12: Religion Flashcards
(16 cards)
religion
sacred vs profane distinction: sacred in one religion, profane in other
beliefs and practices about life and world
moral community
theology vs sociology of religion
theology: study of divine and its nature -> focus on what people should/should not believe
sociology: impact of society on religion (beliefs, practices), impact of religion on society
new religious movement vs cults
NRM: new religious or spiritual group that emerges outside of established religious traditions, usually with modern origins (mormons)
cult: group of people that practice extreme devotion to figure, object, or belief system typically with a charismatic leader -> jim jones
demography of religion
christians = largest group (1/3)
muslims = second largest (24%)
unaffiliated = third largest (16%)
the rest make up smaller portions
functionalist view on religion
source of social unity
collective conscience = collective society has shared set of morals
collective effervescence = performing ritual/prayer etc -> you can feel the energy
conflict theory view on religion
religion is a tool that justifies inequality
“opiate of masses” -> used to convince people to accept whatever social order
justifies oppression
symbolic interactionism view on religion
religious experiences occur through social interactions
how are -> rituals, symbols = provide meaning
how are -> religious identities = performed, developed
ex) to study a bat mitzvah -> conveys to group that this person has attained new status in religion
established religion
official state religion -> 43 countries
preferred/favored religion -> 40 countries
no official or preferred -> 106 countries
hostile to religious institutions -> 10 countries
demography of us religions
US = 100 people
2 jews, 1 muslim, and 71 christians
evangelical protestant -> top category, 1/4 of the 100
top 3 are all forms of protestant
religiosity of US, comparatively
religion = very important -> about 55% of people believe this
US -> more wealth -> higher importance in religion (goes against downward trend of all other countries)
secularization thesis
religion will lose power and meaning in society
US -> no religion has increased the most from 2000 to now while all other religions maintained
religious competition theory
people “shop” for religion
religions “market” themselves to attract more followers
protestant ethic
ascetic protestantism: frugality as redemption -> emphasized self denial
encouraged people to embrace hard work and reinvestment into their businesses -> contributed to rise of capitalism
role of religion in politics
religion and social movements -> a lot of overlap
religion shapes political views ie a lot of christian churches support pro life -> seen as bad christian if support pro choice
representation of religion in us politics
protestants -> 237 members (54.7%)
- democrats: 91, republicans: 146
catholics -> 126 members (29.1%)
- democrats: 70, republicans: 56
protestants -> fall more in republican party
role of religion in health
religious affiliation -> better physical and mental health
health behaviors -> religions support healthy habits
support system -> community
broader sense of meaning -> connected to community and people
