5 different theories on the origin of religion 5 different theories on the origin of religion

ADVERTISEMENTS: Following ancient theories are important to mention. The theories could be updated, however, by considering new reports, which Robert Ranulph Marett (1866-1943) did for Tylor's theory of the evolution of religion. What does religion mean? Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), an early advocate of the theory of evolution, maintained that religion belonged to the constitution of social organisms, namely, to societies. As his famous quote is often paraphrased, 'Religion is the opium of the people.'. Each faith has its own answers to questions about humanity and each one has different practices. 7. As we delve into the theories of its origin, we will treat them as such. There are numerous theories of the origins of religion involving various philosophies that provide their own explanation. For Geertz (1973: p. 4), religion was " (1) a system of symbols which acts to (2) establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men [sic] by (3) formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and (4) clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that (5) the moods and motivations seem uniquely . Big Era Four: Expanding Networks of Exchange and Encounter 1200 BCE 500 CE. World History for Us All. One possibility is that by about 100 BCE, the population in Afro-Eurasia had climbed to over a million. In other words, since there are things that are unexplainable by simply using the five senses, humans developed religion to fill in the blanks. Not just passing contact, like Eliade. Is religion a valid category of scholarly inquiry? Marx' explanations for all religions, always, in all forms, and everywhere have never been taken seriously by many experts in the field, though a substantial fraction accept that Marx' views possibly explain some aspects of religions. Focusing on the positive and trying to achieve happiness now does indeed bring meaning to life and lift peoples focus away from daily drudgery or suffering, with the hope that one day people might achieve eternal salvation or be released from the reincarnation cycle (samsara). In short, as humans age, they begin to see the weaknesses in their earthly fathers. Example: Freud used psychoanalysis to come up with his theory on the origins of religion, whereas Marx used the concept of class struggle. Direct link to CrusaderBoi's post Think about the religion . In an effort to understand this phenomenon, theories abound! Section 3. As it becomes clear that the goals of the movement will not be achieved by natural means (at least within their lifetimes), members of the movement will look to the supernatural to achieve what cannot be achieved naturally. I learned through a few web searches and from several secondary sources that Hinduism is often called the oldest religion mainly because there is no single founder and because the main ideas of the religion appear in a variety of different texts written over time, starting around 4,000 years ago. As a result of increasing commercial and cultural interaction between people across this large area, religions were shared. They believed that religion is essentially an illusion; because culture and location influence religion to such a degree, the idea that religion presents a fundamental truth of existence seemed rather improbable to them. Besides an alternative system of terms or school of thought did not exist. He asserted that magic relied on an uncritical belief of primitive people in contact and imitation. This method left them open to criticism for lack of universality, which many freely admitted. Even though none of these three men was particularly religious, the power that religion holds over people and societies interested them all. The comments below about cult formation apply equally well to sect formation. Apart from the Azande, Evans-Pritchard, also studied the neighbouring, but very different Nuer people. Although people commonly assume that Marx saw no place for religion, this assumption is not entirely true. This theory puts forth the idea that religion developed as primitive people groups observed nature. On the first day God created light and separated the light from the darkness, calling light "day" and darkness "night. Think about the religion you're in. A religion is a set of beliefs and rituals practiced by a group of people. Evolution and Religion. Emil Durkheims Theory of Religion. All of these religions teach that human relations should be guided by kindness, selflessness, and decency. They also believe in the Resurrection and a Judgment Day. These eight tenets of Buddhism are really about how people should relate to each other and how people develop self-discipline. Examples of this include the counterculture movement in America: the early counterculture movement was intent on changing society and removing its injustice and boredom; but as members of the movement proved unable to achieve these goals they turned to Eastern and new religions as compensators. If traditional religion were to continue, however, he believed it would do so only as a means to preserve social cohesion and order. Cults initially can have quite high growth rates; but as the social networks that initially feed them are exhausted, their growth rate falls quickly. Charles Taylor, A Secular Age, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2007, cultures and religions tend to grow more sophisticated, magic relied on an uncritical belief of primitive people in contact and imitation, the method of historians studying history, which has been criticized as unscientific, functionalist school in sociology and anthropology, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, The Religion of China: Confucianism and Taoism, The Religion of India: