With illusion Freud means a belief that people want very much to be true. ISBN: 9780199859092. [2] Max Müller (1823-1900) has the reputation of having founded the scientific study of religion; he advocated a comparative method that developed into comparative religion. [21] Religion is not a necessary part of human culture. Geertz denied that it would ever be possible to propose a general theory of religion. [59] The primitive man could not endure that his struggle to survive had no meaning. Influential susbtantive theories have been proposed by Tylor and Frazer (treating explanatory value for its adherents), the theologian Rudolf Otto (treating the importance of religious experience, more specifically experiences that are both fascinating and terrifying), Mircea Eliade (treating the longing for otherwordly perfection, quest for meaning, and seeking patterns in mythology in various religions). [75] Mere explanations to describe religions and cultures are not sufficient. He defined religion as, With symbols Geertz meant a carrier that embodies a conception, because he saw religion and culture as systems of communication.[37]. It is difficult for cults and sects to maintain their initial enthusiasm for more than about a generation. [42], Freud's view on religion was embedded in his larger theory of psychoanalysis, which has been criticized as unscientific. According to Durkheim, people see religion as contributing to the health and continuation of society in general. The anthropologist Clifford Geertz (1926–2006) made several studies in Javanese villages. He has also been accused of having a pro-religious bias (Christian and Hindu), though this bias does not seem essential for his theory.[68]. Like Frazer and Tylor he has also been accused of out-of-context comparisons of religious beliefs of very different societies and cultures. But whileconsensus in precise d… For example, the anthropologist E. E. Evans-Pritchard (1902-1973) preferred detailed ethnographical study of tribal religion as more reliable. In status groups the primary motivation is prestige and social cohesion. [69]Not just passing contact, like Eliade. Examples of Upper Paleolithic remains associated with religious beliefs include the lion man, the Venus figurines, cave paintings from Chauvet Cave and the elaborate ritual burial from Sungir. The anthropologist Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard (1902–1973) did extensive ethnographic studies among the Azande and Nuer peoples who were considered "primitive" by society and earlier scholars. [47] Status groups have differing levels of access to power and prestige and indirectly to economic resources. sky gods such as Zeus.[30][31]. Though, he used more or less the same methodology, as Evans-Pritchard, he did not share Evans-Pritchard's hope that a theory of religion could ever be found. Substantive (or essentialist) theories that focus on the contents of religions and the meaning the contents has for people. His theory assumed that the psyches of all peoples of all times are more or less the same and that explanations in cultures and religions tend to grow more sophisticated via monotheist religions, such as Christianity and eventually to science. In the book Weber wrote that modern capitalism spread quickly partially due to the protestant wordly ascetic morale. Rational arguments to a person holding a religious conviction will not change the neurotic response of a person, in contrast to Tylor and Frazer who saw religion as rational conscious, but primitive and mistaken attempt to explain the natural world. Some authors, usually ones who wi… [4]The founder of the scientific study of religion is generally considered to be Max Müller (1823 – 1900), who advocated comparative religion. The view that religion has a social aspect, at the very least, introduced in a generalized very strong form by Durkheim has become influential and uncontested. Retail Price to Students: $61.95. [66] Like Frazer and Tylor he has also been accused of out-of-context comparisons of religious beliefs of very different societies and cultures. Evans-Pritchard saw these people as different, but not primitive. Belief in spirits grew out of attempts to explain life and death. [54], Mircea Eliade's (1907 – 1986) approach grew out of the phenomenology of religion. [17] Such critics go so far as to brand Tylor's and Frazer's views on the origin of religion as unverifiable speculation. In the book Weber wrote that modern capitalism spread quickly partially due to the Protestant worldly ascetic morale. Psychological theories of the origin of religion take their departure from the work of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). [53], His ideas strongly influenced phenomenologists and Mircea Eliade. Psychoanalysis has been assessed as non-scientific. [34] He saw religion as a reflection of the concern for society. Science and technology in the twenty-first century have reached a stage of unprecedented growth, but still there is influence of religion. Tylor saw practices and beliefs in modern societies that were similar to those of primitive societies as survivals, but he did not explain why they survived. A critical review of all