According to the theory, the more religions there are, the more likely the population is to be religious and hereby contradicting the secularization thesis. In this article, I will classify theories about the origin of religions, distinguishing two groups of theories: those upholding the revealed origin of religion and those denying it. In other words, primitive man invented the idea of God in an . (2) which acts to establish powerful, pervasive and long-lasting moods and motivations in men. Ranked #80 out of 547 "Religious studies" journals. She has an M.A in instructional education. Philosophy of religion involves all the main areas of philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, value theory (including moral theory and applied ethics), philosophy of language, science, history, politics, art, and so on. 100 lessons [25] The daily life of an ordinary person is connected to the sacred by the appearance of the sacred, called hierophany. Like all religions, Muslims have split up into different sects. [26] In The Myth of the Eternal Return Eliade wrote that archaic men wish to participate in the sacred, and that they long to return to lost paradise outside the historic time to escape meaninglessness. If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website. Answer (1 of 3): Five studies that access religion to produce remedy in society are: psychology, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, and literary construction. Atheism is really a modern belief that resulted from the "Enlightenment" period of the 18th century. More specifically, the definition of religion as dealing with the sacred only, regardless of the supernatural, is not supported by studies of these aboriginals. In addition to these, they categorise all folk religions as one and identify an unaffiliated category. Thus, religion as a social institution plays a significant role in binding people together and strengthening the sense of solidarity amongst them. There are several hypotheses about how life started on Earth that are still being studied today. [16] In fact, theorists such as Marett (an Anglican) excluded scientific results altogether, defining religion as the domain of the unpredictable and unexplainable; that is, comparative religion is the rational (and scientific) study of the irrational. Evolutionary theories view religion as either an adaptation or a byproduct. This theory teaches that religion originates with God disclosing Himself to man. Hinduism is unique in that it's not a single religion but a compilation of many traditions and . Buddhism and Daoism also accept the existence of multiple divine beings in various forms and incarnations. [13] They relied heavily on reports made by missionaries, discoverers, and colonial civil servants. This theory was proved by three experiments proved by different scientists. These eight tenets of Buddhism are really about how people should relate to each other and how people develop self-discipline. [49] Mainstream established groups are called denominations. Therefore, the creator of religion is not God but society. Durkheim found that people tend to separate religious symbols, objects, and rituals, which are sacred, from the daily symbols, objects, and routines of existence referred to as the profane. Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, Next 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. The theory of religious economy sees different religious organizations competing for followers in a religious economy, much like the way businesses compete for consumers in a commercial economy. Muslims believe Muhammad to be the last in a series of great prophets starting with Adam and including Abraham, Moses and Jesus. These claims were limited, however, to his analysis of the historical relationship between European cultures, political institutions, and their Christian religious traditions. Content uploaded by Georgios Gaitanos. History of study. Symbolic interaction theory helps explain how the same religion can be interpreted differently by different groups or at different times throughout history. Potential converts vary in their level of social connection. Theorists assert that a true religious economy is the result of religious pluralism, giving the population a wider variety of choices in religion. Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, What Is Religion? [45] He saw religion as a reflection of the concern for society. Rational arguments to a person holding a religious conviction will not change the neurotic response of a person. Over time, they tend to either die out, or become more established, mainstream and in less tension with society. Geography and culture have an effect on the establishment and development of religions. Print. Each of these theorists presents a more or less . Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. The mama theory. The Religionsgeschichtliche Schule emerged at a time when scholarly study of the Bible and of . Myths and deities to explain natural phenomena originated by analogy and an extension of these explanations. Types of Religious Organizations. Faith-Based. It includes the analyses of religious concepts, beliefs, terms, arguments, and practices of religious adherents. This method left them open to criticism for lack of universality, which many freely admitted. It is difficult for cults and sects to maintain their initial enthusiasm for more than about a generation. Primal Religions | Beliefs, Spirituality & Culture, Jewish Denominations | Examples & History, Karl Marx on Religion & Social Inequality | Beliefs & Quotes, The Jewish Belief System | Description, Elements & History, African Religions & Spirituality | History, Beliefs & Gods, Meroe Civilization | Overview, Summary & Achievements. Jung, William James, Erich Fromm, Gordon Allport, Abraham Maslow and Viktor Franklwho are all seminal thinkers and represent the classical theories in this field. As we delve into the theories of its origin, we will treat them as such. For example, Hinduism stresses attaining higher levels of spirituality by escaping from the toils of the mundane physical world. Just like the term 'religion' has many facets, the theories on its origin are also many. ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDING Religions have their origin stories and are universal in nature. 1. Monotheism History, Origin & Examples | What is Monotheism? 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. All of these religions teach that human relations should be guided by kindness, selflessness, and decency. He has been criticized for vagueness in defining his key concepts. There are about 19 major world religions which are subdivided into a total of 270 large religious groups, and many unique faith groups. The points on which neodarwinism or synthetic . Besides an alternative system of terms or school of thought did not exist. [59][60] Compensators are a body of language and practices that compensate for some physical lack or frustrated goal. He asserted that these group meeting provided a special kind of energy,[47] which he called effervescence, that made group members lose their individuality and to feel united with the gods and thus with the group. It is also interesting that the four paths in life arent just about spirituality and God. New York: W.H. By Anita Ravi. [39], Some recent work has suggested that, while the standard account of Marx's analysis of religion is true, it is also only one side of a dialectical account, which takes seriously the disruptive, as well as the pacifying moments of religion [40]. | 8 Religion is the result of an evolutionary process in human culture. In his 1913 book Totem and Taboo he developed a speculative story about how all monotheist religions originated and developed. The ideas of three early sociological theorists continue to strongly influence the sociology of religion: Durkheim, Weber, and Marx. [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. They are simple and they are, in fact, present in one form or another in all of the other religions as well: be kind to each other, dont gossip, dont kill or steal, be loyal, make good choices, learn a lot, and chill out. It has been observed that social or political movements that fail to achieve their goals will often transform into religions. A religion is a set of beliefs and rituals practiced by a group of people. It is a way of knowing about and understanding the world and humans . To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. ; 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 . Religion, especially faiths that were shared by large groups of people, actually provided stability in cities. While the notion of theory continues to show "a bewildering variety of meanings" (Wiebe 1983, 295) in the study of religion\s as much as in other disciplines, in this chapter we operate with a broad notion of 'theory' as an interconnected set of ideas or statements (propositions) expressed in language that, from within a certain discursive placement and from a given point of view . The best books on Atheism, recommended by Susan Jacoby. Though he used more or less the same methodology as Evans-Pritchard, he did not share Evans-Pritchard's hope that a theory of religion could ever be found. The main role of DNA is to store information on how other molecules should be arranged. Whats interesting about Hinduism is that it was developed by a group of people living in the Indus Valley who had a rigid hierarchical social structure called the caste system. In the Eastern religions, Weber saw barriers to capitalism. The social philosopher Karl Marx (18181883) held a materialist worldview. He deemed it a contingent part of human culture, that would have disappeared after the abolition of class society. The dichotomy between the two classifications is not bridgeable, even though they have the same methods, because each excludes the data of the other. From presocratic times, ancient authors advanced prescientific theories about religion. Example: Frazer theorized that humans first tried to use magic to control nature. PDF file. He asserted that moralism cannot be separated from religion. As people created more efficient systems of communication and more complex governments in early agrarian civilizations, they also developed what we now call religion. Because the religion has no specific founder, it's difficult to trace its origins and history. Theory One: Animism Herbert Spencer (1850s) - Manism The gods of "primitive" people were/are