For example, in Protestantism, especially the “Protestant Work Ethic,” Weber saw the roots of capitalism. [54], Mircea Eliade's (1907 – 1986) approach grew out of the phenomenology of religion. and "How/why did religious belief come about?". Each major sociological framework has its perspective on religion. [29] The view that monotheism is a more evolved than polytheism has been disconfirmed by evidence: monotheism is more prevalent in hunter societies than in agricultural societies. With illusion Freud means a belief that people want very much to be true. [51], 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 [52] Some of his views, among others that the experience of the numinous was caused by a transcendental reality, are untestable and hence unscientific. Theories on the Origins of Religion: Overview Immanuel Kant. [36] Differing from Tylor and Frazer, he saw magic not as religious, but as an individual instrument to achieve something. Magic is used to influence the natural world in the primitive man's struggle for survival. [82] Compensators are a body of language and practices that compensate for some physical lack or frustrated goal. [15]The dynamics of society was fueled by economics, according to Hegelian concept of theses, antitheses, and synthese[16] False consciousness is a term used by Marx' collaborator Friedrich Engels (1820 – 1895), not by Marx. These are the undisputed facts of religious diversity. Evans-Pritchard. The fundamental purpose of Weber's research was to discover religion's impact on social change. [86], Citizendium - a community developing a quality, comprehensive compendium of knowledge, online and free, Edward Burnett Tylor and James George Frazer. Durkheim's proposed method for progress and refinement is first to carefully study religion in its simplest form in one contemporary society and then the same in another society and compare the religions then and only between societies that are the same. [18]He saw religion as supportive as the status quo, in correspondence with his famous saying that religion is opium of the people. This view is not supported by biblical accounts and differs from scholarly theories. Primitive people used human dreams in which spirits seemed to appear as an indication that the human mind could exist independent of a body. Marx held that religion served as a sanctuary from the harshness of everyday life and oppression by the powerful. He believed that scientific thinking would likely replace religious thinking, with people giving only minimal attention to rituals and ceremonies. He also considered the concept of “God” to be on the verge of extinction. Therefore the anthropologist must be both empirically rigorous and a savvy interpreter, akin to a psychoanalyst. Like its predecessors, Nine Theories skillfully blends the often opposing features of being well researched and dense in detail while remaining a page-turner. [61] Historical religions, like Christianity, Judaism revolted against this older concept of cyclic time. Learn more about Freud's complicated relationship with religion as well as some of his thoughts on religion and spirituality. It then considers the great "reductionist" approaches of Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim, and Karl Marx, all of whom have exercised wide influence up to the present day. Witchcraft and oracles played a great role in solving disputes among the Azande. 11th Jan 2018 Sociology Reference this Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a university student. the educated elite to maintain access to prestige and power. Freud asserted that religion is a largely unconscious neurotical response to repression. [75] Mere explanations to describe religions and cultures are not sufficient. 1445 words (6 pages) Essay. [19] Marx' explanations for all religions, always, in all forms, and everywhere have never been taken seriously by many experts in the field, though a substantial fraction accept that Marx' views explain some aspects of some religions.[23]. Unlike Tylor and Frazer, Freud attempted to explain why religion persists in spite of the lack of evidence for its tenets. Answer: The psychology of religion is the study of religion from the human psychological point of view. Theories of Religion 1. Eight Theories of Religion, Second Edition, begins with Edward Burnett Tylor and James Frazer--two Victorian pioneers in anthropology and the comparative study of religion. This means that most religious views will not be treated here. © 2020 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Evans-Pritchard saw these people as different, but not primitive. Karl Marx (1818 – 1883) held a strictly materialist world view and saw economics, including class distinctions (including class struggle), as the determining factor of society. Durkheim saw totemism as the original and simplest form of religion. The individual aspect is usually referred to as beliefs of the individual 1Department of Economics, LSE. In the book Weber wrote that modern capitalism spread quickly partially due to the protestant wordly ascetic morale. There are many theories as to how religious thought originated. Sociological Theories of Religion . In this respect he agreed with Durkheim, though he acknowledged that Frazer and Tylor were right that their religion also had an intellectual explanatory aspect. Hinduism Buddhism Confucianism and Taoism, Next He argued that the religion of the Azande (witchcraft and oracles) can not be understood without the social context and its social function. He saw religion as emerging from these expierences. Archaic man wishes to escape the terror of time and saw time as cyclic. In status groups the primary motivation is prestige and social cohesion. According to Durkheim, people see religion as contributing to the health and continuation of society in general. Not only tries Freud to explain the origin and persistence of faith in individuals but in his 1913 book Totem and Taboo he even developed a speculative story how all monotheist religions itself originated and developed. Even in more‐advanced cultures, people still view sacred objects with a sense of reverence and awe, even if they do not believe that the objects have some special power. , and What he termed 'armchair anthropologist '. [ 13 ] 28... Human groups on three levels i.e studying patients who were left free to talk while lying on a.! That, in time, Comte believed that religion is able to function compensators... 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