Religion as a social institution in the modern world.

One of the imperative needs of people is the need to understand what is happening, explain it and build their lives in accordance with the idea of ​​the essence of things, the picture of the world, the meaning of life itself, the nature of man and his destiny. For centuries, religious consciousness has responded to this need by offering man, as a finite being, a way out beyond the limits of his earthly existence. This feature of religion, its transcendence (going beyond the limits of existing being) makes it possible to include the world and man in the context of eternity, thereby giving meaning to the structure of the world and the existence of people in it.

Religion is a system of beliefs shared by groups of people who perform certain rituals, beliefs that embody the idea of ​​the sacred, the supernatural, which determines the fate of a person. The elements of religion are: the presence of a group of believers; idea of ​​the sacred, supernatural; a special system of beliefs (religion); special rituals (a system of actions in relation to what is considered sacred); an idea of ​​a special way of life that corresponds to the postulates of faith.

The concept of the sacred. Religious ideas have been inherent in mankind since ancient times. Historically, religion begins from the moment when a person was able to imagine the existence of a supernatural being, and the spirit was such an imaginary supernatural being. The ancestors of modern man were not able to explain the obvious inconsistency of the dual phenomenon associated with dreams, when the person himself sleeps, he is motionless, and his double moves freely in space. This "other I", this double is my spirit. And death is nothing but the separation of two beings: one corporeal, finite, mortal and the other incorporeal, infinite, immortal, that is, the spirit (soul). The imagination of primitive man endowed the whole world around him with an infinite number of powerful spirits - mysterious and invisible.

Religion is a global social institution that includes many thousands of types and forms of religious beliefs. However one fundamental feature is characteristic of all of them: highlighting and distinguishing what is sacred

(the highest power, perfect, inviolable, undoubted, above all), and that which is imperfect, ordinary, everyday. What is holy inspires horror, reverence, deep respect. It has unusual, supernatural and sometimes dangerous qualities, and you can communicate with it only as part of a special ritual (prayers, spells, ritual cleansing). Anything can be classified as a sacred object - God, a king, the sun, the moon, a rock, a tree, or a symbol such as a cross. In contrast to the holy, that which is ordinary does not belong to the world of the supernatural. However, something becomes holy or remains ordinary only if, as such, it receives this or that social definition with which such an object is endowed by a community of believers.

So religion as a social institution can be defined as a system of socially recognized beliefs and related practices that are oriented towards the realm of the sacred, the supernatural. As Durkheim showed, one can speak of the presence of a certain religion in the case when belief in the sacred is combined with the corresponding practice of the community of believers (committing actions arising from such faith - participating in the activities of a religious community, performing rituals, observing prohibitions, etc.) .

From a sociological point of view, the following types of religions can be distinguished: simple belief in the supernatural, animism, theism, abstract ideal.

The first type of religion is characteristic of primitive, pre-industrial societies, does not include belief in gods or spirits, but recognizes the presence of supernatural powers, have a positive or negative impact on people's lives.

The animistic type of religion recognizes active activity of spirits in the world. These spirits may exist in humans, but also in natural objects(rivers, mountains, winds), they are personified, endowed with human qualities (motives, will, emotions). These are not gods, they are not worshipped. Communication with them is achieved through magical rituals. They can be good or evil or indifferent to human affairs.

Theistic religions are based on belief in gods. God is powerful, he is interested in human affairs and deserves to be worshiped. The most common form of theism is polytheism, the belief in many gods. Among them stands out the "highest god", or "father of the gods." Another form of theism is monotheism, the belief in one God. This faith underlies the world religions - Judaism, Christianity and Mohammedanism. Religions based on abstract ideals do not worship gods, but focused on achieving ideals in thinking and behavior. The goal is to achieve an elevated state of being and consciousness, which, as their proponents believe, allows one to realize the full potential of a person. The goal of Buddhism is to achieve unity with the universe through years of meditation, i.e., a person’s psychological disconnection from the outside world, liberation from it, immersion in the inner world with the help of spells, in order to achieve a special (exalted) state of consciousness.

The common feature of religions is theodicy - an emotionally satisfying explanation of the most significant problems of human existence: the appearance of man, his suffering and death. The universal sequence of birth, short life, suffering and death seems meaningless, but theodicy makes sense of it, explaining or justifying the presence of evil and misfortune in this world.

The social function of religion. The most important social function of religion in the history of mankind was to maintain the integrity of a given social system. Studying the simplest forms of religion on the example of Australian aboriginal totemism, Durkheim stated that a totem is any ordinary object, or plant, or animal, or a symbol representing them, that becomes sacred. Each clan is organized around its totem and bears its name. The totem is not only sacred, but it is also a symbol of the clan itself as a society. Hence the conclusion: when people worship something sacred, they are, in fact, worshiping nothing but their society. The Divine is nothing but a transformed and symbolically conscious society. In the era of feudalism, the earthly structure - the hierarchy of feudal society and the state is projected onto the heavenly hierarchy, creates it according to the earthly model and likeness, while "earthly forces take on the form of unearthly"

(Marx), and then, but already with a halo of holiness and infallibility, this structure is transferred back to earth, thereby legitimizing and sanctifying the authority earthly power the authority of heavenly power.

Joint participation in worship creates an emotional feeling of inspiration, ecstasy, not experienced alone. Shared religious beliefs grow out of society and contribute to its cohesion. Rituals unite people and contribute to the transmission from generation to generation of values, norms, prohibitions (taboos), the violation of which leads to repentance and purification. Rituals support and comfort people in grief, especially in connection with death. Every society, Durkheim concludes, needs a religion or belief system that provides the same social functions.

Marx derived the functions of religion from the theory of social (class) conflict, considering religion as a form of alienation, as a tool to support the dominant social order. Religion can be an element social conflict as, for example, during the religious wars. In accordance with the thesis of M. Weber about the Protestant ethics as the spiritual basis of modern capitalism, its development was facilitated by the norms of such an ethic, in which wealth was seen as a sign of being chosen by God, and frugality, and not wastefulness, the multiplication of capital, and not its waste, as the main religious, social value and virtue. Here religion performs the function of promoting industrial and social development.

A fundamental feature of the modern period community development in Russia is the revival and spread of religious consciousness. The Constitution of the Russian Federation (Article 28) guarantees freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including the right to profess individually or jointly with others any religion or not to profess any, freely choose, have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them.

