Religion from Sociological Perspectives: An Overview (original) (raw)

Critical Re-Examination of Sociological Theories of Religion

Asian Journal of Social Sciences Humanities, 2013

The views of sociologists on the nature and social functions of religion do not show any evidence of consensus, but rather great disparity. There is a clear case of overcomplication and over-intellectualization of religious phenomena. Even when there is a voluntary declaration of intention to observe agnostic neutrality and academic morality, many scholars are guilty of value judgment and subjective intrusion into the essence of religion. The question that is begging for answer is: if religion is a social institution with practitioners and specialists, is it reasonable to define religion apart, or away from the known practices of the votaries? When scholars in exercise of academic freedom say things, or propound a theory that have no bearing with religion in the practical sense, is it mandatory that such views be taken serious? These are some of the questions that this paper will attempt to answer. The paper examines the theories of religion by leading theorists in sociology of religion and came up with the conclusion that theory is different from practice. It is the opinion of this paper that some of the theories are outdated and do not deserve serious consideration in 21 st century sociology. Religion as a social institution is dynamic, such that research findings of previous centuries, and epoch cannot remain valid forever. Social scientific study of religion is in dire need of contemporary theoretical analysis and that is the challenge before scholarship.

Religion Within Framework of Philosophical and Sociological Approaches

2021

The paper presents an overview on some specificities of philosophical and of sociological approaches to religion. Among the chosen philosophical epistemological models are described: religion as universum (F.Schleiermacher, G.W.F.Hegel); the anthropocentric approach; the religion interpreted as a moral phenomenon (I.Kant); religion within the framework of dichotomies of human nature (E.Fromm, P.Tillich). The author presents and comments a few aspects of the J.Beckford's analysis of problems and trends in the sociology of religion. The latest development in the Cognitive science of religion (CSR) are emphasized.

Sociological Theory of Religion

Religion Compass, 2012

This article provides an overview of the sociological theory of religion- that is, the sociological theory that is used to guide the empirical research in the sociology of religion. Mainstream sociological theory of religion went through four distinct phases: 1) classical (Emile Durkheim and Max Weber) 2) the old paradigm 3) the new paradigm 4) the neo-secularization paradigm. The article concludes by calling for a critical perspective, which while prevalent in religious studies and the other subfields of sociology is absent from the sociological study of religion.

Critical Reflections on the Category of Religion in Contemporary Sociological Discourse

Nordic Journal of Religion and Society (2015), 28 (1): 21–36, 2015

For some decades, the academic concept of religion has been examined critically by a number of scholars. There have been some sociological responses to these criticisms against ‘religion’. This article argues that these sociological responses have missed important implications of these criticisms, which can be constructively incorporated into sociological discourse about religion. What can be meaningfully studied is the practice of classification carried out with the term ‘religion’ and norms and imperatives which govern and naturalise a specific discursive configuration of the religious-secular dichotomy. This approach indicates the vacuum in the sociological discourse of religion, which needs to be filled with empirical research, in order to map and theorize the ways in which people utilize the term ‘religion’ in a specific social context.

SYLLABUS Sociology of Religion

Since the Age of Enlightenment, scholars have been continuously predicting the demise of religion. Yet, religion is still thriving and vibrant in most contemporary societies. Not only has religion “survived” in the “modern” world, it has also undergone significant changes, revivals and adaptations. The objective of this course is to study religion sociologically, which means that we will not focus so much on religious texts and teachings but rather on the way individuals experience religion in their daily lives. The course is divided into three sections. The first section consists in a theoretical endeavor to define religion. The founding fathers of sociology, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber and Karl Marx, devoted considerable amounts of time to writing about religion. Following their lead, we will analyze religion as a socially constituted reality that in turn influences the social world. A significant part of the course will be dedicated to unpacking the very category of “religion:” What is religion? When do you know when you see it? What is the meaning of religion in people’s lives? The second section will provide methodological tools to study religion in a sociological perspective: students will be introduced to the ethnographic method in social sciences and will learn the art and craft of performing participant observation in religious settings. The third section will focus on empirical work describing contemporary manifestations of religion and how it intersects with class, race, gender, immigration, civic life, and the state.

Sociology of Religion (BA-II) 2018 Syllabus Leiden University

This course gives an overview of the most important themes in the sociology of religion. The course falls in three parts: The first part of the course is concerned with theorising religion sociologically. We raise sociological questions at the level of the individual (e.g., why are people religious in the first place?; why are women more religious than men?), at the level of the nation-state (e.g., why are some countries more religious than others?; how and why do state-religion relations differ cross-culturally?), and at the level of religious communities (e.g., how are religious communities maintained socially?) The second part of the course is concerned with the profound changes that have taken place in the religious field across the world during the 20 th and 21 st centuries. We explore the secularisation thesis, i.e. the idea that religion (necessarily) loses power, prestige, and plausibility as a result of modernisation, and evaluate alternatives to this master narrative (e.g., the subjectivisation thesis and the return-of-religion thesis). We compare the religious field in Europe (ongoing secularisation) with the United States (continued high levels of religion) and China (religious revival despite Communist oppression) and try to explain the differences between these cases. We also explore the rise of new, late modern 'religiosity styles', such as fundamentalism and new age spirituality. The third part of the course looks at the relation between religion and other aspects of civil society. In particular, we will discuss religion education and religion in popular culture.