based on dreams about the recent dead Believe that these dead people were actually alive in another world or another form Believe that these spirits can . He defined religion as. ADVERTISEMENTS: Some of the ancient theories regarding the origin of life are as follows ! Think about the religion you're in. Among these religions of great diversity . [28] According to Eliade, man had a nostalgia (longing) for an otherworldly perfection. The anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor (18321917) defined religion as belief in spiritual beings and stated that this belief originated as explanations of natural phenomena. The Role of Religious Movements in International Politics. Instead, he envisioned society as promoting civil religion, in which, for example, civic celebrations, parades, and patriotism take the place of church services. As the magician believes that nature can be overwhelmed and instrumentalized for personal benefit through magical spells, in the very same manner, religious man believes in the existence of spirits that must be pleased and cajoled by prayers, rather than overwhelmed by magic . In the book Weber wrote that modern capitalism spread quickly partially due to the Protestant worldly ascetic morale. Youre supposed to be happy, wealthy, and successful. religion, human beings' relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, absolute, spiritual, divine, or worthy of especial reverence. He advocated what he called thick descriptions to interpret symbols by observing them in use, and for this work, he was known as a founder of symbolic anthropology. One day, he sat under a Bodhi tree to meditate. The first academic journal devoted exclusively to comparative religious history, History of Religions has set the standard for the study of religious phenomena from prehistory to modern times. The story goes that Siddharthas father asked some wise men what his son would become in life. According to Durkheim, people see religion as contributing to the health and continuation of society in general. Example: Consider how the notion of Mother Nature came into being. There are various sociological theories of religion, but the ones with a strong influence are that of sociology's three classical theorists. Still, he predicted that traditional religion would one day pass away. Right Action: Be faithful and do the right thing; do not kill, steal, or lie. Many theories have been put forward to explain the origin of life. Each faith has its own answers to questions about humanity and each one has different practices. What's interesting is that none of them was particularly fond of religion but what interested them was the power of religion over people and society. There are numerous theories of the origins of religion involving various philosophies that provide their own explanation. bookmarked pages associated with this title. 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. For example, in Protestantism, especially the Protestant Work Ethic, Weber saw the roots of capitalism. In an essay of at least one page, describe Max Muller's nature-worship theory on the origins of religion. Most religions start out their lives as cults or sects, i.e. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. 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. In fact, they are the attempts of some famous philosophers, like Kant, Muller, Frazer, Marx and Freud, to make sense of the human desire to reach for something beyond ourselves. Another criticism supposes that Tylor and Frazer were individualists (unscientific). In this post, I briefly set out three distinct approaches to the study of religion: criticizing religion, upholding religion, and disaggregating religion. The comments below about cult formation apply equally well to sect formation. Today, 5 years, 6 months ago. Close to three-quarters of the world's population practices one of the . Max Weber (18641920) thought that the truth claims of religious movement were irrelevant for the scientific study of the movements. It is also commonly regarded as consisting of the way people deal with ultimate concerns about their lives and their fate after death. In order to stop suffering, you must get rid of desire or greed. Early people became aware of theplaces andpeoplebelieved to beholy and sacredbelief in a deity RELIGION rules followed as a result of beliefsway to worship a deity. Explained in his work The Golden Bough, Frazer believed that religion began as humans attempted to control nature. When explaining religion they reject divine or supernatural explanations for the status or origins of religions because they are not scientifically testable. [2]Herodotus (484 425 BCE) saw the gods of Greece as the same as the gods of Egypt. Weber and religion: Max Weber (1864-1920) was a German sociologist whose primary concern was to study the origin of rationalization and how religion impacts the economy of any society. Big bang theory. mile Durkheim (18581917) saw the concept of the sacred as the defining characteristic of religion, not faith in the supernatural. 