The very fact of the existence of faith after many decades of its suppression by "militant atheism", planted using the methods of state violence, indicates the existence of an essential social function implemented by religion. In itself, the practice of state atheism, which essentially turned into a quasi-religious dogma, where the role of the organizer of “heaven on earth” was attributed not to God, but to man, paradoxically, but testifies to the constant need for society, for individual consciousness to have something that goes beyond the ordinary , urgent, the need to believe in the presence of something higher, orienting consciousness and behavior.

It is fundamentally important, of course, what is the essence of such a faith. Of particular importance in the conditions of Russia, where religious beliefs are embodied in various confessions, are those features of such beliefs in which tolerance and respect for someone else's faith take their rightful place. Only under this condition will religious faith fulfill the function of a spiritually creative principle in the social development of Russia as a multi-confessional country. The religious revival in Russia will fulfill a constructive function in the event that mutual trust, morality, diligence, and hope based on faith enter social practice and become the moral core of social development.

In this case, at least two dimensions of the relevant social interactions are of fundamental importance: a) religion and the state; b) religious denominations among themselves. The Constitution of the Russian Federation (Article 14) defines Russian Federation as a secular state. No religion can be established as a state or obligatory one. Religious associations are separated from the state and are equal before the law.

In two cases, the creative, constructive, integrating function of religion is not capable of being realized. First, by subordination of religion to the state, the transformation of religion into a dependent appendage of the state, the loss of its function as an independent bearer of higher moral principles, higher moral authority, which leads to the loss of sacredness by religion, its sacred character, independent of earthly structures, on the one hand. Secondly, by absorption by religion of the state, the acquisition by religion of official state status as a single and mandatory form of belief, the loss of such a theocratic state of its secular nature, the loss of its function as a guarantor of freedom of religion, which leads to discrimination and suppression of other beliefs.

Freedom of conscience, equality of religions, independence from the state can be really ensured only in the presence of a democratic state and social system. Only under these conditions is individual freedom ensured (freedom of conscience is its most important ingredient); religious tolerance, equality and freedom of religion are guaranteed; the secular nature of the state is preserved; a moral, ethical, spiritual basis for social development is being created. Legal regulations provide structuring social life, regulation of social interactions in order to give them formal order and certainty. But content of a similar order, the definition of what is considered right and fair, and what is unfair, criminal, what is essential, vital, and what is not, that is, law can acquire its essential, value-based nature only from the outside. The moral and ethical principles of religion can also serve as such a source.

• Cm.: Durkheim E. The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life. Glencoe, 1947.

66. What does the sociology of religion study?

The sociology of religion is one of the areas of general sociology, whose task is to study religion as a social phenomenon. She explores religion as one of the social subsystems, as a social institution, as a factor in motivating people's social behavior. For example, if philosophy in its studies of religion tries to penetrate into the essence of certain beliefs (to find the truth), then sociology seeks to identify the influence of certain beliefs on people's behavior.
The sociology of religion is a concrete science. In her research, she subjects to sociological analysis only those aspects of religion (social facts) that have been identified as a result of empirical research (survey, observation, experiment, etc.).
The founders of the sociology of religion are E. Durkheim and M. Weber. So, Durkheim believed that religion is one of the social institutions that arose to meet certain social needs. Therefore, for its study it is necessary to apply sociological methods and evaluation criteria. The meaning and purpose of religion is the cultivation of social (public) feelings and ideas, rituals and cult actions that become mandatory for all members of society and in the representation of individuals (groups) are an objective reality.
M. Weber also considered religion as a social institution. However, unlike Durkheim, he did not believe that religion, as an objective reality, completely subordinates an individual or group to its authority and power. According to Weber, religion is the basis of a system of values ​​and norms that give meaning and meaning to the behavior and way of thinking of each individual, each social group, and thus contributes to individual self-realization.
A significant contribution to the development of the sociology of religion was made by such scientists as G. Simmel, B. Malinovsky, T. Parsons, T. Lukman, R. Bel, A.I. Ilyin, N.A. Berdyaev and others.

67. What is religion and what is its essence?

Religion is a system of beliefs in the existence of a certain transcendent instance (a supernatural worldview structure) that evaluates (controls) the actions and thinking of an individual, group, social community.
Transcendental (from lat. - going beyond) - inaccessible to knowledge; beyond what can be comprehended by natural methods. Therefore, religious dogmas in themselves are not subject to scientific analysis. They are either taken for granted or rejected.
Each religion is characterized by certain, specific ritual actions, which, according to believers, contribute to the establishment of a direct and feedback with a cult object. For example, the rite of baptism in Christianity, circumcision in Judaism and Islam, meditation in Buddhism and Hinduism, etc.
The earliest forms of religion are the following: magic (witchcraft, sorcery); totemism (kinship with certain animals); fetishism (cult of inanimate objects); animism (belief in the soul and spirits), etc. Religion is one of constituent parts human culture. Arising on early stage primitive society, it goes a long way of development from tribal forms to the world.
As the social structure of society becomes more complex, so does the structure of religion. At the same time, changes are taking place in the relationship between religion and society. For example: in primitive society there are still no special differences between public life and the performance of religious rites, and there are no professional clergymen. During the period of the disintegration of the tribal system, separate, relatively independent elements of religion (priests, shamans, etc.) begin to emerge, but on the whole, social and religious life coincide. With the emergence of the state, relatively independent structures of religion begin to form, a special estate of clergymen appears, religious buildings (temples, monasteries, etc.) are built. But for all the above periods of the development of religion, one indispensable condition is characteristic - a person who is outside of religion is considered both outside the law and outside society, since religion was not separated from society and the state. In some countries, this situation persists even now (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, etc.).
The emergence of civil society and the rule of law contributed to the separation of church and state. In conditions of democracy and pluralism, adherence to a particular religion is determined not by legal acts, but by the free choice of each member of society.
In different periods of history, in different countries and regions of the world, the role of religion was very ambiguous. In a primitive tribal society, this or that totem was the patron of a certain kind, served as a symbol of faith and hope, and united a certain group of people. In the pre-Christian period, in a class society, religion merged with the state, and it was not easy to distinguish between their functions.
At the dawn of our era, Christianity arose as a revolutionary doctrine of the equality of all people before God and was directed against the Roman state. The paradox of history lies in the fact that in the future the main persecutor Christian religion- Rome, became the main city of the Christian world.
During the Middle Ages in Europe Catholic Church claimed the role of the main political force in solving the most important state and interstate issues. Many future monarchs, before taking the throne, had to ask for blessings from the Pope. The Crusades for several centuries shook not only Europe, but also other regions of the world. The "sacred" church court decided the fate of millions of people.
With the development of bourgeois market relations, the frozen dogmas of Christianity began to slow down social progress. In the XVI-XVII centuries. heterogeneous socio-political movements undermine the power of the Catholic Church. As a result of the reformation of the church, the state and society were freed from church guardianship, and the church itself was freed from the state. Secularization - liberation from church influence - contributed to the formation of a modern secular culture of society.
In the modern world, the role of religion in different countries is also ambiguous. In a democratic society, religion is one of the social institutions of civil society, the role and functions of which are regulated by constitutional norms. But there are countries where religion continues to have a significant impact on the domestic and foreign policy of the state and restrict human rights. Many international terrorist organizations use religious ideology for their own purposes.

