Deck 13: D: Religion

Question 1

Develop an essay in which you compare and contrast Marx's famous assertion that religion is "the sigh of the oppressed creature,the heart of a heartless world ...the opium of the people" with Durkheim's analysis of religion as the manifestation of shared meanings and renewal of the "collective conscience."

Answer 1

Essays will vary,but students are required to demonstrate a thoughtful engagement with these two very different approaches to religious phenomena.

Question 2

Discuss the critiques to the functionalist beliefs regarding the role of religion in society,with a particular emphasis on the limitations of Durkheim's analysis of religion.

Answer 2

Answers will vary but should include a combination of a few of the following:
First,to assume that religion is purely functional completely dismisses instances in which it is clearly dysfunctional.For example,while religion may be an important source of social cohesion for a group,it is also the reason for much conflict,tension,and bloodshed between groups.Religious groups have been in conflict with each other for thousands of years,and this often leads to a great deal of social upheaval and human suffering.
Second,while some level of social control is necessary for society to function,some religious traditions are very strict and often deny people the ability to think for themselves.Some suggest that a third limitation of Durkheim's functional interpretation of religion is his analysis of the sacred and profane,which is overly rigid and does not fit the anthropological record.
Third,religions today must compete with other social institutions and categories that are sources of personal identity-for example,race,social class,and nationality.These may become increasingly important as formerly insulated societies become more interconnected as a result of globalization.
Fourth,the functional analysis of religion fails to recognize the roles that social class,power,and gender play in the development and maintenance of religion-an important component of how conflict theorists explain religion.
Finally,because religion is considered to be the expression of a collective conscience,it suggests very little opportunity for individual agency-that is,the ability of people to define and experience their own sense of spirituality and morality,an important aspect of how symbolic interactionists explore the social significance of religion.

Question 3

Feminist theory has focused on the absence of women in roles of spiritual power within religious beliefs.Applying a post-structuralist perspective,how would you persuade them to think otherwise?

Answer 3

Answers will vary,but should include aspects of spirituality as being promoted as an individual event,moving beyond rigid rules governing people's lives,trends toward responsibility and empowerment,possible mention of the popularity of television programs like Dr.Phil ,which advocate for taking control of one's life.As such,there is more freedom than ever before in terms of belief and the opportunity to explore spirituality outside of organized religion.

Question 4

How would conflict theorists and post-structuralists explain fundamentalism?

Question 5

Discuss Tylor's theory of religious evolution.Is this theory still relevant today? Why or why not?

Question 6

Compare and contrast the insights offered by conflict theory and functionalism as they relate to religion.Which do you identify more with and why?

Question 7

Discuss religion in Canada.Is Canada still largely a Christian nation? What developments might change this?

Question 8

Discuss Andersen and Francis's three-phase process for religious conversion.

Question 9

Develop an essay that examines the religious orientation that you grew up with in your family of origin or that was dominant in your social milieu,using one of the major theoretical perspectives.

Question 10

Your textbook states that religion in Canada seems to be heading in two different directions.Discuss what this means,and what could account for these two opposing trends.