Lecture 16 Flashcards
(57 cards)
What is Theology?
Systematic philosophical study of gods, including whether or not they exist, what their nature is.
What may Theology include?
May include metaphysical or moral arguments
What is Sociology of religion
Examines social impact of religion, by seeing how many people belong
to religions, and how this affects their behaviour.
What cant Sociology of religion prove/disprove?
Doesn’t prove/disprove existence of God.
What are Rites & rituals?
Collective practices, e.g.
worship, in which people engage in religion together.
What are Doctrines & beliefs?
The ideas, values, and
metaphysical claims that
any religion makes about its gods
What are Institutions when talking abt religion?
Religious institutions,
often with authority over those claiming to be part of religion
What are the 3 forms of religion?
-Organized religion
-Folk religion
-Spirituality
What is organized religion?
Set of social institutions
(buildings, hierarchies,
official doctrines) and shared worship oriented
towards a god.
What is Folk religion?
Religious/mystical beliefs
and practices as they are
understood among the
people, without formal
institutions.
What is Spirituality?
Informal, often-personal
beliefs about a transcendent realm,
perhaps involving
spiritual experiences.
What are the 4 types of Religious organizations?
- Ecclesia
- Denomination
- Sect
- New Religious Movement (NRM) / ‘Cult’
What type of organization would this describe?
1. Very large; includes everyone in a society:
- Membership by being part of society.
- Recognized and perhaps aligned with state
- Formally-organized, with a clear, structured hierarchy and trained, full-time clergy.
- Specific doctrines/beliefs (though may allow some interpretation)
- Formal religious services, with little direct participation
A Ecclesia organization
What type of organization is being described?
- Large, but not the sole religion in society.
- Membership by accepting doctrines.
- Tolerated by state, but not connected to
it. - Formally-organized, with a clear, structured hierarchy and trained, full-time clergy.
- Specific doctrines/beliefs (though may allow some interpretation)
- Formal religious services, with little direct participation.
A Denomination organization
What type of organization is being described?
1. Smaller, often new.
- Membership by accepting doctrines.
- Somewhat outside society, even if tolerated
- Some formal organization, perhaps with a
degree of training for clergy. - Emphasis on purity of doctrines; little independent interpretation allowed.
- Religious services may be less formal, and involve more emotional engagement.
A Sect organization
What type of organization is being described?
1. Small, enclosed, suspicious of outsiders.
- Membership by emotional commitment as
well as accepting doctrines. - May be in opposition to state & society.
- Less likely to have formal organization and trained clergy.
- Innovative, new doctrines, often stemming
from a charismatic leader. - Variety of forms of religious service
A New Religious Movement (NRM) / ‘Cult’ Organization
What is the Routinization
of Charisma?
The gradual transformation of extraordinary charismatic authority into regular, bureaucratized forms, for the sake of stability.
What are Sacred objects?
- Set apart from daily life: they
should not be treated lightly - Considered ‘holy,’ & treated as if they have mystical power.
What are Profane objects?
- Objects of everyday use.
- Cannot come into contact
with sacred objects, so they
don’t make them ‘unclean.’
What is a Totem?
- A sacred object, symbol, animal etc, which represents the group as a whole.
- Often represents certain characteristics, which are also implicitly characteristics of members of that society.
What are Negative rites?
‘Ascetic’ rites, or rites of abstention: things the individual has to avoid, or
has to go through to be ‘purified’
What are Positive rites?
‘Celebratory’ rites, things we must do in order to remind ourselves of the origins or stories of our society.
Different religions have different rates of
suicide, what is an example?
Across Europe, Protestants committed suicide at a much
higher rate than Catholics.
What is Suicide (Durkheim)?
Any death from an act by individual who knew this would be result
