Lesson 9 - Religion As An Institution

UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS
RELIGION AND
BELIEF SYSTEMS
Lesson 8
HSU, Social Science Department

At the end of this lesson, the students
will be able to:
1. define the institution of religion and the

importance of religion in human lives;
2. identify the similarities and differences of

different major religions; and
3. create a complex comparison of major

religions.
RELIGION AND BELIEF SYSTEMS
Since the earliest homo sapiens

walked the earth, individuals have
wondered where they came
from, why they’re here, and
what it all means.
Religion, by and large,
represents society’s attempts to
answer those questions.
THE NATURE OF
RELIGION AND ITS
MEANING
ANTHROPOLOGICAL and SOCIOLOGICAL
DEFINITION OF RELIGION
Definition of Religion in the
context of:
1. Anthropological
2. Sociological: Substantive
3. Sociological: Functional
4. Sociological: Social Constructionist
ANTHROPOLOGICAL DEFINITION OF RELIGION
Anthropologists
define religion as “a set of
attitudes, beliefs, and practices,
pertaining to supernatural beings
and forces. Such beliefs may
vary within a culture as well as
among societies, and they may
change over time”
(Ember, Ember, and Peregrine, 2010).
SOCIOLOGICAL DEFINITION OF RELIGION: SUBSTANTIVE
• German Sociologist Max Weber (1905)

defines religion as ‘BELIEF in a superior
or supernatural power that is above
nature and cannot be explained
scientifically.’
• It focuses on the content (substantive,
‘substance’).
• “To be a religion, a set of beliefs must
believe in God or the supernatural.” He
added.
SOCIOLOGICAL DEFINITION OF RELIGION: FUNCTIONAL
• Sociologists Emile Durkheim (1915)

and Milton Yinger (1970) define
religion in terms of the social or Emile Durkheim
psychological functions it performs
for individuals or society.
• They focused on the contributions it
makes to social integration, rather
than to any specific belief in God or the
supernatural.
Milton Yinger
NATURE OF RELIGION
ACCORDING TO EMILE DURKHEIM
All societies and religions categorize
things as either SACRED (HOLY) or
PROFANE (EVERYDAY).
The SACRED: all things set apart as
special and have high symbolic value.
The PROFANE: ordinary things with no
special symbolic significance.
SOCIOLOGICAL DEFINITION OF RELIGION:
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONIST
• Social constructionists argue that it is
impossible to produce a single universal and
undisputed definition of religion since so
many different religions exist.
• It focuses on how the members of a
society define religion.
• They don’t assume that religion performs
similar functions for everyone in all
societies.
RELIGION DURING
THE ANCIENT
PERIODS
RELIGION DURING THE ANCIENT PERIODS
• Religion during the ancient periods

was a central and pervasive aspect
of human societies, influencing
various facets of life including culture,
politics, and daily practices.
• Different civilizations in different parts
of the world developed their own
unique religious beliefs and practices.
MESOPOTAMIA
• Mesopotamian civilization practiced
polytheistic religions. They believed in a
pantheon of gods and goddesses who controlled
various aspects of life.
• Temples, such as the ziggurats, were built to
honor and worship deities. These structures
served as religious centers and often played a role
in political and economic affairs.
• Epic of Gilgamesh was an ancient
Mesopotamian literary work, that includes religious
themes and explores concepts of mortality and the
divine.
ANCIENT EGYPT
• Ancient Egyptians believed in a pantheon
of gods and goddesses, with pharaohs
considered divine rulers.
• Temples dedicated to specific deities were
common, and the construction of pyramids
was associated with religious beliefs about
the afterlife.
• An important religious text, the Book of
the Dead, contained spells and rituals to
guide individuals in the afterlife.
ANCIENT EGYPT
• Ancient Greeks worshiped a pantheon
of gods and goddesses, including
Zeus, Hera, Athena, and Apollo.
• Myths and epic poems played a
crucial role in conveying religious
stories.
• The ancient Olympic Games were
originally religious festivals dedicated
to the god Zeus.
RELIGIOUS
PATTERNS
RELIGIOUS PATTERNS
ANIMISM
• The belief that objects, places and
creatures all possess a distinct
spiritual essence.
SHINTOISM revolves around supernatural entities called the kami ( 神 ). The kami are believed to
inhabit all things, including forces of nature and prominent landscape locations.
RELIGIOUS PATTERNS
MONOTHEISM
• The belief in the existence of

only one deity, a single, all-
powerful God.
RELIGIOUS PATTERNS
POLYTHEISM
• Refers to the worship of or belief in
multiple gods usually assembled into a
pantheon of gods and goddesses,
along with their own religions and
rituals.
INSTITUTIONALIZED
RELIGION
INSTITUTIONALIZED RELIGION
refers to the formalized system with
organized structures, practices, and
beliefs associated with a particular
religion.
MAJOR INSTITUTIONALIZED
RELIGIONS
1. Christianity
2. Islam 6. Shintoism
3. Judaism 7. Daoism
4. Buddhism 8. Taoism
5. Hinduism 9. Sikhism
ELEMENTS OF
RELIGION
BELIEF IN SUPERNATURAL POWER
ELEMENTS BELIEF IN HOLY OR SACRED
OF SYSTEM OF RITUALS
RELIGION
SINFUL ACTS
METHOD OF SALVATION
MODE OF WORSHIP
PLACE OF WORSHIP
SACRED TEXTS
ELEMENTS OF RELIGION
BELIEF IN SUPERNATURAL POWERS
• Every religion believes in the

existence of some supernatural
powers or forces.
• Some consider this supernatural
power as formless.
Brahma (The Creator)

