SOCI 1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Theism, Agnosticism, Deism
20 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Social institution involving beliefs and practices based upon a conception of the sacred. The sacred (awe-inspiring or reverential) and the profane (everyday) help us understand society. Sociology does not seek to pass judgment on any religion as right or wrong. Rather, sociology seeks to explore the role of religion in society and how religious beliefs and practices guide human behavior. Pre-industrial societies: animism (elements of the natural world are conscious life forms; today"s native american beliefs). Belief evolved in divine power (deism or theism), various forms of poly-theism (multiple gods) and ethicalism (adhering to certain principles). Industrial and post-industrial societies: science vs. religion, mono-theistic (focusing on one god). Also a-theism (the denial of existence of god or gods), agnosticism (skepticism whether the existence of a god or gods can be proved or disproved) are creations of enlightenment. Structural functional: people engage in religious life to celebrate the awesome power of society.
