5 different theories on the origin of religion 5 different theories on the origin of religion

Their fundamental assumptions, however, are quite different; notably, they apply methodological naturalism. World Religions Historical Foundation Geographical Context Cultural Milieu. The five world religions are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism. Death is inevitable, and this phenomenon is universal. This sounds a lot like later seventeenth and eighteenth century political philosophies that would shape the founding of America: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Right View: Understand that there is suffering in the world and Unlike the previous scholars, Evans-Pritchard did not propose a grand universal theory and he did extensive long-term fieldwork among "primitive" peoples, studying their culture and religion, among other among the Azande. In fact, these religions have survived for thousands of years, and all of them seem to have developed around the same time. On the other hand, the theory of creation and the theory of evolution are attempts to explain the origin of the universe and of its inhabitants. In fact, why did all the major world religions appear in that era? He saw religion as emerging from these experiences. He defined religion as. [12], His ideas strongly influenced phenomenologists and Mircea Eliade. In true Freudian style, he theorized that this need led men to create religion. the educated elite to maintain access to prestige and power. These religions were accepted by thousands of followers because they appealed to many different people from all social classes and occupations. The origin of religion can generally be traced to the ancient Near East and classified in three basic categories: polytheistic, pantheistic and monotheistic. He based his view on recent research regarding totemism among the Australian aboriginals. The anthropologist Bronisaw Malinowski (18841942) was strongly influenced by the functionalist school and argued that religion originated from coping with death. Right Awareness: Exercise control over your mind and increase What's interesting is that none of them was particularly fond of religion but what interested them was the power of religion over people and society. Religions are very diverse. Direct link to CrusaderBoi's post Think about the religion . Early Theorists on the Origin of Religion. He advocated what he called thick descriptions to interpret symbols by observing them in use, and for this work, he was known as a founder of symbolic anthropology. The vast majority of Muslims are Sunni. There are about 19 major world religions which are subdivided into a total of 270 large religious groups, and many unique faith groups. The ideas on religious study can be found to support efforts in these fields to convey purpose, meaning, and structure in furthering th. by Ccile Laborde February 5, 2014. [29], Eliade sought and found patterns in myth in various cultures, e.g. So what have I learned about the development of early religions from studying Hindu-ism and Buddhism? It believes, force. Because the religion has no specific founder, it's difficult to trace its origins and history. Theory of Subjectivism . . The empirical basis for Durkheim's view has been severely criticized when more detailed studies of the Australian aboriginals surfaced. By Anita Ravi. Previous From presocratic times, ancient authors advanced prescientific theories about religion. The scope of much of the work done in philosophy of religion has been limited to the various theistic religions. History. As we delve into the theories of its origin, we will treat them as such. When discussing the origin of religion, it's important to remember the term 'religion' is broad and far reaching. He argued that the religion of the Azande (witchcraft and oracles) can not be understood without the social context and its social function. It is simply the body of beliefs and practices connected to some supernatural which unites people. Those with no religion or no interest in religion are difficult to convert, especially since the cult and sect beliefs are so extreme by the standards of the surrounding society. These were all investigators who had a religious background themselves, thus they looked at religion from the inside. Weber and religion: Max Weber (1864-1920) was a German sociologist whose primary concern was to study the origin of rationalization and how religion impacts the economy of any society. Frazer added to this by purporting that religion evolved in phases and would eventually be replaced by science within the evolved mind. The followers of the five main religions make up a significant majority of the world's population. He used the concept of Verstehen (German for "understanding") to describe his method of interpretation of the intention and context of human action. To Marx, religion stemmed from the struggle between social classes and is simply man's attempt to make living within these classes bearable. Theories on the Origin of Religions by Mr. Hill. The anthropologist Clifford Geertz (19262006) made several studies in Javanese villages. Philosophy of Religion. This incident was subconsciously remembered in human societies. Loss of faith in the fundamental tenets could not be endured because of its social importance and hence they had an elaborate system of explanations (or excuses) against disproving evidence. The ideas of three early sociological theorists continue to strongly influence the sociology of religion: Durkheim, Weber, and Marx. His theory assumed that the psyches of all peoples of all times are more or less the same and that explanations in cultures