Religion and Its Functions in Society

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Analysis of Religion
Function of Religion
Works Cited

Introduction

Religion in some form or the other has been with man for long. It is one of those few characteristics and activities of man which are independent of his animal nature. It has sprouted out of his mind, in response to his felt needs, external and internal. To trace its origin is impossible, and to define it is no less. It is evolutionary in character. Most of the definitions of religion oscillate round the concept of the super human; belief and practice; rituals and rites.

Every society possesses some conceptions of a supernatural order of spirits, gods or impersonal forces. These forces are different from and in some sense superior to those forces conceived as covering ordinary “natural” events and their nature and activities somehow give meaning to the usual, the frustrating and the rationally impracticable aspects of experience.

They are attributed in part at least to its agency, and the men devoted an important part of their time and resources for regulating their relations with this order as they conceive it.

Analysis of Religion

Religion seeks to interpret and control man’s relations with the forces of his physical and social environment. These forces are thought to be under the control of some supernatural power. The attempt to interpret man’s relations to these forces led to several forms of religions like superstition, animism, totemism, magic, ceremonialism and fetishism.

Function of Religion

Religion can serve certain functions in society including acting as the social cement that binds society together and suppresses conflict between social groups. It can be used as a form of social control. It is a source of legitimacy for society and its institutions. It is a source of identity. It provides a means for emotional expression and dealing with the difficulties of life. It also provides an explanation for the existence of the physical universe and how it functions.

How has religion influenced politics?

Religion and politics are dimensions of human experience engaged in a meaningful exercise of power. Both are patterns of power, dynamic processes of action and interaction, and systems of power relations that reinforce the general distribution of power within any society.

One of the prominent scholars in the area of religion and politics asserts that, “Religion is concerned with the systemic ordering of different kinds of power, particularly those seen as significantly beneficial or dangerous.” In other words, religion is the way human being orient themselves to the multitude of powers that impinge upon their lives.

Another author, Firth Raymond, agrees that, “Religions are basically concerned with problems of meaning and power,” (21) furthermore, religion alone is not sufficient as a single variable to explain [political] conflict in any given state.

Hence, religion is an element in the conflict between ethnic language groups. Ronald L. Johnstone further explains that ethnicity and ethnically based action are determined by political, economic, and cultural factors, (Ronald 2007) although the factors vary in importance according to specific historical and contextual conditions.

The interplay of religion and politics is often described as a volatile mix; and political scientists and politician have long insisted that these two entities should remain separated from each other. Religion has had varied effects on embedded cultural and political assumptions, with regards to policy and political decision-making.

Some of these effects have contributed to the emergence of norms and values that assist in the maintenance of peace and order within the West, while others have influenced the emergence of cultural behaviors and assumptions that several social commentators claim have has a destructive influence on the environment and on the health and well-being of communities and individuals.

The relationships of religion to politics are complex and paradoxical. Both try to secure power. Yet they are different in the aims and values set on power. The basic power envisaged in religion, whether immanent or transcendental, is of another quality from another world. Both politics and religion imply awareness of social relationship and emphasize integration.

Politics is focused on the relationship between men, whereas religion is focused on the relationship of men with gods or spiritual beings. Both use calculation and appeal to emotion, but religion is grounded in revelation whereas politics tries to keep within the bounds of reason. In hierarchy of social activities, religion stands at a peak of evaluation, while politics may have a low rate in the scale of public esteem.

What is religious fundamentalism?

Fundamentalism occurs in all the world’s major religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. It is a very powerful force in the world affairs today. It occupies a position not dissimilar to that occupied by Marxism in the twentieth century. Like Marxism, it is not only a belief system but also a plan of action to transform humanity (Scott Jones1). In addition, the plan in question sometimes involves the use of extreme violence, exercised not only within but also across state boundaries.

Religious fundamentalism has become a subject of teaching and research. In North America, the events of 9/11 have added a sense of urgency to what otherwise would have remained a part of the sober study of comparative religion. Whether we like it or not, after 9/11, religious fundamentalism has become an issue of national security as well (Scott Jones 9).

Fundamentalism can be defined as the creation, the categorial result, of modern ideological structures that have generated the concept in the process of interpreting and making sense of a much wider realm of social realities (Scott Jones10). From this point, the term “Religious fundamentalism” refers to extremism and politicization in all varieties of religion. Increasingly, fundamentalism has become a pejorative label, often used synonymously with terrorism (Scott Jones18).

Works Cited

Firth, Raymond. Religión: A Humanist Interpretation. New York, NY: Routledge, 1996. Print.

Ronald Johnstone L. Religion in Society, A Sociology of Religion, eighth edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, 2007. Print.

Scott Jones, Julie. Being the Chosen: Exploring a Christian Fundamentalist Worldview. Surrey, England: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. 2010. Print.

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