Concept Attainment:Religion

Warm-UpWhat does it mean to be

religious?Use a Bubble Map to brainstorm what you

think it means to be religious.

Include at least one example of something people DO that you think is

religious.

Religious

Central Historical Question

What is religion?

What is Concept Attainment?

Concept attainment means searching for and listing characteristics that can be used to differentiate if something is or is not an example of a concept. Source: Bruner, Goodnow, and Austin, 1967

Today, RELIGION is our CONCEPT

Observe and Note What are the common

characteristics you see among the examples of religion?

What are some differences you see between the examples and non-examples?

Example of Religion

Christian Church

Example of Religion

Islamic Mosque

Example of Religion

Buddhist Temple

Non-example of Religion

Football Stadium

Non-example of Religion

Concert Venue

Non-example of Religion

Theater House

Forming a Hypothesis

Noun: What do both the examples and non-examples have in common? What umbrella term describes all of them?

Distinguishing Characteristic: What is the main difference that distinguishes the “examples” as EXAMPLES OF RELIGION?

Write your answer in the form of a hypothesis: If a (noun/distinguishing characteristic),

then it is an example of religion.

Example of Religion - Y/N?

Who has an example that we have not seen yet?

Definition of Religion

Oxford Dictionaries – noun: religion 1- the belief in and worship of a superhuman

controlling power, especially a personal God or gods. 2- a particular system of faith and worship

Wikipedia – A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that are intended to explain the meaning of life and/or to explain the origin of life or the Universe.

Definitions of Religion

Joachim Wach (1898-1955 German Religious Scholar) — “Religion is 3 things: a belief system, a ritual worship system, and a moral system of social relationships. This is a substantive definition of religion. Modern people think first of belief, but the social sciences argue that ritual and social relations are the central aspects of religion. The Latin roots of the term religion are religare (to bind together), and religere (to rehearse).”

Definitions of Religion

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917 French Sociologist) — "Religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things which unite into one single moral community called a church, all those who adhere to them."

*This is a functional definition, focused on the moral unification function of religion.

Definitions of Religion

Robert Bellah (1927-2013 American Sociologist) — "Religion is a set of symbolic forms and acts which relate man to the ultimate conditions of his existence, i.e., death, meaninglessness, egocentrism, and emotional needs which are not rational."

*Emotional needs of individuals are the main focus of this individualistic, functional definition.

Wrap-up: Which do you agree or disagree with and why?

Positives of Religion 1-Supports and comforts

individuals and groups. 2-Makes needed social sacrifices

virtuous (giving to charity). 3-Adds social stability by making

social norms sacred, and by creating authoritative sources of opinion regarding moral matters--ie religious leaders.

4-Encourages personal growth and maturation, as they are identified by the religion.

5-Explains social, political, and economic inequality, reducing conflict in ranked societies.

Negatives of Religion

1-Causes guilt for some individuals for failure to live up to religious ideals.

2-Can support unfair authority in society.

3-Ethnocentrism-causing people to think their religion is superior to other groups.

4-Intergroup conflict-when individuals of different religions are both trying to defend their religion as superior cause lead to people feeling offended.

5-Explains social, political, and economic inequality, preventing social change.

Source: Curt Raney, Professor of Sociology, St. Mary’s College of Maryland

Think about it…

What does religion mean to you?