Module 2 Flashcards
Theory of religion
Methodology atheism
Study of religion Through Sociology Anthropology Psychology
Outsiders pointvof veiw that the religion is not true, even if on a personal level they are believers
Ellwood defines sociology as
The study of human societies or social units large and small in terms of their structure processes, and interactions with other social units, a view of general principles that govern them
Emilie Durkheim
French sociologist Founder of field of sociology Most important idea Societies had sacred objects ...primitive people had totems
Durkheim definition of religion
A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things
Sacred fulfills a functional role,a symbol of culture and the society
Karl Marx
German sociologist
Economists and philosopher
Materialist..the idea that matter or physical world is the ultimate reality. Mind or spirit is secondary
Process of Dialectic
Series of steps as your mind works through history
- Thesis… ideas about how world works
- Antithesis…against the thesis problems raised by the thesis
- synthesis..solves the problem, but eventually becomes a new thesis.
Max weber
German thinker influenced by Karl Marx
Believe that religion was the structure on which an economic superstructure was built
Capitalism
Peter Berger
Young generations of sociologist !
Believe human knowledge is a social construction,
Human beings construct a social reality which allows them to function in th world.
Body of knowledge for Nomos
Nomos
Order and integration into. the world
Berger says all of society is “nomoized”, it is socially constructed by people.
Its built on a 3 step process, built for a shared experience, with these steps they can develop a sense of meaning and belonging
Social construct
Process where people continually create, through their actions and interactions a shared reality where this experience is
Objectively factual and subjectively meaningful
Made up by the people
Anthropology
Study of the nature of human beings
Edward tylor
British anthropologist
Founder of social anthropology
Beliefs in spiritual beings
Animism
A belief that everything, plants,animals and even inanimate objects are animated by spirits
These spirits are the heart of religion
James Frazer
British anthropologist
Magic and mythology
Clifford Geertz
American and Symbolic anthropologist
Religion is a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive and long lasting moods and motivations.
He called religion a model and claimed it was both a “model of” and “model for”
(Descriptive view) (what we ought to do)
Ethos
A model for prescriptive tellingvwhat we ought to do.
Worldview
Way we see it in the world.
Model for descriptive view
Evan’s Pritchard
British anthropologist
Functional traditionalists
Studied primitive cultures and trysts to ascertain the function of various religious rituals
Psychology
A focus on individuals
How human mind works
Sigmund Freud
Carl Jung
Williams James
Abraham Maslow
Sigmund Freud
Founder of psychoanalytical theory
First to discuss unconscious
He taught that religion was kind of a mass neuroses
Religion met an infantile need for protection
Passionate atheist
He believed that by understanding the basis of religion, one could cure people and create a society without false beliefs in God.
Carl Jung
Freud follower
Non jew
He didn’t share the same thoughts on religion as Freud
He believes it’s a positive thing
Collective consciousness
Maslow
American psychologist
Developed hierarchy of human needs
A healthy individual must climb up through this hierarchy of needs, beginning with the lowest level basic physical needs and leading to the highest level of self actualization.
Highest level I included religion
Phenomenology
The study of religion from the inside.
What does religion feel like for those experiencing it.
Emmanuel Kant
German philosopher
Revolutionized philosophy
Called religion the phenomenal world,the world our mind perceives, our mind organizes how we see the world
