4. Theories of Religion

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this lecture, we think about some key theories of religion, focusing in particular on: (i) Marx’s materialist theory of religion as the product of economic inequality and oppression; (ii) methodologically holistic theories - theories which focus on the relationship between religion and large-scale social processes - such as Durkheim’s notion of “collective effervescence”; (iii) methodologically individualistic approaches which argue that religion fulfils individuals’ need for meaning, exemplified by Weber and Georg Simmel.

Course

In this course, Professor Chris Shilling (University of Kent) provides an introduction to the sociology of religion. In the first lecture, we ask why sociologists continue to study religion despite the dominance for many decades of secularisation theory. In the second lecture, we discuss some key problems sociologists encounter when studying religion, including issues with its definition. In the third lecture, we consider some influential theories regarding the origins of religion. Next, we discuss its place in society. In the fifth and final lecture, we explore the role of religion in the contemporary world, focusing on three examples – religious radicalism, civil religion and prosperity Pentecostalism.

Lecturer

Professor Chris Shilling is Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent. He has written widely across a range of issues in sociological theory, including religion and the sociology of the body. His recent publications include Uncovering Social Life: Critical Perspectives from Sociology (2017, as co-author), The Body: A Very Short Introduction (2016), and Sociology of the Sacred: Religion, Embodiment and Social Change (2014, as co-author).