Religion is one of humankind’s most enduring creations, influencing the world views of people from isolated tribes to vast empires. The philosopher Hegel, from an idealist point of view, argued that religion shapes human life in many ways, and that its power to influence humans is so great that it is almost like magic. The German sociologist Emil Durkheim, on the other hand, from a positivistic point of view, saw religion as one of society’s most vital functions, a kind of glue that holds societies together and helps them to function.
The meaning of religion varies widely from person to person, with about eight-in-ten Jehovah’s Witnesses, members of historically black Protestant churches, Mormons, and evangelical Protestants saying that their religion is very important to them and that they attend church services frequently. Religiously affiliated Americans are also more likely to be married and to have children, and they report higher levels of marital satisfaction than non-religious Americans. However, the importance of religion in American lives varies by religious tradition and some of the more abstract aspects of religion, such as beliefs in disembodied spirits or cosmological orders, have not risen or fallen much in recent years.
In some cases, scholars have criticized stipulative definitions of religion by using the “reflexive turn” in social theory to examine the concept as constructed rather than innately “there”. In other cases, they have used more sophisticated theories of concepts to analyze the concept of religion – for example, Paul Tillich’s functional approach (which uses an axiological hierarchy) or John Luhrmann’s theory of “real-making”.
Whether or not we agree on the nature of religion, most of us can agree that it exists and that it is important to most people. The question that is less easily answered, though, is what it is actually doing for people.
Some scholars, such as the psychologist Catherine Albanese, have argued that religion provides a “fourth C” to the traditional three-sided model of the true, the beautiful, and the good – a sense of community that can provide support for individuals in times of stress or hardship. In addition, she argues that the presence of religion can help individuals feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves.
Other scholars, such as anthropologists, have suggested that religion evolved out of humankind’s ability to contemplate death and, in particular, the possibility of going on to another world. This idea has been criticized by those who believe that religion is a reaction to fear and a desire to avoid it, or at least to find a way to mitigate it.
Durkheim argued that the secular function of religion is to maintain traditions, ensuring that the values that are passed down from generation to generation remain vital and central to the community. He also pointed out that if a member of society feels frustrated or defeated in their life, the belief in religion can remind them that they are part of a larger whole that will help to pick them up and keep them going.