Back To Main

                                                   METHODS OF STUDYING RELIGION

METHODS OF STUDYING RELIGION


Historical Research

Concern with whether a particular social situation is preceded by, accompanied by, or
followed by other social circumstances

Examples
What are the crisis points in the development of religious groups?

Is there any general evolutionary course which new religious groups follow
Cross-Cultural Research

Comparison of sociocultural patterns across cultures


Examples
Does the importance of religion in the social order change with the level of economic development

What social factors are associated with the existence of high gods or witches

What components of religious belief/practice are universal to religion

Experimental Research


Establishing a controlled situation in which only the desired factors can vary


Examples

Does prayer have a positive effect on health outcomes

What are the effects of different kinds of church donation appeals
Content Analysis Research

Examination of themes or structures in religious material


Examples

 

What are the key themes in religious materials  – hymns, prayers, sermons

What are the differences between formal and informal themes in religious materials


What are the most intensely debated topics in media coverage of religion  

Survey Research

Taking measurements on attitudes and/or behaviors of a sample of some population on
some issue

Examples

 

What is the level of religious participation in the population and how has that changed

What is the relationship of various social characteristics to religious attitudes and practice

What is the effect of religious attitudes on political behavior

Participant Observation Research

Adopting a role within a group that involves a varying balance of observer and participant


Examples

How do individuals come to convert to a religious group

What is the impact of ritual observances on members of a religious group





PRESENCE OF HIGH GODS AND THE EXISTENCE OF SOVEREIGN ORGANIZATIONS


Functions of Gods
Belief in gods provides evidence that all events have a common source

Actions of deity are interpreted so that diverse events are unified

High gods
Deity who is the sole creator of the universe

God who rules the world and heavens, whether or not he/she created them

God is the first cause of all effects and the necessary and sufficient condition for reality’s continued existence

Sovereign Organizations

Organizations that exercise original and independent jurisdiction over some sphere of social life

Examples:
Kingdom, village, family

Tribe, village, extended family, household


Every deity corresponds to the structure of a sovereign groups

The greater the diversity of sovereign groups, the greater the likelihood of a high god



NUMBER OF SOVEREIGN GROUPS AND THE PRESENCE OF HIGH GOD


Presence of                 Number of Sovereign Groups
High God                    1-2           3        4 or more


Present                        2              7        10   

Absent                       17              2         1

Total                          19              9        11

Percent present        11            78        91





WITCHCRAFT


Witchcraft involves “black magic” in which the practitioner can control the supernatural

Witchcraft is usually secret and is a direct, personal attack


Witchcraft appears in a group under the following conditions
1. Major deprivation within the group

2. The deprivation is of unknown or uncertain origin

3. There is no non-aggressive way of venting tension nor means that are not socially disruptive

4. There are beliefs supporting the efficacy and availability of magical procedures

Witchcraft provides
1. An answer to unsettling experiences

2. A means of doing something about unsettling experiences

3. A means of controlling individuals perceived as threatening the functioning of the community

Witchcraft is used against others whose purposes are close, important persistent, and uncontrolled by legitimate social arrangements



PREVALENCE OF WITCHCRAFT AND PRESENCE OF UNCONTROLLED OR UNLEGITIMATED RELATIONSHIPS
(N= 49)


                    Uncontrolled or Unlegitimated Relationships

Prevalence of                   None            Within the            With Other
Witchcraft                                              Society                Societies   


High                                     1                       7                          10

Intermediate                     14                        2                            5

Low                                     9                        0                             1


Total                                 24                        9                           16

Percent High                      4                      78                           62

Percent Intermediate      96                       22                          38
or Low



 

Pew Foundation Research Center