the major theories developed to understand religion in last 150 years. Loss of faith in the fundamental tenets could not be endured because of its social importance and hence they had an elaborate system of explanations (or excuses) against disproving evidence. Humanism in anthropology means simply that explanations of religion (as of other human thought and action) are secular and naturalistic. This is in contrast to Tylor and Frazer, who saw religion as a rational and conscious, though primitive and mistaken, attempt to explain the natural world. Apart from the Azande, Evans-Pritchard, also studied the neighbouring, but very different Nuer people.The Nuer had had an abstract monotheistic faith, somewhat similar to Christianity and Judaism, though it included lesser spirits. In status groups the primary motivation is prestige and social cohesion. Over time, they tend to either die out, or become more established, mainstream and in less tension with society. Unlike the previous scholars, Evans-Pritchard did not propose a grand universal theory and he did extensive long-term fieldwork among primitive peoples, studying their culture and religion, among other among the Azande. Not just passing contact, like Eliade. Daniel Pals. Euhemerus (about 330 – 264 BCE) regarded gods as excellent historical persons whom admirers eventually came to worship. [28] Historical religions like Christianity and Judaism revolted against this older concept of cyclic time. He used the concept of "Verstehen" (German for "understanding") to describe his method of interpretation of the intention and context of human action.[48]. [8], He asserted that these experiences arise from a special, non-rational faculty of the human mind, largely unrelated to other faculties, so religion cannot be reduced to culture or society. 384 pages Paperback 5-1/2 x 8-1/4 inches In Stock. Scholars distinguish seven aspects of religious traditions: the doctrinal and philosophical, the mythic and narrative, the ethical and legal, the ritual and practical, the experiential and emotional, the social and organizational, and the material and artistic. [36] Differing from Tylor and Frazer, he saw magic not as religious, but as an individual instrument to achieve something. Like Otto, he saw religion as something special and autonomous, that cannot be reduced to the social, economical or psychological alone. [3], Theorizing beyond mere specualtion became possible after data from tribes and peoples all over the world became available in Europe and the United States in the 18th and 19th century. [23][24] Like Durkheim, he saw the sacred as central to religion, but differing from Durkheim, he views the sacred as often dealing with the supernatural, not with the clan or society. Sociological Theories Perspectives on Religion Christopher J. Reed Sociology 101 Mr. Nguyen March 14, 2011 Sociological Theories Perspectives on Religion When it comes to the social institution of religion, the three major sociological theories differ in a majority of ways. Therefore the anthropologist must be both empirically rigorous and a savvy interpreter, akin to a psychoanalyst. This definition emphasizes the mutual reinforcement between world view and ethos. [24] Tylor saw backwards practices and beliefs in modern societies as survivals, but he did not explain why they survived. Durkheim's theory of religion exemplifies how functionalists examine sociological phenomena. According to Marx, the human mind and human consciousness as part of matter. Unlike Tylor and Frazer, Freud attempted to explain why religion persists in spite of the lack of evidence for its tenets. Weber acknowledged that religion had a strong social component, but diverged from Durkheim by arguing, for example in his book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism that religion can be a force of change in society. This often leads to cult leaders giving up after several decades, and withdrawing the cult from the world. With totemism he meant that each of the many clans had a different object, plant, or animal that they held sacred and that symbolizes the clan. Evans-Pritchard. He also used some personal knowledge of other societies and cultures for his theories, among others his knowledge of Hindu folk religion. It has been observed that social or political movements that fail to achieve their goals will often transform into religions. Besides an alternative system of terms or school of thought did not exist. Rational arguments to a person holding a religious conviction will not change the neurotic response of a person. Most sociologists and anthropologists, who tend to see religion, as inseparable from and determined by the social context, resort to what is called 'methodological atheism'. [65], He has been criticized for vagueness in defining his key concepts. The anthropologist Clifford Geertz (1926 – 2006) made several detailed ethnographic studies, but in Javanese town, a more complex and multi-religious society than Evans-Pritchard had studied. Durkheim held the view that the function of religion is group cohesion often performed by collectively attended rituals. On the other hand, the rate of growth is exponential (ignoring