The Role of Religion in Society

The Role of Religion in Society

The role of religion in society is definately a dynamic one. The

relationship between both religion and society is always changing.

Religion effects different societies in different ways and different

forms, causing the forms of society to change according to a change in

religion. Religion can be a driving force in society, but as a

reactionary rather than in a radical way.

Functionalism

Functionalists believe that religion maintains social solidarity and

value consensus amongst a society's population and this helps maintain

the well-being of society. In his Elementory Forms Of Religious Life,

Durkheim argues that social life could only exist if values were

shared and society integrated into a coherent whole. Religion helps

value consensus as it undergoes unifying beliefs and practices which

help people involved, attatch meaning to the world around them. The

sacred and profane is Durkheim's distinction between people and

society.The sacred are symbols for society to worship. When they say

they are worshipping a "God", they are actually worshipping society.

The relationship between God and Humans (Power and Dependance) in most

religions reflects that of Society and Humans. It is not God that

makes us behave in a certain way, or punishes us, it is society.

Collective conscience and collective worship towards the sacred

promotes social solidarity and value consensus. The sacred will be

looked upon in times of everyday activity and therefore will help

guide the individual accordingly, to the value consensus of the

society. By worshipping together, a sense of commitment and belonging

are united...

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...tle, the poor man at his gate; god made them

high or lowly and ordered their estate."

Thus religion discourags people from attempting change, and thus the

dominant groups can maintain their power (the symbolism involved in

both religion and politics are similar). Religion is used by the

ruling class to justify their position. Therefore the ruling class and

the subject class adopt the mutual agreement that:

'The parson has never gone hand in hand with the landlord'.

Marxism generally concludes that religion of the poor focuses heavily

on the afterlife, and therefore justifies all social inequality

apparant in the class structure. Marxism looks at the nature of faith

closely. However, there are some tradional Marxists who see Religion

as a platform for social change, a postion also adopted by some

Neo-Marxists.