Sociology of Religion

My powerpoint presetation for my 1st sociology class.

1. Sociology of Religion GS 138: Introduction to Sociology Seth Allen

2. Chapter Outline Religion in Historical Perspective Sociological Perspectives on Religion Types of Religious Organization Trends in Religion in the United States Religion in the Future

3. Questions that Sociologists Ask about Religion How does religion affect society as a whole (does it divide/unite)? How does it affect social institutions like: Marriages, Political Structures, Economy How does religion, as a social institution, affect the wellbeing of individuals? What does it mean to be ‘religious’? How does one define and measure religiosity?

4. Measuring Religiosity Religiosity is the extent to which a person does one or more of the following: (1) believes in and “feels” or experiences certain aspects of religion (2) becomes involved in religious activities such as attending church or reading sacred texts (3) believes in the teachings of the church, (4) lives in accordance with those teachings and beliefs.

5. Religion and the Meaning of Life Religion seeks to answer important questions such as why we exist, why people suffer and die, and what happens when we die-the ‘sacred canopy’ Things that people do not set apart as sacred are referred to as profane—the everyday, secular or “worldly” aspects of life.

6. Elements of Religion Most religions have four elements: Ritual (ex. Prayer, communion) A sense of the Sacred A system of beliefs-in the supernatural and a set of ethics OR a set of abstract ideals Organization -each religion has a public component

7. Types of Religious Organization Ernest Troeltsch (1931) created a typology of three varieties of religious organizations: Ecclesia Church (Denomination) Sect Cult (now called New Religious Movements, NRMs)

8. Characters of Churches and Sects Organization Membership Worship Salvation Attitude Toward Other Religions Church Large, bureaucratic organization,led by professional clergy Open to all; members usually from upper and middle classes Formal, orderly Granted by God Tolerant Sect Small group,high degree of lay participation Guarded membership, usually from lower classes Informal, spontaneous Achieved by moral purity Intolerant

9. Ecclesia Encompasses all members of a society People are primarily born into the ecclesia, do not convert Influential in government affairs

10. Church/Denomination Stable, institutional organization Well-educated clergy Elaborate rituals and beliefs Tolerant of religious pluralism and the secular world

11. Sect Less organized than denomination Charismatic, less educated ministers Growth by recruiting, rather than being born into church Higher levels of devotion Reject worldliness and ‘impure’ denominations Tend to draw recruits from the lower classes

12. New Religious Movements (NRMs) Offer completely new beliefs, rituals, and means of transcendence Live in stark opposition to the world Informally organized, led by self-styled, charismatic leadership Recruit people who have economic and psychological deprivation

13. Four Categories of Religion Simple supernaturalism - the belief that supernatural forces affect people's lives positively or negatively. Animism - the belief that plants, animals, and elements of the natural world are endowed with spirits that impact events in society. Theism - belief in a God or Gods. Transcendent idealism - belief in sacred principles of thought and conduct, such as truth, justice, life and tolerance for others.

14. Major World Religions Christianity Islam Hinduism Buddhism Judaism Confucianism No. of Adherents 1.7 billion 1 billion 719 million 309 million 18 million 5.9 million Founder Jesus Muhammad No specific founder Siddhartha Gautama Abraham, Isaac, Jacob K’ung Fu-Tzu Dates Founded 1st century C.E. ca. 600 C.E ca. 1500 B.C.E 500 to 600 B.C.E. ca. 2000 B.C.E. 500 B.C.E

15. Sociological Observations of Religion in the U.S. Diverse -85 denominations with atleast 50,000 members * Positive slant of religion -heaven, personal blessings, etc. due to ‘religious marketplace’ Freedom from Anticlericalism -Americans do not have bitter feelings towards priests as protectors of the status quo Civil religion-God is frequently invoked in American rituals, symbols, etc, with little reference to which God/beliefs

