Sociology 1510- Chapter 15

15.3 Religion in the United States

Liberation theology combines Christian principles with political activism to address social injustice, discrimination, and poverty. Megachurches are those with a membership of more than 2,000 regular attendees, and they are a vibrant, growing and highly influential segment of U.S. religious life. Some sociologists believe levels of religiosity in the United States are declining (called secularization), while others observe a rise in fundamentalism.

15.1 The Sociological Approach to Religion

Religion describes the beliefs, values, and practices related to sacred or spiritual concerns. Social theorist Émile Durkheim defined religion as a "unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things" (1915). Max Weber believed religion could be a force for social change. Karl Marx viewed religion as a tool used by capitalist societies to perpetuate inequality. Religion is a social institution, because it includes beliefs and practices that serve the needs of society. Religion is also an example of a cultural universal, because it is found in all societies in one form or another. Functionalism, conflict theory, and interactionism all provide valuable ways for sociologists to understand religion.

15.2 World Religions

Sociological terms for different kinds of religious organizations are, in order of decreasing influence in society, ecclesia, denomination, sect, and cult. Religions can be categorized according to what or whom its followers worship. Some of the major, and oldest, of the world's religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

megachurch

a Christian church that has a very large congregation averaging more than 2,000 people who attend regular weekly services

denomination

a large, mainstream religion that is not sponsored by the state

monotheism

a religion based on belief in a single deity

polytheism

a religion based on belief in multiple deities

ecclesia

a religion that is considered the state religion

sect

a small, new offshoot of a denomination

religion

a system of beliefs, values, and practices concerning what a person holds to be sacred or spiritually significant

religious rituals

behaviors or practices that are either required for or expected of the members of a particular group

cults

religious groups that are small, secretive, and highly controlling of members and have a charismatic leader

established sects

sects that last but do not become denominations

religious beliefs

specific ideas that members of a particular faith hold to be true

totemism

the belief in a divine connection between humans and other natural beings

atheism

the belief in no deities

religious experience

the conviction or sensation that one is connected to "the divine"

animism

the religion that believes in the divinity of nonhuman beings, like animals, plants, and objects of the natural world

liberation theology

the use of a church to promote social change via the political arena