Religion in Society

The questions of the people’s social interactions are discussed within the context of sociology, and the persons’ religious beliefs and attitudes are the subject matter of the religious studies. Nevertheless, sociologists accentuate the fact that religion can develop only as the social phenomenon that is why it is important to study religions and the people’s religious views within the society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Religion in Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although religious beliefs and practices are followed by an individual, the religion as the phenomenon has its origins within the definite religious group as the reflection of society. Sociology of religion as the sphere of knowledge combines the approaches utilized in sociology and religious studies in order to examine religious views, people’s beliefs, rituals, and practices which can affect the development of the society and which are the result of the people’s social interactions. Sociology of religion studies the relationship between the persons’ religious visions and practices and the development of the social group. Johnstone states that religion is the group phenomenon that is why those people who follow the same religion also have similar goals and moral principles, and their social development is influenced by their religion (Johnstone 8). However, the process is interdependent because religion emerges as the result of the social growth and the growth of the people’s conscience and morality. Furthermore, â€Å"society precedes religion. Before religion can develop, there must first exist general patterns of social interaction – that is, a society – that can serve as a model† (Johnstone 30). To study the interdependence of society and religion, it is necessary to use the sociological methodological framework and tools in order to analyze t he factual data. Thus, sociology of religion uses the scientific method (Johnstone 6). From this point, sociology of religion is the sphere of knowledge which studies such religious phenomenon as the people’s beliefs and attitudes to the sacred with the help of the sociological tools (Putnam and Campbell). It is important to study sociology of religion because people discuss religion as the significant sphere of their life, and many social processes often have the religious background because they are associated with the people’s beliefs, their attitudes to the sacred and magic, and their moral presumptions. Furthermore, the focus on the diversity of religions provides sociologists with the additional information about the society because all the social groups are different, and those beliefs which are shared by religious groups are also different.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Johnstone, some form of religion exists in any social group, and the rejection of the definite religious beliefs is also the characteristic feature to analyze the peculiarities of this or that community (Johnstone 18-19). The study of religions in their diversity is the key to study the diversity of society. That is why, the subject of sociology of religion is important for studying the world from the sociological perspective and with references to the people’s religious visions. Sociologists are inclined to study the sources and nature of religion using different theories to explain the development of religious beliefs within the society. The rational choice theory is the most controversial theory which is proposed to explain the process of choosing the definite religion to follow. The supporters of the rational choice theory state that persons can choose any religion with references to their personal experience or as the result of analyzing the advantages proposed by this or that religious organization. The problem is in the fact that the rational approach to choose the religion to follow is often discussed as inappropriate because the theory is developed to explain the economic processes, and it cannot be used to discuss the people’s moral or spiritual development and the choice of religion. However, Johnstone provides rather convincing arguments to support the relevance of this theory to consider the persons’ religious choices. According to Johnstone, â€Å"people have a set of mental images stored in their brains with which they make decisions as rationally and sensibly as they know how† (Johnstone 36). The decision about any religion can be also made referring to these images. It is important to note that the rational choice theory is ineffective to explain the origin of religions, but it can be successfully used to accentuate the nature of sharing the definite religious views and beliefs by people who belong to the same group. Johnstone stresses that the rational choice theory â€Å"picks up at the point where religious ideas and systems already exist in some form and people turn to those ideas and systems for answers, consolation, protection, promises, and solutions† (Johnstone 37). Thus, according to the theory, people are inclined to make the most beneficial and rational religious choices. Sociology of religion studies people’s religious beliefs, practices, attitudes, and religions in their variety as the part of the social development because the connection between religion and society is interdependent.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Religion in Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In spite of the fact sociology of religion can be discussed as a comparably new sphere of knowledge, its subject matter is important to be explained with references to the sociological studies developed to analyze the relationship between the religion and society. Thus, religion is the social phenomenon, and it can be studied properly in its connection with social groups which follow definite religious visions. Works Cited Johnstone, Ronald. Religion in Society: A Sociology of Religion. USA: Pearson, Prentice-Hall, 2007. Print. Putnam, Robert, and David Campbell. American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us. USA: Simon Schuster, 2010. Print. This essay on Religion in Society was written and submitted by user JackP0wer to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Religion in Society Introduction Religion is believed to be a systematized compilation of beliefs, traditions, and world analysis that link humanity to religion and to ethical principles at times. A number of people have the belief that religion can only take place in churches, temples, or any other place that spiritual get-together takes place.