68. Why does religion arise?

Among the variety of factors and reasons for the emergence of religion, five main ones can be distinguished.
1. Social and socio-climatic - human vulnerability to natural disasters and social cataclysms (wars, famines, epidemics, etc.). Desire to find protection in the supernatural.
2. Epistemological (cognitive) - the ability of human consciousness, in the course of cognitive activity, to impart supernatural (transcendental) properties to objects and phenomena that a person is not able to explore empirically. Abstract ideas about certain phenomena, based not on knowledge, but on faith.
3. Psychological, related to the impact of worship on the human psyche. For example, an individual may experience visions (hallucinations), strong emotional arousal, etc. during a religious ceremony.
4. Socio-psychological - a single faith and joint cult activities contribute to the integration of people within a certain socio-cultural community (Durkheim).
5. Historical - the conditionality of the existing religion by its previous development, i.e., historical roots.

69. What is the structure of religion?

Religion as a social institution is a complex social system. The main elements of the structure of religion are: religious consciousness, religious cult, religious organization.
1. Religious consciousness is a specific form of social consciousness, the main feature of which is belief in the supernatural. Religious consciousness can be conditionally divided into two components - religious psychology and religious ideology.
Religious psychology includes various properties of the psyche of people that are directly or indirectly related to religion, for example, myths, traditions, ideas, attitudes, prejudices, emotions, moods, opinions, etc. Each of the properties of the psyche takes its place in the structure of religious psychology and fulfills its specific role. So, for example, if emotions and moods are very changeable, then traditions and myths can be passed down from generation to generation for many years. Religious psychology is the ordinary level of religious knowledge.
Religious ideology in the structure of religious knowledge represents another theoretical level. If religious psychology is based on everyday ideas about religion, then religious ideology involves a systematic theoretical justification of religious dogmas and religious practices. It is the basis (a guide to action) for the unification of believers and the building of a religious organization. The main sources of the emergence and development of religious ideology are sacred texts and scriptures. In the Christian religion, such a source is the Bible, in Islam - the Koran. Religious ideology is the basis (guide to action) for uniting believers and building a religious organization.
Religious and political elites at all times and in different countries, they have striven and are striving to "privatize" religious ideology, to make it an obedient weapon in achieving their own selfish goals. Often this leads to religious conflicts and wars both between adherents of different religions (for example, between Christians and Muslims), and between adherents of different directions in one religion (between Sunnis and Shiites in Islam, Catholics and Orthodox in Christianity, etc.).
2. Religious cult (from Latin - veneration) - a system of symbolic forms and actions with which believers seek to express their adherence to a particular religion or influence the supernatural. For example, the cross is a symbol of the Christian religion, the crescent is a symbol of the Muslim religion; in Christianity, rites such as the baptism of newborns and the funeral of the dead are considered obligatory; in Russia, in order to influence supernatural forces, the church often organized an “emergency procession».
3. Religious organizations - a certain form of association and management of believers. There are four main types of religious organizations: church, sect, denomination, cult.

70. What types of religious organizations exist?

In the scientific literature, it is generally accepted that all religious organizations are divided into four main types: church, sect, denomination, cult.
The Church (from the Greek - God's house) is an open, mass religious organization that has close ties with the broad strata of society and operates within it. The main features of the church are: the presence of a more or less developed dogmatic and cult system; the presence of a special layer of people - clergy (clergy) and ordinary believers - parishioners; centralized management system for individual church divisions; the presence of specific religious buildings and structures.
A sect is a special religious organization (a group of believers) that rejects the basic values ​​of the official church and the majority of believers. Usually a sect is formed by a group of believers who have broken away from the main church. A sect is a closed or semi-closed organization that requires a certain initiation ritual to enter. Leaving a sect is also not easy.
A denomination is an intermediate link between a church and a sect. It is more open and numerous than a sect, but also, in fact, is a religious organization that broke away from the official church. For example, such Protestant denominations as Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, etc. arose as a result of a split from christian church. Sometimes denominations are formed as a result of expansion (aggregation) of sects. Denominations are most characteristic of those countries in which freedom of religion has become the basis of religious pluralism (USA, Canada, etc.).
A cult is a closed religious organization (an extreme form of a sect) based on the worship of some false messiah. The pernicious influence of some cult religious organizations on young people (teenagers) causes the legitimate indignation of their parents and the public. Often, the activities of such organizations become the subject of proceedings for law enforcement agencies.
There are currently more than a million adherents (followers) of various totalitarian religious sects in Russia, many of which are banned in the West or are under the strict control of special services there.

