SOC 105

Chapter 12

Religion

Jonestown

• November 1978– 918 members committed suicide in Guyana,

South America

Branch Davidians

• April 1993– 79 members were killed in the siege

at the Mount Carmel compound

Aum Shinrikyo

• March 1995– 12 people died and over 5,000 were

injured in the Tokyo subway attack

Solar Temple

• October 1994 & March 1997– Over 50 members died in fires set by the

group

• March 1997– 39 members committed suicide at a mansion

in Rancho Santa Fe, CA

Heaven’s Gate

Questions

• Why do Religions emerge & develop?

• Why do people join Religions?

Introduction

• Rodney Stark defines religion as:– “socially organized patterns of belief

and practices that concern ultimate meaning and assume the existence of the supernatural”

• Nobody knows when humans first acquired religion

• All known societies have some type of religion

• Religion has influenced societies in enormous ways

Religion in the United StatesReligion in the United States

Other 6%

None 5%

Jewish 2%

Mormon 1%

Protestant 59%Catholic 27%

Source: Gallup Poll 1994.

Functionalist Perspective

• Religion has 3 important functions:

1. Providing meaning and purpose to life

2. Promoting social cohesion and a sense of belonging

3. Providing social control and support for the government

• Religion can be dysfunctional too….

The Crusades

Taliban(Muslims) vs. Buddhists

• A 175-foot Buddhist monument, believed to be the world's largest standing Buddha was destroyed by Taliban Muslims in Afganistan.

Conflict Perspective

• According to Karl Marx, religion is the "opiate of the people"

• Max Weber argued that religion could be a catalyst to produce social change

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

• Religion serves as a reference group to help people define themselves

• Women’s versions of a certain religion usually differ from men’s versions

Secularization

• “The process by which particular religious organizations become more worldly and offer a less vivid and less active conception of the supernatural”

The Secularization Thesis (The Old Paradigm)

• Suggests that as society becomes more industrial and technological, religion is replaced by science

The Evidence?

• In the 1960s & 70s many social scientists predicted that religion would be replaced by science – They noticed that the largest

established denominations were losing members

Market Shares of Mainline per 1,000 Church Members, 1940-1985

Denomination 1940 1960 1985 Percentage loss or gain

United Methodists

124.7 93.0 64.3 -48%

Presbyterian, U.S.A.

41.7 36.4 21.3 -49%

Episcopal 30.9 28.6 19.2 -38%

Christian (Disciples)

25.7 15.7 7.8 -70%

United Church of Christ

26.5 19.6 11.8 -56%

• Yet, these scientists neglected to look at other non-mainline denominations

Market Shares of Evangelicals per 1,000 Church Members, 1940-1985

Denomination 1940 1960 1985 Percentage loss or gain

Southern Baptists

76.7 85.0 101.3 +32%

Assemblies of God

3.1 4.4 14.6 +371%

Church of the Nazarene

2.6 2.7 3.7 +42%

Church of God (Cleveland, TN)

1.0

1.5 3.6 +260%

Has Religion Been Displaced by Science?

• Seems to be the case in Europe, but not in the U.S.– Churches receive more money than any

other charity– Over 90% say they believe in God– Around 57% say they pray on a regular

basis– Around 70% report that religion is “very

important” in their lives– Church membership has increased over

the years, not decreased

Rates of Church Affiliation, U.S., 1776-1995Rates of Church Affiliation, U.S., 1776-1995

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1776 1850 1890 1916 1952 19951860 1870 1906 1926 1980

Pe

rce

nt

of

Ch

urc

h M

em

be

rsh

ip

Year

An Alternate View (The New Paradigm)

• Others suggested that secularization leads to religious revival and/or innovation– Religion will not be replaced by

science

Why Does Religion Remain Relevant In The U.S. ?

1. Cultural Compatibility– Early churches emphasized self-

government and voluntary affiliation• Fits well with cultural values about freedom

of choice and individual initiative

2. Social Identity– Churches help those who move around

find a sense of community

3. Disestablishment & Competition (Finke, Stark & Bainbridge)– Separation of church and state ensures that no

one religion or denomination is funded by the government

• Thus, religious monopolies are prevented due to competition

– This wasn’t the case in many European countries

• This creates an environment that encourages competition between churches

– Churches have to adapt to meet the needs and wants of “the marketplace”

» a.k.a. “a religious economy”

The Geography of NRMs

• NRM’S typically arise in those areas where sects and churches have failed to satisfy the religious market

• What are NRMs?– “The beginning phase of an entirely

new religion”• Differs from a sect in that sects attempt to

purify or return to elements of an established religion

• Research has shown that NRMs are more successful in areas where “secularization” has occurred– The unchurched belt in the Western

U.S.

Church Membership Rates Per 1,000

Values:

588.37 To 747.3  

547.63 To 587.84  

460.98 To 546.46

405.98 To 453.63  

313.11 To 399.18

Studying Group Solidarity: Solomon Asch

Group 1X

Group 2ABC

Group 1

X

Group 2

A

B

C

Group 1X

Group 2ABC

Response Rates

Why Do People Join NRMS?: Studying Religious Conversion• The brainwashing thesis

– Based on psychology– Members are thought to be:

• Young• Lacking strong social attachments• From lower socioeconomic classes• Uneducated• Weak minded and thus highly suggestible

• The social network thesis – Based on sociology – John Lofland & Rodney Stark studied

religious conversion to the Unification Church

Research Findings

• Empirical research suggests the following generalizations

– Those who are deeply committed to a faith do not go out and join another faith

• Seekership precedes many conversions but….

– Converts don’t have to have a favorable opinion of the NRM before they join, and they don’t initially agree with the NRM’s ideology

• Conversion is an act of conformity

– Recruitment and conversion to NRMs happens primarily through pre-existing social networks with family and friends

– Strong ties to others in the NRM are important for recruitment

– Sustained intensive interaction is also important for retention

• Members who are heavily involved have fewer and weaker ties to non-members

Conclusions

– Conversion Is A Matter Of Conformity

– Secularization contributes to the emergence of religious revivals and NRMs