![]() The History of Religion as a Sociological Concept Religious rituals are behaviors or practices that are either required or expected of the members of a particular group, such as bar mitzvah or confession of sins (Barkan and Greenwood 2003). Another illustration of religious beliefs is the creation stories we find in different religions. ![]() Religious beliefs are specific ideas members of a particular faith hold to be true, such as that Jesus Christ was the son of God, or that reincarnation exists. Religious experience refers to the conviction or sensation that we are connected to “the divine.” This type of communion might be experienced when people pray or meditate. In studying religion, sociologists distinguish between what they term the experience, beliefs, and rituals of a religion. These universals, and the differences in the way societies and individuals experience religion, provide rich material for sociological study. Despite differences, there are common elements in a ceremony marking a person’s death, such as announcement of the death, care of the deceased, disposition, and ceremony or ritual. For instance, in every culture, funeral rites are practiced in some way, although these customs vary between cultures and within religious affiliations. Moreover, religion is a cultural universal found in all social groups. Social scientists recognize that religion exists as an organized and integrated set of beliefs, behaviors, and norms centered on basic social needs and values. While some people think of religion as something individual because religious beliefs can be highly personal, religion is also a social institution. The practice of religion can include feasts and festivals, intercession with God or gods, marriage and funeral services, music and art, meditation or initiation, sacrifice or service, and other aspects of culture. Some form of religion is found in every known culture, and it is usually practiced in a public way by a group. Throughout history, and in societies across the world, leaders have used religious narratives, symbols, and traditions in an attempt to give more meaning to life and understand the universe. (Credit: Arian Zwegers/flickr).įrom the Latin religio (respect for what is sacred) and religare (to bind, in the sense of an obligation), the term religion describes various systems of belief and practice that define what people consider to be sacred or spiritual (Fasching and deChant 2001 Durkheim 1915). Beyond the religious observance, such a unifying act can build a powerful sense of community. Muslim people around the world pray five times each day while facing the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca (pictured in Section 15.2). Figure 15.2 Universality of religious practice, such as these prayers at the The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, can create bonds among people who would otherwise be strangers.
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