It is widely known that organized religion has dramatically shaped every aspect of human identity for several years. For example, in a society currently bombarded by material objects and cluttered advertisements, an interesting relationship between brands and religion has formed. Despite the correlation between the two being invisible to the naked eye, academic scholars have taken great interest in researching how brands operate like religion. With that in mind, the purpose of this essay is to identify and analyze the common attributes between religion and brands. This analysis begins with working definitions of both concepts, in addition to discussing the common attributes which include: formation of human community, focus on human desire, and entering into human relations of exchange. Accordingly, by drawing on David Chidester’s text, Authentic Fakes: Religion and American Popular Culture (2005), this paper will argue that Apple, an iconic brand, is an authentic fake doing real religious work.
For starters, it is important to define the term “religion” as many different definitions circulate. Chidester (2005) offers a simple definition, which states that “religion provides ways of being a human in a place” (p.3). Since religion is known to be a complex concept, Chidester’s definition is functional because he does not put restrictions on what religion is. Instead, the importance is placed on the element of human experience that will not only bring individuals together, but
How Is religion a distinctive response to the human search for the meaning of life.
This paper has presented a definition of religion, as well as an examination of its parts to determine if the definition is adequate to apply appropriately. Secondly, this paper has examined several practices and experiences common to both major religions of the worlds, as well as indigenous religions. Lastly, the key critical issues of the study of religions and reasons for their consideration have been identified and discussed.
In The Sacred Quest, University of Notre Dame professor Lawrence Cunningham attempts the search for a coherent definition of religion. While he doesn’t strive for a one-sentence interpretation of what indicates a real, organized religion, he arrives on several elements and functions to give meaning to his definition. To Cunningham, there are five elements that make up a religion: belief, feeling, action, individual and community aspects, and values. Cunningham argues that these five elements exists in order to explain what could not otherwise be explained, enable people to sustain hope in the face of difficult experiences, and provide ways of thinking that provide goals and respond to “great problems” in life (158). All of these aspects work
Religion is defined as A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual being (Mifflin). It is known that many of our behaviours are determined by the presence of religion in one's life. Religion implants its principles in a person and their attitudes, personality, morals and ethics and alters it to a great extent. This
For purpose of this essay, religion will be defined as a collection of institutional beliefs and customs concerning humanity and the purpose of the universe [1]. Key beliefs within religion that will be explored, as well as there relation to reason, are:
What purpose does religion serve? Why does religion continue to play an important role in human life? Koenig (2009) declared that atheism is rare, and rather, 90% of the world’s population practices religion or spirituality. Religion and spirituality have ambiguous meanings and are not universally defined. Although difficult to adequately define, Koenig (2009) inferred that “religion is rooted in an established tradition that arises out of a group of people with common beliefs and practices concerning the sacred” (p. 284). Spirituality, however, is often defined on an individual basis and not necessarily connected to religious beliefs (Koenig, 2009). Researchers often relate spirituality to personal interaction with spiritual entities
The meaning of religion is something that scholars, along with society at large, have attempted to define for centuries. Although the term cannot truly have one solid meaning, it is clear that religion is much more than a set of beliefs and practices. In Religion: The Basics, author Mallory Nye discusses his approach to studying religion. In arguing that culture and religion strongly influence each other, he explains that those studying religion must make people and culture their focus, as variations even within the same religions exist and must be considered. Moreover, Nye explains how religion is, essentially, a universal concept, as it takes form in an array of shapes across the globe. With Nye’s argument, I have developed new insights
Religion is a fundamental element of human society. It is what binds a country, society or group of individuals together. However, in some instances it destroys unity amoungst these. Religion is a belief in a superhuman entity(s) which control(s) the universe. Every religion has its differences but most strive for a just life and the right morals. The three major groups are the primal regions which consist of African, Aboriginal and Native American religions, Asian which consist of South Eastern Asian religions and Abrahamic religions which consist of Middle Eastern religions. The foci of this essay are the differences between the Abrahamic religion, Christianity, and the Asian region Buddhism as well as making reference to the Islamic
In this essay we will discuss the importance of religion in society. We will attempt to explain why societies have religions and what functions their belief system has for them. We will also ask if these functions are now out-dated and if religions have any meaningful function in today's world or are they just stained glass windows into a bygone era? 'Religion' can be defined by two main groupings. 'The inclusive definition' covers all topics and subjects of a persons life including, not only, their belief in a deity but also their belief and belongingness to music, sport and any other interests the person may hold. 'The exclusive definition' refers to just their belief system regarding a 'supra-human' (Browne 2005, p. 311). It is mainly
This book has significant research that supports finding an effective and non-exploitive way of marketing the modern church through strategic branding and the repackaging of religion, which are key components of my proposal. It helps churches determine, "who are we? Why are we that? How do we get people to want to be a part of this?" Ultimately allowing me to unravel the bigger of question of, how does one properly market their church? This source is crucial because “argues that in order to compete effectively faiths have had to become brands – easily recognizable symbols and spokespeople with whom religious prospects can make immediate
Religion is a combination of beliefs, world views and spiritual practises that relate humanity to a structure of existence. Religion is classed as ones “spiritual journey” and a spiritual journey could be considered to be anyone seeking an ultimate understanding of life and the world
Religion can be defined as a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance. It contains a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices that allow its followers to live their life a certain way. The world consists of 19 major religions, which are further subdivided into 270 larger groups. According to David Barrett et al, editor of the “World Christian Encyclopedia,” there are 34,000 separate Christian groups around the world. Just from those numbers alone, we can conclude that religion has a prevalent effect on people and society. Religion is viewed as a positive influence on an individual both psychologically and physically. Throughout history we can study the various effects that religion has on society. Studies generally provide great evidence in favor of religion having a positive effect on individuals and society as a whole.
Religion is an important part in many people’s life. Although some people are not strongly religious, they still have a religion
In society today, everything has a name for it. If the product doesn’t have a well-known name, it goes by name that a well-known product that is similar goes by. Branding has made its impact on society and it’s never going to go away. In this situation, all we can do from here is analyze more and more until we fully understand its presence in society and its effects. Branding has its biggest effects on consumerism, which makes us question consumerisms power in society. Has our society become one big, replicated consumer or can a consumer or even a person still be unique and individual? Branding creates competition amongst companies throughout the world and creates a competition for the consumers. Not only, it also creates issues, creates
Basically, branding is a philosophical expression of the human condition. It is about belonging/attachment. Belonging to a tribe, to a religion, to a family and to a product. The Branding establishes a sense of attachment. It has this function for both the people who are part of the same group and also for the people who don’t belong. The origins of branding are basically related to the nature of the human condition. A tribe is a brand—religion is a brand. When it shows itself in a modern, fashionable form, you are expected statingbranding that began in the 19th century. It was basically affiliation with fast-moving consumer goods. But that is a distortion of what branding is. That type of branding is a manifestation of differentiation. It’s a differentiation of onefast-moving consumer product from another. Brands are a direct consequence of the strategy of market segmentation and differentiation.