SOCI 377 - Sociology of Religion Introduction PDF

SOCI 377 -Sociology of Religion- Dr. Gbenga Adejare Course Background This course is purely academic Sociological tools are deployed to unpack religion both in practice and effect Various contentious issues are examined critically and constructively Student engagement is enco...

SOCI 377 -Sociology of Religion- Dr. Gbenga Adejare Course Background This course is purely academic Sociological tools are deployed to unpack religion both in practice and effect Various contentious issues are examined critically and constructively Student engagement is encouraged What is Sociology? Sociology is difficult to define. It is more productive to explain what sociology does than what it is. Sociology involves looking for and looking at social patterns in: Social variables, such as age, gender, “race,” ethnicity, religion, ability, and sexual orientations. Social institutions such as education, religion, and the family Social interactions, including religion. What is Religion? To start with, religion is not easily defined because it is multilayered. Per time, its definition will depend on many things; for instance, who is defining it and why? Religion is one of the most powerful, deeply felt and influential forces in human society. It shapes/d people’s relationship with each other, influencing family, community, economic and political life. Religious beliefs and values motivate human action and religious group organize their collective religious expressions. What is Religion? cont’d Religion is a cultural institution and an instrument for… satisfying varying needs consisting culturally patterned interaction with culturally postulated superhuman beings. For ease of operationalization, religion will be conceptualized within the contexts of (a) ontology, (b) epistemology, (c) methodology (d) substantive approach, (e) functionalism, and (f) social constructionism Ontology of Religion Ontology is a systematic approach to unraveling the nature of things – the nature of religion in this parlance. It involves empiricism – objectification of things A process by which religion can be externalized for the purpose of falsification/research beyond preconceived biases What is true or false about religion? Doubts Fears Epistemology of Religion Religious epistemology stems from its ontology, and deals questions relating to the processes involved in knowledge re/production. E.g.,: How do we know what we know? How did we arrive at what we know of religion? What is the relationship between religion and the person defining it? An individual’s approach to religion will be influenced by his/her position (more personal) Because people have different positions and perspectives of the same thing, it becomes harder to define the concept, no consensus For Durkheim, religion is a moral entity – the conscience of society that helps to maintain social order. For some, religion is a force for social change, for others, it is a conservative force. Religion and Methodological Concern This is scientific concern of sociology as a scientific discipline. By methods, the systematic process of arriving at the definition of religion is put to the test. As posited by Peter Clarke (2011), sociological methods for providing a cognate definition of are still evolving. Substantive Definitions of Religion These focus on the content or the substance of the religious belief. E.g., Max Weber (1905) defines religion as a belief in a superior or supernatural power that is above nature and cannot be explained scientifically. Substantive definitions are exclusive and they draw a clear line between religious and non-religious beliefs. I.e., religious definition must include a belief in god or the supernatural. Religion and Social Constructionism This approach derives from interpretivism. It is believed that humans are not passive recipients of actions but are constantly aware and participants in the events that shape their existence It focuses on how members of the society, in their constant symbiosis, create religious symbols that are collectively accepted and transmitted in various ways. Notions and meanings about religion are relative to divergent social interactions No assumption of religion as always involving a belief in the supernatural or that it performs similar functions for everyone in all societies Religion and the Social Self Schematic representation of main elements and sub- elements of the multidimensional model. D = dynamic interaction (Reich, K. H. 2004).