Religion and society

Need to know

What you need to know

• Substantive definitions (e.g., Weber) focus on belief in the supernatural. They are exclusive.
• Functional definitions (e.g., Durkheim) focus on the role religion plays in society, such as creating social solidarity.
• Functional definitions are inclusive and can be applied to non-supernatural belief systems like nationalism.
• A key criticism of the functional approach is that it is too broad, potentially classing things like football fandom as a religion.

Explanation

Religion and society

1. Substantive definitions (e.g., Weber) focus on belief in the supernatural. They are exclusive.
2. Functional definitions (e.g., Durkheim) focus on the role religion plays in society, such as creating social solidarity.
3. Functional definitions are inclusive and can be applied to non-supernatural belief systems like nationalism.
4. A key criticism of the functional approach is that it is too broad, potentially classing things like football fandom as a religion.