Vishnu (The Preserver)
Shiva (The Destroyer)
BELIEF IN THE HOLY OR SACRED
• In every religion, certain things are

regarded as holy and sacred.
• They constitute the heart of religion.
• They are symbols.
• It is a belief based on faith rather than
evidence.
In Hindu religion cow is sacred

because of the faith of the Hindus.
SYSTEM OF RITUALS
• Rituals are the behavior performed by
the individual or a group with reference
to supernatural power.
• It includes a variety of behaviors such
as wearing special types of clothing,
reciting prayers, singing, dancing,
fasting, etc.
Baptism is often considered a significant rite of passage and a symbol of
purification, regeneration, and the initiation of a person into the community of
believers within Christianity.
SINFUL ACTS
• Every religion defines certain acts as
sacred or righteous and other acts as
profane and sinful.
• Acting in accordance with religious
principles is believed to reap good results
while sinful acts result in suffering or
disaster.
BLASPHEMY is the act of insulting or showing

contempt toward something considered sacred.
Capital Vices or Cardinal Sins in
Christianity or the Seven Deadly Sins
Capital Vices or Cardinal Sins in
Christianity or the Seven Deadly Sins
METHOD OF SALVATION
• Almost all religion considers salvation as the
goal of life.
• They have their explanation regarding the
method of salvation.
• The Buddhists called salvation as Nirvana or
mingle with the God. For the Hindus, it is
Mukti or Moksha i.e. free from the chain of
the life cycle, etc.
MODE OF WORSHIP
• Each religion has a specific
procedure for worshiping.
• The followers of different religions
either worship supernatural power in
the form of statues or in a formless
manner.
• They differ from each other in motor
activities.
Hindus, for example, worship idols, Muslims do not. Hindus
worship with folded hands while Muslims unfolded etc.
PLACE OF WORSHIP
• Each religion has a
definite place of
worship.
• The Hindus worship in a
Temple, Muslims in a
Mosque, Christians in a
Church, etc.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE

SACRED TEXTS
• They are usually written but
can be orally and passed
down from generation to
generation.
• Sacred texts are usually
believed to be divinely
inspired by that religion’s
Deity.
TYPES OF
RELIGIOUS
MOVEMENTS
TYPES OF RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS
CHURCH
• A church is typically a large,
mainstream religious
organization that is well-
established in society.
• It often has a hierarchical
structure, formalized rituals,
and a stable membership.
SECT
• A sect is a religious group that
has broken away from a
larger religious organization,
often due to disagreements
over doctrine or practices.
• Sects are typically more
exclusive and may have a more
distinctive set of beliefs.
Christian Denominations
CULT
• The term "cult" is often
controversial.
• In academic discussions, it is
used to describe a religious
or social group with
unconventional beliefs and
practices, often led by a
charismatic leader. FERDINAND MARCOS
CULT WORSHIP
SEPARATION OF
CHURCH AND STATE
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
the separation of church and

state is a constitutional
principle that is enshrined in
the 1987 Constitution of the
Republic of the Philippines.
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
The relevant provision is found in Article II, Section 6, which states:
The separation of Church and

State shall be inviolable.
KEY ASPECTS OF
THE SEPARATION OF
CHURCH AND STATE
KEY ASPECTS OF THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
• The Philippines recognizes and
upholds the right to freedom of
religion.
• Individuals have the right to
practice their chosen religion, and
the government is prohibited
from establishing or favoring
any religion.
NON-ESTABLISHMENT PRINCIPLE
• The government is prevented
from establishing an official
religion or giving preferential
treatment to any religious group.
• This principle aims to prevent the
state from endorsing or promoting
any specific religious belief.
RELIGIOUS NEUTRALITY
• Government officials are

expected to remain neutral on
matters of religion.
• They are not supposed to show
favoritism or discrimination based
on religious beliefs.
PROTECTION OF RELIGIOUS MINORITIES
• The separation of church and

state is designed to protect
the rights of religious
minorities by preventing the
dominance of any one religious'
group in governmental affairs.
FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE
• Individuals are free to follow

their own beliefs or
conscience without
interference from the
government.
“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed
creature, the heart of a heartless world,
and the soul of soulless conditions.
It is the opium of the people.”
KARL MARX
Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right, 1844
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS
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UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS

HSU, Social Science Department

1. define the institution of religion and the

2. identify the similarities and differences of

3. create a complex comparison of major

Since the earliest homo sapiens

• German Sociologist Max Weber (1905)

• Sociologists Emile Durkheim (1915)

• Religion during the ancient periods

• The belief in the existence of

ELEMENTS BELIEF IN HOLY OR SACRED

BELIEF IN SUPERNATURAL POWERS

• Every religion believes in the

Brahma (The Creator)

BELIEF IN THE HOLY OR SACRED

• In every religion, certain things are

In Hindu religion cow is sacred

BLASPHEMY is the act of insulting or showing

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE

the separation of church and

The separation of Church and

• Government officials are

PROTECTION OF RELIGIOUS MINORITIES

• The separation of church and

• Individuals are free to follow

THANK YOU FOR

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