Defining religion Flashcards
What are the 3 beliefs?
-Substantive
-Functional
-Constructivist
What is the substantive theory?
-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
Substantive- Weber?
To be a religion, the belid must relate to a belief in god or the supernatural
Substantive- who are our supporting sociologists?
Robertson 1970
Bruce 1995
Substantive- Robertson 1970?
Religion is the existence of supernatural beings that have the governing affect of life
Substantive- Bruce 1995?
Religion is a beliefs, actions and institution which assume the existence of supernatural entity’s
Weakness of substantive?
-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
What is functional?
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
Functional- Durkheim?
Encouraging social cohesion and collective consciousness without including supernatural beliefs
Functional, who are our supporting sociologist?
Yinger 1996
Functional- Yinger?
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
Evaluations of Functional?
Strengths
+Embraces a wide range of beliefs and practices preforming functions
+Doesn’t specify ability in god or supernatural so western bias is reduces
Evaluations of Functional?
Weakness?
-Institutions that preform the functions of integration are not necessary in religion such as chanting football chants isn’t the same as religion
What is constructivist?
-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
Constructivist- who are our supporting sociologists?
Aldrige
Constructivist- Aldridge?
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
Constructivist- Evaluation strengths?
+Embraces a wide range of beliefs and practices preforming
functions
+Does not specify ability in god or supernatural so western bias reduced
Constructivist- Evaluation weakness?
-Impossible to generalize nature of religion
No agreement on the meaning of religion
What is religion?
It gives a vision of meaning and understanding to explain the world
Religion isn’t ties to the interests of a particular group
What does Giddens say about religion?
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
Giddens- what are the 3 main aspects of religion?
Belief in the supernatural
Faith on the parts of belivers
A body of unchanging truth
Giddens- belief in the supernatural?
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
Giddens- Faith on the parts of beliefs?
A strong sense of trust and conviction in a personal entity which is not based on observable testable or falsifiable evidence
Giddens- A body of unchaining truth?
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
