SOCI 120 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Kaaba
Document Summary
Religion: social institution dedicated to establishing a shared sense of identity, encouraging social integration, and offering believers a sense of meaning and purpose. 2 approaches at understanding religion: defining what it is, defining what it does. Substantive approach: religion has a unique focus that separates it from other forma of knowledge and belief. Sacred = extraordinary realm that becomes the focus of religion, faith, and practice. Provides believers with meaning, order, and coherence. Doesn"t need gods or goddesses, and afterlife, or other such conventional elements. Social practices that strongly unite us, such as sports, can function like religion for the individual and for society. Points to three aspects sociologists focus on when studying religion. In the context of community: unified system of beliefs and practices. What these are matter less that the fact that they are shared. Terms historically used to describe religious beliefs include: doctrine, dogma, creeds, and scripture.
