The social functions of religion, secularization theory, and religious institutions from a college sociology course.
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- What did Émile Durkheim identify as the primary social function of religion?
- Social cohesion and the reinforcement of collective values and group identity
- In Durkheim's view, what is the distinction between the sacred and the profane?
- Sacred elements are set apart and treated with reverence; profane elements are ordinary and everyday
- What does secularization theory propose about religion's role in modern societies?
- That religion's influence and authority decline as societies modernize and scientific knowledge expands
- Define a religious institution.
- An organized system of beliefs, practices, rituals, and social roles centered on the sacred
- What is a denomination?
- A mainstream religious group that is socially accepted, integrated into society, and typically hierarchical in structure
- How does a sect differ from a denomination?
- A sect is a smaller, stricter breakaway group rejecting mainstream society; a denomination is an accepted mainstream body
- What does Karl Marx argue about the relationship between religion and economics?
- Religion functions as ideology that masks economic exploitation and maintains class systems
- What is Max Weber's Protestant Ethic thesis?
- That Calvinist Protestant beliefs about hard work and frugality contributed to the rise of capitalism
- What is civil religion?
- A system of secular beliefs, symbols, and rituals that function like religion to bind society without traditional theology
- Define religious pluralism.
- A condition where multiple religions coexist in a society and no single religion dominates public life
- What is a cult or new religious movement (NRM)?
- A new, often small religious group claiming special knowledge or authority, typically centered on a charismatic leader
- What does religious authority refer to in institutional contexts?
- The power and legitimacy an institution or leader has to define and interpret religious teachings and practices
- What is religious socialization?
- The process through which individuals learn their society's religious beliefs, values, and practices
- According to secularization theory, what happens to private religious belief?
- It becomes increasingly separated from public institutions and loses influence over society-wide norms and law
- What is fundamentalism in a religious context?
- A movement emphasizing strict adherence to traditional religious texts and rejecting modernist or liberal interpretations