Religion is referred to as a system of beliefs, practices, and values concerned with the sacred. It is related to supernatural entities and powers which are considered as the ultimate concern of all mundane existence among human groups. Sociologists are not concerned with the competing claims of different religions.
They mainly deal with the social effects of religious beliefs and practices. In other words, the sociological analysis of religion is concerned with how religious beliefs and practices are articulated in society, how they affect interaction among persons of different religious faiths, how they lead to conflicts and riots (communalism), and how secularism, can contain interreligious biases.
The following are the kinds of questions addressed by sociologists of religion: How does religion reinforce the collective unity or social solidarity of a group through religious worship and rituals? purkhiem). How does religion block the emotional and intellectual development of people? (Marx). How is a particular type of economic system (say, capitalism) the product of a specific religious ideology (say Protestantism)?
Is one religion (say Hinduism) more tolerant and accommodative than another religion (say Islam)? What is the effect on a person’s way of life of being religiously described as an untouchable? Is there something in the belief systems of two sects of the same religion (say, Shias and Sunnis in Islam) which makes conflict between them inevitable? Does religion (say Islam) oppose family planning measures? But before analysing some of these aspects, let us understand the demographic dimensions and the geographical distribution of different religions in India
They mainly deal with the social effects of religious beliefs and practices. In other words, the sociological analysis of religion is concerned with how religious beliefs and practices are articulated in society, how they affect interaction among persons of different religious faiths, how they lead to conflicts and riots (communalism), and how secularism, can contain interreligious biases.
The following are the kinds of questions addressed by sociologists of religion: How does religion reinforce the collective unity or social solidarity of a group through religious worship and rituals? purkhiem). How does religion block the emotional and intellectual development of people? (Marx). How is a particular type of economic system (say, capitalism) the product of a specific religious ideology (say Protestantism)?
Is one religion (say Hinduism) more tolerant and accommodative than another religion (say Islam)? What is the effect on a person’s way of life of being religiously described as an untouchable? Is there something in the belief systems of two sects of the same religion (say, Shias and Sunnis in Islam) which makes conflict between them inevitable? Does religion (say Islam) oppose family planning measures? But before analysing some of these aspects, let us understand the demographic dimensions and the geographical distribution of different religions in India