Sociological Theory

Social Theory Our understanding of religion has been influenced by the contributions of sociological theory. Functionalists view religion in terms of how religion contributes to society. Durkheim claims that the one purpose that all religions serve is ‘the celebration of the social group’. A religion is a way of fulfilling social cohesion and satisfying societies need for a community. For example the aboriginal society, they were a community split in to tribes that worship a particular totem. Durkheim claims that the function of the totem is to create a clan identity. Members of the clan may have nothing else in common apart from their collective conscience, which is their shared norms, values, beliefs and knowledge. Therefore when the
Bauman argues that post modernity claims that there is no meta narrative in society, and since there isn’t a single explanation for all things people are more inclined to explore different spiritual explanations. This is known as spiritual shopping and refers to those who spend time searching through different religions and faiths before deciding which suits them best. Lyons, writer of ‘Jesus in Disney Land’ explains the move toward post modernity in terms of two key social
The roman catholic church exclude women entirely from key positions within their organisation. Because women are built with the maternal instinct their biological anatomy is used against them, they are made to accept the roles they are given as ‘ordained by God’. According to Rosalind Miles, a radical feminist, the very beautiful features of a woman that brought life into the world made women so supreme and sovereign and is now used as justification for oppressing women. In some religions women are made to hide their feminine features and cover their beauty, particularly Islam where it is considered hiram (sinful) for a woman to embrace her beauty or decorate herself. She is encouraged to cover up and not be seen by any man she isn’t married to or the daughter of. Women are taught to submit to men in religions and taught to accept it ‘wives submit to your husbands’. Men are at the head of most religious institutions, the head of households and this is justified by the depiction of god as a man “God the Father”, how can a woman argue with men being the head if God himself is a