Religion and Social Change

Max Weber focused mainly on religion is his writing "The Protestant Ethic And The Spirit of Capitalism". He states that labor must be done with a purpose, not for selfish gain. This undermines Marx's belief of capitalism; that our economy relies on profit and wealth. Weber implies that in our Western culture, labor is done for profit and it is separate from home life. This was, at the time, unique to our society. Weber speaks about Protestantism, specifically the English Puritanism side of the faith. He mentions how "waste of time is thus the first and in principle the deadliest of sins... loss of time through sociability, idle talk, luxury, even more sleep than is necessary for health is worthy of absolute moral condemnation." These are things that we in today's world take for granted. We consider these things part of our lives. Weber also says that we are to be God's servants, and that money we make is to not be spent on things for our own enjoyment, but instead, to be carefully kept track of and

Numerous religions instruct about human rights, social equity, and social obligation, and their disciples are probably going to go out into the world and set their confidence in motion. There are two noteworthy sociological ways to deal with survey the part of religion in causing social change: Weber's Protestant ethic and freedom religious philosophy. Both of these perspectives have qualities and shortcomings and neither one of the wells clarifies well the distinctions that can be seen in reality. Despite the fact that the examination of verifiable information and current patterns demonstrates that religion does undoubtedly impact social change, the instruments for this are intricate are as yet not all around

It is important to understand that Weber believed capitalism was fuelled by ideas, such as Protestantism, specifically Calvinism. His belief was that Protestants were very different to Catholics, spending more time focusing on their community rather than purely focusing on their own individual families. They worked towards a common goal, to ensure they worked to their full potential. Weber claimed that Protestants experienced feelings of guilt and directed these negative emotions into their work which Weber called “The Protestant Work

We all have some experience with religion. Whether our parents are religious, our own religious views, or others who try and convert you to a religion, we have all come in contact with a religion. But what do sociology and religion have to do with each other? The answer to this question is that religion meets sociology in the affects that it has on an individual or society (Schaefer, Richard T, 2009, pg 323).

“Religion is a ritualized system of beliefs and practices related to things defined as sacred by an organized community of believers.” (Basirico et.al. 379). Religion is an important element in the society because it influences the way individuals act and think. It has shaped the relationship and bonding among families as well as influenced the decision made in economics and politics. Religion in general has contributed to shape a society and a government structure which will influence the way the individuals under certain governmental structure behave. Sociologists are interested in religion mainly because religious belief is heavily rooted in individuals’ lives and it helps sociologists to interpret human’s actions, expression, and

Weber argues that religious beliefs contributed to major social change- specifically the emergence of modern capitalism in Northern Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. Modern capitalism differs from capitalism as it is based on systematic, efficient and a rational pursuit of profit and profit for its own sake rather than consumption. Weber calls this the spirit of capitalism.

The social construction of religion should not be considered, in all, a bad idea. It does offer core values and represents in its simplest form – moral good, yet any man made thing can be corrupt. What led me to my position was where I

Religion has held an important role in society since the beginning of civilisation and it has such power over people’s minds and shape the way our world developed. Whilst some sociological theories such as functionalist sees religion as performing a positive function in society as it can lead to social solidarity, integrating people into society, other sociological theories such as Marxist and Feminist totally disagrees with this and would argue that religion leads to instability and conflict in society.

The main sociological theories all believe religion acts as a conservative force in society in a sense that religion helps keep things the way they are and keep everything stable. However some of these theories may be against the idea that religion acts conservative force for their own reasons. For example Feminism believes that religion acts as a conservative force nevertheless they are against it as they believe it oppresses women by keeping women’s status the same.

Religion has influenced an entire range of changes in the elongated history of the world. The alterations that have taken place in the past are clear and concise evidence that the underlying and ultimate influence is religion. Religion has been apart of a plethora number of events in the past because, religion gives humans a clear source of origin of the universe, and carries an everlasting assurance that provides protection and happiness among the permutations in life. Religion also served its purpose in all aspects of life, especially during the events between the 1600’s and 1800’s.

Barkan, S. E. (2011). Religion as a Social Institution. Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, Comprehensive Edition (V.1.0).

Despite the religion or country, belief systems can prevail to form and encompass all aspects of society. From the way food is prepared to the architectural design of buildings are just some ways religion has the ability to mold the world. Whether it is Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, or another religion, they all play a key role in the American way of life. The consistent battle between different denominations, religions, and non-believers over how much of a specific religion can have how much control is viewed through the conflict perspective lens. The main religion, Christianity, is the most dominant religion in the United States; hence, the core to many systems in the public. Sociologists Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim show that religion surfaces in the way that believers act, think, and the choices that they make in everyday life. Certain belief systems have had the ability to pacify, to keep the believers optimistic, and to serve as the backbone of many laws.

For Weber, the idea of rationalism rational thought based on societal efficiency and productivity, runs through his works particularly The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. In this seminal work, Weber argues that the idea of Protestantism contributes to history and economics in that piety and the chance for a better life after death cause humans to strive for economic gain in certain ways, whereas that is not always using work as an expression of self - it is work, as Marx might say, for the ends justifying the means, rather than the means justifying what work is being done. Authority, then, rather than being solely economic, does have at its

According to Marx, religion can be seen as the opiate of the people (Engels, Marx 1955, p.41). Here, Marx is suggesting that just like opium, religion is trying to relieve people of the pain and suffering in their lives. Marx also puts forward the idea that religion is used by its oppressors in order to make people feel better about their lives. Thus, it can be seen that Marx chooses to adopt a negative view of religion. Max Weber can be seen as the only sociologist to place so much scope and emphasis on the subject of religion (Nisbet, p.250). Biographical and textual evidence suggests that biblical religion played a part in shaping and influencing Weber's life and the context of his sociology. Weber's main concern was to attempt to demonstrate that religious ideologies were not mechanically connected to the economic structure of society, however it does shape individuals behavior and actions in everyday life (Swingewood 1984, p.152). Weber also came to several conclusions regarding the remarkable relationship between capitalism and Protestant. According to Weber, the more capitalism had a free hand to alter social distribution, the larger the relationship between capitalism and protestant (1930, p.4). Overall, it can be seen that the three main sociology theorists differ greatly when it comes to ideas regarding to religion.

According to Max Weber, the Protestant Revolution was a significant ideological development in the history of capitalism, not simply religion. The idea that salvation could be attained by works of the faith alone enabled people to separate their economic, secular life from their private religious life. "Contrary to medieval belief, religious vocations were no longer considered superior to economic vocations for only personal faith mattered with God" (Frey 2010). The uncertainty of faith also drove people to demonstrate their moral worth to the community: "Uncertainty about salvation, according to Weber, had the psychological effect of producing a single-minded search for certainty. Although one could never influence God's decision to extend or withhold election, one might still attempt to ascertain his or her status. A life that '... served to increase the glory of God' presumably flowed naturally from a state of election" (Frey 2010).