Sociology of religion

Emile Durkheim

Functional definition of religion in which religion does something through sacredness which develops a community. Religion is a bonding social activity. Research often focused on religious behavior and community

Rodney Stark and Roger Finke

Define religion as religion are sets of ideas that explain reality including ideas about how to get God to help us. Religions are sets of ideas that guide exchange with gods. Rational choice theorists often focus on religious ideas and beliefs.

Peter Berger

The human enterprise by which a sacred cosmos is established. People are religious because of world-construction and world-maintenance to hold off terror. Religion is a human attempt to give meaning to the chaos. Psychological need for order. Focused on social psychology

Karl Marx

Religion is an illusion that keeps people from solving their problems. Religion is a tool for exploitation of the weak. Try to expose how religion is used for exploitation

4 dimensions of religiosity

Belief, Practice, Experience, knowledge, and Consequences. Although Knowledge and Consequences should be void and Identity should be added.

Why would modernization lead to a decline of religion

Modernization is associated with increased rationalization, scientific understanding, and bureaucratic organization, which can challenge traditional religious beliefs and practices, leading to a decline in religious influence and participation.

3 main areas in which we might look for evidence of secularization

Privatization: religion becoming more of a private matter, Institutional differentiation: religion loses power and influence with respect to other areas of social life, and decline of individual levels of religious belief, practice, experience, and/or identification.

how can religiosity be a self-interested or instrumentally “rational” behaviour for individuals

Religiosity can be viewed as a self-interested or instrumentally "rational" behavior when individuals engage in religious practices to obtain social benefits, such as community support, moral guidance, or enhanced social status, thereby aligning their beliefs and actions with personal or societal incentives.

Goal of religious economies theory (contrast with secularization theory)

The goal is to predict how levels of religious activity will vary from time to time and place to place, whether increasing or decreasing. The alternative to secularization theory, which predicts a decrease in religiosity as societies modernize.

Specific ways in which free religious markets are expected to stimulate religious activity

Religious free market → more competition between religious firms → more religious participation/greater overall religious vitality

How does religious economies and secularization theory expect religious diversity to impact religious vitality

Religious economies theory suggests that increased religious diversity leads to greater competition among religious groups, fostering higher levels of participation and vitality. In contrast, secularization theory posits that diversity may lead to diminished significance of religion in society.

Main arguments of church-sect theory and identify with different stages

NRM → sect → Church → sect → church. This theory posits that new religious movements (NRMs) evolve into sects and eventually become churches, reflecting a trajectory from radicalism to mainstream acceptance.

Theoretical def and examples of churches and sects especially with respect to social tension

Churches are large, bureaucratic organizations with a high degree of societal acceptance, while sects are smaller, more organized groups that often arise in opposition to dominant religious institutions and may embody social tension. Examples include established denominations versus radical sects.

Iannaccone’s specific arguments for why strict organizations tend to be strong organizations.

Iannaccone argues that strict organizations enforce loyalty and commitment through rigorous demands, which can promote cohesion and stability. This results in stronger group identity and higher levels of participation among adherents. It reduces free riding, raises commitment, participation, and it enhances the net benefits.

Recall all 4 of the God concepts/images of God in Froese and Bader’s typology. Distinguish based on God’s imagined levels of anger and engagement.

Critical god (High judgement and low engagement), Authoritative god (high judgement and engagement), Distant god (low judgement and engagement), and Benevolent God (low judgement, high engagement).

What research has shown about people’s motivations for joining extreme religious groups

Research shows that individuals often join extreme religious groups for a sense of belonging, community, identity, and purpose. Factors such as personal crises, social alienation, and the search for meaning in life can drive individuals towards these groups. Members tend to be young, white, well educated, middle to upper class, and smart.

Main IR dynamics focused upon in Figure I.1 and explain model

Bodily co-presence, barriers to outsiders, mutual focus of attention, shared mood. The model shows that if the IR ingredients are present in a ritual, then they will lead to collective effervescence which will lead to IR outcomes.

Compare/contrast rituals from specific organizations studied in book, recalling specific details

Draper went to Congregation Shalom, The Islamic Center, First Baptists, Promised Land Baptist, St. John’s Catholic, and The Meditation Center.

Macro level of analysis, and examples of relevant research

US and other countries, states, men and women, old and young, catholic and jew, etc.

Organization level of analysis, and examples of relevant research

The roman catholic church (as a whole), organizations, all of CofI sports teams, families, etc.

Micro level of analysis

Focuses on individuals and small groups, examining their beliefs, rituals, and interactions within religious contexts.

sacred/profane

A concept introduced by Emile Durkheim that categorizes aspects of life into sacred, which are revered and valued, and profane, which are mundane and ordinary.

supernatural

relating to phenomena beyond the laws of nature, often associated with religion or spirituality.

false consciousness

A way of thinking that prevents a person from perceiving the true nature of their situation; according to Marx, religion is a form of this

nomos/anomie

concepts related to social order, with nomos representing social norms and anomie indicating a breakdown of those norms.

plausibility structures

The social and cultural contexts that shape how people perceive and accept religious beliefs as credible or note

sacred canopies

Religion is a sacred canopy stretching over society, providing a shield that protects people from the uncertainties, meaninglessness, and pointlessness of life, by helping them interpret and make sense of the world and their positions in it. There is no sacred canopy in America because of the religious diversity. A sacred umbrella instead is more smaller and personal.

sacred umbrellas

A smaller and more personal version of a sacred canopy.

secularization paradigm

The dominant paradigm throughout the 20th century. Some scholars treated it as a foregone conclusion, didn’t really even question it. This has changed since roughly the early 1990s, when Rodney Stark and other raised several objections. Now, sociologists are divided on the issue. Explains the decline of religion in modern society.

