Religion Flashcards
What is substantiative?
Emphasizes humanity’s relationship with the supernatural, the transcendent, and the otherworldly
7 Elements of religion
- Ritual
- Myth
- Doctrinal
- Ethical
- Experiential
- Social
- Material scared spaces, objects and places
What is Religiosity?
How important religion is to people and is measured through belonging, beliefs and behaviour
4 things about Religion and Society
- Governments are drawn into debates about religion
- Religious rights vs other rights
- New religious movements and religious awakenings
- Conservative religious traditions are gaining strength
Functionalism approaches to religion
- Clifford Geertz - System of symbols quote
- Emile Durkheim - Social Solidarity
Explain Clifford Geertz
Religion is a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic
Explain Emile Durkheim
The function of rituals and religion is to reinforce social solidarity and people share common sentiments and values when they live together
4 Conflict and Feminist Theory Approaches to Religion
- Criticism of Durkheim’s Theory
- Religion and the subordination of Women
- Religion and Class Inequality
- Karl Marx
Explain Criticism of Durkheim’s theory
They say that it overemphasizes religion’s role in maintaining social cohesion and Ignore the fact that when religion increases social cohesion, it often reinforces social inequality
Explain Religion and the subordination of women
Feminists say that the major world religions traditionally place women in subordinate positions and that it reinforces patriarchy
Explain Religion and Class inequality
Religion has often supported class inequality
Explain Karl Marx
Religion is the opium of the people. - copium
Tranquillizes the underprivileged into accepting their life
Symbolic Interactionist Approaches to Religion
- Max Weber
Explain Max Weber
Religion can contribute to social change.
The Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism.
connection between the rise of capitalism and meanings people attached to religious ideas.
connection between the rise of capitalism and meanings people attached to religious ideas
- weak correlation
- Catholics can coexist with capitalism and Protestants can have economic stagnation
2 things about The Rise, Decline, and Partial Revival of Religion
- Secularization Thesis
- Revived Secularization Thesis
Explanation of Secularization Thesis
religious institutions, actions, and consciousness are on the decline worldwide and will one day disappear
2 Critiques of the Traditional Secularization Theory
- Traditional Secularization theory stated the that all societies undergo differentiation
- differentiation - worldly institutions break off from the institution of religion over time - The divide between religion and the educational system is actually murky
- Separation between church and state
- The modern states are increasingly compelled to intervene in disputes over religion - Some places have religious rule imposed by religious group
Explain Revived Secularization Thesis
Overall trend toward decreased importance of religion is unfolding in different ways around the world
2 Critiques of the Revised Secularization Theory
- Despite the decline of institutional religion, personal subjective religious beliefs are still present
- The West is secularizing, but the rest of the world is becoming more religious
- Buddhist revival in China
- Christian growth in Asia and Africa
- Muslim revival
- Hindu revival
2 aspects of the Market Model
Religions are like product brands offering different “flavours” of religious experience
- Religious Monopoly
- Religious Pluralism
Explain Religious Monopoly
When one religion body has special privilege from the state, preventing other religious bodies from selling their “brand” to consumers
- only one brand
Explain Religious Pluralism
- Diverse array of religions and religious beliefs in a given area
- The market rewards “brands” that meet the needs of consumers and punishes those that don’t in countries that permit several religions
What is a church
Any bureaucratic religious organization that has adapted to mainstream culture
What is a sect
- Less integrated into society and usually forms by breaking away from churches due to disagreement about doctrine
- may disappear or become more church-like or become institutionalized
What is a Denomination
In between sects and churches
What are New Religious Movements?
- Unique religious visions that reject mainstream culture
- may disappear or become more church-like or become institutionalized
What is the expected future of religion?
- Gradual secularization will likely continue in the 21st century
- More religious pluralism