71. What are the social functions of religion?

All religious relationships are ultimately one of a kind social relations, and religion itself is a complex social system that regulates relations between people. At all times and under any conditions, religious institutions, in addition to religious functions, also performed social functions, that is, they acted as social institutions. Religion is not so much a person's attitude to God (Gods), as the relationship between people about God (Gods).
The main functions of religion as a social institution:
1. Illusory-compensatory - giving a person hope in real life and in the other world.
2. Worldview - belief in the existence of a certain transcendent instance, which (faith) largely determines the system of value orientations, ways of thinking of believers and their perception of the world around them.
3. Regulatory - the creation and functioning of a certain system of values ​​and norms that motivates the behavior of believers.
4. Integrative - a believer identifies (identifies) himself with a certain social community people who follow the same religious views. The feeling of unity with "brothers" in faith is inherent in all believers. However, this feeling is often used to divide people into “us” and “them”.
5. The function of demarcation (ideological) - in the modern world, religion has become a powerful means of ideological influence on the minds of people in order to separate the opposition to each other.
Other social functions of religion can also be named, for example, such as: educational, socialization function, legal, political, cultural, ideological, etc.

72. What is the role of religion in the consolidation and division of people?

Religion plays a huge role in the consolidation and identification of people. Already in the primitive era, a clan or tribe expressed its identity by associating itself with a certain totem (animal, plant, etc.). The totem was both a patron and a symbol (emblem, coat of arms), and a factor in uniting people. In modern world religions, symbols-totems are such attributes of religion as a cross in Christianity, a crescent in Islam, a statue or image of Buddha in Buddhism, etc.
Another unifying factor in religion is joint religious ceremonies: procession, mass pilgrimage to holy places, ritual religious dance, joint prayer, etc. Joint ceremonies (even rituals of grief and loss), according to E. Durkheim, cause their participants to experience a state of unity and excitement, which involves the mobilization of all active forces.
The next factor in the unity of people is the religious worldview (faith). It implies the unity of views, value orientations, certain forms of behavior for all adherents of a particular religion. Religious worldview is the main unifying factor for believers. And written sources (Bible, Koran, Talmud, etc.), which set out the main postulates (statements, requirements, axioms) of faith, are considered sacred for every believer.
As a consolidating factor, one can name the self-identification (self-determination) of an individual who may not be a convinced believer, not attend temples, not pray, but consider himself a supporter of a particular religion.
But any social identification involves comparison and opposition. In order to consolidate within the framework of their religious identity (faith, confession), people must somehow distinguish it from others, that is, divide people into “us” and “them”. At the same time, as a rule, one's own faith and its adherents are evaluated more positively than others. These assessments can be cultivated consciously, or they can arise at the subconscious level. This is the essence of identification.
The consolidating properties of religion at all times were widely used by various kinds of political adventurers, nationalists, ambitious religious figures and patriots. Religious ideology is a powerful means of mobilizing people both to defend the fatherland and to wage wars of conquest. So, in the XI-XIII centuries. the Catholic Church initiated and blessed " Crusades", and in the XVI-XVIII centuries. - Huguenot wars. In the Middle Ages, most of the wars of conquest and liberation acquired a religious character. In Muslim vocabulary, there is even such a thing as "ghazavat" (jihad) - meaning "holy war" of Muslims against the infidels.
Religious wars are not a thing of the past. And in the modern world, ambitious politicians and terrorist organizations use religion to achieve their own selfish goals. As a result, entire peoples and countries fall apart and are at enmity between the two on religious grounds. So former Yugoslavia broke up into Orthodox Serbia, Catholic Croatia, Muslim Bosnia and other "religious" enclaves. In Northern Ireland, the once united people "divided" into Catholics and Protestants, and between these religious communities for many decades (according to other calculations - many centuries) there has been a permanent war. In Iraq, two branches of the Muslim religion - Shiites and Sunnis - are killing each other. International adventurers seek to divide the whole world along religious lines and unleash on this basis world war. According to some researchers, this war (the Fourth World War) has already begun.

Literature

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Volkov Yu.G. Sociology: Elementary course. - M., 2003.
Garadzha V.I. Sociology of religion. - M., 1996.
Zimmel G. Towards the sociology of religion // Questions of sociology. 1993. No. 3.
Moskovichi S. A machine that creates gods. - M., 1998.
Religion and Society: A Reader in the Sociology of Religion. - M., 1996.
Smelzer N. Sociology. - M., 1994.
Sociological encyclopedia. In 2 vols. T. 2. - M., 2003.
Ugrinovich D.M. Art and religion. - M., 1982.
Freud Z. The future of one illusion. Psychoanalysis and religion // Twilight of the gods. - M., 1989.

There are many religions and religious beliefs in the modern world. The age of such world religions as Buddhism and Christianity is estimated at several millennia. Throughout the history of mankind, religion has remained the most important component of society. The search for spiritual landmarks, points of support in a rapidly changing world leads to the fact that at present the role of the religious factor is increasing. This is largely due to the fact that religion is the most important social institution, which includes a system of social norms, values, roles, customs, beliefs, rituals, standards of behavior.

There are many definitions of the concept religion. In sociological science, two main approaches to the definition of this concept can be distinguished: substantive and functional. In the content approach, attention is paid to the essence of religion. The famous French sociologist E. Durkheim noted that religion is associated with "sacred things", it is a collective activity in which a social group is involved. Thus, religion should be considered primarily as a social phenomenon that contributes to the strengthening of society. The functional approach is associated with the study of the characteristic features of religious behavior. According to functional theory, any beliefs and beliefs that address fundamental questions human life may be called a religion. M. Weber is considered the founder of this approach; in his research, the object of study is a person who, through his values, influences religion.

Based on these two approaches, a general sociological definition of religion is formulated. Religion is a phenomenon that unites cultural, social and personal systems into a single organized structure that influences the processes of change and development of society. Religion is an organic part of social life, and at different stages of the development of human society, the nature of the relationship between religion and society varies. Religion is also included in the concept of culture: on the one hand, the type of religious life is associated with the culture of a certain region, on the other hand, culture is largely formed and functions on the basis of religion.

Religion as a social institution has its own structure. Religious teaching, which is usually recorded in the Holy Scriptures and its commentaries, is an important part of religion. In Christianity, the Holy Scripture is the Bible; in Islam, the Quran. At the center of the religious structure is a cult - a system of rituals performed by clergy and believers in order to interact with supernatural forces. Such rituals include temple services, prayers, processions, religious sermons. An important place in the structure of religion is occupied by the church - a religious organization that unites believers. At different stages of the development of human society, the church performed various functions, but its role has always been very high.

Like any other social institution, religion performs a number of specific functions in society. The following functions of religion can be distinguished.

1. Worldview. Religion sets certain absolutes, with the help of which the world is comprehended and an assessment is given to society, a person, a meaning is given to being.

