Religious Students studying Soc of Religion?

[Roll Right]

Hey Folks,

 

I had a thought and wanted to open it up for discussion here. Generally, it can be said that classical social theory regards religion as a product of society. Furthermore, it posits that religion an essence of some sort. This is most clearly seen in the work of Durkheim, but is also clearly seen in the writing of Marx and Weber. And of course, Troeltsch, a lesser known scholar, discusses religion in the same manner. So we have a very secular understanding of religion in sociology. Some have even called it "secularism".

 

I was raised by an evangelical protestant father and a liberal christian mother, but I have not been an active participant in any particular faith since I was very young. In fact, I tend to think of myself as an agnostic now. And, as a sociologist of religion and globalization, I can't say I find much truth content in any of the world's major religions. I think the sociological perspective that I've developed is the cause of that.

 

I was wondering - are there any sociologists here, or budding sociologists, who study religion while also practicing a particular faith? And if so, has the sociology of religion enhanced your faith or challenged it in some way? How do you balance a secular perspective with a religious perspective, if one sometimes contradicts the other?

 

 

 

 

[gingin6789]

*raises hand* Religion is one of my areas of interest, and I'm a practicing Christian, although I don't identify as any particular denomination.

 

Let me start with an aside, because I think this is important!! My second major in undergrad was philosophy, and I would say that philosophy has strengthened my faith!  One can clearly see why someone like Kierkegaard could strengthen faith, but it's tougher to see how Nietzsche could actually strengthen one's faith!  His famous quote "God is dead, and we have killed him" (not the exact words) is tremendously inspirational for me.  That quote refers to the complacency of the church, and how the complacency of the "Sunday Christian" (Goes to church on Sunday, drinks heavily and beats their partner and children during the week, for example) has, in effect, "killed" God.  It urges me not to be the complacent Christian, and gives me motivation to disprove that "the last Christian died on the cross" because actions speak louder than words.  [That's why when the movie, "God's not dead," came out, I wanted to say "Well, instead of closing your ears and saying 'Nuh-uh!' in response to 'God is dead,' just listen to what Nietzsche has to say, and do some studying, for crying out loud!!"]

 

My sociological research has done the same thing.  In my thesis, I examined how religious views regarding contraception are framed in mainstream media narratives.  Specifically, I examined religious frames surrounding the contraceptive clause of the Affordable Care Act (basically, all FDA-approved contraceptives are to be provided with no copay to all insured women in America).  I coded nearly 400 national and local newspaper articles by hand (I didn't even know there was coding software, haha!!!).  I thought it was tremendously important to examine the intersection of religion and contraception in the media.  Of course, my sample only spanned from 2011 - 2013, but I was limited in my research time.

 

If anything, this research made my faith remain constant. It drew attention to the disconnect between the religious leaders and the lay public.  It also, sadly, showed how such privileged groups of people, namely Evangelical and Catholic leaders and employers (of for-profit, secular corporations) who identify as Evangelical or Catholic, framed themselves as being underprivileged and oppressed by this new law.  The example that hit home was a careless, thoughtless comparison between this contraceptive clause and the Holocaust.  If anything, my research made me more aware and sensitive of Christian privilege in society, so that whenever my Christian friends complain about feeling "oppressed" in any way, I can remind them of just how privileged Christians are here in the US. There is so much privilege that, in my data, the definition of "religion," itself, was "Catholicism and Evangelicalism;" all other religions were mentioned secondarily, IF they were mentioned at all!!!!  SO important to note!!!

 

I've always considered myself mindful of others' religious and moral beliefs.  My research, however, increased this mindfulness.  These religious leaders and employers with religious affiliation want to supersede the law to accommodate their individual beliefs, completely disregarding the beliefs of their employees.  With that in mind, my faith has strengthened and my regard for others' beliefs has increased!

 

So, sociology and philosophy have both maintained and strengthened my faith.  I love learning about other religions, and would love to research other religions, sociologically (it just so happened that my data contained extremely limited religious perspectives).  I don't think sociology or philosophy are incompatible with religion.  Examining the intersections of religion in both fields of study is a beautiful thing!

Edited May 27, 2014 by gingin6789