16. Example of Civil Religion

17. Rates of Church Membership in U.S., 1776-2000

18. Secularization of U.S.? ‘Proof’ that the U.S. is more secular ‘Proof’ that the U.S. is NOT more secular 1 out of 4 people between 18-28 yrs. of age were unaffiliated with any religion Slighlty more people (38% of population) claims to have had a born again experience in 2008 than 20 yrs earlier 28% of US adults raised in faith have abandoned faith or chosen another one Percentage of people believing the Bible is the ‘inspired Word of God’ is roughly the same in 2008 as 1984 Major denominations, like the Disciples of Christ, PC-USA, Episcopalians, AME Zion have lost at least 20% of their membership in the last 20 yrs. ( link ) In 2007, 38% of 18-29 yrs old ‘strongly agreed’ that God was ‘angered by human sin’, the highest of any age group The no. of Americans having never attended church doubled between 1973 and 2008 ( link ) 33% of the same age group reported witnessing to friends at least once in the past month, the highest of any age group ( Link ) No. of Americans who believe that the Bible is the actual Word of God decreased from 37% in 1984 to 31% in 2008 ( link ) Church membership was nearly 62% in 2000, only 17% in 1776 (Starke & Finke)

19. U.S. Religious Traditions’ Membership

20. Leading Church Bodies

21. Social Stratification and Religion

22. Social Stratification and Religion

23. Theoretical Perspectives on Religion

24. Conflict Theory and Religion Religion is the ‘opiate of the masses’ according to Karl Marx-a way for the elites to reinforce the oppression of the lower classes Later conflict theorists point to the use of religion to justify racism, sexism, and oppression of homosexuals Focus on the ‘hereafter’ blinds people to current oppression

25. Conflict Theory and Religion

26. Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Religion serves as a reference group to help people define themselves. People are socialized into certain roles (ex. Being reverent during communion) through group expectations People attach sacred meaning to symbols

27. Symbols and Religion What does the head covering for women represent in the Christian faith? (Hint: 1 Cor. 11) How do head coverings in various faiths function as a sociological symbol?

28. Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism Max Weber studied the attitudes of Protestants and Catholics in Western Europe towards work and this life in late 19 th century He discovered that Protestants, particularly Calvnists , developed a rational worldview of hard work and thrift that propelled their economic activities Protestant Ethic spread to America, to non-Calvinists Example: Ben Franklin is famous for his quote “A penny saved is a penny earned”

29. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

30. Protestant Ethic in Modern Day U.S. Modern evangelical leaders often express their belief that economic freedom and Bible are compatible Jerry Falwell once stated: “God is in favor of freedom, property, ownership, competition, diligence, work and acquisition. All of this is taught in the Word of God, in both the Old and New Testaments” Pat Robertson ”…Communism and capitalism in their most extreme, secular manifestations are equally doomed to failure,….free enterprise is the economic system most nearly meeting humanity’s God-given need for freedom”.

31. Functionalist Perspective and Religion Religion is a ‘social glue’ that binds people with sacred rituals Religion upholds basic social norms Legitimates governmental authority Religion is a balm for the oppressed and marginalized But also dysfunctional…. Prevents social change Enhances political conflict

32. Functionalism and Religion Events like the “Meet You at the Pole” (pictured below) bind people by sacred rituals Most monarchies, like Great Britain, invoke a ‘divine right’ of the monarchy to rule the people. Vestiges of this system can be seen in the coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II (1952).

33. Rational Choice Theory and Religion People engage in a rational cost-benefit analysis when ‘shopping’ for churches Churches vary in their promise of rewards in this life and the hereafter Successful churches are those that promise the most rewards Rational Choice theory explains why prosperity gospel churches, like Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, gather 40,000+ each week.

34. Future of Religion Secularization theory, which believed that modernization, democratization, and globalization would decreased the need for faith, has been debunked Worldwide surge of fundamentalism(s) across religious traditions Religious devotion will increasingly be coupled with religious tolerance Polarization of beliefs within traditions