2. Compensatory. Religion and religious faith make up for the limitations, impotence of people, help to get away from the feeling of one's own helplessness, relieve psychological stress.

3. Communicative. Two levels of communication can be distinguished: the communication of believers with each other through religious organizations and religious activities and the communication of a believer with God through prayer, etc.

4. Regulatory. Through values, norms, traditions, stereotypes, customs, opinions, the activities of individuals and groups are controlled.

5. Integrating. Religion maintains the stability of one or another social factor. However, in multi-confessional societies, religion can play a disintegrating role.

6. Cultural broadcasting. Religion not only contributed to the development of certain layers of culture - writing, printing, art - but also carried out the transfer of the accumulated heritage from generation to generation.

7. alloying. Religion can help legitimize certain social orders, institutions, relationships, norms.

Religion influences the state and politics, interethnic relations and the economy, society and the family through individuals, groups and organizations. However, the degree of influence of religion changes in accordance with the processes sacralization and secularization. The process of sacralization (from lat. sacer- sacred) means increasing the role of the church in public life, expanding the field of action and influence of religion in society, while the process of secularization is the liberation of public institutions from church influence.

Introduction 2

I. The concept of a social institution 4

4

6

7

8

II. Religion as a social institution 11

2.1. Definition of religion as a social institution 11

2.2. Analysis of religion as a social institution 15

Conclusion 22

Bibliography 24

Introduction

Religion as a phenomenon inherent in human society throughout its history and covering the vast majority of the world's population to this day, nevertheless turns out to be an area inaccessible and at least incomprehensible to very many people.

Religion is a kind of behavior (cult), worldview and attitude based on belief in the supernatural, inaccessible to human understanding.

Religion is a necessary component of social life, including the spiritual culture of society. It performs a number of important sociocultural functions in society. One of these functions of religion is ideological or meaningful. In religion as a form of spiritual exploration of the world, the mental transformation of the world is carried out, its organization in the mind, in the course of which a certain picture of the world, norms, values, ideals and other components of the worldview are developed that determine the relationship of a person to the world and act as guidelines and regulators of his behavior.

This course work is an attempt to consider religion as a social institution. aim term paper is the systematization, accumulation and consolidation of knowledge about religion as a social institution.

The main objectives of the course work:

The study of the concept of a social institution, its characteristic features;

Consideration of religion as a social institution.

The purpose and objectives of the course work determined the choice of its structure. The term paper consists of an introduction, two parts, a conclusion, a list of literature used in writing the work.

The first part of the course work "The concept of a social institution" outlines the main characteristics of a social institution.

The second part "Religion as a social institution" directly reveals the topic of the course work and analyzes religion as a social institution.

In conclusion, the main results of the course work are summed up.

I. The concept of a social institution

1.1. Characteristics of a social institution

Social institutions (from Latin institutum - establishment, establishment) are historically established stable forms of organizing joint activities of people.

The term "social institution" is used in a wide variety of meanings. They talk about the institution of the family, the institution of education, health care, the institution of the state, etc. The first, most often used meaning of the term "social institution" is associated with the characteristics of any kind of ordering, formalism and standardization of social ties and relations. And the process of streamlining, formalization and standardization is called institutionalization. one

The following types of social institutions are distinguished: economics, politics, religion, morality, art, family, science, education, etc.

Social institutions perform in society the functions of social management and social control as one of the elements of management.

Social control enables society and its systems to enforce normative conditions, the violation of which is detrimental to the social system. The main objects of such control are legal and moral norms, customs, administrative decisions, etc. The effect of social control is reduced, on the one hand, to the application of sanctions against behavior that violates social restrictions, on the other hand, to the approval of desirable behavior. The behavior of individuals is conditioned by their needs. These needs can be satisfied in various ways, and the choice of means to satisfy them depends on the value system adopted by a given social community or society as a whole. The adoption of a certain system of values ​​contributes to the identity of the behavior of members of the community. Education and socialization are aimed at conveying to individuals the patterns of behavior and methods of activity established in a given community.

Social institutions govern the behavior of community members through a system of sanctions and rewards. In social management and control, institutions play a very important role. Their task is not only to coercion. In every society there are institutions that guarantee freedom in certain types of activity - freedom of creativity and innovation, freedom of speech, the right to receive a certain form and amount of income, housing and free medical care, etc. For example, writers and artists have guaranteed freedom creativity, search for new artistic forms; scientists and specialists are obliged to investigate new problems and search for new technical solutions, etc. Social institutions can be characterized in terms of both their external, formal (“material”) structure, and their internal, content.

Outwardly, a social institution looks, as noted above, as a set of persons, institutions, equipped with certain material resources and performing a specific social function. From the content side, it is a certain system of expediently oriented standards of behavior of certain individuals in specific situations. So, if justice as a social institution can be outwardly characterized as a set of persons, institutions and material means administering justice, then from a substantive point of view, it is a set of standardized patterns of behavior of eligible persons providing this social function. These standards of conduct are embodied in certain roles characteristic of the justice system (the role of a judge, prosecutor, lawyer, investigator, etc.).

The most important social institutions are political ones. With their help, political power is established and maintained. Economic institutions provide the process of production and distribution of goods and services. The family is also one of the important social institutions. Its activities (relations between parents, parents and children, methods of education, etc.) are determined by a system of legal and other social norms. Along with these institutions, such socio-cultural institutions as the education system, health care, social security, cultural and educational institutions, etc., are also of significant importance. The institution of religion still plays a significant role in society.

Each social institution is characterized by:

the presence of the purpose of their activities;

a set of social positions and roles typical for a given institution;

specific functions to achieve this goal.

Let us consider in more detail these characteristic features of a social institution.

1.2. The presence of the purpose of the activity of a social institution

One of the necessary conditions for the emergence of social institutions is the corresponding social need. Institutions are recognized to organize the joint activities of people in order to meet certain social needs.

Thus, the institution of the family satisfies the need for the reproduction of the human race and the upbringing of children, implements relations between the sexes, generations, etc.

The institute of higher education provides training for the workforce, enables a person to develop his abilities in order to realize them in subsequent activities and ensure his existence, etc.

