ASC211 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Ninian Smart, Antonio Gramsci, Nancy Ammerman
Deakin University ASC211 Religion and Social Change Trimester One 2018
Week One – Religion and Spirituality
• What is religion and spirituality
• What is social change?
• What is the relationship between them?
• Why does this matter?
Religion and Social Change
• Overarching theme of change
• Religious/spiritual social movements and social change
• Changing nature/status of religion over time
• Changing nature of religious composition/demographics
• Chagig oepts/theories of religios plae i soiet
Why does it matter?
• Religion increasingly in media post 9/11
• Religion linked to conflict/risk – social change need and want to better understand religion
Religion and education is a hot topic!
• ‘eligios log assoiatio ith peae ad justie – social change
• Lack of religious and interreligious literacy
• Misunderstandings abound!
• States and NGOs
What is Religion?
There is o oe agreed defiitio of religio or spirituality, hoeer ost attepts refer to huaitys
relationship with the supernatural, the transcendent, or the otherorldly, aely soe eig, power
or fore that is greater tha huas Sigleto : 9.
Ninian Smart
• Ninian Smart (1996cited in Singleton 2014: 5-8) described seven elements of religion:
1. Ritual – traditional actions which link the religious person or group to the transcendent i.e.. prayer,
meditation, and pilgrimage
2. Mythological – shared myths/teachings of a religious group answering the big questions
3. Doctrinal- formal teachings that govern a religious group – beliefs, morality, practices i.e.. we believe
i … dotrie of o-violence
4. Ethical – values and standards of behaviour i.e.. no intoxication
5. Experiential – the experiences that people have when practicing rituals and following doctrines etc.
6. Social – religion as common beliefs and practices - collective
7. Material – sacred spaces and objects, relationship with nature
Linda Woodhead
• Woodhead (2010) outlines 5 concepts of religion, as distinct from definitions
• Some say the concept of religio is a oder oe, ad has seular presuppositios see Catell-
Smith 1962, Milbank 1991, Barth 1997)
• Others say the concept of religion is too Western and Christian (see Luckmann 1967; Asad 2003)
• oepts are eeded to diret soiologial researh ut this researh ust ostatl reshape ad
reise our oepts of religio
1. Religion as culture: beliefs and meaning, values, discourse/narratives, memory –believing in
supernatural beings, forces and particular doctrines, meaning systems to make sense of life/the
world (see Berger 1967), include myths and symbols (see Geertz 1971), shared values which can
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Religion and social change: overarching theme of change, religious/spiritual social movements and social change, changing nature/status of religion over time, changing nature of religious composition/demographics, cha(cid:374)gi(cid:374)g (cid:272)o(cid:374)(cid:272)epts/theories of religio(cid:374)(cid:859)s pla(cid:272)e i(cid:374) so(cid:272)iet(cid:455) Why does it matter: religion increasingly in media post 9/11, religion linked to conflict/risk social change need and want to better understand religion. Lack of religious and interreligious literacy: eligio(cid:374)(cid:859)s lo(cid:374)g asso(cid:272)iatio(cid:374) (cid:449)ith pea(cid:272)e a(cid:374)d justi(cid:272)e social change, misunderstandings abound! There is (cid:374)o o(cid:374)e agreed defi(cid:374)itio(cid:374) of religio(cid:374) or spirituality, ho(cid:449)e(cid:448)er (cid:373)ost atte(cid:373)pts refer to (cid:858)hu(cid:373)a(cid:374)ity(cid:859)s relationship with the supernatural, the transcendent, or the other(cid:449)orldly(cid:859), (cid:374)a(cid:373)ely (cid:858)so(cid:373)e (cid:271)ei(cid:374)g, power or for(cid:272)e that is greater tha(cid:374) hu(cid:373)a(cid:374)s(cid:859) (cid:894)si(cid:374)gleto(cid:374) (cid:1006)(cid:1004)(cid:1005)(cid:1005): (cid:1006)9(cid:1006)(cid:895). Linda woodhead: woodhead (2010) outlines 5 concepts of religion, as distinct from definitions. Some say the concept of religio(cid:374) is a (cid:373)oder(cid:374) o(cid:374)e, a(cid:374)d has (cid:858)se(cid:272)ular presuppositio(cid:374)s(cid:859) (cid:894)see ca(cid:374)t(cid:449)ell- Trimester one 2018 maintain cohesion (see weber; durkheim; parsons 1935, 1979; bellah et al.
