THEORIES OF RELIGION Flashcards
FUNCTIONALISM
MARXISM
FEMINISM
POST MODERNISM
FUNCTIONALISM:
DURKHEIM argues one of the main pruposes of religion is to DIFFERENTIATE the sacred form the profane. The true essence of religion can be found in its simplest forms in the simplest societies: CLAN SOCIETIES.DURKHEIM studied an ABORIGINAL CLAN who acme together regularly to worship a SCARED TOTEM. TOTEMISM reinforces the clans SENSE OF BELONGING. DURKHEIM additionally saw that SACRED SYMBOLS, represent the COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE and helps individuals to feel a part of something bigger than themselves. He concluded that RELIGION is the ORIGIN of HUMAN THOUGHT and SOURCE of our COGNITIVE FUNCTION, as people need to understand concepts like SPACE and TIME: RELIGION helps to PROVIDE THAT.
Similarly, like DURKHEIM, MALINOWSKI sees that religion PROMOTES SOLIDARITY and has a PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTION that helps people with EMOTIONAL STRESS that UNDERMINES SOCIAL SOLIDARITY. MALINOWSKI identifies TWO SITUATIONS where religion performs this role: at times of LIFE CRISES (death, marriage) and when situations are uncontrollable (travelling). Using religion during this moments helps to PREVENT ANOMIE and THUS INSTILS SOLIDARITY.
PARSONS: believes that religion helps people to cope with unpredictable situations. He identifies TWO ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS that religions performs: LEGITIMISES SOCIETIES CENTRAL VALUES eg promote consensus and is a PRIMARY SOURCE OF REASON; answers ULTIMATE QUESTIONS like WHY PEOPLE SUFFER.
BELLAH: argues that CIVIL RELIGION integrates society in a way that DIFFERENT RELIGIONS cannot. This is shown through various symbols like the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE and phrases like ONE NATION UNDER GOD.
MARXISM:
see that religion is an IDEOLOGICAL STATE APPARATUS that MAINTAINS R/C IDEOLOGY by LEGITIMISING the SUFFERING of the POOR as INEVITABLE, MISLEADING them into thinking they will be REWARDED in the AFTER LIFE. For e.g., CHRISTIANITY teaches that it is easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven, which creates FALSE CONCIOUSNESS. Similarly, religion JUSTIFIES THE POWER OF THE RULING CLASS. Religious teachings encourage the PROLETERIAT to believe the STRUCTURES of SOCIETY are ORGANISED BY GOD’S WILL. The HYMN ‘all things bright and beautiful’ contains the verse ‘THE RICH MAN IN HIS CASTLE, THE POOR MAN AT HIS GATE, GOD MADE THEM… AND ORDERED THEIR ESTATE’. LENIN sees that RELIGION is a SPIRITUAL GIN that the RULING CLASS use to OBSCURE the REALITY of the WORKING CLASS which PREVENTS them from OVERTHROWING the RULING CLASS. Ultimately, religion offers EXISTENTIAL SECURITY, as it encourages SUPERANTURAL INTEREVENTION at times of struggle. As a result, humans find it pointless to change things as it is in ‘GOD’S HANDS’. Following from this the promise of the afterlife gives people the resilience to cope with their misery as they believe in death, they will finally be at peace. MARX sees this as the workings of religion as the OPIUM of the MASSES that dulls the pain of the oppressed by giving a temporary high that distracts them from their exploitation.
FEMINISM
See the main function of religion is maintain patriarchy and oppress women. DALY suggests religion does this by PORTRAYING MALE DOMINATION OVER WOMEN. For eg, presenting GOD as a MAN and BECAUSE MEN have HIJACKED RELIGIOUS DOCTRINE to perpetuate their misogyny; they depict WOMEN as BAD INFLUENCES (Eve, in the BIBLE, is seen as the cause of the FALL FROM GRACE). She concluded that EQUALITY IN RELIGION can only be found when there is ACCEPTANCE that GOD COULD BE A WOMAN. WOODHEAD criticises DALY’S VIEW and sees that WOMEN USE RELIGION as a way to GAIN FREEDOM, she explains how the HIJAB is a FORM of LIBERATION that ALLOWS MUSLIM WOMEN to feel MODEST. SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR sees that religion tricks women into thinking they are EQUAL to men in the eyes of God and will be rewarded for their suffering in the afterlife, yet it relegates women as SECOND-CLASS BELIEVERS. For eg, MUSLIM WOMEN are not allowed to touch the QURAN when MENSTRUATING, under the belief that it would POLLUTE the SACRED TEXT. She further believes that women are socialised into worshipping male Gods and so UNCONCIOUSLY SEE MEN AS SUPERIOR. This is countered by LIBERAL PROTESTANT MOVEMENTS (QUAKERS) that are committed to GENDER EQUALITY: 1/3 of UNITARIAN MEMBERS ARE WOMEN. ARMSTRONG sees that RELIGION enforces the concept of the ‘STAINED GLASS CEILING’ as women are BLOCKED from TOP POSITIONS in MAINSTREAM CHURCHES. This is shown by TRADITIONALISTS’ strong OPPOSITION to the NOTION OF FEMALE BISHOPS in the CHURCH OF ENGLAND. SAADAWI counters this and sees religion itself as not inherently patriarchal but the culture in which it surrounds itself is. ARABIC CULTURE reinforces the idea that men hold powerful positions and thus utilise the QURAN to support their views.
POSTMODERNISM
LYON sees that RELIGION has become DISEMBEDDED in POSTMODERN SOCIETY: no longer embedded in religious organisation or cultures, this allows people to ‘PICK N MIX’ belief systems- take what they like and reject what they don’t. As a result, religion appears in the most unexpected places like DISNEYLAND. Religion has become a matter of CHOICE NOT OBLIGATION. A contributing factor to this is TECHNOLOGY; the internet and TV had taken religion out of their buildings and onto media platforms.
5 FEATURES OF RELIGION
- BELIEF IN THE SCARED
- SACRED and PROFANE
- RITUAL ACTS
- MORAL CODES
- PRAYER