modernization

The process by which many societies in the 19th through 21st centuries have seen a rise in industry, urbanization, public education, cultural diversity, and rationality.

teleological view of history

History is going somewhere, it has a direction- examples: Marxism and Christianity

privatization

Religion becomes more of a private matter, we should talk about it less, and practice it less in public. The process by which people in a given society increasingly express their religiosity in more private ways, and decreasingly express their religiosity in more public ways.

institutional differentiation

Religion loses power and influence with respect to other “social institutions”, or areas of social life (like family, education, science, health care, law, and politics)

strictness

involves: rules that increase the cost of nongroup activities (constraints on behavior, distinctiveness in speech, dress, beliefs, diet, lifestyle). Religions with high costs provide members with the perception that they must therefore receive high future rewards. Religions with high costs filter out “free-riders”

sacred objects/symbols

objects or symbols that hold significant meaning and importance within a religious context, often representing the divine, spiritual beliefs, or collective identity.

religious diversity/ “pluralism”

In secularization, religious diversity leads to a decline in religious activity. In religions economies/market niches, there is an increase in religious activity and when there is more diversity, more niches are satisfied. Plurality leads to more completions leading to more religion.

Rational choice assumption

Religion economies propositions are built on the “rational choice theory of religion” written by Stark. People try to minimize cost and maximize personal benefits.

supply-side economics

Religious economy is a supply side theory. In which pattern sin consumers purchasing behaviors can be predicted by just focusing on how businesses supply their products.

demand-side economics

Secularization is a demand side theory. Tries to anticipate consumers changing demands.

demand/tension niche

Large proportion of population will get involved in religious “firms” because more demand niches can be satisfied.

sunk costs and the overly optimistic probability bias

Religions with high costs provide members with the perception that they must therefore receive high future rewards. sunk costs lead to the overly optimistic probability bias which leads to a willingness to invest more in the religion (take on more costs).

free-riders

People who benefit from belonging to a voluntary organization without giving anything in return. Attending church for the free child care.

Religious tension, relate to “churches” and “sects”

There is high tension with the outside and sect and the tension with the public lessens as the sect changes into a church. The sect evolves into a church in low-tension with society.

Images of God/ God concepts

Falls under the belief dimension of religiosity. Gendered images of god demonstrate that viewing God as a '“he” is robustly associated with a more traditional gender ideology. Images of God are a measure of religion that continue to exhibit strong explanatory power regarding a diverse assortment of outcomes including moral absolutism, political views, punitive ideologies, volunteerism, and trust.

Critical God

High judgement and low engagement

Authoritarian God

high judgement and engagement

Distant God

low judgement and engagement

Benevolent God

low judgement, high engagement

Cults

Originally it meant any religious group and Draper defines it as a religion I (the public) don’t like.

Brainwashing

people think that when people join “cults” they are brainwashed but typically they just join because they have friends/ family in the group or are looking for he closeness

New Religious movement

Diverse groups: roots in mainstream religions, seek to reclaim ancient and or secret practices and wisdom, based upon the original teachings of a charismatic leader. Some are millenarian movements: predict or plan for an impending radical social change (often the end of the world).

Deprogramming

A documentary that focuses on people scared of cults. They tried extreme methods to make cult members “normal”.

Interaction ritual theory

Randall Collins; predicts when and how effervescence and solidarity will appear and what their consequences will be. Originated from Durkheim who argued that collective effervescence has enormous human consequences which opens of shared categories of understanding.

bodily copresence

Facilitates emotional intensity by allowing interactants to become more closely attuned to each other’s thoughts and emotions. Draper revises to Bodily density in the reading.

shared mood

Shared mood and shared focus of attention both depend on two subdynamics: mutual monitoring and rhythmic entrainment. This and mutual focus of attention are both facilitated by sacred objects. Intersubjectivity is highest when the mood and shared and mutual focus of attention.

mutual focus of attention

Call and response technique makes sure people don’t lose attention. Depended on mutual monitoring and rhythmic entrainment. Facilitated by sacred objects.

rhythmic entrainment

Being in synch with everyone. Increases intersubjectivity. People synching in song, prayer, etc.

Mutual monitoring

Interactants are watching each other, often peripherally, for cues on how to respond to the shared object of attention. They approximate each other’s gestures and get caught up in each others physical and vocal rhythms.

Intersubjectivity

refers to the sensation that one is not alone in one’s thoughts and feeling , that other people actually share them. Being on the same page. Involves shared perspective and emotional empathy.

Barriers to outsiders

Gain solidarity by clearly delineating who does and does not belong. Cues people use to help everyone make this distinction. Vary according to size and consequence (referring to the intensity with the group intends to punish those who trespass) .

Collective effervescence

Often depicted as an exciting crowd experience which sometimes happens during exotic tribal festivals of run live events like concerts and basketball games. Organizations which are more successful at this are more successful at approaching a consensus regarding their identities, laws, and beliefs.

Social Solidarity

Solidarity is the spirit stored in symbols. Shared sacred objects and symbols are necessary for bringing people together and reminding them of each other after they depart. Membership solidarity: a collective sense of belonging. Symbolic solidarity: A collective sense of shared goals and vision.

Emotional Energy

The individual-level residue of collective effervescence. The buzz a person experiences immediately after a “stimulating” conversation or a “mind-blowing” live show. A person feel of this feels confidence, pride, and enthusiasm, evident in paralinguistic cues like eye contact and tall posture.

The 3 big theoretical questions

1. What makes religion appealing to so many people

2. What causes variation in religious commitment

3. How does religion change its adherents