The Sociology of Hinduism and Buddhism, his 1920 treatment of the religion in China, Sociological classifications of religious movements The church-sect typology, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life, "Clifford Geertz, Cultural Anthropologist, Is Dead at 80", "Reading 'Opium of the People': Expression, Protest and the Dialectics of Religion", "Elementary Forms of the Metaphorical Life: Tropes at Work in Durkheim's Theory of the Religious", Peddlers and Princes: Social Development and Economic Change in Two Indonesian Towns, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Theories_about_religion&oldid=1138388444, Social relational theories of religion that focus on the, "insider" versus "outsider" perspectives (roughly corresponding to, This page was last edited on 9 February 2023, at 11:57. Characteristically Religious Feelings. [45] He saw religion as a reflection of the concern for society. PDF file. The root of this suffering comes from a persons material desires More specifically, the definition of religion as dealing with the sacred only, regardless of the supernatural, is not supported by studies of these aboriginals. Get ready to meet the weirdest, wackiest and most wonderful birds in Animalogic's World of Birds. In Christianity, the idea of sin and its atonement by God's grace plays a fundamental role. According to the theory, the more religions there are, the more likely the population is to be religious and hereby contradicting the secularization thesis. The ideas of three early sociological theorists continue to strongly influence the sociology of religion: Durkheim, Weber, and Marx. If indeed you can improve your lot in the next life by living well in this one, why dwell on how miserable your life is now if you can focus on having a better one next time around? It is simply the body of beliefs and practices connected to some supernatural which unites people. Explore an overview of the works of significant figures who developed such philosophies: Kant, Muller, Frazer, Marx, and Freud. This theory was proved by three experiments proved by different scientists. The theologian Rudolf Otto (18691937) focused on religious experience, more specifically moments that he called numinous which means "Wholly Other". According to this model, the origin of life occurred in two steps: Fig: Steps to The Origin of Life According to Oparin-Haldane Model. Durkheim also argued that religion never concerns only belief, but also encompasses regular rituals and ceremonies on the part of a group of believers, who then develop and strengthen a sense of group solidarity. The main reason for the survival of religion is not a desire to live a better life, but our fear of death, says atheist author and independent scholar Susan Jacoby. Muller's nature-worship theory is closely tied to animism. [21] The dichotomy between the two fundamental presumptions - and the question of what data can be considered valid - continues. He was born into a Ksatriya Hindu family, which was the warrior/ruler class. . [58] They see religions as systems of "compensators", and view human beings as "rational actors, making choices that she or he thinks best, calculating costs and benefits". Life originated from pre-existing living forms. The school of religious history called the Religionsgeschichtliche Schule, a late 19th-century German school of thought, originated the systematic study of religion as a socio-cultural phenomenon. [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. While religions have relied on creation stories to explain how life on Earth began, scientists have tried to hypothesize possible ways that inorganic molecules (the building blocks of life) joined together to form living cells. First, humans tried to use magic to control their surroundings. ; The tribes believe that the soul continues to exist even after death.It continues to conduct human actions by entering a particular place or substance or determines the success or . The Religionsgeschichtliche Schule emerged at a time when scholarly study of the Bible and of . Geography and culture have an effect on the establishment and development of religions. 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. 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. The second religion Im going to take a look at is Buddhism. Right Awareness: Exercise control over your mind and increase 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. This creation story is from Genesis in the Bible and the Torah. Some people think that, to accept the key tenets of evolutionary thought is to deny their religious . He based his view on recent research regarding totemism among the Australian aboriginals. Cults are new groups with a new novel theology, while sects are attempts to return mainstream religions to (what the sect views as) their original purity. Create your account. [35], The rational choice theory has been applied to religions, among others by the sociologists Rodney Stark (1934 2022) and William Sims Bainbridge (1940 ). Instead, he envisioned society as promoting civil religion, in which, for example, civic celebrations, parades, and patriotism take the place of church services. In this case, there is a male founder of the religion. So what have I learned about the development of early religions from studying Hindu-ism and Buddhism? To Weber, Christianity was a salvation religion that claims people can be saved when they convert to certain beliefs and moral codes. Religion, then, prohibits social change by teaching nonresistance to oppression, diverting people's attention away from worldly injustices, justifying inequalities of power and wealth for the privileged, and emphasizing rewards yet to come. Nature- Worship Theory Human beings first developed their religions from their observations of the forces of nature.