Ch 13. (pt.2) Religion Flashcards
Profane
Included as an ordinary part of everyday life
Sacred
set apart as extraordinary, inspiring awe and reverence
Religion
a social institution involving beliefs and practices based on recognizing the sacred
Faith
belief based on conviction rather than on scientific evidence
Structural-Functional Theory: (Durkheim) (3)
- Establishing Social Cohesion (religion unites people)
- Providing Social Control (religion can be used to back up political systems)
- Providing Meaning and Purpose
Totem
an object in the natural world collectively defined as sacred
Symbolic-Interaction Theory: (Berger)
- Religion is socially constructed for people to sharpen the difference between the sacred and the profane.
- Religion is a social construction that in turn gives meaning and purpose in life. Our ideas about religion are socially constructed and interpreted
Social-Conflict Theory: (Marx)
Religion supports social inequality. Working for political change may mean opposing the church and by implication, opposing God as well. Accept social problems in the world by waiting for a “better world to come” Religion is also very divisive, and a source of tension in society
Feminist Theory on Religion
All the world’s major religions are patriarchal.
Church
a religious organization well integrated into larger society
State Church
a church formally linked to the state
Denomination
a church, independent of the state, that recognized religious pluralism.
Sect
a religious organization that stands apart from the larger society (example: Amish, Hutterite colonies) – usually follows those who display charisma
Cult
a religious organization that is largely outside of society’s cultural traditions
Animism
the belief that elements of the natural world are conscious life forms that affect humanity (early hunters and gatherers embraced animism)
Religion in Canada stats (3)
- The fastest growing group and biggest group in Canada of religious groups are “no religion”
- The number of people identifying as a Christian in Canada is decreasing from 75% to now almost below 50%
- 40% of immigrants identify as Christian, 40% as other religions, and 20% as non-religious. If it wasn’t for immigration, the percentage of Christians in Canada would be decreasing much more rapidly.
Religious Nones: Why the Rise? (4)
- There is more social acceptance to having no religious affiliation.
- Christian Right & Fundamentalism (especially USA) “if these political stances reflect religion, then I don’t want to be associated with that”
- Apostacy: you were raised in a religious tradition, and now you walk away
- Low(er) religious socialization: religious nones who have children raise their children as religious nones.
Religiosity
the importance of religion in a person’s life.
(67% of Canadians believe in a higher power but only 20% report to attend religious services other than wedding and funerals.)
Social Class regarding religion
Those who have higher educational attainment are less likely to report religion affiliation.
Race and Religion
Compared with people born in Canada, immigrants have higher religiosity.
Secularization
the historical decline in the importance of the supernatural and the sacred
New Age Religious Movement (6)
- Seekers believe in a higher power
- Seekers believe we are all connected
- Seekers believe in the spirit world
- Seekers want to experience the spirit world
- Seekers pursue transcendence
- Some seekers pursue political change
Fundamentalism
a conservative religious doctrine that opposes intellectualism and worldly accommodation in favour of restoring traditional, otherworldly religion
Fundamentalists traits (5)
- Take the words of sacred texts literally
- Reject religious pluralism
- Pursue the personal experience of God’s presence
- Oppose “secular humanism”
- Many endorse conservative political goals
