Religion This chapter looks at religion as an institution, as well as at the ways that people express their religious beliefs.

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ReligionThis chapter looks at religion as an
institution, as well as at the ways that people
express their religious beliefs.

• Colleen OSullivan
• Katelyn Finneran
• Jordan Murphy
• Ashley Wilson
• Breana Fletcher
• Period 7

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• Religion- a unified system of beliefs and
  practices concerned with sacred things.
• Sacred- things and ideas that are set apart and
  given a special meaning that goes beyond, or
  transcends, immediate existence.
• Profane- nonsacred aspects of life.
• Legitimate- justify or give official approval to.
• Spirit of Capitalism- the obligation to reinvest
  money in business rather than spend it.
• Protestant ethic- a set of values, norms,
  beliefs, and attitudes stressing hard work,
  thrift, and self-discipline.
• Church- life encompassing religious organization
  to which all members of a society belong.
• Denomination- one of several religious
  organizations that most members of a society
  accept as legitimate.

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• Sect- a religious organization formed when
  members of an existing religious organization
  breaks away in an attempt to reform the parent
  group
• Cult- religious organization whose
  characteristics are not drawn from existing
  religious traditions within a society.
• Religiosity- the types of religious attitudes and
  behavior people display in their everyday lives
• Secularization- process through which the sacred
  loses influence over society.
• Fundamentalism- based on the desire to resist
  secularization and to adhere closely to
  traditional religious beliefs, rituals, and
  doctrines.

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14.1 Religion and Sociology

• The Sociological Meaning of Religion
• Sociologists concluded that every religion
  separates the sacred from the profane.
• The particular things considered sacred vary
  from culture to culture
• Ex- Bolivian tin makers attach sacred meaning to
  figures of the devil and of bulls. This would
  not be sacred to Americans because it is not part
  of their culture.

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14.2 Theoretical Perspectives

• Function and Religion
• -Religion gives formal approval to existing
  social arrangements
• Legitimate to justify or give official
  approval to
• -Religion encourages a sense of unity
• -Religion provides a sense of understanding
• -Religion promotes a sense of belonging

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14.2 continued

• Conflict Theory and Religion
• -What did Marx say about religion?
• Marx believed that once people have created a
  unified system of sacred beliefs and practices,
  they act as if it were something beyond their
  control. Religion words against social change
• -How did a Weber link Protestantism and
  capitalism?
• Max Weber suggested the religion sometimes
  encourages social change.
• Spirit of capitalism the obligation of
  reinvest money in business rather than to spend
  it
• Protestant ethic a set of values, norms,
  beliefs, and attitudes stressing hard work,
  thrift, and self-discipline

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14.3 Religious Organization and Religiosity

• Religious Organization
• -How do sociologists distinguish among the basic
  types of religious organizations?
• Church a life-encompassing religious
  organization to which all members of a society
  belong
• Denomination one of several religious
  organizations that most members of a society
  accept as legitimate
• Sect a religious organization that arises out
  of a desire to reform an existing religious
  organization
• Cult a religious organization whose
  characteristics are not drawn from existing
  religious traditions within a society

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14.3 continued

• Ways in which people express their religious
  interests and convictions
• How do people display religiosity?
• -Belief refers to what a person considers to be
  true
• -A ritual is a religious practice that the
  members of a religion are expected to perform
• -The intellectual dimension of religiosity may
  involve knowledge of holy or sacred scripture or
  an interest in such religious aspects of human
  existence as evil, suffering, and death
• -Experience encompasses certain feelings
  attached to religious expression

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14.4 Religion in the United States

• The Development of Religion in America
• Religious freedom was one of the many reasons
  the Puritans came to America.
• Americans have interpreted their history as
  having religious meaning (Bellah et al. 19922)
• The ideas of separation of church and state and
  freedom of religious expression are cornerstones
  of American life.
• Secularization
• Through secularization, the sacred loses
  influence over society.
• Ex- formal education originally was a function of
  religion. Now with the division of church and
  state, religion is a forbidden topic in public
  schools

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Religion in Public Schools

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vxRhwsPbvrgY

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14.4 continued

• Religious Preferences
• Religion and Class
• Religious affiliation is related to social class
• Ex- Presbyterians, Episcopalians and Jews are
  at the top. Below are Catholics, Lutherans, and
  Methodists, followed by Baptists.

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Religious Activity

• Religiosity is the way in which people express
  their religious interests and convictions. The
  five ways in which people display religiosity
  are
• Belief refers to what a group considers true
• Ritual a religious practice that is expected to
  be performed
• Intellectual dimension the knowledge of holy or
  sacred scripture or interests for example views
  on life, death, evil, suffering
• Experience feelings attached to religious
  expression for example someone who feels close
  to a deity when they pray
• Consequences decisions and commitments people
  make as a result of religious beliefs, rituals,
  knowledge, or experiences.
• Get into groups of 5-6 people and come up with
  your own religion that includes your beliefs,
  rituals, intellectual dimensions, experiences,
  and consequences.

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• Katelyn Finneran- section 14.2, 14.3, vocab,
  video
• Colleen OSullivan- powerpoint,vocab,section 14.4
  
• Jordan Murphy- quiz, vocab
• Ashley Wilson-religious activity, vocab
• Breana Fletcher- section14, vocab

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Works Cited

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  7eab7-d65d-4a8a-9471-6bc716b2ad98.jpg,
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  Y
• Slide 11- http//www.halexandria.org/images/why_re
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