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. [35] Parsons' adaptation distinguished all human groups on three levels i.e. It is simply the body of beliefs and practices connected to some supernatural which unites people. These wise men said he would become a great leader, unless he saw suffering. religion reinforces group interest that clash very often with individual interests. For many people of different religious beliefs, the theory of evolution does not pose a conflict. McNeill, J.R. and McNeill, W. The Human Web: A Birds-Eye View of World History. While it is common for religions to identify the ultimate with a deity . According to Muller, this personification led to worship among the primitive people. Durkheim held the view that the function of religion is group cohesion often performed by collectively attended rituals. While he was meditating, he became enlightened, or saw the truth. Lesley has taught American and World History at the university level for the past seven years. 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. Marx held that religion served as a sanctuary from the harshness of everyday life and oppression by the powerful. 1. Theories of the Origin of the Earth. Different theories of religion pervade the academia to explain happenings in religious parlance. As they observed the sun, moon, winds and rains, they began to personify them, sort of like our modern-day use of the term 'Mother Nature.'. The first form religion takes is monotheism, and it deviates from there. After this lesson, you should be able to describe several theories on the origin of religion, those of: Kant, Muller, Frazer, Marx and Freud. Most concentrate on one of these, but . [citation needed], The functionalists and some of the later essentialists (among others E. E. Evans-Pritchard) have criticized the substantive view as neglecting social aspects of religion. The new religious beliefs are compensators for the failure to achieve the original goals. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. If you're not religious, then you see how a lot of people celebrate Christmas. In animism, all of nature is full of unseen spirits, which are to be worshipped. [4], Subsequently, Clifford Geertz (1926-2006) and others questioned the validity of abstracting a general theory of all religions. Right Effort: Work hard and avoid negative situations. What does religion mean? According to evolutionary writers, modern civilized society is a progressively developed form of tribal or primitive societies, due to which religion must have originated in tribal societies first. Here are five facts about evolution and faith: 1 The Roman Catholic Church has long accepted - or at least not objected to - evolutionary theory. Those with no religion or no interest in religion are difficult to convert, especially since the cult and sect beliefs are so extreme by the standards of the surrounding society. As his famous quote is often paraphrased, 'Religion is the opium of the people.'. Chapter 3: Science and Religion. Some of his views, among others that the experience of the numinous was caused by a transcendental reality, are untestable and hence unscientific. Theophany (an appearance of a god) is a special case of it. Both provided a pathway and documents (texts) on how to earn salvation in this case, by ending the cycle of reincarnation. The scientific study of the origin of life, established in the 1920s, required abandoning the idea of a unique chance event and considering a view of life emerging as the result of a long evolutionary process. Sacred objects are often believed to have divine properties that separate them from profane objects. These religions were accepted by thousands of followers because they appealed to many different people from all social classes and occupations. But those already happy members of a religious group are difficult to convert as well, since they have strong social links to their preexisting religion and are unlikely to want to sever them in order to join a new one. Ferrer, Michelle. Michelle Ferrer sums up the basic tenets of Hinduism in. Byproduct theories view religion as a spandrel. Freud suggested that primitive man originally existed in a patriarchal society where the father had absolute right over all desirable females. Then, he went outside of the palace and saw all the illness, poverty, death, and human suffering in the world.He fled his home and began to search for peace. The sacred i.e. Closeup Teaching Unit 4.4.1: The Budding of Buddhism, 563 BCE 150 CE. World History for Us All. Neodarwinism. 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 . World Christian Encyclopedia) 1. Language began as an unconscious vocal imitation of these movements like the way a child's mouth will move when they . I learned that the whole purpose of ending suffering (dukkha) in the world is to achieve the ultimate goal of enlightenment (nirvana). Early essentialists, such as Tylor and Frazer, looked for similar beliefs and practices in all societies, especially the more primitive ones, more or less regardless of time and place. - Definition & Role in Society, Theories on the Origins of Religion: Overview, Prehistoric Religion and the Early Mother Goddess, Religions of Sumer and Akkad: Definition & History, What Are the Myths of Babylon? To Kant, religious beliefs are unprovable. History. Unlike the Eastern religions' passive approach, salvation religions like Christianity are active, demanding continuous struggles against sin and the negative aspects of society. Do not promote slavery or the selling of weapons or poisons. Be sure to address Frazer's theory about the connection between religion and nature, and also note his views on science. 