Chapter 7 introduced a few elements that are key factors when it comes to social change. A religion sets a worldview and a way of life for many people. This way of life affects people and create social change when its viewed on a larger scale. The changes may be consequential to society, intentional or not. I agree that it will be more beneficial to examine religion as an element of culture that can promote change and no longer ask how “does religion promote social change?” but rather, “in what ways and under what conditions does it promote rather than inhibit change?”.

I think it’s very important for sociologists in todays generation to view religion and its social change with the perspective of the second question in mind. It will be important to answer how religion either promotes or inhibits change and under what conditions because we are at such a diverging time in history when it comes to the falling of religion in America. Many people are questioning religious beliefs when it comes to rules on “abortion, homosexuality, divorce and contraception. Other groups maybe focused on issues such as social justice, poverty, corporate responsibility, ethics of public policy, and war. Both groups may result in efforts for social change”. It’s important to know what is important to the people and what their changing beliefs and practices are in order to analyze the social change and affects it will lead to. What religious beliefs will be intact 25 years from now? Will religion still be a large influential factor in peoples lives?