Socioligy - religion

1. SOCIO PPT SCRIPT
RELIGION
SLIDE 1
As Durkheim said : Religion is “a 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
serve as a filter for examining other issues in society and other components of a culture.
Slide 2: elemnets of a religion
RITUAL: Sociologists regard rituals as the visible and symbolic expressions of a religion. It refers
to prescribed ways of performing religious acts. Examples: group prayers, bible study,
evangelizing, singing spiritual songs, or using drugs or magic, food offerings to the gods.
Sense of sacred: Sacred refers to collective interests within different religious practices . Sacred
things derive their meaning from the beliefs that sustain or underline them. A crucifix is deemed
sacred to Christians because it presupposes a belief in the resurrection. The Bible is sacred to
Christians because it presupposes the belief that it contains the words of God. For example, a
tribe may consider a forest as a supernatural being
System of belief: A religious belief system is often built on a moral code,
the worship of one or more deities, and the idea that supernatural
events may impact us and the cosmos in which we live.. A religious belief
system deals with morality, the existence of a god or many gods, the afterlife, etc
Organization: Every religion has its own structure and function and every individual performing his role is
that organization. For example, Thousands of people gathers at Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha and people
perform the Hajj activities which show an organization structure of the religion Islam
Slide 4: four categories of religion
POLYTHEISM : Polytheism is the belief in, and often worship of, multiple deities or spirits, which are
usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own religious sects and
rituals.
ANIMISM : Animism is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual
essence. Animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human
handiwork, and in some cases words—as animated and alive
MONOTHEISM: Monotheism is the belief that there is only one deity, an all-supreme being that is
universally referred to as God. A preternatural or supernatural human or non-
human being or entity, or an object that possesses miraculous or
supernatural attributes, powers or superpowers EXAMPLR
CHRISTANITY, JUDHISM AND ISLAMIC RELIGION

2. TOTEMISM: system of belief in which humans are said to have
kinship or a mystical relationship with a spirit-being, such as an animal
or plant. The entity, or totem, is thought to interact with a given kin
group or an individual and to serve as their emblem or symbol. totem
fish mask.
ATHEISM : denies the existence of God
SLIDE 5: THEORETICAL PERSPERCTIVE ON RELIGION :
FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE : See religion as a positive apparatus in society
which promotes social solidarity and allows society to run smoothly.
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM: It examines the role that religion plays in our
daily lives and the ways in which we interpret religious experiences. For example, it
emphasizes that beliefs and practices are not sacred unless people regard them as
such. Symbolic interactionists study the ways in which people practice their faith
and interact in houses of worship and other religious settings, and they study how
and why religious faith and practice have positive consequences for individual
psychological and physical well-being.
CONFLICT THEORY: Conflict theorists view religion as an institution that helps maintain
patterns of social inequality. For example, the Vatican has a tremendous amount of wealth,
while the average income of Catholic parishioners is small.