Works of Scholars

Question 1

Summarise Durkheim’s sociological critique.

Answer 1

• focuses on the idea that religion is not rooted in divine or supernatural but in the social structures of society.
• He would see religion and gods as an expression of the collective over the individual. That the desire for a cohesive society has created a religion that gives individuals common purpose.
• he believes that religion subjects individuals to moral obligations which led to the maintenance of social harmony.
• “ it is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things… which unite into one single moral community, calling a church all who adhere to them.”
• uses the term totemism

Question 2

How does Durkheim use totemism in his sociological critique ?

Answer 2

• the term symbolises God, but also the unity of the clan.
• He claimed God and unity were one and the same.
• These were symbols of both god and the society and though it is God that is consciously worshipped it is actually the society which is the object of veneration.
• The social system believes it owes its existence to God and so worships God. Therefore this is the same as claiming that society worships God. Religion is society divinised.
• Deities which are worshipped are projections of the power of society.

Question 3

Evaluate Durkheim’s critique of religion.

Question 4

What is Marxism?

summarise to key points

Answer 4

• society is motivated my material concerns. The concept of private property divided society into 2 main classes - the bourgeoisie who control production and the proleteriate who sell their labour.
• The economy shapes society’s superstructure including religion.
• Marx advocaated for a classless , stateless society where the means of production are collectively owned.

Question 5

What is Marxism’s view on religion?

incude quotes

Answer 5

• religion is an expression of material realities and economic justice. Thus problems in religion in problems in society.
• • religion was seen a tool to maintain power by encoraging the working classto accept their suffering in this life in exhange for the hope of a better afterlife.
• “ the religious world is but the reflex of the real world.”
• described it as the “Opium of the people”, as its role is to provide false comfort to the oppressed, helping them cope with suffering without adressing the real causes of their misery- capitalism.
• “religion is the sigh of the opressed creature”.
• In a communist society , he believed religios consolation would nolonger be needed as class divisions were abolished.

Question 6

Evaluate Marx’s critique of religion. Give strengths

Answer 6

see document

Question 7

What is Freud’s psychological critique?

Answer 7

1. believed that religion is an illusion based on wish fulfillment. The human mind creates beliefs to satisfy its desires.
   Quote: “Religion was an attempt to get control over the sensory world. In whcih we were placed by dreams of the wish world, which we have develped inside us a necessity”
2. suggests tht religion and neurosis are products of the human mind. “ an individual religiosity” with its repetitive rituals. “ a universal obsessional neurosis”
3. Religion is merely a reaction to helplessness:
   “ A bottom God is nothing more than an exalted father”- Freud.

Question 8

Evaluate Freud’s psychological critique

Question 9

What is postmodernism

Question 10

what are the scholars for postmodernism?

Question 11

What are the critiques of postmodernism?

Question 12

What are theist’s response to the critiques of post modernism.

Question 13

Evaluate Freud’s critique. Give critiques