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. This then evolved into imploring spirits in their effort for control. The vast majority of Muslims are Sunni. I know that by 1200 BCE, there were developed cities in most parts of the world. Like Otto, he saw religion as something special and autonomous, that cannot be reduced to the social, economical or psychological alone. For example, the anthropologist E. E. Evans-Pritchard (1902-1973) preferred detailed ethnographical study of tribal religion as more reliable. Right Speech: Speak kindly and avoid lying or gossip. An error occurred trying to load this video. Language began with the easiest syllables attached to the most significant objects. The ta-ta theory. Aristotle suggested that mimesis (imitation) is innate in humans; theatre probably came from the dithyramb, a hymn sung or chanted before religious rituals in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine, rebirth, and fertility. This creation story is from Genesis in the Bible and the Torah. that the Four Noble Truths can break this pattern of suffering. [36] Geertz held the view that mere explanations to describe religions and cultures are not sufficient: interpretations are needed too. The Importance of Religion in Society | What is Religion? [19][20] The latter criticism presumes that the evolutionary views of the early cultural anthropologists envisaged a uniform cultural evolution. Abstract. The quest for the 'Origins of Religion', which so characterised early scholarship in the field of religious studies as opposed to Theology, has, on the whole, become outdated and, seemingly, destined to fail under scrutiny fed by an exponentially growing library of anthropological data and independent human experience; theories of origins claiming universality do not stand up to the test of . Types of religions around the world. Rational people and philosophers and scientists in particular wanted to understand how it is that supposedly reasoning beings would come to hold beliefs in what was not . [46] According to Durkheim, the analysis of this simple form of religion could provide the building blocks for more complex religions. Various theories for the origin of Earth have developed over the period of time. Francesco Redi took pieces of meat or flesh and cooked then packed those pieces in various jars. The origin of religion can generally be traced to the ancient Near East and classified in three basic categories: polytheistic, pantheistic and monotheistic. Some religions are better described by one model than another, though all apply to differing degrees to all religions. Since the religion hinges on this idea of karma what you do in life today determines what you do in the next life I wonder if the untouchables could come back as a higher caste if they lived a virtuous life. If I look back to what the McNeills said about religion giving meaning to the drudgery of daily life, Hinduism seems to fit that description perfectly. Not just passing contact, like Eliade. With this in mind, let's get started with the theory of Immanuel Kant. Euhemerus (about 330 - 264 BCE) regarded gods as excellent historical persons whom admirers eventually came to worship.. Scientific theories, inferred and tested by the comparative method, emerged after data from . LESSON 2: ORIGIN OF WORLD RELIGIONS By: Ms. Jo Marie Nel C. Garcia. This definition emphasizes the mutual reinforcement between world view and ethos. Witchcraft and oracles played a great role in solving disputes among the Azande. Evans-Pritchard saw these people as different, but not primitive. Completely different from Marx, Sigmund Freud took a psychoanalytical stab at the origin of religion. He asserted that according to them magic worked through laws. This principle has been given by Tyler.According to him, the basic source of tribal religion is the belief in the spirits of the ancestors. 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. In spite of his praise of Bruhl's works, Evans-Pritchard disagreed with Bruhl's statement that a member of a "primitive" tribe saying "I am the moon" is prelogical, but that this statement makes perfect sense within their culture if understood metaphorically.[33][34]. This sounds a lot like later seventeenth and eighteenth century political philosophies that would shape the founding of America: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 2. Having done some research on the common features of early agrarian cities, I'm interested in finding out why all civilizations . More recent developments in physics and astronomy, however, resulted in cosmological views that challenged the belief in a divinely created world. Create your account. They are based variously on ideas human social structures, emotions, or cognition. [27] The primitive man could not endure that his struggle to survive had no meaning. This spirit allowed them to feel and communicate with humans and each other. In an effort to understand this phenomenon, theories abound!