Religion as a Social Institution

Besides the family, religion is one of the largest social institutions that
sociologists study. Throughout history, religion has been a central part of
all known human societies. Sociologists study religion to understand
religious experiences around the world and how religion is tied to other
social institutions. Religion is universal, permanent, pervasive and
perennial interests of man. He has religious quest which makes him to
become restless even beyond the satisfaction of his basic physical needs.
Hence the Biblical saying, Man cannot live by bread alone.
The institution of religion is universal. It is found in all the societies, past
and present. Religious beliefs and practices are, however, far from being
uniform. Laws, customs, conventions and fashions, etc. are the most
influential forces of social control, but also the most effective guides of
human behaviour. Religious dogmas have influenced and conditioned
economic endeavours, political movements, property dealings,
educational tasks, ideological fervours, scientific inventions and artistic
developments. Religion, which is based on the cultural needs of men, has
added new dimension to human life and human development.
It is a concrete experience which is associated with emotions, especially
with fear, awe, or reverence. Many societies have a wide range of
institutions connected with religion and a body of special officials, with
forms of worship, ceremonies, sacred objects, tithes, pilgrimages, and the
like.

In modern civilised societies, religious leaders have developed elaborate

theories or theologies to explain man’s place in the universe. Religion is
closely associated with morality and has elaborate rules of conduct.
Further, the world religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam are really centres of elaborate cultural systems
that have dominated ‘whole’ societies for centuries.
Defining Religion
“Unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is
to say, things set apart and forbidden”. Emile
Durkheim

“Powers superior to man which are believed to direct and control the
course of nature and of human life”. James G.
Frazer

“The essence of religion consists in man’s never-ceasing attempt to

discover a road to spiritual serenity across the perplexities and dangers of
daily life”.
Edward Sapir

“Religion as we understand the term implies a relationship not merely

between man and man but also between man and some higher power”.

Maclver and
Page

Basic components of Religion

1. Belief in Supernatural Forces.
Religion is a matter of belief. It is a belief in supernatural or superhuman
forces. Some people believe in several kinds of forces and accordingly
worship them all. They are called polytheists. Some others believe in
only one force, or the God or the Almighty. He is formless and shapeless.
They consider Him omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. They
worship Him in different ways. They are called monothesits.
2. Man’s adjustment with the Supernatural Forces
Man believes that he is at the mercy of the supernatural forces. He
expresses his subordination to them by means of prayers, hymns, and
other acts. Worship is the essence of religion. Man believes that his
disrespect to and negligence of them would bring him disaster. He is,
hence, engaged in endless endeavour to adjust himself with the divinity or
the supernatural.

3. Acts defined as Righteous and Sinful or Sacred and the

Profane.
Religion considers some acts as righteous and sacred and encourages
such acts. It regards some other acts as sinful and profane and denounces
such acts. Behaving in accordance with the religious code or standards is
righteous; going against them is sinful. The good or the righteous acts are
believed to bring man good results, while the sinful acts result in disaster.
4. Methods of Salvation.

Every religion has its own explanation regarding salvation. It is regarded

as ultimate aim of a devotee. The Buddhists called it Narvana, a process
of becoming one with the God. The Hindus termed Mukti or Moksha .

Structural aspects of Religion

Religion as a social institution has two aspects; structural and functional.
The structure of religion includes theologies, creeds, practices, rituals,
sects and symbols.

1. Theologies and Creeds.

Theology is the systematic explanation which religious leaders work out to
show man’s relation to his God and to the Universe. Almost all religions
have their bodies of ideas, beliefs, doctrines, dogmas, articles of faith,
ideals and ideologies. These things are systematized and rationalised in
the form of theologies and creeds. Often this includes some account of the
origin of the world and of man, like the stories of Creation in the Bible. The
Hindu concept of the Trinity i.e. God described in three forms Brahma, the
Creator; Vishnu, the Preserver; and Shiva, the Destroyer and explains the
creation, the preservation and the destruction of the world. Theology
represents the creed, or body of beliefs and doctrines of the Church or the
Temple. The written words become the sacred scriptures.

