The Sociological Perspectives On Religion: The Sociology Of Religion

2.8. The Sociology of Religion

The sociological approach focuses on religious groups and institutions (their formation, maintenance, and demise), on the behaviour of individuals within those groups (social processes which affect conversation, ritual behaviour), and on conflicts between religious groups (catholic versus protestant, Christian versus Muslim, mainline denomination versus cult) (Roberts, 1990). For the sociologist, beliefs are only small part of religion (Roberts, 1990).

In modern society, religion is both a set of ideas (values, beliefs) and an institution (a set of social relationships) (Roberts, 1990). Sociology looks at religion in order to understand how they affect human behaviour, also the differences in beliefs not because they expect to prove their truth or falsehood, but because beliefs

Religious institutions, however, can also affect behaviour quite independently of beliefs (Roberts, 1990). In fact, religious institutions sometimes entice people to behave contrary to the official belief system of that religion (Roberts, 1990). There are many ways in which religious groups, religious values, and secular processes can be interrelated (Roberts, 1990). Beliefs are not always at the heart of religious behaviour, social scientists have found that persons sometimes become committed to new religious groups with little knowledge of the group’s beliefs (Roberts, 1990). They become committed through group pressures and social processes (Roberts, 1990). Sociologists are convinced that knowing what a group believes provides insights only into one small part of this complex phenomenon we call religion (Roberts, 1990). Sociology focuses on the