13.7.1: Functions of Religion

13.7.1: Functions of Religion 

One way to see what the universal human needs are that religion meets is to ask, What are religion’s functions? Here are six functions of religion that sociologists have identified. 435 Meaning and Purpose Around the world, religions provide answers to perplexing questions about ultimate meaning. What is the purpose of life? Why do people suffer? Is there an afterlife? The answers to questions like these give followers a sense of purpose, a framework for living. Instead of seeing themselves buffeted by random events in an aimless existence, believers see their lives as fitting into a divine plan. Emotional Comfort The answers that religion provides about ultimate meaning bring comfort by assuring people that there is a purpose to life, even to suffering. The religious rituals that enshroud crucial events, such as illness and death, assure the individual that others care.

One of the functions of religion is providing emotional support. Shown here is a girl in Mongolia being visited by a sister of the Missionaries of Charity. Credit: Sean Sprague/The Image Works Social Solidarity Religious teachings and practices unite believers into a community that shares values and perspectives (“we Jews,” “we Christians,” “we Muslims”). The religious rituals that surround marriage, for example, link the bride and groom with a broader community that wishes them well. So do other religious rituals, such as those that celebrate birth and mourn death. Social Control Although a religion’s guidelines for everyday life usually apply only to its members, nonmembers feel a spillover. Religious teachings, for example, are incorporated into criminal law. In the American colonial period, people could be arrested for blasphemy and adultery. Today, some states have laws that prohibit the sale of alcohol before noon on Sunday. The original purpose of these laws was to get people out of the saloons and into the churches. 436 Social Change Although religion is often so bound up with the prevailing social order that it resists social change, religious activists sometimes spearhead change. In the 1960s, for example, the civil rights movement, whose goals were to desegregate public facilities and abolish racial discrimination in voting, was led by religious leaders. African American churches served as centers where demonstrators were trained and rallies were organized. Other churches were centers for resisting this change. Religion can promote social change, as was evident in the U.S. civil rights movement. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, shown here in his famous “I have a dream” speech, was the foremost leader of this movement. Credit: Bob Henriques/Magnum Photos Guidelines for Everyday Life We’ll end this section by focusing on one of religion’s most important functions, providing guidelines for everyday life. The teachings of religion are not all abstractions. For example, four of the ten commandments delivered by Moses to the Israelites concern God, but the other six contain instructions for getting along with others, from how to avoid problems with parents and neighbors to warnings about lying, stealing, and having affairs. Many consequences for people who follow these guidelines can be measured. For example, people who are religious are happier than people who are not religious, and those who attend church are less likely to abuse alcohol, nicotine, and illegal drugs than are people who don’t go to church. They are also more likely to exercise (PEW 2019). In general, churchgoers follow a healthier lifestyle than people who don’t go to church—and they live longer (VanderWeele et al. 2017).