and religions tend to grow more sophisticated via monotheist religions, such as Christianity and eventually to science. Sacred rituals and ceremonies are especially important for marking occasions such as births, marriages, times of crisis, and deaths. [35] Geertz followed Weber when he wrote that "man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun and the analysis of it to be therefore not an experimental science in search of law but an interpretive one in search of meaning". The second religion Im going to take a look at is Buddhism. In the book Weber wrote that modern capitalism spread quickly partially due to the Protestant worldly ascetic morale. Perhaps two of the most famous theories on religion come from the 19th century's Karl Marx and the 20th century's Sigmund Freud. The historians J.R. and William McNeil call this the development of portable, congregational religions. Common features of these religions are the following: there is usually a founding man who receives the word of God; there is a key text or set of texts that defines mans relationship with God; there are recommended ways of living and worshipping; people come together regularly to have Gods word interpreted for them by an authority; and there is a path to self-trans-formation and eternal salvation in one way or another. Origins of the Universe 101. Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. that the Four Noble Truths can break this pattern of suffering. Therefore, many scholars try to find the origin and early form of religion by . Close to three-quarters of the world's population practices one of the . Big bang theory. Different theories of religion pervade the academia to explain happenings in religious parlance. [28] According to Eliade, man had a nostalgia (longing) for an otherworldly perfection. Although people commonly assume that Marx saw no place for religion, this assumption is not entirely true. I learned through a few web searches and from several secondary sources that Hinduism is often called the oldest religion mainly because there is no single founder and because the main ideas of the religion appear in a variety of different texts written over time, starting around 4,000 years ago. Geertz saw religion as one of the cultural systems of a society. Ferrer, Michelle. The second and third goals are really about daily life specifically, living a pleasurable daily life. [8] He portrayed each religion as rational and consistent in their respective societies. The new religious systems provided foundations of cultural communication, moral expectation, and personal trust among people who were meeting, sharing ideas, and doing business with one another far beyond their local neighborhoods. As his famous quote is often paraphrased, 'Religion is the opium of the people.'. According to Muller, this personification led to worship among the primitive people. To Frazer, the development of religion happened in evolving phases. With totemism he meant that each of the many clans had a different object, plant, or animal that they held sacred and that symbolizes the clan. This theory puts forth the idea that religion developed as primitive people groups observed nature. Explained in his work The Golden Bough, Frazer believed that religion began as humans attempted to control nature. To him, religion developed out of the human need for a protective father figure. . It depicted religion as evolving with human culture, from polytheism to monotheism.. $64.96 6 Used from $60.98. HR publishes fresh and insightful scholarship that is engaged both with . [46] According to Durkheim, the analysis of this simple form of religion could provide the building blocks for more complex religions. Primal Religions | Beliefs, Spirituality & Culture, Jewish Denominations | Examples & History, Karl Marx on Religion & Social Inequality | Beliefs & Quotes, The Jewish Belief System | Description, Elements & History, African Religions & Spirituality | History, Beliefs & Gods, Meroe Civilization | Overview, Summary & Achievements. They believed that religion is essentially an illusion; because culture and location influence religion to such a degree, the idea that religion presents a fundamental truth of existence seemed rather improbable to them. These eight tenets of Buddhism are really about how people should relate to each other and how people develop self-discipline. When explaining religion they reject divine or supernatural explanations for the status or origins of religions because they are not scientifically testable. This is the first modern theory worked out independently by two different scientists, A. I. Oparin and J. Adding to these theories of origin, the famous Karl Marx believed religion was man's attempt to deal with the difficulties of social class. For example, Hinduism stresses attaining higher levels of spirituality by escaping from the toils of the mundane physical world. Do not promote slavery or the selling of weapons or poisons. Some of his views, among others that the experience of the numinous was caused by a transcendental reality, are untestable and hence unscientific. Belief in spirits grew out of attempts to explain life and death. [45] He saw religion as a reflection of the concern for society. If you follow the Eight-Fold Path then you can eliminate your Characteristically Religious Feelings. [16] In fact, theorists such as Marett (an Anglican) excluded scientific results altogether, defining religion as the domain of the unpredictable and unexplainable; that is, comparative religion is the rational (and scientific) study of the irrational. But nonetheless it can take a very long time for religions to grow to a large size by natural growth. Example: Consider how the notion of Mother Nature came into being. ADVERTISEMENTS: Following ancient theories are important to mention. To Kant, religious beliefs are unprovable. ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDING Religions have their origin stories and are universal in nature. If traditional religion were to continue, however, he believed it would do so only as a means to preserve social cohesion and order. This often leads to cult leaders giving up after several decades, and withdrawing the cult from the world. The Founding of Confucianism: Overview & Influence, Factors Impacting Family & Consumer Sciences, Religion and Social Change in Protestantism and Liberation Theology. Paleologic focuses on prehistoric creatures that roamed the earth well before Humans; while diving into potential reasons why they are no longer with us. Eliade's methodology was studying comparative religion of various cultures and societies more or less regardless of other aspects of these societies, often relying on second hand reports. One possibility is that by about 100 BCE, the population in Afro-Eurasia had climbed to over a million. He deemed it a contingent part of human culture, that would have disappeared after the abolition of class society. [59][60] Compensators are a body of language and practices that compensate for some physical lack or frustrated goal. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. In order to stop suffering, you must get rid of desire or greed. Archaic man wishes to escape the terror of time and saw time as cyclic. As they observed the sun, moon, winds and rains, they began to personify them, sort of like our . Metropolitan Area, Physical City & City Center | What Is a Metropolitan Area? Symbolic interaction theory helps explain how the same religion can be interpreted differently by different groups or at different times throughout history. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Throughout history, scholars and researchers have tried to identify the one key reason that people are attracted to religion.Some have said people seek religion to cope with a fear of death, others call it the basis for morality, and various other theories abound.But in a new book, a psychologist who has studied human motivati. Section 1 offers an overview of the field and its significance, with subsequent sections covering developments in the field . The Religionsgeschichtliche Schule emerged at a time when scholarly study of the Bible and of . It includes the analyses of religious concepts, beliefs, terms, arguments, and practices of religious adherents. Sigmund Freud (18561939) saw religion as an illusion, a belief that people very much wanted to be true. Top 10 Theories. While the notion of theory continues to show "a bewildering variety of meanings" (Wiebe 1983, 295) in the study of religion\s as much as in other disciplines, in this chapter we operate with a broad notion of 'theory' as an interconnected set of ideas or statements (propositions) expressed in language that, from within a certain discursive placement and from a given point of view . She has an M.A in instructional education. He was born into a Ksatriya Hindu family, which was the warrior/ruler class. The points on which neodarwinism or synthetic . Over time, they tend to either die out, or become more established, mainstream and in less tension with society. As did the essentialists, the functionalists proceeded from reports to investigative studies. Women's generally greater level of religiosity has been observed by scholars for decades; it has shown up in surveys going back as far as the 1930s. [42], Freud's view on religion was embedded in his larger theory of psychoanalysis, which has been criticized as unscientific. (to want what you do not have). Just like the term 'religion' has many facets, the theories on its origin are also many. 7. In an effort to understand this phenomenon, theories abound! Different from Kant, the 19th century Max Muller held to the nature-worship theory. This theory was proved by three experiments proved by different scientists. He called them "armchair anthropologists". 2021 CiteScore*: 0.7. Whats interesting about Hinduism is that it was developed by a group of people living in the Indus Valley who had a rigid hierarchical social structure called the caste system. Then, he went outside of the palace and saw all the illness, poverty, death, and human suffering in the world.He fled his home and began to search for peace. He defined religion as, With symbols Geertz meant a carrier that embodies a conception, because he saw religion and culture as systems of communication.[37]. An error occurred trying to load this video. He asserted that Confucianism opposition against both extravagance and thrift made it unlikely that capitalism could have originated in China. Having done some research on the common features of early agrarian cities, Im interested in finding out why all civilizations adopted some sort of religion and how these religions spread over vast regions. The story goes that Siddharthas father asked some wise men what his son would become in life. In at least two to three paragraphs, explain James George Frazer's theory of how religion developed in separate phases. Sigmund Freud's, focusing on neurosis as a psychological origin of religious beliefs; while Emile Durkheim proposed a theory that focuses on the social function of religions . As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 In both cases, the development of religious ideology was intimately linked to the already established systems that humans used to relate to one another the