2. Ceremony and Ritual.

Ceremony or ritual is a standardised and accepted action directed towards
some specific end. Ritual refers to “symbolic actions concerning the
sacred”. Every religion has its own practices and techniques or rituals and
ceremonies in order to communicate with the supernatural. Ritual
expresses awe and reverence, obedience and homage to the God.
Sacrifices, sacred music, drama, dances, hymns, prayers, feasting,
fasting, reading scriptures, writing, festivals, etc. represent various forms
of rituals. They are found in all religious but in different ways. These bring
emotional unity among people and secure for them some kind of security.
3. Symbolism
Throughout religion symbolism is important. Symbols are substituted for
or representation of objects or situation. They may be verbal or tangible. A
religious symbol enables an individual to identify himself with his fellow-
beings. It thus promotes a sense of social solidarity. For example, the
cross stands for Christianity, the Crescent for Islam, and the Swasthik for
Hinduism. Normally these symbols are emotion-charged.
4. Religious Codes
Religious Code’ refers to a body of rules prescribed by a particular religion
for its followers to observe and follow. The code prescribes desirable
conduct and prescribes undesirable behaviour. The desirable behaviour
brings rewards while the undesirable one brings punishment to the
individual. The religious code defines the way in which one has to
maintain one’s religion with the Supernatural and also with the fellow-
beings. Buddhism thus places emphasis on “Ashta Marg” (Eight-Fold
Path), Jainism on “Triratnas” (Three- Jewelled Path), Islam on “Shariat”
(Muslim Personal Law), Hinduism on “Manu Smriti”, Christianity on ‘Ten
commandments’ and so on.
 5. Sects
A sect is a body of believers with similar religious attitudes and interests.
The group of believers may hold a common body of beliefs, values and
objectives. They formulate their own creed, their own official hierarchy,
and take on a distinctive name and become a new “denomination”.
Christianity has two main sects like Catholicism, and Protestantism and
several other smaller sects like Puritanism, Presbyterianism, Lutheranism,
Calvinism, etc. Similarly, Buddhism has Mahayanism and Hinayanism,
Jainism has the Svetambaras and the Digambaras, Islam has the Sunnis
and the Shias; Hinduism has the sects like Shaivites, the Vaishnavites and
the Shakheyas on the one hand and David, Advaitta and the
vishishtadvaita on the other.
6. Festivals
Every religion has its own festivals. A religious festival is a kind of social
get-together wherein people observe some rituals collectively. It may
consist of prayers, processions, feasting or fasting, chanting of hymns and
singing devotional songs, etc. Festivals reaffirm the faith and fidelity of
the people into the principles and practices of religion. Festivals promote
emotional integration and social harmony. Some popular festivals of the
Hindus are – Yugadi, Sankranthi, Navratri, Vijaya Dashami, Ramanavami,
Krishna Jayanti, Deepavali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Naga Panchami, Gauri
Pooja, Rishi-Panchami, Guru-Purnima, Rakshabandhan, Shivaratri and Holi.
7. Sacred Literature
The theological explanation of a religion when it takes the written form
becomes the sacred literature. In other words, the sacred scripture of a
religion represents its sacred literature. Every religion has its own sacred
literature. The essential principles and theological explanations of a
religion are incorporated in its sacred literature. This literature has a great
survival value. For example, The Vedas, or ‘Srutis’, Upanishads or
‘Smritis’, Bhagavad Gita and the Epic are the sacred scriptures of
Hinduism. ‘Bible’ is the main religious authority on Christianity and
similarly, ‘Quran’ on Islam; ‘Tripitakas’- (Sutta Pitaka, Vinaya Pitaka and
Abhidhamma Pitaka) on Buddhism; “Agama Siddhanta” on Jainism; ‘Jend
Avesta’ on Zoroastrianism; “The Old Testament of the Jewish Bible” and
“Talmus” on Judaism and so on.
8. Myth
Myth refers to an ancient traditional story of Gods or heroes, especially,
the one offering an explanation of some fact or phenomenon. It has been
said that myth is primitive philosophy, the simplest presentational form of
thought, a series of attempts to understand the world, to explain life and
death, fate and nature, gods and evils. It is also a complex kind of human
assertion and dramatic assertion in which the thoughts and feelings,
attitudes and sentiments, are involved. It is the emotion-laden assertion of
man’s place in a world that is meaningful to him, and of his solidarity with
it.
9. Mysticism

