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Questions and Answers
What term refers to a smaller, less organized group of committed believers that may protest or critique a larger religious body?
What term refers to a smaller, less organized group of committed believers that may protest or critique a larger religious body?
Which category does Howard Becker identify as a sect that becomes institutionalized and less active in protest?
Which category does Howard Becker identify as a sect that becomes institutionalized and less active in protest?
What is a characteristic of world-rejecting New Religious Movements (NRMs)?
What is a characteristic of world-rejecting New Religious Movements (NRMs)?
Which movement is characterized by a private, individualized form of spirituality and virtual participation?
Which movement is characterized by a private, individualized form of spirituality and virtual participation?
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What does the term 'crutch theory of religion' imply?
What does the term 'crutch theory of religion' imply?
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Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of New Religious Movements?
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of New Religious Movements?
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Which type of New Religious Movement focuses on self-help and therapeutic practices?
Which type of New Religious Movement focuses on self-help and therapeutic practices?
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What does the concept of 'religious economy' refer to?
What does the concept of 'religious economy' refer to?
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What does the Compensatory Principle in Feuerbach's thought suggest?
What does the Compensatory Principle in Feuerbach's thought suggest?
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Which of the following best describes the concept of Polytheism?
Which of the following best describes the concept of Polytheism?
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How does the Conflict Thesis characterize the relationship between religion and science?
How does the Conflict Thesis characterize the relationship between religion and science?
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According to Durkheim, what is one outcome of an individual's confrontation with societal intelligence?
According to Durkheim, what is one outcome of an individual's confrontation with societal intelligence?
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What does Monism reject in its philosophy?
What does Monism reject in its philosophy?
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In the context of Deism, how is the creator typically viewed?
In the context of Deism, how is the creator typically viewed?
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What is one primary reason Feuerbach believed religion developed?
What is one primary reason Feuerbach believed religion developed?
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Which of the following statements aligns with Naturalism?
Which of the following statements aligns with Naturalism?
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What central idea relates to the sacredness granted to objects in society?
What central idea relates to the sacredness granted to objects in society?
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According to Marx, what role does religion play for the oppressed?
According to Marx, what role does religion play for the oppressed?
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How did Protestantism uniquely impact membership in religious communities?
How did Protestantism uniquely impact membership in religious communities?
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What does the term 'pneumatic membership' refer to in the context of religion?
What does the term 'pneumatic membership' refer to in the context of religion?
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Which religious tradition is described as less concerned with shaping the material world?
Which religious tradition is described as less concerned with shaping the material world?
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What does exclusive definition of religion primarily focus on?
What does exclusive definition of religion primarily focus on?
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What is one of the key functions of religion in society according to Durkheim?
What is one of the key functions of religion in society according to Durkheim?
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What does Marx suggest is the nature of religious beliefs?
What does Marx suggest is the nature of religious beliefs?
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What is the main characteristic of vicarious religion?
What is the main characteristic of vicarious religion?
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In what way does Confucianism differ in its approach to the material world?
In what way does Confucianism differ in its approach to the material world?
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Which of the following is a factor contributing to secularization?
Which of the following is a factor contributing to secularization?
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The realist view of religion examines it as:
The realist view of religion examines it as:
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What does the term 'implicit religion' refer to?
What does the term 'implicit religion' refer to?
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Which demographic is noted to be the most religious according to the discussion?
Which demographic is noted to be the most religious according to the discussion?
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How is the concept of religion perceived to change over time?
How is the concept of religion perceived to change over time?
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Which method best addresses the everyday processes of religion?
Which method best addresses the everyday processes of religion?
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Study Notes
Definitions
- Deism - belief in an impersonal creator who initiated creation, e.g., the 'clockmaker'
- Monotheism - belief in the oneness of a personal god
- Monism - denies the duality of spheres, e.g., spirit/matter
- Theism - belief in one or more gods who maintain a personal relationship with humanity/creation
- Polytheism - belief in more than one personal god
- Animism - belief in a supernatural power that organizes and animates the material universe, meaning that plants and other natural phenomena have a soul
Foundations (Classical Social Theory - 19th Century)
- The social world is nature's highest expression, discoverable through natural methods (observation, data collection, etc.)
- Naturalism (materialism, physicalism, scientism) - the world is comprised of matter, differently modified
- Scientific knowledge is the only path to truth, and science is progressive
- Religion is in decline as scientific truth advances
- Religion is a form of false consciousness - a pathology
Foundations (The Conflict Thesis)
- Religion and science are in inevitable conflict, or incompatible
| Religion | Non-Religion |
|---|---|
| Irrational/ecstatic | Rational/sober |
| Other-world | This-world |
| Mystified | De-mystified |
| Masochistic | Empowering |
| Unproductive | Productive |
| Oppressive/enslaved | Dominion/Control |
| Declining | Increasing |
| Weakness | Strength |
| Darkness | Light |
Feuerbach and Religion
- Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-1872), The Essence of Christianity, became a blueprint.
