Religion - The History of Religion as a Sociological Concept (SOCI 1306 Sociology)

Religion SOCI 1306 The History of Religion as a Sociological Concept In the aftermath of nineteenth century European industrialization and secularization, three social thinkers sought to analyse the link between religion and society: Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Karl Marx. They are among the foundational philosophers of contemporary sociology. As noted before, French sociologist Émile Durkheim (1858–1917) described religion as a “unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things” (1915). To him, holy meant extraordinary—something that aroused astonishment and that felt tied to the notion of “the divine.” Durkheim stated that “religion happens” in society when there is a divide between the profane (everyday life) and the holy (1915). A rock, for example, isn’t sacred or profane as it exists. But if someone puts it into a headstone, or another person uses it for landscaping, it takes on distinct meanings—one sacred, one profane. Durkheim is usually regarded the first sociologist who investigated religion in terms of its sociological influence. Above all, he thought religion is about community: It connects individuals together (social cohesiveness), fosters behavior consistency (social control), and gives strength amid life’s changes and tragedies (meaning and purpose). By bringing the principles of natural science to the study of society, Durkheim claimed that the root of religion and morality is the collective mind-set of society and that the cohesive ties of social order come from common values in a community. He believed that these ideals need to be preserved to guarantee societal stability. But what would happen if religion were to decline? This dilemma prompted Durkheim to suggest that religion is not merely a social product but something that shows the power of society: When people commemorate sacred things, they honour the strength of their culture. By this argument, even if conventional religion disappeared, society wouldn’t necessarily crumble. Whereas Durkheim considered religion as a source of societal stability, German sociologist and political economist Max Weber (1864–1920) felt it was a precipitator of social change. He researched the influence of religion on economic activity and observed that largely Protestant cultures—such as those in the Netherlands, England, Scotland, and Germany—were the most well developed capitalist society and that their most successful business executives were Protestant. In his article The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905), he believes that the Protestant work ethic affected the birth of capitalism. Weber remarked that certain varieties of Protestantism promoted the quest of monetary gain by urging believers to work hard, be successful, and not waste their gains on trivial things. (The present usage of “work ethic” stems straight from Weber’s Protestant ethic, although it has since lost its religious implications.)German philosopher, writer, and revolutionary socialist Karl Marx (1818–1883) also explored the social influence of religion. He felt religion reflected the socioeconomic stratification of society and that it fosters inequality and supports the status quo. For him, religion was only an extension of working-class (proletariat) economic distress. He famously stated that religion “is the opium of the people” (1844). For Durkheim, Weber, and Marx, who were reacting to the tremendous social and economic upheaval of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century in Europe, religion was an intrinsic element of society. For Durkheim, religion was a force for cohesiveness that helped link the members of society to the community, whereas Weber felt religion could be regarded as something independent from society. Marx viewed religion inseparable from the economy and the worker. Religion could hardly be understood apart from the capitalist system that produced inequity. Despite their differing viewpoints, these social theorists all believed in the significance of religion to society.