Question

1. What are the key strengths and weaknesses of the sociological approach to religion?

Answer 1

Leaders have used religious myths, icons, and rituals throughout centuries, and in cultures around the world, in an effort to give life greater importance and explain the cosmos. In any established community, some type of religion is found, and it is typically practised by a group in a public way. Feasts and festivals, intercession with Deity or gods, marriage and burial ceremonies, music and sculpture, meditation or initiation, sacrifice or service, and other facets of culture can require the practise of religion.

While some people think of faith as something entity and it may be deeply personal of religious convictions, faith is still a collective organisation. Social scientists accept that religion operates as a structured and interconnected collection of views, perceptions, and norms based on core social needs and values. In addition, religion is a common cultural feature present in all social classes.

The first sociologist who studied religion in terms of its social effects is commonly considered Durkheim. He claimed that religion is above all about community: it ties people together (social cohesion), encourages continuity in conduct (social control), and provides support through the changes and tragedies in life (meaning and purpose). Durkheim held that the root of faith and morals is the universal mind-set of society and that the coherent bonds of social order result from shared beliefs in a society, through extending the methods of natural science to the study of society. He contended that in order to preserve social cohesion, certain principles ought to be upheld.