- A clear distinction between the empirical and super-empirical reality.
- Infinite essence of humanity - is comprised of the will, thought, and affection
- Compensatory Principle - the individual is confronted by the infinite and cumulative capabilities of humanity. Together, we are perfect.
- Religion comes from the infinite essence of humanity and individuals feel impoverished and confused, followed by the projection of an infinite being embodying the perfect essence. This projection is childish contemplation.
Durkheim and Religion
- Individuals confront the rich accumulations of intelligence within society, producing organic solidarity.
- Introspective consciousness tries to comprehend this seemingly foreign reality, which appears worthy of worship.
- The concept of God is a symbolic presentation of social group ascendance.
- Representations embody the sacredness of society in another thing: "Religious beliefs are only a special case of a very general law...pseudo-delirium."
- Sacredness is bestowed upon objects representing central community values.
- Examples—such as totemism (Australia), which involves religion as a form of totemism concerning a social group and its relationship to a particular object.
- The religious are worshipping society and have the function of increasing solidarity.
Marx and Religion
- Religion and other productions of consciousness are ideological reflexes of the life-process.
- Religion helps the oppressed submit and the oppressors to subdue.
- Religion is the sigh of the oppressed, and is the opium of the people.
- Religious beliefs are products of consciousness/pure speculation, making an illusionary world foreign to ourselves.
- Humanity needs to embrace materialism and the power of united individuals before freeing itself from error.
Weber and Religion
- Protestantism introduced pneumatic membership
- Religious movements/beliefs interact with economic and social forces, creating unique forms.
- Science and religion intersect differently—for example, Hinduism is "other-worldly," leading to less concern with the material world, versus Confucianism promoting harmony with the material world.
- Christianity creates an emotional tension and revolutionary struggle, along with a passive approach to knowledge.
- Zilberman—Eastern Orthodox religion supported authoritarianism over science.
Religion and Non-Religion
- Can we separate them based on: assembly/institution (vs. non-institutional spirituality), ritual, belief in invisible anthropomorphisms, eternal belief outside of space/time, predicted telos, level of conviction, faith, and a new religion of anthropodicy?
How Do We Measure Religion?
- Realist view - macro examination of religion as an objective institution impacting moral ideals and norms.
- Constructionist - examination of how religion is continuously reproduced and changed through everyday processes.
- In use approach - a situational approach, asking when/where people attribute religious meaning, and if the concept of religion has changed over time, and serves potential ideological interests.
Declining Religion
- Secularization - the process by which religion loses influence in society, with examples including declining church attendance and believing religious ideas without belonging.
- Vicarious religion - when a small active minority performs religious activities supporting the non-active majority (e.g., nominal membership)
Most Atheistic Countries (Self-Identification)
- Data on self-identification of religious affiliation across countries.
Religiousity in Canada
- Participation in an individual religious or spiritual activity at least once a week—by year of birth, (2006–2019)
- Evolution of different religiosity indicators (1985–2019)—group religious activities, religious affiliation, religious/spiritual beliefs, and individual religious activities.
Declining Religion? Where?
- Traditional participation's invisibility in quantitative/secularization research.
- Global North religion alignment with bureaucratic organization, and associated economic development, self-sufficiency.
- Global South association between the most religious as also among the poorest.
- Bureaucratic organizational structures' (lacking) effects and new forms/movements not fitting the survey template (such as Buddhist non-belief in a "god").
Complexities
- Continuum(s) of religious organizational models (e.g., Church, Sect, Denominations, Cults)
- Is there a range of organization continuum?
Complexity to New Forms
- Groups that spread new religious ideas/interpretations.
- New religious movements (NRM) such as broad range religious and spiritual groups, cults, and sects.
- World affirming—self-help, therapeutic (e.g., Scientology)
- World rejecting—critical of the outside world, demanding lifestyle change (e.g., ascetic/communal, Hare Krishna)
- World accommodating—emphasizes inner religious life, experience of God apart from everyday concerns (e.g., New Age)
Other New Forms
- Lived religion - creative blending of religious and secular elements (syncretism).
- Populism, wokeism, UFO communities.
- The New Atheism (e.g., Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens, Dennett).
- Privatization of beliefs – tribes, individualized spirituality, virtual participation.
The Ups and Downs of Religion
- Crutch theory of religion - adaptive function increasing with vulnerability increases (e.g., religion and migration, aging, illness).
- Religious Economy - examining religious organizations using economic and competitive theory.
- Competition increases religious involvement, leading to working harder for followers and diverse markets. This increase also results in marketing for religion consumer specialization.
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Description
Test your knowledge on key concepts of 19th century classical social theory, including various beliefs about divinity such as deism, polytheism, and naturalism. This quiz explores the relationship between religion and emerging scientific knowledge during this transformative period. Dive into the shifts in thought that defined this era of social theory.
