Religion and Society

1
Religion and Society

• Religion can play several roles in society
• a unifying role
• religion gives society a sense of unity,
  cohesiveness
• a conservative role
• religion encourages society to resist change
• a revolutionary role
• religion encourages society to embrace change
• a prophetic role
• religion serves as the conscience of society

2
Religion and Society

• Examples of the roles religion plays in society
• a unifying role
• Buddhist/Taoist society we see a unity of belief
  and business (shrines in shops, e.g.), belief and
  architecture (feng shui)
• a conservative role
• Islamic society there is resistance to anything
  western
• a revolutionary role
• Catholicism in Poland it played a big role in
  ending communist rule
• a prophetic role
• Christians in the U.K. (18th century) preachers
  spoke out against slavery, and the nation changed
  its policy

3
Religion and Society

• All religions have a social dimension
• Buddhism
• I take refuge in the Buddha (the ideal life)
• I take refuge in the Dharma (teachings,
  doctrines)
• I take refuge in the Sangha (the community of
  monks)
• Islam
• the hadj to Mecca
• salat 5 times per day facing Mecca
• Judaism
• the weekly celebration of the Shabat
• the annual celebration of Pesach (Passover)

4
Religion and Society

• Is it possible to be religious without being a
  member of a community of faith?
• Can one be a Christian, e.g., and never go to
  church, never celebrate Christmas or Easter with
  others?
• What are some of the advantages of being
  religious on your own?
• What are some of the disadvantages?

5
Religion and Society

• The Christian and Christian Society
• Christianity is a religion of the most profound
  inwardnessthe crowd corrupts it! (Kierkegaard)
• There is some ambivalence here. Consider
• the church did not exist in Jesus day, nor did
  he say much about it
• there are only 3 accounts of Jesus inside a
  Jewish temple
• as a boy, to argue with the rabbis and elders
• at the beginning of his public life, to read a
  bit of Scripture (he left immediately after)
• toward the end of his life, to throw out the
  moneychangers from the temple in Jerusalem
• but also the first Christians lived together in
  community
• and communal worship was for them a daily ritual

6
Religion and Society

• Religion in American Society
• do you see religion playing a large or small role
  in American society?
• what are some examples of religion influencing
  American society?