While many have tried to analyze religion, most have focused on a monothetic view of the subject. This view is based on the classical assumption that all instances described by a concept will share a single defining property. Polythetic approaches, by contrast, abandon this classical view and treat religion as a prototype structure. There are various reasons why religion is important. Read on to discover how religion has evolved and why it’s important to study religion.
Concepts
What is the purpose of religion? What does it have to do with society? What is the relationship between religion and social inequality? These are the two most controversial issues in sociology. Some critics see religion as a tool used by oppressive monarchs to keep their people poor, while others say that religion is a social institution that serves society. However, there is an interesting tension between the two. Critical theorists see religion as an important tool for social change, while more conservative sociologists see it as an institution that reflects society’s values and power structure.
Origins
There are several theories on the origins of religion. One of these is the false agency hypothesis, which links religion to a cognitive error. This hypothesis claims that early humans had to be jumpy in order to survive, and that evolution selected for superstitious behavior. It is possible that early humans were wrong about evil spirits approaching treetops, but right about panthers’ weight. However, both theories are unlikely to explain the origins of religion.
Functions
While a religious faith may be the sole source of happiness, it also provides an individual with a sense of identity and purpose. A religion can even alleviate the frustrations and stresses of daily life. Thomas Luckman argued that religions serve the prime function of giving meaning to people’s lives. Religion can also aid integration for newcomers in industrial societies. Immigrants from Bangladesh in India, for example, became Indian Muslims after becoming citizens of India.
Theories
There are many different theories of religion, and these theories vary in their focus and scope. Substantive theories focus on the content of religious beliefs, asserting that people have faith in religious traditions because they make sense to them. Such theories are not easy to study, though. Unlike more formalistic theories, religious beliefs can often be embodied and visceral and are hard for outsiders to fully understand. The difference between these theories can also make them difficult to apply to other kinds of religions.
Impact on society
While the role of religion in individual lives is thought to be declining, religion is still an integral part of a person’s identity and is often interconnected with their actions. For example, an African-American Muslim woman’s religious beliefs and practices may influence her decision to convert to a particular religion. Other religious beliefs are not rooted in a particular religion, but rather on intersectional identities. This article examines how these different types of identities interact with society.