Chapter 13 Flashcards
Religion
A set of organized beliefs about the supernatural or spiritual world, often associated with ceremonies that guides people’s behaviour and joins people into community of believers
What is religion
A social institution and a key component is the concept of faith
Faith
a belief system on conviction that does not require objective evidence to substantiate its claims
E. B Tylor
Theorized that religions naturally evolve from simple, primitive communities to modern, complex states over time. He argued that religion evolved through distinct states
E.B Tylor’s distinct stages of religion
Animism: a belief that all things, from plants to animals, rivers and mountains; possess a spirit
Polytheism: is a belief in many gods. In this system, gods might be considered equal or ranked according to the power they possess
Monotheism: occurs when a religion identifies with a single all powerful, all-knowing god
Diffuse polytheism
all gods are considered equal
Hierarchal polytheism
when gods are ranked in importance of power
Civil (or secular) religion
A system in which sacred symbols are integrated into the broader society regardless of their individual religious affiliations
Charismatic Leader (Max-Weber)
¬ Believed to possess exceptional powers or qualities that in some instances can be viewed as supernatural or superhuman
¬ Often develop a special bond of trust and love with followers that reinforces loyalty and obedience
¬ A new religious movement is the only type of religious organization that relies solely on Charismatic authority to maintain and legitimize its mission
The Sect.
¬ Small religious body with exclusive or voluntary membership that is somewhat separate from or hostile to the larger society
¬ Membership requires some form of conversion experience
¬ Formed when a group breaks from a larger religious group based on difference in practices or believes.
Church
An institution that brings together a moral community of believers in formal worship and integrates itself within the larger secular world
Religious pluralism
a system in which many religions coexist and often compete with one another for members
Ecclesia or State religion
A system in which a church enters into a formal relationship with the state whereby all citizens are considered members
What are components of Ecclesia or state religion
The largest, most formal and most powerful of all religious organizations
Membership is not voluntary- it is ascribed at birth
Ecclesia has highly bureaucratized structures
Newcomers to a soceity are converted, and dissenters are often persecuted.
Claims to be the one true faith and often does not recognize other religions as valid
Denomination (finish)
Refers to a socially accepted religious body that has bureaucratic characteristics similar to those of a church
It is self-governing but has an official and recognized relationship with a larger church
Denomination represents subdivisions within the church and therefore more accurately reflect the diversity encompassed by any world religion
-Denominations neither promote or oppress the status, but rather they co-exist with the larger society
Weber’s classification of Religions according to Orientation and Social Position
- Oriental (Eastern) religions such as Confucianism , Hindiusm, and Buddhism seek harmony with the natural world, other people and the human body- mysticism
- Occidental (Western) relgions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam focus on mastery over the natural world, other people and the human body
Theocracy
a form of government in which a god or other supernatural being is seen as the supreme leader or authority
Difference between theocracy and ecclesia
A theocracy is a form of government in which a god or other supernatueal being is seen as the supreme leader or authority
Ecclesia is a system in which a church enters into a formal relationship with the State whereby all systems are considered members
Dharma
sources that provide guidance in accordance with moral responsibilities and guidelines that define an entire way of life
Functionalist approach to religion
Movement suggesting that a return to past practices is necessary to confront the challenges that contemporary society faces
- Upholding traditions and maintaining the “true faith”
- See change as a compromise that leads to the surrender of religious integrity
- Often linked to religious intolerance, but not necessarily to using violence to achieve goals
Science and religion
¬ Early thinkers and scientists like Emile Durkheim, Scott Atran, George Lemaitre, Johann Mendel argue that religion is more than a group of people who believe in a higher power
Functionalism-Durkheim: The elementary forms of religious life
¬ All religions originate in society
¬ Religion separates the world into the profane and the sacred
o The profane encompasses the secular aspects of life (objects, practices, behaviours)
o The sacred encompasses those things that we set apart, ritualized, and form emotional connections to.
-These sacred objects are what Durkheim called Totem
Totem
¬ Totem: an object that has special significance and meaning for a group of believers
Collective Conscience (collective morality)
Religion is an extension of society and functions to join members of the group according to shared meanings and worldviews
What does religion provide
¬ Religion provides social control through the establishment of moral standards of behaviour
o Per Durkhiem, society is a moral community in which members are socialized to accept or reject others. So, an orderly social existence is possible only when people share common moral values
individual agency
Since religion is considered the expression of a collective conscience, it suggests little opportunity for individual agency.
the ability of people to define and experience their own sense of spirituality and morality
Conflict theory approach to religion (finish)
Religion is socially constructed and built upon the economic, relationships (E.g. most religious traditions preach respect for authority and submissiveness)
Religion diminishes feelings of frustration resulting from the forces of alienation.
Karl Marx’s view of religion
viewed religion as a form of social control that dulls the pain of oppression for the proletariat and prevents members from seeing the world as it truly exist
Through religion, the bourgeoise kept the proletariat in a state of “false consciousness”- A miss understanding of one’s true social condition and true social self
For Marx, religion is an illusion that makes the proletariats oppression bearable
What does Marx Weber argue
that religion can inspire social change thus challenges Karl Marx’s assumption that religion supports and maintains the status quo
Symbolic interactionism
¬ View religion as an important source of rituals and symbols that shape ones understanding of the social world
-Rituals help to reinforce group membership in four ways: rituals as remembering, rituals as social bonding, rituals as regulating moral behaviour, and rituals as empowerment
Three phases of conversion (Anderson and Taylor)
Questioning phase: People question themselves and wonder if there is more to life than what they have experienced so far
Incorporation: When initiates begin to incorporate the ideas of the new group into their world views. Incorporation is achieved through week-long workshops or seminars thus drawing the initiates closer and weakening old ties. This is called “love-bombing: by the Unification church
Intense interaction: When the initiates time is completely dominated by duties and obligations. Conversion is often solidified when members begin to sacrifice their material world
Feminist Theory - Elizabeth Stanton
¬ The Woman’s Bible- correcting biblical interpretation biased against women
¬ Written by men and constitutes a clear expression of the patriarchal culture
¬ In virtually all religions women have lower status
Post-Structuralist Theory
¬ M. Foucault suggests that social institutions including organized religions are best understood as networks of power that dominate their subjects through tradition and institutional authority
¬ Institutions influence a person’s physical self, thus making them “docile bodies” according to Foucault
Secularization
the process by which developed societies move away from explanations based on religion to ones based on science, rationality, and logic.
