It keeps things the same- the rich stay rich and the poor stay working
Why are there problems with applying the Marxist view to today’s society?
Fewer people go to a place of worship than in the past- if people don’t go to worship it’s hard for them to be duped by formal religious ideology
