Religion

Religion serves to unite a society under a system of belief which leads to the group’s ability
to successfully interact with itself and allows for social control.
Religion can also potentially divide people.
Religion gives rules of conduct which adherents should live by.
 A type of worldview created by members of society and exists in many forms (Islam,
Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism)
Why study religion?
Since its foundation, the U.S culture, social life and politics have been deeply influenced by
religion.
Thus, by studying religion in the Western World its culture can be understood.

“Theos”: Greek origin God/ divinity.

Theism: the belief in the existence of deities.

Atheism: the rejection of belief in the existence of deities
Monotheism: or belief that there is only one God
Polytheism: the doctrine or belief that there are many Gods
Animism: an anthropological construct (from Latin animus: soul, life)
It is the belief that non-human entities like animals, plants and inanimate objects or
phenomena possess a spiritual essence, e.g. Buddhism, Hinduism…

Theology: (Greek) Theos (God) and logos (the study of God as he is revealed in the
scriptures)
The study of religious faith, practice and experience.

Deism: (Greek origin Deus meaning God)

Religious philosophy
Rejection of religious knowledge as a source of authority
Reason and observation of the natural world are sufficient to determine the
existence of a single Creator of the universe (rational explanation)
CONTEXT:
Age of reason and Enlightenment: 17th and 18th centuries= interaction and reconciliation
between religion and science.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of press, or the right to
assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Religion in the united states:

 Diversity of religions: In 2012: 73% of Americans identified themselves as Christians :
48% Protestants
22% Catholics
2% Mormons
1% have affiliations with various other Christian denominations
 Christianity: sacred rituals called sacraments or ordinances play an integral part in
Christianity.

In western culture Christians observe the following sacred rituals.

 Church attendance
 Worshiping and praying ( before a meal, in time of grief and before and after waking
up)
 Baptism
 Confession
 Eucharist (an action of thanksgiving to God)
One of the most important concepts in Christianity is the crucifixion: Christ giving his life on
the cross and rising from the dead on the third day (the resurrection)
Christians believe that there is only one God, but there are three elements to this one God
(the holy trinity)
1. God the father
2. God the son
3. God the spirit
Original sin: In the Christian religion everyone is born sinful-born with a built-in urge to do
bad things and to disobey God.
The fall goes with redemption, the act by which human souls are washed clan of the stain of
original sin.
How do Christians get rid of original sin?
1. Accept that Christ’s death on the Cross atoned for their sin
2. Accept that only God’s grace can cure their sin
3. Confess their sins and ask for forgiveness
4. Be baptized
The Roman Catholic Church: it is the oldest institution in the Western world (2000 years
back)
  Southern Europe
 Latin America
 Asia
 The U.S
Common bond:
1. Faith in Jesus Christ
2. Obedience to the papacy
How does Catholics Church differ from other Christian denominations?
1. Organization: only celibate men. A pyramid with the pope at the top, followed by
Cardinals (who have the right to elect a new pope), archbishops, bishops, priests,
deacons and laity.
2. Doctrine:
 Questions of authority of the pope
 The sacraments
 Ministry
The schism (break) between the Catholic Church and the other Christian faiths started in
1054.
Catholics suffered a long period of persecution following Henry 8’s break with the papacy in
1530’s.
There are many denominations of the Christian church and they differ in the applications of
some rituals.
Examples:
The Mormon Church: it is an outgrowth of the Protestant religion.
Rejection of the Original sin

Puritanism: The word Puritanism was first coined in the 50’s as a decisive term for those
Christians who advocated more purity in worship and doctrine.
 The protestant reformation was thorough (did not eliminate unscriptural traditions
from the church)
 The bible should be the sole authority for the doctrine and practice of the church.

Early puritans in the U.S:

1608: a congregation of Christian separatists escaped religious persecution in England and
fled to Holland. (They felt that Holland is not a suitable place for their beliefs: they did not
like the open-minded people and they fear of the religion of the children)
1620: Plymouth (New England)
In 1692 a new charter in Massachusetts expressed the change from a theocratic to a political,
secular state: suffrage was stripped of religious qualifications.
They believe in God and in the fact that they are chosen by him.
Calvinist predestination and salvation
Puritan values:
1. Faith in god: early puritans believed that the church had to be orthodox. Thus they
established an aristocratic theocracy (a state based on religion)
Strict code of conduct: blasphemy, fornication, playing games, drunkenness, playing
games of chance and participation in theatrical performances were penal offenses.
Intolerance and even persecution of other Protestants with different religious points of
view. (The Quakers)
2. Faith in work: hard work was considered as a religious duty (constant self-
examination and self-discipline)
This attitude to hard work developed into religious materialism.
Economic success is regarded as a proof of virtue, and faith is materialized by hard work.
Andrew Carnegie: The Gospel of Wealth. (1889)
3. Faith in Man: individualism
 Self-reliance for survival: The life of the first settlers in New England was
strongly influenced by their environment.
 Self-government: The Pilgrim Fathers (1620) aimed to create a model society
in America, seen as the new Promised Land.
Influence of Puritans on contemporary America:
 High Standard of moral excellence and conscience “City upon a hill”
 Belief in Calvinist predestination and salvation
 Rigid code of conduct
 Strong work ethic
 Concern for education (Harvard and Georgetown University were founded in the
17th century)
 Self-government and community responsibility

The Quakers:
 A Christian group who believe in the presence of God within each person,
often referred to as the “Inner Light”
 A radical offspring of the reformation (like the Amish)

 Began in England at the end of Europe’s Protestant reformation in the 17th century
and was founded by George Fox.
 Principles:
 Endogamy
 Emphasis on a personal commitment to God
 Against slaveholding
 Philanthropic spirit
 The Quakers omitted Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and any ordained paid clergy
 Pacifism: legendary friendship with Native Americans

Religion in the US
Changing US religious landscape:
 Christians are declining in number (2007: 78% /2014: 70.6%)
 Protestants no longer make up a majority of adults
 There is a wide range of racial and ethnic diversity among and denominations (e.g.
Muslims)
 Americans have continued to become more supportive of same-sex marriage
 Frequency of religious service attendance remains a strong predictor of how ppl will
vote in elections
 Christians continue to make up an overwhelming majority of members of congress
(92%)
 Islam is among the fastest-growing religious groups
 religions switching is very common in America

Televangelism
It is not a religion in itself: it regroups the most conservative or “evangelical” groups of
mainline denominations.
They are very conservative Christians (also known as “the Moral Majority” or the “Christian
Right”)

Televangelists’ beliefs:
 converting people to their beliefs in a born-again experience: emotional
conversion
 the bible is the authoritative word of God
 Personal relationship with Christ
 Their anti-modern, anti-secular conservative message is based on moral
issues, the role of the family and education

Strategy:
Televangelists or modern preachers mobilize large audiences though:
 Radio stations
  TV channels
 Video tapes
 The internet
Exceptional media skills and charisma
 Mobilization of large audiences of believers
 Global outreach ( especially the Third World through cable TV channels)
Moral crusade (religious war):
Against:
 Homosexuality
 Communism
 Abortion
 Pornography
 Teen pregnancy
Politicization of religious
Strong lobbying for:
 Anti-abortion legislation
 A Constitutional amendment permitting prayer in scools
 Gay rights
 Pornography
Financing sources:
 Generous donations from believers
 Advertising revenues
Televangelists are very wealthy people.
 They are at the head of financial empires
Example: TV channels/ universities/ luxury homes/ tourist parks (the Holy Land
Experience in Florida)
Scandals:
 Sex
 Corruption
Televangelism has provided conservative Christians with:
 Worship
 News
 Entertainment