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Questions and Answers
How is religion understood in the social sciences?
How is religion understood in the social sciences?
Religion is understood as a socially constructed reality shaped by the interaction of individuals and their sociohistorical contexts.
What are the two ways to define religion from a social scientific perspective?
What are the two ways to define religion from a social scientific perspective?
Substantive definition and functional definition.
According to Emile Durkheim, how is religion defined?
According to Emile Durkheim, how is religion defined?
- A set of dietary restrictions.
- A unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things. (correct)
- A collection of supernatural beliefs.
- An organization of religious leaders.
The substantive definition of religion includes all belief systems, such as Confucianism and Buddhism.
The substantive definition of religion includes all belief systems, such as Confucianism and Buddhism.
What does the Latin word 'religare' mean?
What does the Latin word 'religare' mean?
What is one function of religion in society according to the content?
What is one function of religion in society according to the content?
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Study Notes
Religion and Social Sciences
- Religion permeates life in numerous ways: family, school, social circles, and media
- Within social sciences, religion is understood as a socially constructed reality
- Religion is shaped by the interaction of human agents (leaders, followers, activists, innovators, and non-believers) and their sociohistorical contexts
- Beliefs and practices are not a result of divine revelation
Defining Religion
- Substantive definition:
- Religion involves beliefs and practices that assume the presence of supernatural beings
- Limited as supernatural beings are not always present in some belief systems (i.e., Confucianism and Buddhism)
- Functional definition:
- More concerned with the social consequences of religion
- French sociologist Emile Durkheim defines religion as a “unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things…that unite into one single moral community”
- Religion comes from the Latin word religare, meaning "to bring together", and relegere, meaning "to rehearse painstakingly" (as in the case of collective rituals).
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