The emergence of certain social needs, as well as the conditions for their satisfaction, are the first characteristic feature of a social institution. 2

1.3. A set of social positions and roles of a social institution

A social institution is formed on the basis of social ties, interactions and relationships of specific individuals, individuals, social groups and other communities. But it, like other social systems, cannot be reduced to the sum of these individuals and their interaction. Social institutions are supra-individual in nature, have their own systemic quality.

Consequently, a social institution is an independent public entity that has its own logic of development. From this point of view, social institutions can be considered as organized social systems characterized by the stability of the structure, the integration of their elements and a certain variability of their functions. First of all, it is a system of values, norms, ideals, as well as patterns of activity and behavior of people and other elements of the sociocultural process. This system guarantees similar behavior of people, coordinates and directs their certain aspirations, establishes ways to satisfy their needs, resolves conflicts that arise in the course of everyday life, provides a state of balance and stability within a particular social community and society as a whole. In itself, the presence of these socio-cultural elements does not yet ensure the functioning of a social institution. In order for it to work, it is necessary that they become the property of the inner world of the individual, be internalized by them in the process of socialization, embodied in the form social roles and statuses. The internalization by individuals of all socio-cultural elements, the formation on their basis of a system of personality needs, value orientations and expectations is the second characteristic feature of a social institution. 3

1.4. Functions of a social institution

Each institution performs its own characteristic social function. The totality of these social functions is formed into the general social functions of social institutions as certain types of social system. There are four main functions of social institutions.

Religion always establishes the rules of morality in society. The punishing sword here is in the hands of God. It is heavenly punishment that awaits those who violate the morality established by a particular religion. It is clear that earlier religion replaced the legal system. In Islamic countries where Sharia is in force, this is still the case. But more often religion shared its power with the institutions of the secular state, helping the government to maintain its power. Religious morality in this case became an addition, a continuation of the legislative system, or vice versa, it was the law that concretized this morality in society, ensuring its implementation by means of law enforcement agencies.

The caste of power historically grew out of the caste of priests, who were God's chosen (according to the priests themselves) and only they had the right to speak and do things on behalf of God.

It is religion that is called upon to unite all its followers within a particular community, which is based on the performance by all members of this community of certain rituals and rules (dogmas).

The stalker should be well aware that the study of religion can be useful for him, to broaden his horizons. But active participation in religious sacraments can lead to serious consequences - the seizure of consciousness by a religious ergregor, which turns a person into a fanatic, into a weak-willed doll.

Faith does not imply an evaluation of its dogmas by reason; by definition, they are incomprehensible to most people. However, in reality, most people apply reason to explain life situations and have long ceased to rely only on religious instructions in understanding and explaining the world.

Many sincerely believing people try to comprehend religious dogmas and build their personal relationship with God, understanding by this everything that is inexplicable from the point of view of logic that happens in their lives.

Any major religious figure is not a true (fanatical) believer, he is primarily a politician and partly a businessman. But not one of them admits that the Church is more important to him than God himself.

Mysticism as a weapon of a politician

Why are all the intelligence agencies of the world, urged on by the authorities, looking for the Holy Grail and other artifacts?

Of course, on the one hand, the possession of additional knowledge or an object of power strengthens power. On the other hand, with the current level of science, immortality can only be bestowed by a wizard, but one would like to believe that the elixir eternal youth exists. After all, no one has proven otherwise.

It is also known that the study of artifacts often turns out to be really useful and leads to scientific discoveries, to the development of entire branches of science and production. Therefore, the practical aspects of magic are obvious. For example, the first color television set was created in Germany with the assistance of the Annanerbe division, which was engaged in the search and study of artifacts around the world.

But not only this is the value of mysticism in the hands of the authorities and politicians.

Let's think together, why are we all fed the idea of ​​the end of the world?

Usually, behind any idea in the media there are very specific interests, specific groups of people. Suppose, for example, that the United States is testing a new climate weapon—would it be beneficial for them to link the resulting changes, for example, to global warming?

Or, for example, if as a result of the anomalous activity of the Sun in the summer of 2012 the a large number of forests and many people who are meteorologically dependent on solar activity will die - does the state admit that it simply did not inform the people about this supposed and known to a narrow circle of scientists of the activity of the Sun? It will be easier to dump everything on the near end of the world.

Another example.

All religions and spiritual teachings tell us that there is an energy cocoon around a person, through the prism of which he sees the world around him. How can this idea be effectively used in politics?

From the point of view of science, the perception of a person can indeed be described in the form of the following model: a person constantly wears projection glasses, which are fed by a signal from various external sources: the media, public opinion, the opinion of significant relatives, etc. Scientists have proven that a common person 98% perceives the world through this kind of glasses. From here grow the legs of all human control technologies.

Try to take off these glasses for at least a few minutes, stop and see the real world around, and you will understand how difficult it is, it has stuck to you like a mask, which I once called the “crow mask”.

Few of us think that "our thoughts" most often are not ours at all. They sailed to us through the filter of this “mask” into the world of our subconscious and now we simply realized them as part of ourselves.

And then the level of knowledge of our fellow citizens is so deplorable that they are happy to watch programs about exorcising demons, where obscurantists in robes quite seriously convince people that demons are real and only a specially trained priest can exorcise them ...

The question is, why poison the people with these tales? modern science knows so much about our brain that it cannot be compared with fantasies about demons and ghosts. Another thing is that instead of this knowledge, people are given these tales so that sane people then laugh at scientific data, which are much more interesting than these fabrications ...

It is clear that in this case, mysticism is used as a weapon to stupefy and distract a person from real problems, including from that mysticism that is really a reality. mystical secrets are guarded so zealously that the state most often denies their existence altogether, ridiculing anyone who gets too close to their primary sources.

Try, for example, to answer the following question: "If any government makes contact with aliens, will it inform the people or other governments about this?". Obviously, you and I know only a small fraction of what is known to modern High Priests.

If we discard this raid of mystery, then modern mysticism is simply advanced scientific thought, these are experiments in those areas where the theory has not really been created yet.

The stalker should never trust the information that the state spreads under the veil of mysticism. Look for interested individuals and organizations first. Trust your intuition and those people who have it.

Zombocracy

Distorted information about the mystic is only part of the disinformation, specially distributed by certain state structures (not only those belonging to this state). This is part of the ideological war for the minds of citizens. The ideal citizen for the State looks like this: focused on consumption, a minimum of education, a minimum of qualifications, or a very narrow specialist, addicted to TV or other media.