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Religion in Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the real sense, religion is intrinsic within several characteristics of the society, and that religious way of life unavoidably affects several areas, for instance, political, economical, and ethics in culture. This paper will be addressing the fundamentalism of religion, its influence on politics, its determination in social class, and differentiation of religious expression in gender. The Influence of Religion on Politics A society can stay free with the correct political arrangement. However, this will not be enough. Its efficiency crucially relies on the broader perspectives of culture and communal contexts. Religion matters in politics, as it is a powerful tool when it comes to shaping of culture in terms of good and evil. Conservatives frequently uphold that a powerfully religious society stands more appropriate when it comes to being loyal to freedom ideals. As claimed by Johnstone, religion provides two ideal advantages. It stands out as a foundation that is firm for moral disposition and personal dependability thus instilling honesty, self-discipline, and self-reliance to citizens. Secondly, the citizens are so less probable to be lured to enhance themselves at the outlay of their fellow citizens through government intimidation (Johnstone 92). In addition, religion provides morals as the only option to the nations’ authority consequently acting as a rein on governmental enhancement. Conservatives recurrently conclude that the governmental administration of a liberate d society should engage in active procedures that will help in the promoting and strengthening of religion. This conclusion is however disagreed by many even if the premise is acceptable. Religious Fundamentalism The word fundamentalism is applicable to several religious groups, for instance, Christians, Hindus, and Buddhists to mention a few. The term is also applicable to some of the secular groups both economical and environmental though all of them are different. According to Putnam and Campbell, fundamentalism patents itself as an effort by overwhelmed believers to discover their asylum in supporting themselves with an individuality that is entrenched as a past golden era whose individuality is preceded by an effort to reinstate that golden history (245). Fundamentalism in every religion symbolizes a thrust back against several forms of exterior burden and a reflective panic of destruction habitually at the hands of the current secularists.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The disjointing of religious beliefs and political affairs may be regarded as natural to the societies in the West except it is never the set of circumstances in scores of other cultures. The connection between religious beliefs and political affairs in the western societies has been an aggressive one in the past. It took centuries to solve. For this basis, Putnam and Campbell wrote that secularism has frequently had unenthusiastic consequences if cultures lacked secularizing time (324). For instance, Gamal Abdel Nasser had the idea of separating religious beliefs and political affairs in Egypt. The idea was a violent one, as confirmed by the Muslim Brotherhood affiliates whom he located in prisons of persecution. Therefore, it is significant to recognize the consequences that can result when certain measures are practiced towards spiritual movements. Religious Expression As Deter mined By the Social Class According to Hallahmi and Argyle, American findings can be summarized that they expose a divergence in the temperament of religious participation in diverse classes in America. The middle class affiliates achieve higher scores on institutional participation measures, for instance, church membership and church attendance. Based on the reported religious experiences and traditional belief measures, lower class members score higher. They are also more probable to join and become members of a sect with a subsequent intense of psychological and social involvement (Hallahmi and Argyle 164). They add by explaining the social class differences in religious participation that the members of the lower class tend to hardly engage themselves in all types of voluntary organizations. Like any other kind of voluntary organization, membership in churches is directly related to social class (Hallahmi and Argyle 164). Another explanation is that different social classes have different styles of religious expressions. Therefore, the upper and the middle class protestant church members stress much on formal and organized participation in church activities while working class Protestant church members stress much on the spontaneous and emotional aspects of religious behavior (Hallahmi and Argyle 165). The Difference Made By Gender in Religious Expression In conclusion, it is vital to address the role played by gender when it comes to religious expression. For reasons that value separate investigation, Johnstone mentions that religious sociology has delayed several other areas of expressing seriousness in gender and or taking it acutely (114). However, there has been a debate on why women in the societies from the West are believed to be more religious in relation to men. Major dissimilarities between sex genders become visible on several spiritual characteristics.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Religion in Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Putting in mind that women are believed to be the weaker sex, their emotions and feelings are different from those of their male counterparts. Since most of the religious practices involve emotions when put to practice, several women are carried away and or get touched with memories they get when either singing or praying. For instance, it is often seen in churches that women weep when singing worship songs, as opposed to men who regard themselves as tough at heart and in mind. Works Cited Hallahmi, Benjamin, and Michael Argyle. The Social Psychology of Religion. London: Routledge, 1975. Print. Johnstone, Ronald. Religion in society: a sociology of religion. New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006. Print. Putnam, Robert, and David Campbell. American Grace: How Religion Divides and  Unites Us. New York: Simon Schuster, 2012. Print. This essay on Religion in Society was written and submitted by user Kyla Burt to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.