Chapter Overview: 

A culturally universal human experience that anyone potentially can experience is secularism (in opposition to theism?). Secularism is discrimination based on the indifference to or rejection or exclusion of religion and religious considerations. A unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things is known as religion. There are many types of religion: monotheism, polytheism, philosophies of life, totemism, simple supernaturalism, and animism. Religion is organized into many kinds of organizations. A cult is a new religious movement led by charismatic leaders with few followers. Religious groups that have enough members to sustain themselves and go against society’s norms are called sects. A church is a large, highly organized group of believers. Durkheim argued that one of religion’s functions is to provide cultural norms, values, and beliefs that a society holds essential. The sacred means connected to God or dedicated to a religious purpose. Things that make up the ordinary aspects of life are profane. Marx and Weber discussed how religion is related to the economy.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the multiple roles of religion.
• Identify the different types of religion and religious organizations.
• Compare and contrast the views of Karl Marx and Max Weber concerning religion and the economy.
• Define secularization and give examples.
• Cite examples of totemism and totems in religion.
• Distinguish New Religious Movements (cults).