SO 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Liberation Theology, Religious Organization, Major Religious Groups
Document Summary
Religion: a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things. Involves a set of beliefs and practices that are uniquely the property of religion. Sacred: encompasses elements beyond everyday life that inspire awe, respect, and even fear. Secularization: whe(cid:374) religio(cid:374) s i(cid:374)flue(cid:374)ce o(cid:374) other social i(cid:374)stitutio(cid:374)s i(cid:374) a society di(cid:373)i(cid:374)ishes. Liberation theology: the use of a church in a political effort to eliminate poverty, discrimination, and other forms of injustice from a secular society. Religion encourages us to view our personal misfortunes as relatively unimportant in the broader perspective of human history. In the united states, women are much more likely than men to be affiliated with religion, to pray, to believe in g-d, to claim that religions important in their lives. Fundamentalism: defined as an emphasis on doctrinal conformity and the literal interpretation of sacred texts. Religious rituals: practices required or expected of members of a faith. Usually honor the divine power (or powers) worshipped by believers.