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  • Essay / The theories of Émile Durkheim and Clifford Geertz and their relationship to religion

    Religion is such an important factor in today's world that more than 83% of the world's population believes in a religion and considers herself religious. To begin with, I'm not really a religious person, but if someone asked me what religion means to me, I would answer: to me, religion achieves things that affect an entire community, but also personal needs and individual. Furthermore, religion is how the world perceives it and the symbols that make it up. To support my opinion on religion, I chose two very well-known theorists, Emilé Durkheim and Clifford Geertz. Their theories and methods will help support my definition of religion by linking it to their theories. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayBeing sacred, seeing the effects of things, and realizing what is important is the structure around which religion is structured. As the book says, "All known religious beliefs, whether simple or complex, present a common character: they presuppose a classification of all things, real and ideal, into two opposing classes or groups, profane and sacred." (p. 103 Emile Durkheim: The Social as Sacred) draws attention to Durkheim's theory between sacred and profane. According to Durkheim, for his theory of the sacred versus the profane, he says that "the sacred is the domain of important things, of great concerns which affect the life of the entire community", which supports my opinion that when something great affects an entire religious community, it will be a big concern that they will all take seriously. Durkheim also said, “Religion is the system of beliefs and practices that connect sacred things in the life of a community,” which supports important issues that affect a community. Sacred things cannot be touched by the profane and cannot be touched with impunity because they are par excellence. All societies and religions classify things as sacred or profane, and according to Durkheim, the sacred part of a religion is related to being holy. The sacred is anything that is considered special, and to have high symbolic values, society demands respect and fear for it. Additionally, anything can be sacred to a religion, it doesn't have to be just gods or sacred spirits. Besides the fact that religion is sacred and involves important issues that affect an entire community, it is also important to realize that religion is linked to personal needs. Everyone has their own needs that need to be met when they are religious, no matter what religion they belong to. Durkheim's secular part of his sacred versus secular theory states that "the secular is the realm of personal and private things." The daily minor needs of the individual,” which supports my view that everyone has their own needs that need to be met. To me, it's important that you maintain a job that allows you to support your family and put food on the table, pay your bills, and get through life's challenges like being late for work and not being able to have your morning coffee. Just because you are religious and part of a religious group does not mean you have to devote yourself entirely to that religion and base your entire life on it. Durkheim said: “The profane is the ordinary thing of everyday life which has no sacred or symbolic meaning for a religion. » Therefore, being.