The Importance Of Religion In Society

Throughout the years, various anthropologists have developed definitions for religion. Emilie Durkheim was one of the first and many sociologists who studied the structure of religion and tried to define its’ function. Durkheim stated that “a religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden -- beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them." Durkheim describes religion as the embodiment of society’s highest goals and ideals. He states that religion acts as a cohesive social force. It is real in that it exists in people’s minds and impels them to heed societal dictates, but what is perceived as external to society, like God, is a projection and reflection of society (Segal, The Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion, 2006, p.5)

Through ethnographic research, Durkheim can explain the fundamentals of religion and its relation to society. We are not born with the innate knowledge of structural situations or cultural effects that occur within a society. Nor, are we aware of the effects our behaviors and attitudes have on a society. Durkheim’s worked untimely explained how the moral realm functioned by focusing on primitive religion. Religious ceremonies closely resemble social life, containing highly routined acts. The essential elements of religion include rites which are expressed by rituals and practice. Rituals unite social groups regardless of individual differences, which are found in both modern and traditional societies because rituals are a part of both. Durkheim noted, to have a

When it comes to religion, it is often tied to the supernatural or the divine. However, Durkheim argues that the idea of the supernatural is not an important factor of religious practices (Uricoechea 1992:159). The sacred does not always have supernatural qualities. It is more about the value that it holds to individuals that makes it sacred. Therefore society can be considered as such because people value it as means of shaping one’s

Religion is difficult to describe, but for this article, it will be used interchangeably with “belief in, or worship of god”, “a collection of beliefs”, “an order of existence”, or “a cultural system.”

In today’s world, there are many religions and, they all practice and worship in different ways. They all have certain beliefs, certain rituals and, traditions that they carry. This paper will explain how religious traditions describe and encourage the relationship with the divine; the relationship with the sacred time; the relationship with sacred space or the natural world; and the relationship with each other. This paper will also identify key critical issues in the study of religion.

Also, Durkheim definition involves the differentiation of sacred and profane in religion. The sacred part of religion is anything deemed by the community requiring special religious treatment. This may include anything from an object to rituals. These ideas or objects are considered sacred because only certain communities within society deemed them as sacred. On the other hand, Durkheim considered the attitude toward the objects or ideas are considered as sacred as profane. The community’s sees the sacred ideas with familiarity and respect the sacred in their everyday

Religion is one’s belief in a supernatural being with high power that provides a sense of meaning and purpose for its followers. Religion is a subject encountered daily, either by accident or by choice. By specifically following a faith or by encountering symbols, people, and places that subtly imply religious aspects, one finds religion almost anywhere they wish it to be. Looking back, religion is much more complicated to be put in so few sentences. Religious studies scholars argue for a broad definition of religion. In revising my personal definition, I argue that religion is an orientation in the sacred and an escape from the mundane and profane of everyday life. Religion too, is a connection of community ritually expressed and embodied through individuals which in turn creates meaning and purpose. Together with these elements, religion can be defined in a way that enables one to look at it from a variety of angles, thus achieving an understanding of religion’s role in sickness and health.

In an application to religion, the followers of the religion worship the best attributes of society that they want to see in themselves. I find this analysis of religion fascinating. Religion is the most complex human social behavior. There does not seem to be any real function to the worship of other worldly beings or some sore of supernatural force. Through Durkheim, I am able to understand the function of these behaviors. This is the most important and valuable aspect of Durkheim’s work. While many scholars had focussed on the individual function of religion, Durkheim looked to the true nature of religion as a societal act. Religion, in most cases, is a communal and social behavior that serves as a way to bring human beings together for what they believe to be a purpose greater than themselves. Durkheim is able to shed light on the purpose of these communal behaviors and the importance of them to the tribal nature of humanity.

Religious traditions play a huge role with humans and their beliefs of who controls the world. Religion is believed to have many different meanings to different people. The definition of religion varies but the common definition is people in an organization that to worship together and have the same beliefs. It is also viewed a system of belief that worships a God or gods, prayer, and moral code. In this paper, you will read explanation of how religious traditions describe and encourage relationships, the key characteristics of religion, and the conflict issues in the study of religion (Molloy, 2010).

Emile Durkheim’s vision of religion is based on experience. (Durkheim, 1965) There are many reasons why people do what they do and one of the biggest reasons is because of experience and their understanding of the rituals. Religion for Durkheim is an organized attempt to bridge the gap between the known and the unknown in our lives; between the profane world of our every day experience and the sacred, the extraordinary world located outside of that experience. For Durkheim, what is ultimately unknown to us is our collective being in society. (Kabamba, December 3) Society lies within each of us and also outside. Religion is both subjective and objective and it is though religion that helps us link the subjective and objective together and live in peace in our society. (Durkheim, 1965)

Moreover, Durkheim compares religion to society. He says that society is the cause of the unique sensations of the religious experiences, so called “sui generis” (Ritzer, 84). This concept

The crux of Emile Durkheim’s The Elementary Forms of Religious Life lies in the concept of collective effervescence, or the feelings of mutually shared emotions. Through a hermeneutical approach, Durkheim investigates the reflexiveness of social organization, the balance between form and content, and the immense cooperation in collective representations. In his work, society is the framework of humanity and gives it meaning, whereas religion acts as the tool to explain it. Since society existed prior to the individual, the collective mind must be understood before the concept of the individual can be grasped. However, one component seems missing from his social theory – what underlies society in terms of rituals and rites? Only when this

Religion, as described by French Sociologist Émile Durkheim, connotes a “unified system of beliefs and practices, relative to sacred things” (Durkheim, 1965). The word ‘unified’ suggests religion plays the role of a peace keeper, presenting individuals with a shared sense of understanding through the rituals, as well as the belief in a higher power or God. Within a contemporary society, religion is arguably playing a different role to that which it played during the early 20th century, a time throughout which Durkheim’s sociological influence and research was prominent. Contemporary, postmodern societies are far more likely to use and exploit religion in a varying way, for many reasons - technological advances and media takeovers, not to

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

Similarly to Weber, Durkheim believed that religion plays an integral part in society. He defined religion as a “unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things… beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community called a church...” (Durkheim EF: 47). This functional definition describes what Durkheim believes what role religion plays in contemporary society: it unities it. He analyzed religion within the context of the entire society and recognized its influence on people’s thoughts and behaviors. Durkheim was interested in the communal bonds forged by participating in religious activities and stressed the importance of the communal aspect of religion.