Therefore, the State, first of all, sets the task of “chaining citizens to a TV box” (or, equivalently, to an Internet cable). Hence the content of virtually all TV channels is aimed at excitation of the most powerful human instincts (sex, violence, melodramas). The rest of the films take a person away from reality (fantasy, science fiction, adventure), bewitching with Hollywood colors. Next the media spin the charms beautiful life based on the concept of consumption. Well, the state can manage the level of education without any problems, directly.

Russia, for example, has sunk below the floor in the educational qualifications of its citizens, replacing Soviet textbooks with Western ones. These textbooks were not written by stupid Americans, as our famous satirist Mikhail Zadornov thinks, they were compiled by very smart people in order to destroy the education system created in the USSR, thanks to which our specialists were snapped up by all countries of the world after the collapse of our superpower.

To educate the "new generation" of Russians, not only "miracle textbooks" were used, but also the Hollywood animation industry. Instead of our good cartoons based on folk tales, where good always won, the screens were filled with The Simpsons, Tom and Jerry and other cartoons that instill in children completely different principles of life.

"The best slave is the slave who does not realize that he is a slave!" - the powerful of this world have understood this for a long time. The one who realizes himself as a slave will never work effectively and at every opportunity will try to throw his masters into Tartarus. That is why the ideology of developed countries is based on the conviction of the people that they live in a better country that takes care of them like a mother.

Zombification technologies are described in sufficient detail in Raven Mask 6 "Quantum Theory of Natural Language".

For a stalker, it is important not to fall under this ideological influence, which turns all people into a herd of obedient sheep. Just analyze all the media reports that fall into your eyes and ears, think about who benefits from presenting these facts in the exact form in which they came to you.

Remember also that zombification often involves a chemical component that can be easily found in widely available foods (E class food supplements, GMOs, etc.). I am already silent about the use of obvious drugs that intoxicate our population. The number of drug addicts in our country has reached a huge figure - about a third of the population. Do not follow this path that promises you immediate "enlightenment". Of course, you are guaranteed a shift of consciousness, but it will never become a controlled process. The latter can be achieved only by years of training in spiritual practices.

Space Laws

In the Cosmos, mainly physical laws operate: gravitation, inertia, conservation of energy. But they presumably operate only in our galaxy, and maybe only in the solar system.

For example, the speed of light and other constants, according to some scientists, in another galaxy can take on different values.

There are a great many of these laws of the Cosmos. A unified field theory has not yet been created. And this host of laws, some of which we do not understand, and some of which we do not even realize that they exist, all this makes the actions of the Universe around us unpredictable. And this, in turn, leads us to believe that God controls all of this - otherwise, how can the Universe itself, not being animated, cope with all this?

Some mystics consider love and the desire for harmony to be the basic law of the Cosmos. Others believe that the Universe was created only in order for the Mind to improve in it. The first opinion gave rise to all spiritual religions, the second - to science and technology. But are these approaches really that different? Perfect science and technology gives us true examples of beauty and harmony. Science does not contradict the magic of love either, since creativity most often grows from the flower of love.

Of course, if we are talking about God, then it is easier to look at the possibility of the existence of an alien mind that exceeds our level by several thousand or million times. Theoretically, this is possible, but in practice such creatures would definitely be perceived by people as gods. This possibility should not be discounted when evaluating the laws of the Cosmos that affect the development of the Earth and people on Earth.

Human laws

The system of laws in the state, although it claims to be complete and unambiguous in its interpretations, in essence it is not and cannot be.

One can only strive to create an ideal legislative system.

But this desire meets objective resistance:

1) The state is not homogeneous in terms of politics and interests of citizens. And these different interests are pulling the Legislative system like a swan, cancer and pike in different directions.

2) Ultimately, the law is adopted in the form that best reflects the interests of the ruling elite. Often, the legislator deliberately leaves "loopholes" in the law in order to use them to increase his personal capital.

3) It is impossible to foresee all possible life situations in the laws. And this means that sooner or later there will be a situation in which the existing law will work incorrectly from the point of view of benefit for the state.

This situation with the absence of an ideal legislative system leaves the last word behind the judge. And the judge is far from a god (contrary to his opinion about himself beloved) and is prone to make mistakes, therefore the symbol of the judicial system is the goddess Themis with a blindfold and scales in her hands, on which she weighs all the pros and cons, but cannot evaluate the results his weighing, even if they were objective, because he does not see these results.

How, for example, is the real situation in this part of our country.

The Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Criminal Code are the basis of criminal law. It is clear that if these three whales contradict each other, then the judge decides this contradiction at his own discretion. When such contradictions accumulate, the Supreme and Constitutional Courts come into play, which, instead of promptly changing the relevant documents, describe how and in what cases it is necessary to interpret this contradiction (create a precedent). Thus, a heap of decisions and resolutions of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation is added to the basis of criminal law.

Here it is no longer possible to say that "Ignorance of the law does not exempt from responsibility." Since no one, including the president of the Russian Federation and the judges themselves, knows the entire set of laws that must be strictly observed by citizens of the Russian Federation. In this regard, it is unlikely that the State has the right to demand from its citizens the implementation of laws, the existence of which no one knows, and sometimes does not even know about their existence.

It is believed that the fundamental difficulty in lawmaking is: on the one hand, not to miss a single situation related to a possible violation of the law, on the other hand, to establish the criteria for responsibility for each specific situation. These are two contradictory goals, since the first goal requires covering all situations, which means that the law should be as general and abstract as possible, and the second goal requires the opposite - maximum specification when describing the factors to be assessed by the court. Although, in reality, the legislator, not knowing system analysis, fell into a typically imaginary contradiction, such as the Archimedean "tortoise paradox". The criterion of responsibility is related to the subject of the violated right, while the completeness of the description of punishable acts depends only on the correct systematization of situations in which a violation of the rights of others may occur. That is, in reality, these two problems do not intersect, and therefore cannot come into conflict.

The persistence of real contradictions of laws to each other, for several years, and sometimes decades, previously identified by practice (citizens and courts), causes an extreme degree of surprise among the sane part of our citizens. The correct impression is created that such contradictions are kept by the legislator on purpose in order to have more room for maneuver. The institution of lawyers is not interested in eliminating these contradictions either, since the more complex and intricate the law, the more lawyers are in demand.

