Defining religion

Question 1

What are the 3 beliefs?

Answer 1

-Substantive
-Functional
-Constructivist

Question 2

What is the substantive theory?

Answer 2

-Loos at the content of substances with religious beliefs
-Religious beliefs superior or supernatural power
-Can’t be scientifics
-Islam, Christianity, Wicca and Satanism
-Definition adopted by most sociology

Question 3

Substantive- Weber?

Answer 3

To be a religion, the belid must relate to a belief in god or the supernatural

Question 4

Substantive- who are our supporting sociologists?

Answer 4

Robertson 1970
Bruce 1995

Question 5

Substantive- Robertson 1970?

Answer 5

Religion is the existence of supernatural beings that have the governing affect of life

Question 6

Substantive- Bruce 1995?

Answer 6

Religion is a beliefs, actions and institution which assume the existence of supernatural entity’s

Question 7

Weakness of substantive?

Answer 7

-Can be to exclusive e.g doesn’t include buddhism as they dont have a god
-Can be to inclusive, can include fate, magic and UFOs

Question 8

What is functional?

Answer 8

Religion is the social and psychological functions preformed by individuals
-A belief and organisation can provide certain functions
-Very broad can include football and music

Question 9

Functional- Durkheim?

Answer 9

Encouraging social cohesion and collective consciousness without including supernatural beliefs

Question 10

Functional, who are our supporting sociologist?

Answer 10

Yinger 1996

Question 11

Functional- Yinger?

Answer 11

Defines religion as a system of beliefs and practices by means of which a group of people struggles with the ultimate problems of human life

Question 12

Evaluations of Functional?
Strengths

Answer 12

+Embraces a wide range of beliefs and practices preforming functions
+Doesn’t specify ability in god or supernatural so western bias is reduces

Question 13

Evaluations of Functional?
Weakness?

Answer 13

-Institutions that preform the functions of integration are not necessary in religion such as chanting football chants isn’t the same as religion

Question 14

What is constructivist?

Answer 14

-Interpretivist sociology argue many different types of religion so its impossible to come up with a single definition
-Process by which a set of beliefs become recognised as a religion and who has power to determine weathers something as religion or not as what they are interested in

Question 15

Constructivist- who are our supporting sociologists?

Answer 15

Aldrige

Question 16

Constructivist- Aldridge?

Answer 16

Scientology’s a religion for its followers
Several govts have tried to ban scientology as a religion
Showing that religion cant be contested and influenced by those with the power to define the situation

Question 17

Constructivist- Evaluation strengths?

Answer 17

+Embraces a wide range of beliefs and practices preforming
functions
+Does not specify ability in god or supernatural so western bias reduced

Question 18

Constructivist- Evaluation weakness?

Answer 18

-Impossible to generalize nature of religion
No agreement on the meaning of religion

Question 19

What is religion?

Answer 19

It gives a vision of meaning and understanding to explain the world
Religion isn’t ties to the interests of a particular group

Question 20

What does Giddens say about religion?

Answer 20

Religion involves shared beliefs and rituals to provide a sense of meaning and create the idea that reality’s sacred
There are three main aspects of religion

Question 21

Giddens- what are the 3 main aspects of religion?

Answer 21

Belief in the supernatural
Faith on the parts of belivers
A body of unchanging truth

Question 22

Giddens- belief in the supernatural?

Answer 22

Can be spiritual or a supernatural person entity of other extra worldly spiritual force or belief of some kind that ultimately provides a sense of meaning and means of interpreting and explaining the world

Question 23

Giddens- Faith on the parts of beliefs?

Answer 23

A strong sense of trust and conviction in a personal entity which is not based on observable testable or falsifiable evidence

Question 24

Giddens- A body of unchaining truth?

Answer 24

Religion usually contains fundamental and unchangeble beliefs like Christ being the son of god
Or Mohammed Ali prophet and new discovery’s fitting into framework

Question 25

Is religion an ideology?

Answer 25

Differs form an ideology as not necessarily based on faith in supernatural belief but that of social group
-May be ideology as social group may seek to use religion for its own ends like promoting own interests e.g, Marx regarded religion as a part of ideology of the dominant class in society forming the worldview justifying the interest of that class acting like a drug to desensitise us