The Central Characteristic of Religiosity Is Integration into a Moral Community, not Supernaturalism

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-182
Author(s):  
Kevin McCaffree
Keyword(s):  
Group Membership ◽  
Moral Community ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Central Characteristic ◽  
Definition Of Religion ◽  
Is Integration ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Belief Content

Abstract Researchers often define religion according to the presence (vs. absence) of supernaturalism. This has several serious shortcomings: (1) it construes religion narrowly as a historical/anthropological phenomenon, (2) it ignores the underlying evolved cognitive mechanisms facilitating tight group membership, which operate regardless of belief content and (3) it ensures that the study of religion will be obsolete if secularization continues. Instead of a slavish adherence to the criteria of supernaturalism, I suggest here a broader and more evolutionarily-informed definition of religion (and secularity): religion is what emerges when individuals become highly (perhaps overly-) integrated into a moral community; secularity is what emerges when individuals are moderately (perhaps under-) integrated into a moral community.

scholarly journals Durkheimov teorijsko-metodologijski pristup religiji

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
Željko Oštarić
Keyword(s):  
Sociology Of Religion ◽  
Moral Community ◽  
The Other ◽  
Working Definition ◽  
The World ◽  
Definition Of Religion ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Main Ideas

In this paper the author tries to examine the main ideas of Emile Durkeim's sociology of religion. Special attention is paid to the problem of the initial definition of religion, as one of the paramount presumption within the sociological survey of the religious phenomenon. In this regard, the paper is divided into three sections: in the first part, the author deals with Durkheim's theoretical and methodological frame within which he will start to define the elemental forms of religion: in the second part, it take into consideration the so-called 'working definition of religion'; and finally, in die third part, it analyses the formal and the substantive elements of the final definition of religion. The final definiton comprises two related elements, one substantive, the other functional. The substantive element asserted that religion involved a perception of the world in terms of the distinction between the sacred and the profane. The second element asserted that religion functioned to create moral community in society.

PEMAKNAAN AGAMA DALAM PERSPEKTIF ANTROPOLOGI-SOSIOLOGI

Al-Qalam ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 447
Author(s):  
A.B. Tokko
Keyword(s):  
Moral Community ◽  
Religious Group ◽  
Definition Of Religion ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Holy Book

<p>There are many experts of various disciplines provide definition and<br />understanding of religion. Some of them have been revealed in this<br />writing related to anthropology and sociology only. E.B. Taylor was the<br />first who studied and provided minimal definition of religion as a belief<br />to spiritual beings. He said that the origin of religion began when the<br />man was aware of the existence of soul. Frazer believes that the origin of<br />religion began when the man was not able to solve various problems of<br />their lives due to limitation of their reasoning. Whereas Durkheim assumes<br />that religion was a sosial product as a collective thing with the<br />aim to unite the members of society in a moral community. Durkheim<br />emphasizes that nothing is wrong in religion. In reality all religions are<br />right in its own model. This means religion is right based on the religion<br />itself and its adherents. The writer states that the frames to understand<br />religious phenomena are : first, it has supernatural concept; second, it<br />has doctrine and teaching in the holy book, revelation, oral and written<br />sources; third, cosmology that is how this nature is composed following<br />the perception of its followers; fourth, ritual or charity ceremony, and<br />fifth, mediator of religion and religious group.</p>

Agama Hindu Dharma Indonesia as a New Religious Movement: Hinduism Recreated in the Image of Islam

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
June McDaniel
Keyword(s):  
Civil Religion ◽  
Religious Studies ◽  
Religious Movement ◽  
Ancient Religion ◽  
Definition Of Religion ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Universal Ethic

This article describes the role of Hinduism in modern Indonesia and the ways in which it has been adapted to fit the government's definition of religion as a prophetic monotheism with revealed texts and a universal ethic. It gives a brief background on Indonesian history and analyzes the structure and theology of Agama Hindu Dharma Indonesia. It discusses whether a governmental reorganization of an ancient religion can be considered a new religious movement, and some approaches that might be useful from the field of religious studies. It suggests that the definition of new religious movement be changed to fit the case in which a modern religion considered to be a revealed religion also acts as a civil religion.

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