The Challenges of Sociology to Religious Belief

1
The Challenges of Sociology to Religious Belief

• Is religion a product of society?

2
Emile Durkheim (1858 1917)

• What is religion?
• Where does religion come from?
• What is the function and importance of religion
  for society?

3
Emile Durkheim

• What is religion?
• a unified system of beliefs and practices
  relative to sacred things
• Sacred things e.g. Christian cross
• Believed to have special quality
• Set apart from everyday things
• Rituals e.g. prayer, communion
• Performed by groups
• Follow set pattern

4
Emile Durkheim

• Where does religion come from?
• Examined primitive religion
• Australian Aborigines
• Divided into small groups clans
• Each clan associated with a totem
• Totem was specific animal or plant considered
  sacred
• But each clan had own animal
• Images of totem considered more sacred than
  actual animal
• Concluded clan to be more important than the totem

5
Emile Durkheim

• Therefore the focus of worship in all religions
  is actually society
• We must behave in a socially acceptable way
• But that does not mean we want to behave that way
• society to its members is what a god is to his
  worshipers (Durkheim)

6
Emile Durkheim

• What is the function and importance of religion
  for society?
• Religion holds society together
• Especially through rituals
• Rituals strengthened peoples dependence on
  society
• Form of ritual is unimportant one as valid as
  another
• Object of worship also does not matter
• We will in time worship objects other than a god
  e.g. Princess Diana

7
Emile Durkheim

• Conclusions
• Durkheim does not disprove God
• Shows that worship of a god could be the effect
  of society
• Gods are a symbol of society rather than a
  reality
• But whilst he might be right about most religions
  there could still be one true God

8
Emile Durkheim

• Strengths
• Accounts for enormous variety of religions
• Religion does play a part in strengthening
  society
• Religious objects do unit people and place values
  upon them
• Explains the social side of religion collective
  worship
• This is not covered by psychology

9
Emile Durkheim

• Weaknesses
• Does not explain why and how
• Music may unite people but the composer may have
  set out to express himself
• In the same way religion could have come about as
  a response to Gods love
• No evidence of his interpretation of the
  Aboriginal religion
• Even if correct does not mean all religions come
  from the same process
• E.g. Muhammad reject society
• Whilst religion can unite society it can also
  create division
• E.g. Catholic -v- Protestant
• Interpretation of religion is too broad

10
Max Weber (1864-1920)

• Society only one of several factors explaining
  religion
• Religion is a major force behind change of
  society
• Weber less interested in origin of religion
• Concerned with different types and impact on
  society

11
Max Weber

• Three key questions
• Where does religion come from?
• What is the relationship between ones religious
  beliefs and the social group to which one
  belongs?
• What is the impact of religious beliefs upon the
  behaviour of society?

12
Max Weber

• Where does religion come from?
• Religion is universal
• Makes sense of life
• Fulfils basic psychological needs
• Our ideal interests
• We want life to be kind and fair
• In practice it is senseless
• This leads to religion
• Material interests
• Our position in society and our interests
  determine our religious view
• Charismatic prophets
• introduced the various religions

13
Max Weber

• What is the relationship between ones religious
  beliefs and the social group to which one
  belongs?
• Weber noted
• Primitive societies centred their religion on
  material need food and wealth
• Developed societies centred their religion on
  ethical rules
• Wealthy people use religion to justify their
  wealth through their righteousness

14
Max Weber

• What is the impact of religious beliefs upon the
  behaviour of society?
• Once adopted, a religion can have a major impact
  on behaviour and economic activity
• Introduction of Protestantism coincided with
  Capitalism
• Protestantism encouraged involvement in the world
• Idea of predestination led to need to perform
  ones duty as if one of the elect

15
Max Weber

• Strengths
• Accepts complexity of religion
• Leaves room for possibility that God does exist
• There are examples of religious beliefs
  influenced by interests
• E.g. liberation theology
• There are examples of religion bringing about
  social change
• E.g. anti-apartheid headed by Archbishop Desmond
  Tutu
• Link between religion and capitalism is plausible

16
Max Weber

• Weaknesses
• Offers no prove that God does not exist
• Psychological need could have been given to us by
  God
• Society could influence our beliefs differently
  because our needs are different
• R. Tawney suggests that capitalism brought about
  a change in behaviour not religion
• Capitalism is found in predominantly Catholic
  countries e.g. Belgium, Japan
• Parkin shows that Calvinism opposes profit for
  its own sake

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Putting it altogether

• Write bullet points that show how you would go
  about answering the following exam question
• Explain how sociologists have understood the role
  of religion in society. (33)
• Sociology presents no threat to belief in God.
  Discuss (17)