Functionalist Views Of Religion

Question 1

How does Durkheim define religion

Answer 1

Durkheim defined religion as a “unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things… which unite into one single moral community.”

Question 2

Durkheim on sacred and profane

Answer 2

He distinguished between the sacred (things set apart and forbidden, inspiring awe) and the profane (ordinary, everyday things). This division is fundamental to religion.

Question 3

Durkheim on totemism

Answer 3

In his study of Australian Aboriginal tribes, he identified totemism as the most elementary form of religion. The totem (often an animal or plant) represented both the god and the society itself.

Question 4

Durkheim on collective consciousness

Answer 4

Religion expresses and reinforces the collective consciousness—the shared beliefs and moral attitudes that unify a society.

Question 5

Durkheim on social solidarity

Answer 5

Religious rituals bring people together and affirm social bonds, maintaining social cohesion and solidarity.

Question 6

Malinowski on psychological functions

Answer 6

Religion helps individuals cope with emotional stress (e.g., death, uncertainty). In his study of the Trobriand Islanders, he showed that rituals were most common during high-risk activities like deep-sea fishing.

Question 7

Parsons on religion as a mechanism of social integration

Answer 7

Parsons argued that religion promotes value consensus—shared norms and values—essential for societal stability.

Question 8

Parsons on the cultural system created by religion

Answer 8

Religion is part of the broader cultural system. It provides a meaning system that helps people interpret life events and reinforce commitment to society’s values.

Question 9

Parson on moral regulation

Answer 9

It helps define right and wrong and justifies the legitimacy of the social system.

Question 10

Bellah on civil religion

Answer 10

Bellah introduced this concept to describe how secular national values take on a religious-like form. In the U.S., for example, symbols like the flag, the Constitution, or leaders like Lincoln become sacred.

Question 11

Bellah on national unity

Answer 11

Civil religion provides a unifying belief system that binds diverse populations through shared rituals (e.g., presidential inaugurations, national holidays) and values (e.g., democracy, liberty).

Question 12

Bellah on legitimizing civil control

Answer 12

It legitimizes political authority by linking it to a higher moral order (e.g., “one nation under God”).