Mysticism refers to the habit or tendency of religious thought and feeling

of those who seek direct communion with God or the divine. In mysticism,
religious life for some people becomes “transformed into a purely
personal and inward experience”. Hence, a ‘Mystic’ is one who seeks or
attains direct relationship with the God in elevated religious feelings or
ecstasy. He seeks to rise above all forms of the world- both those of the
natural and societal environment and those of formalised cult as well. The
mystic response is found in all world religions; in Christianity, Buddhism,
Hinduism, Judaism and Islam.

Functions of Religion

The universality of religion is based upon the forms of belief and practise
and upon the functions which religion universally fulfils. These functions
are of great individuals as well as social significance.
1. Religion provides religious experience
This is the basic function of religion. Prayer, worship and meditation are
the summary of religious experience. Though these means man expresses
awe, reverence, gratitude and allegiance of the Almighty or the God, or
the Supernatural Force. When an individual comes into contact with the
supernatural he undergoes some sort of peculiar, inexplicable experience.
He converses with the divine through prayers. This religious experience
ennobles the human desires, ideals and values. It facilitates the
development of personality, sociability and creativeness.
2. Religion provides peace of mind
Religion provides for the individual the most desired peace of mind. At
every crisis, personal or collective, religion is called in for consolation and
peace of mind. It promotes goodness and helps the development of
character. In a world full of uncertainties, indefiniteness, dangers,
insecurities and unhappiness, the need for safety and security is really
great. Religion here acts as a healer of the ills of life. It reduces one’s
grievances and gives the individuals emotional support in the face of
uncertainty. It offers man inspiration, hope, faith, optimism and courage.
3. Religion promotes Social Solidarity, Unity and Identity
Religion upholds and validates the traditional ways of life. It is known that
a common faith, common value-judgements, common sentiments,
common worship are significant factors in unifying people. By their
participation in religious rituals and worship, people try to identify
themselves as having something in common.
4. Religion conserves the value of life
Religion is an effective means of preserving the values of life. Religion
defines and redefines the values. Moral, spiritual and social values are
greatly supported by religion. It exercises a tremendous influence over
the younger ones and their behaviour. Through such agencies like the
family and the Church, religion inculcates the values of life in the minds of
the growing children.
5. Religion as an agent of social control
Religion is one of the forms of informal means of social control. It
regulates the activities of the people in its own way. It prescribes rules of
conduct for people to follow. The conceptions of spirits, ghosts, taboos,
souls, commandments, sermons, etc., control human action and enforce
discipline. It has its own method to deal with those individuals who violate
its norms. It has its own ways to reintegrate the disobedient into the social
group. The religious sanctions are widely made use of to support the
ethical codes and moral practices among many peoples.
6. Religion promotes welfare.
Religion renders service to the people and promotes their welfare. It
appeals to the people to be sympathetic, merciful and co-operative. It
rouses in them the spirit of mutual help and co-operation. It reinforces the
sense of belonging to the group. It promotes art, culture and provides
means for the development of character on the right lines. Various
religious organisations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Hindu Seva
Pratisthana, Ramakrishna Mission, Arya Samaj, Brahma Samaj, The
Society of Jesus, etc., are engaged in various social, educational,
aesthetic, cultural, civic, medical, and other activities.
7. Religion provides recreation
Religion Promotes recreation through religious lectures, Kirtanas, dramas,
dance,music, bhajanas, puranas, harikathas, fairs, festivals, musical
concerts, art exhibitions and so on. It tries to make men sorrow less and
fearless. Various religious festivals and rituals can provide relief to the
disturbed mind.
8. Religion enhances self-importance
Religion expands the self to infinite proportions. A religious belief relates
the self to the infinite or Cosmic Design. Through unity with the infinite
the self is ennobled, made majestic. Man considers himself the noblest
work of God, with whom he shall be united. His self thus becomes grand
and elevated.

Questions:-

1. How do you define religion as a social institution?

2. What are basic components of religion?
3. Describe the structural aspects of religion.
4. What are the functions of society?