the limited supply of potential converts): the more converts you have, the more missionaries you can have out looking for new converts. In this respect he agreed with Durkheim, though he acknowledged that Frazer and Tylor were right that their religion also had an intellectual explanatory aspect. He has been criticized for vagueness in defining his key concepts. Evans-Pritchard did not propose a theory of religions, but only a theory of the Nuer religion. Émile Durkheim (1858–1917) saw the concept of the sacred as the defining characteristic of religion, not faith in the supernatural. From presocratic times, ancient authors advanced prescientific theories about religion. He asserted that Confucianism opposition against both extravagance and thrift made it unlikely that capitalism could have originated in China. The best candidates for religious conversion are those who are members of or have been associated with religious groups (thereby showing an interest or openness to religion), yet exist on the fringe of these groups, without strong social ties to prevent them from joining a new group. The new religious beliefs are compensators for the failure to achieve the original goals. Theorists assert that a true religious economy is the result of religious pluralism, giving the population a wider variety of choices in religion. Freud asserted that religion is a largely unconscious neurotic response to repression. Hello, Sign in. More specifically, the definition of religion as dealing with the sacred only, regardless of the supernatural and is not supported by studies of these aboriginals. He argued that the religion of the Azande (witchcraft and oracles) can not be understood without the social context and its social function. Marxist views strongly influenced individuals' comprehension and conclusions about society, among others the anthropological school of cultural materialism. 1. an individual level that is controlled by 2. a social system that is in turn controlled by 3. a cultural system. Influential functional theories have been proposed by Karl Marx (focusing on the economic background) , Sigmund Freud (focusing on neurosis as a pscychological origin of religious beliefs), and Émile Durkheim (focusing on the social function of religions). Herodotus (484 – 425 BCE) saw the gods of Greece as the same as the gods of Egypt. Those with no religion or no interest in religion are difficult to convert, especially since the cult and sect beliefs are so extreme by the standards of the surrounding society. His general position on religion is found in The Future of An Illusion (1928) and Moses and Monotheism (1939). religion reinforces group interest that clash very often with individual interests. Converts who are marginal with few friends are easy to convert, but having few friends to convert they cannot add much to the further growth of the organization. According to the theory, the more religions there are, the more likely the population is to be religious and hereby contradicting the secularization thesis. This page was last modified 18:35, 15 May 2011. This chapter operates with a notion of ‘theory’ as an interconnected set of ideas or statements expressed in language that frames cognitive claims about some phenomenon. Not only tries Freud to explain the origin and persistence of faith in individuals but in his 1913 book Totem and Taboo he even developed a speculative story how all monotheist religions itself originated and developed. Freud's view on religion was embedded in his larger theory of psychoanalysis. James George Frazer (1854–1941) followed Tylor's theories to a great extent in his book The Golden Bough, but he distinguished between magic and religion. [2]Euhemerus (appr. Unlike Tylor and Frazer, Freud attempted to explain why religion persists in spite of the lack of evidence for its tenets. [18] The view of monotheism as more evolved than polytheism represents a mere preconception, they assert. religion reinforces group interest that clash very often with individual interests. But as R.R. the educated elite to maintain access to prestige and power. For example, precipitation may be invoked by the primitive man by sprinkling water on the ground. Theories of religion can be classified into. Geertz proposed methodology was not the scientific method of the natural science, but the method of historians studying history. Prime candidates for religious conversion are those with an openness to religion, but who do not belong or fit well in any existing religious group. Interpretations are needed too. [27][28]Tylor's anthropological method has been criticized as out-of-context comparisons of practices in different cultures and times. More specifically, the definition of religion as dealing with the sacred only, regardless of the supernatural, is not supported by studies of these aboriginals. [57] Status groups have differing levels of access to power and prestige and indirectly to economic resources. This theory puts forth the idea that religion developed as primitive people groups observed nature. Like Otto, he saw religion as something special and autonomous, that cannot be reduced to the social, economical or psychological alone.