Rational Choice Theory, also called Religious Market Theory, has emerged as a recent approach of studying contemporary religion. The rational choice approach to religion conceives of a religious economy consisting of religious producers and religious consumers( Hetcher and Kanazawa, 1997). Extending rational choice theory to religion starts "with the assumption that people make religious choices the same way that people make other choices, by weighing the costs against the benefits"(Jerolmack and porpora, 2004). This paradigm views religion as a marketplace consisting of competitive organizations and freely choosing consumers ( Sherkat and Wilson, 1995). Where worldly rewards are not possible, only religion may offer compensators. For example, …show more content…
Proponents of this paradigm assume that demand for religion has remained constant despite people having different set of beliefs and faith( Norris and Inglebert, 2004). The theory claims to be a universal generalization applicable to all faiths, although the
For example, the National
Congregations Study found that American churches commonly seek to attract new adherents by offering multiple social activities (or “products”) beyond services of worship, including religious education, cultural and arts groups, engagement in community politics, and welfare services such as soup kitchens and babysitting cooperatives.27 Stark and Finke believe that if the “supply” of churches was expanded in Europe through disestablishment (deregulation), and if churches just made more effort, this would probably lead to a resurgence of religious behavior among the
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In societies where there is more diversity of religions, there is competition among the religious producers, and those products that are less attractive to the consumers may fade away ( Iannaconne, 1995). Religious consumers preferences are influenced by a number of social factors, and are not just the result of a certain belief or taste or the promise of rewards offered by a specific religion ( Iannaconne, 1995). These factors include social class, socialisation practices and cultural influences ( Sherkat, 1994). Therefore, people might prefer to join a certain group only because of social pressures ( Ellison, 1995) and to please those around them or avoid their opposition ( Sherkat and Wilson, 1995). A person’s previous experience with a religion can also influence their choice. Researchers call this prior knowledge and experience as ‘ religious capital’ ( Ellison, 1995), a concept similar to ‘human capital’ in economics ( Ellison, 1995), that enhances
Solomon, Norman. "New House Rules: Christianity, Economics, and Planetary Living."Subverting Greed: Religious Perspectives on the Global Economy. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2002. 96-117. Print.
However, aside from the apparent lengthiness of such an analysis, the emphasis of this book is how to practically respond to the secular mindset in the marketplace.
Religions usually involved huge investments for individuals and societies. The author wonders what benefits religion could bring and the “functions” of
“About 270,000 religious congregations in the US have combined annual revenue of $80 billion. Slightly more than 50 percent of Americans belong to a religious congregation. In terms of membership, the largest faiths in the US are Catholic (about 25 percent of the population); Baptist (16 percent); Methodist (7 percent); Lutheran (5 percent); Presbyterian (3 percent); Pentecostal (2 percent); and Episcopalian (2 percent). Church membership statistics are notoriously unreliable.”(Hoover’s 2008)
Religious institutions have always been a fundamental piece of American culture, and their influence is evident in many aspects of American life. Especially during the 20th century, the spread of Christianity became more competitive as churches vied against one another to draw in new members. This was particularly evident in the development and growth of conservative Protestant groups. Protestant leaders responded to this competition for followers by developing radically new methods for the worship experience. They used their charisma and entrepreneurial spirit to send their messages to the masses. Protestant leader’s manipulation of these methods of outreach was able to attract many new members to the conservative protestant cause, and encouraged Americans to join these large groups of worship.
Eck, Diana L. A New Religious America: How a "Christian Country" Has Now Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001. Print
Smart, Ninian. "Blackboard, Religion 100." 6 March 2014. Seven Dimensions of Religion. Electronic Document. 6 March 2014.
Religion is a symbolic representation of society. The sociological approach to religious belief looks at how society behaves on a whole, to answer the question, “Why are people religious?” We express our participation in religious events through plays, acts of confession, religious dances, etc. To begin to understand why we have such term, let’s understand the common elements of religion. There are different types in which people believe in or follow and that is: animatism, animism, ancestral spirits, god and goddesses, and minor supernatural beings. Beyond these different elements, such one is to have religious leaders to follow.
Religion can be described as a social institution built up around the idea of a supernatural being or beings, and the relation of human beings to them. In addition, religion provides individuals a belief to which they understand their existence as well network of emotional support during times of distress. Moreover, religious institutions provide individuals a proper perspective of life and establish values. Religion involves three major aspects: A conception of the nature and character of divinity (2) A set of principles concerning the duties and obligations between divinity and humanity. (3) A set of behavior patterns designed to conform to God’s will (Thorman, 154). The theme of panopticisim is to assert and maintain power by being unseen. In Christianity, God, unable to be to seen, is a supernatural being with infinite power. In addition, the Holy Bible reaffirms this power and establishes accordance among civilians. The social institution of religion is a form of a panoptic system where individuals are compelled to act accordingly.
Even more appealing is Fromm’s innovative understanding of religion. He calls it “any group-shared system of thought and action that offers the individual a frame of orientation and an object of devotion”(Fromm 135). In this sense, every society in the world has had a religion. He says that modern society is characterized by a new religion – the Industrial religion. It developed because of the way modern society is rooted in the having mode.
Throughout history, religion has helped form the basic fabric of society. From an early age, religion provided the answers to any unexplainable natural phenomena. The question of why the world worked in a particular way was easily answered with “because [name of deity] made it that way.” Religion was everywhere; everyone had their own ideas about how the world worked and what their role was in the universe. Each likeminded group held that their religious beliefs were the root cause of their happiness and general satisfaction with life. Centuries of religious dominance eventually gave birth to a widespread idea that strong religious beliefs are essential to living a happy and fulfilling life. Even today, in a society dominated by scientific advances, religion finds a niche in catering to people’s spiritual needs. Indeed, despite the societal changes that have occurred in modern times, religion has remained largely unchanged since its early days. The belief that religion factors heavily into one’s life satisfaction and happiness has also remained much the same, despite today’s complex and ever-changing society. The problem lies where religion is viewed as a major way to achieve happiness, and this perspective can lead to blind acceptance of religion solely on the basis of its supposed universal benefits. Basically, a new way of looking at religion is needed: seeing it not as the end-all happiness tool, but as a small factor in a complex web of happiness and well-being.
The. London Hunt, Stephen J (2002) Religion in Western Society. London. The. Palgrave McGuire, Meredith B. & Co. (1997) Religion: The Social Context, 4th edition. Wadsworth Pickering, W. S. F. (1984) Durkheim’s Sociology of Religion: Themes and Theories.