q4 definitions

Question 1

Substantive/exclusive:

Answer 1

Explains religion in terms of what it is; its substance, content or key features
Examples of this include, places of worship, holy books or worship of a supernatural figure
For Weber, religion is defined of belief in a God or the supernatural, these beliefs in the supernatural are at the core of Christian and Islamic beliefs
Advantage: makes the extent of religious activity and belief in society easier to measure by creating precise boundaries of study
Disadvantage: Too exclusive and prevents some new forms of religious organisations to be classified as a religion (Church of Scientology)

Question 2

functional/inclusive

Answer 2

Explains religion in terms of what it does or what it contributes to society
For example uniting people in society and giving people the opportunity of coming together as a group
Offers a sense of community, explains life events and is a communal activity
Broader definition of religion can cover a wide range of practices and some may not usually be regarded as religious
Advantage: Opens up a wide field of investigation, has no bias against non christian religions
Disadvantage: Too many activities can be viewed as religious, including some that are obviously secular according to the common sense view of society. Eg football as a religion