RELIGION

Religion

can be explained as a set

of beliefs concerning the cause,
nature, and purpose of the
universe, especially when
considered as the creation of a
superhuman agency or agencies,
usually involving devotional and
ritual observances, and often
containing a moral code governing
the conduct of human affairs.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

Other Definitions
is

any set of coherent answers to

the dilemmas of human existence
that makes the world meaningful
how human beings express their
feelings about such ultimate
concerns as sickness or death
is the socially defined patterns of
beliefs concerning the ultimate
meaning of life (Stark)
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

Belief in God
1. Theistic God: the concept of a
being which is (1) purely spiritual,
(2) all good, (3) all knowing, and
(4) all powerful.
2. Theism:
a) Narrow: belief in the existence
of the theistic God.
b) Broad: Belief in the existence of
some divine being other than the
theistic God.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

3. Atheism:
a) Narrow: disbelief in theistic God.
b) Broad: disbelief the existence of any
divine being whatever.
Agnosticism
a) Narrow: neither belief nor disbelief in
the existence of the theistic God.
b) Broad: neither belief nor disbelief in
the existence of any divine being
whatever
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

Types of theism
1. Animism: belief that inanimate
objects (such as statues or
mountains) have souls.
2. Polytheism: belief in a
multiplicity of gods.
3. Henotheism: polytheistic belief
that each nation or country has
its own god.
4. Dualism: polytheistic belief in
two conflicting deities, one good
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

5. Monotheism: belief in one god,

but not necessarily the theistic
God.
6. Deism: monotheistic belief in a
god who set the universe in
motion and thereafter left it
alone.
7. Pantheism: monotheistic belief
that god is identical with nature
as a whole
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

Revelation
1. Special revelation: divine revelation to
humans which is (a) specific in content,
and (b) for a specific audience (such as
the Bible or the Koran).
2. General Revelation: divine revelation to
humans which is (a) general in content,
and (b) for a general audience.
3. Theology: the human attempt to
understand special revelation.
4. Natural theology: the human attempt to
understand general revelation.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

Approaches to theistic
belief
1. Mysticism: experiencing a union
with divine nature by means of
ecstatic contemplation.
2. Rationalism: theistic belief from
rational grounds.
3. Fideism: theistic belief solely on
the grounds of faith

9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

Characteristics of Religion
Belief

in a deity or in power
beyond the individual
A doctrine (accepted teaching) of
salvation
A code of conduct
The use of sacred stories
Religious rituals

9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

Functions of Religion
Religion

serves as a means of social control

It exerts a great influence upon personality
development
Religion allays fear of the unknown
Religion explains events or situations which
are beyond the comprehension of man
It gives man comfort, strength and hope in
times of crisis and despair
It preserves and transmits knowledge,
skills, spiritual and cultural values and
practices
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

10

Functions of Religion
It

serves as an instrument of
change
It promotes closeness, love,
cooperation, friendliness and
helpfulness
Religion alleviates sufferings from
major calamities
It provides hope for a blissful life
after death
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

11

GROUPS OF THEORIES
ON THE ORIGIN OF
RELIGION

9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

12

1. Faith-Based
There are about 19 major
religions which are subdivided
into a total of 270 large religious
groups. Among these religions of
great
diversity,
there
are
probably hundreds of different
religious creation stories which
describe how humans, other
species of life, the earth, and the
rest of the universe came to be.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

13

2. Science-Based
Anthropologists,
evolutionary
biologists and other researchers
have reached proto-humans who
originated somewhere in Africa.
These proto-humans aided their
chances of surviving in a cruel
and unpredictable world. Their
awareness of personal mortality
produced
an
intolerable
emotional drain.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

14

MODERN SOCIOLOGICAL
STUDY OF SOCIETY AND
RELIGION

9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

15

THREE THEORETICAL CAMPS

1. Consensus. (Emile Durkheim).
The
functionalist
perspective
changes the emphasis from
individual human need of the
society. Functionalism is primarily
concerned with the role religion
plays in society. It requires that
all
societal
institutions
and
structures perform a useful
purpose in order to create
consensus.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

