Religion & Religious Institutions

December 19th, 2016

Sociology on Religion

• Not about studying God or Gods or the existence of God – that’s theology or philosophy

• It’s about studying people, patterns of belief, impact on groups

Perspectives: Karl Marx

• “The opiate of the people”

• Believed religion was negative and destructive

• Argued that religion was deterring people from fighting for equal treatment

Emile Durkheim

• The first sociologist to examine religion scientifically

• Wondered why all societies have some form of religion

• Adopted a functionalist view• Religion

– Gives formal approval to existing social arrangements– Encourages unity– Provides sense of understanding– Provides sense of belonging

• Organic & Mechanical Solidarity

Max Weber

• “Switchman on the tracks”

• Mostly agreed with Durkheim

• Argued that rather than society affecting religion, religion affected society

• Eg: Protestant values preached by Martin Luther and John Calvin directly impacted the advent of Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution – “The Protestant Work Ethic”

Religious Organization Cont’d

December 20th, 2016

Religion in Society: Stability vs. Change

• Protest vs. Equilibrium

Secularism & Fundamentalism

• Secularism – separation of church and state. The Sacred loses influence over society.

• Fundamentalism – resistance of secularization and rigid adherence to traditional beliefs, rituals and doctrines.

Martin Luther

Painting by Ferdinand Pauwels, 1871

Religious Organization

• Religion – a personal or institutionalized system of belief in a supernatural power

• Church (Ecclesia) – a type of religious organization to which all people in that society are members

• Denomination – a well-established religious organization in which a substantial portion of the population are members (pluralistic society)

• Sect – religious organization that arises out of a desire to reform an existing religious organization (usually a denomination). Relatively small.

• Cult – a relig. organization whose characteristics are not drawn from existing religious traditions within a society. Founded on the revelations of a person believed to have special knowledge.

Church-Sect Continuum

• Developed by Howard Becker, based on the ideas of Max Weber

Cults• Often lead by a central, charismatic figure• Make claims about special knowledge only revealed to

insiders• Tend to reject the rest of society• Followers are often disillusioned by religion/life in

general• Often urge severing of ties with non-cult members• Members often urged to give-up money, personal

possessions• Cults usually fit one of the following 3 typologies

– According to a mystically-oriented illumination type– an instrumental type, in which inner experience is sought

solely for its effects– a service-oriented type that is focused on aiding others.

Infamous Examples

• The Manson Family

• Jim Jones and the People’s Temple

• Scientology

Jonestown

• Jim Jones led the People’s Temple

• Settlement on Guyana

• On November 18 of 1978, over 900 people died in the settlement in a Mass Suicide

• Participants drank cyanide laced Kool-Aid

• Some were actually murdered

Cults and Religion

• How are they the same?

• How are they different?

• Consider functionalist perspective according to Durkheim along with the points on page 476-477. Why would people join a cult?

• What would Karl Marx say about Jonestown?