Theoretically, the question is legitimate, is it possible to eliminate all contradictions in criminal law? A systems analyst would answer such a question in the affirmative. A politician and legislator who perceives a code of laws as a bottomless dump of laws, sub-laws, acts, resolutions, etc. - will answer in the negative. So, the conclusion is that such contradictions should be eliminated by a group of professionals with systems thinking. But first, criminal legislation must be brought into a single system, which is not even close to being observed now.

Further, after the legislative system is built, in this godforsaken corner of law, it will be much easier to change and reform it, since a professionally performed systematization will reveal all the weaknesses in the built system. And this system should be accompanied by an operational regulated mechanism for changing this system. As, for example, in the United States, where every anti-social incident, “not provided for” by law, introduces another addition to state law so that a similar incident does not happen again. This is not at all a reason to follow, just an example of a prompt response, which we do not have in any form, since the decisions of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court do not change the system, they only give an interpretation to its existing elements.

Life around us is constantly changing and this cannot but be reflected in the legislative system. Of course, the state should not be likened to a traffic police officer, who installed a new prohibition sign "neither to the village nor to the city" and due to this exceeds the plan of the department to identify "violators", and at the same time replenishes the family budget. All proposed changes in the system should improve it, and ultimately improve the overall climate for the observance of rights in the state. Any change, any new law, before signing by the President, must be examined by specialists in the field of system analysis. Their task is to reveal the completeness and consistency of the proposed innovations, to prevent ambiguous and incomprehensible legislative provisions that modern criminal law abounds in. If the requirements for the legislative system are not met, the innovations must be returned to the authors for revision.

If the chief investigator, Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Bastrykin, posted on his website the draft law "On objective truth ...", but does not post comments of professionals and ordinary citizens to this law (there is not even such a button next to this project), then it is not difficult to assume that he does not want any feedback, but simply formally fulfills the president's requirement for a preliminary public discussion of any important law. An official will always find a way to fulfill the requirement of the Government so formally that he does nothing himself.

All the same words can be said about other legislative systems (civil law, administrative law, arbitration law, etc.).

We all have heard about the boorish behavior of judges, about the condemnation of the innocent and the acquittal of the guilty. What allows judges to behave like this?

Oddly enough, the law It is the law that postulates the independence of judges, their corrupt brotherhood - since none of the judges can be convicted by anyone other than the court. And to judge your fellow worker? What if tomorrow you find yourself in the same situation?

Judges are not interested in correctly applying the law, since no one controls this correctness. Moreover, part 1 of article 17 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation reads “A judge, as well as a prosecutor, investigator, interrogator evaluate the evidence according to their inner conviction based on the totality of evidence available in the criminal case, guided by the law and conscience". Their inner conviction is always with them and helps them circumvent any law.

In order for the right law to work, a mechanism is needed to control the application of laws. But neither the prosecutor's office nor other bodies control the legality of a particular law enforcement. Removal of a judge by law is possible only through self-recusal. Hence, hundreds of thousands of dissatisfied with the illegal decisions of the court and prosecutors.

For the correct law to work, it is necessary to punish judges and prosecutors for unjust, illegal decisions. But not to whom.

Any smart lawyer will tell you that it is possible to come up with a system that will satisfy all citizens by 95%. The remaining 5% is the average percentage of sociopaths in any society, and they will not like any restrictions, regardless of their content. And if in society more than 10% are dissatisfied with the laws, this indicates the inefficiency of the legislative system.

One more moment. Often, some lawyers argue, signing their impotence to create a normal legislative system, that if we had normal morality in society, then the crimes would immediately come to naught.

But it is not the lack of morality that creates chaos. In the Makhno gang, as you know, there was a fairly clear order. Yes, and in other gangs as well.

Yes, the presence of morality, faith in God, good breeding and intelligence can improve the criminal situation as a whole. This is how ideology worked for the benefit of the state in the USSR, this is how morality works in the USA.

But one cannot rely only on morality; a clear and reasonable legislative system must be the basis.

What should a stalker know about the legislative system:

1) No one makes laws that are useful specifically for you. As a rule, you cannot change them, therefore, the only thing you can do is use the laws for your own purposes. And this allows any laws, if they are well studied and if there is power to use them at your discretion.

2) Laws are interpreted by people, so you should not expect their interpretation to coincide with yours. Therefore, you can use, in fact, not the laws themselves, but only their interpretation formulated by a subject that is significant for you. It is important to understand that the interpretation of the law by a particular court or police officer may differ from the interpretation of another court and other police officer. But it is important to note that both of them interpret the law, as a rule, in their favor, so most often their position coincides with each other. Complaining about one member of the system to another is often pointless, because they interpret the law and your rights in our state equally incorrectly.

3) The law is not equivalent to the concept of reasonableness or common sense. This is just a formulation of some concept in the legal field. Rationality can be given to him or not by a person. The rationality and meaning of any law is determined in relation to the system in which it is created as an element. If we ignore this context, we will get a one-sided interpretation, far from both rationality and common sense. And since there are not many people who can think systematically, most of the time the law is interpreted incorrectly. This does not mean that it is impossible to create a system of reasonable laws that minimizes the error of human interpretation as much as possible, but the modern legislative system in the Russian Federation is very far from perfect and this must be taken into account.

4) It is also necessary to take into account the fact that those who judge you or your loved ones are, first of all, people, with all their shortcomings and virtues. It is the subjective aspects of the personality of the judge (investigator) that must be taken into account. But at the same time, do not forget that any person at work wears a social mask, and it is with this mask that you will have to deal. The mask of a person in the law enforcement system is a mask of a “guardian of order”, who fulfills his duties at any cost, even if he is aware of all their absurdity. They get paid for it, it's their job. Any person cares first of all about his own interests. If the "guardian" is interested financially or morally in the distortion of his duties, then he will go for it, taking precautions.

5) They won’t let you change the law in the direction of objectivity and justice, because a whole host of “scavengers” feed on the ambiguity of the law, tormenting the bodies and souls of people who have fallen into difficult situation. If someday it will be different, it will mean only one thing - the kingdom of God has come on Earth.