Notes: Origin of Religion | Sociology Mains Optional for UPSC 2024 PDF Download

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Origin of Religion - 
 
Religion being a complex and intriguing phenomena has been studied by many psychologist and anthropologists  
They tried to study the origin of religion owing to various forces. 
 
Example  
De Brosses - Theory of fetishism - Religion originated as the magical power associated with certain objects 
Auguste Comte – Multiple Fetishism – Magic + Ghosts or Souls 
Max Muller - naturism – Personification of natural phenomenon 
Spencer - Dream theory – supernatural beings appear in dreams 
Tyler – Animism – Notion of soul 
RR Marret - studied mana theory – Animatism – Impersonal force 
 
Crawley - Main force is the fear or the danger in social relations or other objects. 
Malinowsky – Book – “Totem and Taboo” – In a “Fishermen Village” of Trobriand Islands – Religion originated from the 
fear of the sea and the unknown. Religion protects from death. 
RH Lowe - Religion is marked by the presence of mysterious or extra ordinary feelings. 
Sigmund Freud - considers religion as protective wall against feeling of guilt. 
 
Durkheim - sacred and profane  
Parsons - religion helps to strengthen value consensus  
 
Weber - religious system influences economic system in his PE&SC  
Merton – functional, dysfunctional and non functional aspects of religion based on the type of society. 
Peter Berger – Nomos and Cosmos. Nomos – Norms of religion, Cosmos – Supernatural. 
  
Page 2


 
Origin of Religion - 
 
Religion being a complex and intriguing phenomena has been studied by many psychologist and anthropologists  
They tried to study the origin of religion owing to various forces. 
 
Example  
De Brosses - Theory of fetishism - Religion originated as the magical power associated with certain objects 
Auguste Comte – Multiple Fetishism – Magic + Ghosts or Souls 
Max Muller - naturism – Personification of natural phenomenon 
Spencer - Dream theory – supernatural beings appear in dreams 
Tyler – Animism – Notion of soul 
RR Marret - studied mana theory – Animatism – Impersonal force 
 
Crawley - Main force is the fear or the danger in social relations or other objects. 
Malinowsky – Book – “Totem and Taboo” – In a “Fishermen Village” of Trobriand Islands – Religion originated from the 
fear of the sea and the unknown. Religion protects from death. 
RH Lowe - Religion is marked by the presence of mysterious or extra ordinary feelings. 
Sigmund Freud - considers religion as protective wall against feeling of guilt. 
 
Durkheim - sacred and profane  
Parsons - religion helps to strengthen value consensus  
 
Weber - religious system influences economic system in his PE&SC  
Merton – functional, dysfunctional and non functional aspects of religion based on the type of society. 
Peter Berger – Nomos and Cosmos. Nomos – Norms of religion, Cosmos – Supernatural. 
  
 
Animism-EB Tylor 
From the latin word- „anima? means „soul?.  
It means belief in spirits. 
Definition of Tylor- Religion originated from the belief of spiritual beings. 
Tylor believes this to be earliest form of religion. 
 
Experiences of death, disease, visions and dreams lead the primitives to think about the existence of immaterial power, i.e., 
the soul. 
 
Soul- spirit which leaves body temporarily during dreams and permanently after death 
Born to satisfy human being?s intellectual need and to make sense of death, dreams and vision. 
 
Monism 
In sociology monism is existence of one faith and one church.  
 
Simple society & largely medieval societies follow monism. 
 
Monism strengthens religion and stands opposite to pluralism. 
Argued when single religion has monopoly over truth effectively reinforces social norms 
 
Pluralism 
Peter Berger (on secularization and pluralism) - 
Book- Social reality of religion 
 
Cosmos may not always be considered as sacred thus, attempt to secularize cosmos. 
Modern science has played crucial role in this process of secularization  
Berger links pluralism to modernization & secularization & establishes link between both. 
 
Pluralism undermined set of beliefs and weakens sacred canopy. 
Bryan Wilson - Multiplicity of denominations interpreted as evidence of secularization. 
Number of denominations each with own version of truth religious values no more community values ceases to function 
traditional role of social solidarity. 
Berge and Luckmann - Pluralism weakens influence of religion no longer single universe of meaning. 
Stark and Bainbridge-  called religious economists and Contradict Berger and Bryan. 
Study of American society religion becoming stronger. More options of religions with people competition increases overall 
religious involvement. Establishment of religious tolerance in free market of religious economy.