social hierarchy of caste, in this case. There are various sociological theories of religion, but the ones with a strong influence are that of sociology's three classical theorists. But the world religions I know of Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam were bigger than a single city or even a single region of the world. However, Christian fundamentalists, in particular, may portray evolution and religion as in opposition to each other. bookmarked pages associated with this title. Biogenesis. God is a personal God. McNeill, J.R. and McNeill, W. The Human Web: A Birds-Eye View of World History. mile Durkheim (18581917) saw the concept of the sacred as the defining characteristic of religion, not faith in the supernatural. Example: Freud used psychoanalysis to come up with his theory on the origins of religion, whereas Marx used the concept of class struggle. The Azande's faith in witchcraft and oracles was quite logical and consistent once some fundamental tenets were accepted. Myths and deities to explain natural phenomena originated by analogy and an extension of these explanations. Youre supposed to be happy, wealthy, and successful. Theories for the earth's origin has been classified into two categories i.e., early theories and modern theory which are as follows: Early Theories: Early Theories explained how the earth was formed. What Does Religion Mean? The view that religion has a social aspect, at the very least, introduced in a generalized very strong form by Durkheim has become influential and uncontested. He avoided the subjective and vague concept of group attitude as used by Ruth Benedict by using the analysis of society as proposed by Talcott Parsons who in turn had adapted it from Max Weber. Emile Durkheim lived from April 15, 1858 to November 15, 1917/ He was a French sociologist that was very influential in the fields of sociology and anthropology. Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, What Is Religion? Even though none of these three men was particularly religious, the power that religion holds over people and societies interested them all. Sir Richard Paget, influenced by Darwin, believed that body movement preceded language. First, Im going to take a look at Hinduism. [49] Practicing animism, the native cultures of the Americas believed that nature, from rocks, to trees, to water, had a spirit known as Anima. Some religions are better described by one model than another, though all apply to differing degrees to all religions. Create your account. In this article, I will classify theories about the origin of religions, distinguishing two groups of theories: those upholding the revealed origin of religion and those denying it. He asserted that magic relied on an uncritical belief of primitive people in contact and imitation. Sociological and anthropological theories about religion generally attempt to explain the origin and function of religion. This principle has been given by Tyler.According to him, the basic source of tribal religion is the belief in the spirits of the ancestors. But in the modern scientific age, the theory of divine revelation about the origin of religion is severely criticized. As a result of increasing commercial and cultural interaction between people across this large area, religions were shared. The theologian Rudolf Otto (18691937) focused on religious experience, more specifically moments that he called numinous which means "Wholly Other". Here she recommends five books she considers essential to "understanding the merits of atheism.". He criticised the work of his predecessors, Mller, Tylor, and Durkheim, as untestable speculation. Cults are new groups with a new novel theology, while sects are attempts to return mainstream religions to (what the sect views as) their original purity. [50], Durkheim's approach gave rise to functionalist school in sociology and anthropology[51] Functionalism is a sociological paradigm that originally attempted to explain social institutions as collective means to fill individual biological needs, focusing on the ways in which social institutions fill social needs, especially social stability. In an essay of at least one page, describe Max Muller's nature-worship theory on the origins of religion. from your Reading List will also remove any Thus, religion functions to bind society's members by prompting them to affirm their common values and beliefs on a regular basis. Euhemerus (about 330 - 264 BCE) regarded gods as excellent historical persons whom admirers eventually came to worship.. Scientific theories, inferred and tested by the comparative method, emerged after data from . [28] Historical religions like Christianity and Judaism revolted against this older concept of cyclic time. 2023 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. On the contrary, religion is an act of the moral will. The most popular theory of our universe's origin centers on a cosmic cataclysm unmatched in all of historythe big bang. The theory of religious economy sees different religious organizations competing for followers in a religious economy, much like the way businesses compete for consumers in a commercial economy. religion, human beings' relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, absolute, spiritual, divine, or worthy of especial reverence. What does religion mean? Evans-Pritchard did not propose a theory of religions, but only a theory of the Nuer religion. All rights reserved. The Nuer had had an abstract monotheistic faith, somewhat similar to Christianity and Judaism, though it included lesser spirits. Geography and culture have an effect on the establishment and development of religions.