16

2. Conflict (Karl Marx). The Marxist theory

identifies religion as a major player in the
relationship between the bourgeoisie and
the proletariat, a relationship based on
conflict. In simple terms, the Marxist
social theory is based on a two-class
system whereby the bourgeoisie, who
own the means of production, extract
surplus value from the proletariat who
only own their labor. This is a relationship
based on exploitation and inherits
economic conflict.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

17

3. Change (Max Weber). Weber argues

that, in some circumstances, religion can
lead to social change. Weber rejects
Marxist view that religion is shaped by
economic circumstance alone. Instead, he
believes that, in certain circumstances,
religious beliefs can influence economic
behavior. He argues that meaning drives
human
action;
that
is
individuals
subjectively interpret the world around
them which directs their actions and
helps form a world view as in economics.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

18

EVOLUTION OF RELIGION
According to David Barret et al., editors of
the World Christian Encyclopedia Oxford
University Press (2001), the first organized
religions appear to have been based on
fertility. They were focused on the worship of
the great Earth Goddess. Religions evolved
to include male gods who were gradually
given increased importance by the priests.
Developing knowledge of the males
involvement in the process of reproduction
may have caused this development.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

19

Today, most people follow either:

a.

A monotheistic religion, in which a

single male god is worshipped, or

b.

A henotheistic religion which

recognizes a single male deity, but
which recognizes other gods and
goddesses, heroes, or saints as
facets or manifestations or aspects
of that supreme god.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

20

Religions were originally based on

the particular beliefs of their
founders and prophets.
In
terms of their belief about
supernatural being(s) various faith
traditions have thought Agnosticism,
Animism,
Atheism,
Deism,
Duotheism, Henotheism, Monism,
Monotheism,
Panentheism,
Pantheism,
Polytheism,
Trinitatrianism, and probably a few
others.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

21

Few

arguments exist among the

worlds religions about religious
beliefs, sacred ritual, organizational
structure, optimum family structure,
personal sexual behavior, etc.

Religions

traditional teachings in the

area of science differ greatly from
each other and from the findings of
scientists.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

22

TYPES OF RELIGIOUS
ORGANIZATION

9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

23

a. SECT
It
is
a
small,
exclusive,
uncompromising
fellowship
of
individuals
seeking
spiritual
perfection. Members are voluntary
converts, and the sect largely control
their lives.

9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

24

b. CHURCH OR
ECCLESIA

It is a large, conservative universal religious

institution. Its growth increasingly comes
from those born into the group, not from
conversions. Its demands on church
members diminish, and the church becomes
more tolerant of other religious groups.
Because it is large, it tends to acquire a
certain amount of social and political power,
and more often than not it retains that
power by becoming associated with the
government of ruling class and it tends to
support the status quo.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

25

c. CULTS
Cults are religious movements that are at
odds and which have no prior ties with an
established religious body in a given society.
1. Audience cults have practically no formal
organization.
2. Client cults have religious leaders who
offer specific services to those who follow
them.
3. Cult movements are client cults which
become larger and more tightly organdized.

9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

26

MODERNIZATION AND
RELIGIOUS CHOICE
Modernization has been major source of
social change. And throughout the world,
people have moved from the traditional
societies where there is usually but one
way to do things, to modern societies full
of choices. This social change has had a
profound effect on religious experience
as people find themselves confronted
with dozens of denominations, each
claiming to be the one true way.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

27

1.

2.

3.

They can affirm traditional religious

authority in the face of modern
challenges to it.
They can change their religious beliefs
by reformulating them in modern times.
The evangelical preachers on television
who equate worship of God with being
successful take this approach.
They can try to tap the wellsprings that
gave birth and vitality to the original
faith and apply them to the modern
world.
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

28

Performance Task
1.
2.

3.
a.
b.
c.

The class will be divided into nine (9)

groups.
Each will assigned to prepare a group
presentation about the seven (7) main
religions in the world next meeting.
Each group must present the
following:
History
Belief System
Organization
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

29

Performance Task
Suggested Presentation Style
a. Group Reporting
b. Role Play
c. Sing and Dance
d. Panel Discussion
e. Speech Choir
f. Debate

9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

30

Rubric
Content of Presentation 20
Creativity 10
Cooperation - 10

9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

31

Nine Main Religions in the World

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Confucianism
Taoism
Shinto
Judaism
Islam
Hinduism
Buddhism
Jainism
Sikhism
9/21/16

Understanding Culture, Society and

Politics

32