Reflection Week 11

This week there were multiple presentations and readings on the religious landscape. Some articles that were read had a focus on religion within the direct society and its importance or lack thereof. In other articles there was an emphasis on theory and the theorists who helped develop the sociology of religion. The theorists where not all specifically sociologist, but rather applied their ideas to the realm of sociology. In this way we are able to look at religion and its importance from the view point of those like Marx.

McGuire’s reading on religion and the individual was the most interesting to me. I had the same questions that she presented: is religion itself on the decline or is the way people practice different than traditional ways, therefore there isn’t a way to measure it as easily as before. After talking to people and taking multiple religion classes, this is what I think it happening. Religion is not declining, but the way that people practice is. People are becoming frustrated with the idea that “one size fits all,” therefore they are making religion their own and practicing it in a way that helps them to get closer to a higher being.