{"id":284,"date":"2016-05-04T03:20:03","date_gmt":"2016-05-04T03:20:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontosociology-waymaker\/?post_type=chapter&p=284"},"modified":"2024-04-25T15:42:37","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T15:42:37","slug":"the-history-of-religion","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/chapter\/the-history-of-religion\/","title":{"raw":"The History of Religion","rendered":"The History of Religion"},"content":{"raw":"
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Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\r\n
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  • Discuss the historical views and sociological perspectives on religion<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

    What is religion? Pioneering sociologist \u00c9mile Durkheim claimed that it consists of \u201cthings that surpass the limits of our knowledge\u201d (1915).\u00a0He defined religion as \u201ca unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say set apart and forbidden, beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community, called a church, all those who adhere to them\u201d (1915). Some people associate religion with places of worship (a synagogue or church), others with a practice (confession or meditation), and still others with a concept that guides their daily lives (like dharma or sin). All these people can agree that religion<\/span> is a system of beliefs, values, and practices concerning what a person holds sacred or considers to be spiritually significant.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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    \r\n\r\nFrom the Latin religio<\/em> (respect for what is sacred) and religare<\/em> (to bind, in the sense of an obligation), the term religion describes systems of belief and practice that define what people consider to be sacred or spiritual (Fasching and deChant 2001; Durkheim 1915). Throughout history, and in societies across the world, leaders have used religious narratives, symbols, and traditions in an attempt to give more meaning to life and to offer a framework for understanding the universe. Some form of religion is found in every known culture, and it is usually practiced in a public way by a recognizable group. The practice of religion can include feasts and festivals, prayer to God or gods, marriage and funeral services, devotional music and art, meditation or initiation, sacrifice or service, and other aspects of ritualized culture.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

    While some people think of religion as something individual because religious beliefs can be highly personal, religion is also a social institution. Social scientists recognize that religion exists as an organized and integrated set of beliefs, behaviors, and norms centered on basic social needs and values. Moreover, religion is a cultural universal found in all social groups. For instance, in every culture, funeral rites are practiced in some way, although these customs vary between cultures and within religious affiliations. Despite differences, there are common elements in a ceremony marking a person\u2019s death, such as announcement of the death, care of the deceased, disposition (e.g., cremation or burial), and ceremony or ritual. These universals, and the differences in how societies and individuals experience and practice religion, provide rich material for sociological study.<\/p>\r\n

    In studying religion, sociologists distinguish between experience, belief, and ritual. Religious experience<\/span><\/strong> refers to the conviction or sensation that we are connected to \u201cthe divine\u201d and\u00a0might be felt when people\u00a0pray or meditate. Religious beliefs<\/span><\/strong> are specific ideas members of a particular faith hold to be true, such as that Jesus Christ was the son of God, or that reincarnation exists. Another illustration of religious beliefs is the creation stories we find in different religions. Religious rituals<\/span><\/strong> are behaviors or practices that are either required or expected of the members of a particular group, such as baptism, bar mitzvah, First Communion, or confession of sins (Barkan and Greenwood 2003).<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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    The History of Religion as a Sociological Concept<\/h2>\r\n

    In the wake of nineteenth century European industrialization and secularization, three social theorists attempted to examine the relationship between religion and society: Karl Marx, \u00c9mile Durkheim, and Max Weber.<\/p>\r\nGerman philosopher, journalist, and revolutionary socialist\u00a0Karl Marx\u00a0(1818\u20131883) studied the social impact of religion. He believed religion reflects the social stratification of society and that it maintains inequality and perpetuates an unjust status quo. For him, religion was just an extension of and false remedy for working-class (proletarian) economic suffering. He famously argued that religion \u201cis the opium of the people\u201d (1844).\r\n\r\nFrench sociologist \u00c9mile Durkheim (1858\u20131917) defined religion as a \u201cunified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things\u201d (1915). To him, sacred meant extraordinary\u2014something that inspired wonder and that seemed connected to the concept of \u201cthe divine.\u201d Durkheim argued that \u201creligion happens\u201d in society when there is a separation between the profane (ordinary life) and the sacred (1915). A rock, for example, isn\u2019t sacred or profane as it exists. But if someone makes it into a headstone, or another person uses it for landscaping, it takes on different meanings\u2014one sacred, one profane.\r\n

    Durkheim is generally considered the first sociologist who analyzed religion in terms of its societal impact. Above all, he believed religion is about community: It binds people together (social cohesion), promotes behavior consistency (social control), and offers strength during life\u2019s transitions and tragedies (meaning and purpose). By applying the methods of natural science to the study of society, Durkheim held that the source of religion and morality is the collective mind-set of society and that the cohesive bonds of social order result from common values in a society. He contended that these values need to be maintained to preserve social stability.<\/p>\r\n

    But what would happen if religion were to decline? This question led Durkheim to posit that religion is not just a social creation but something that demonstrates the cohesive power of societal bonds: when people celebrate sacred things, they celebrate the stabilizing power of their society. By this reasoning, even if traditional religion disappeared, society wouldn\u2019t necessarily dissolve.<\/p>\r\n

    Whereas Durkheim saw religion as a source of social stability, German sociologist and political economist Max Weber (1864\u20131920) believed it was a precipitator of social change. He examined the effects of religion on economic activities and noticed that heavily Protestant societies\u2014such as those in the Netherlands, England, Scotland, and Germany\u2014were the most highly developed capitalist societies and that their most successful business leaders were Protestant. In his writing The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism<\/em> (1905), he contends that the Protestant work ethic influenced and accelerated the development of capitalism. Weber noted that certain kinds of Protestantism supported the pursuit of material gain by motivating believers to work hard, be successful, and not spend their money on frivolous things. (The modern use of \u201cwork ethic\u201d comes directly from Weber\u2019s Protestant ethic, although it has now lost its religious connotations.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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    The Protestant Work Ethic in the Information Age<\/h3>\r\n

    Max Weber (1904) posited that, in Europe in his time, Protestants were more likely than Catholics to value capitalist ideology, and believed in hard work and careful saving. He showed that Protestant values directly influenced the rise of capitalism and helped create the modern world order. Weber thought the emphasis on community in Catholicism versus the emphasis on individual achievement in Protestantism made a difference. Watch this brief video to review Weber's ideas.<\/p>\r\n