A Suggested Reading List the Christians


The title is a bit tongue in cheek. I don't presume to know what Christians should read. But they often tell me what to read. I will not be reading their suggestions nor will they read mine.

What I would suggest Christians read, if they were interested in broadening their knowledge of human behavior, would be books that explain religions are products of the social environment where they are found. Most Christians, I assume, would not be interested in following this line of reasoning.

Most everyday now is a story about people leaving religion. Mostly, they recognize the restrictive culture that guided them into the faith. By recognizing the influence of culture they have been able to leave.

Some refer to their former groups as "cults" even though the groups are not commonly referred to in this way. I find the intellectual transformation these people experience very interesting. Some find attributes of cult in nearly all branches of Christianity, less in some but lots in others.

One of the towering figures in sociology is Emile Durkheim (1858-1917). He had uncanny insights into why our society acts and believes as it does. He saw religion as a variable that established social order and function. It was a source of camaraderie and solidarity. As far as the "truth" of a god or spirits Durkheim wrote, "Religion is a society worshiping itself."

Reading the works of sociologists and anthropologists helps to understand religion, not the minutiae of the religion itself but where the minutiae came from. It provides the ultimate understanding of religion.

Comments

  1. little helperAugust 12, 2019 at 5:59 PM

    "religion is a society worshiping itself"; Is "the ultimate" misunderstanding "of religion " from my point of view, and I totally reject Durkheim" assessment, while considering the source. "Towering " or slouching.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jon LindgrenAugust 13, 2019 at 6:05 AM

    "misunderstanding of religion" Isn't every other view of religion other than yours, including those within your faith, the result of "misunderstanding?" The thing about Durkheim is he represents part of an entire body of literature questioning the legitimacy of the faith. To say the some literature within the faith is the "understanding" and everyone else is a "misunderstanding" points to the reason we can keep on arguing for the next million years.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. little helperAugust 13, 2019 at 6:44 AM

      re. Durkheim; I
      I've read a smattering of his writings from back in the day. Today, some of those in the same field would laugh his "towering " ass off the stage. Pick and choose if you like when he agrees with you, but he is far from credible, and reliable.

      I also find it more than a stretch to conflate the Jehovah's Witnesses as an example of everything wrong with Christianity.

      Watch out for deer. They are out and about, and they are looking for you.

      Delete
  3. Jon LindgrenAugust 13, 2019 at 6:06 AM

    P.S. I'm traveling and will not be on line until this evening.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ardy BAugust 13, 2019 at 9:30 AM

    Jon, in reference to the religion/culture relationship: Maybe this is just wordplay but I can draw a distinction between a faith within a culture and a culture within a faith. The dynamics of cultural change may leave some members of a society morally unsatisfied - fertile ground for the genesis of a new religion or a Reformation due to an unacceptable drift in dogma or a crusade to revitalize some ‘Old Time Religion’, and so on. Religious enclaves form within a society e,g, the Hasid community in Brooklyn, NY, the LDS in Utah, or the Christian enclaves in and around Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Then there is the culture within a faith where much the same dynamic of moral dissatisfaction can occur resulting the formation of denominations, lost membership, or even dissolution. Maybe contrasting faith within a culture and the culture within a faith is ultimately a distinction without a difference.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Maybe the "Original Sin" Should be Reassigned

Image
We can all agree most Catholic priests are fine people and not guilty of sexual abuse. What Catholics must face, however, it that their church harbors executives who are dishonest . There is an incredible story about the Argentine Bishop Zanchetta. The Pope worked with him in Argentina and they are considered friends. Around 2015 Zanchetta sent nude pictures of himself and they began circulating world wide. He also was too friendly with young seminarians and some left because of him.  Three different officials say they made formal complaints to the Vatican about Zanchetta between 2015 and 2017. Yet, in 2018, the Vatican claimed it was unaware of any complaints about Zanchetta. This might be a good time to repeat the Catholic hierarchy claims to have the sole authority handed down from Jesus to what the faith stands for. It condemns as sinners those who practice birth control, have abortions and gay sexual relationships. Handing the hierarchy this responsibility would make som
Read more

The Religious Capitol Invaders May Yet Win

Image
So much about U.S. society and religion can be learned from the Civil War and what happened afterwards. After its defeat, the South started a myth about the unethical soldiers from the North. The South fought for principles of God and states rights. The North did not. It was the South, this propaganda told the country, that had the high moral ground.  The Capitol invaders, encouraged by Trump, swallowed the myth that Biden's election was stolen. Thus, they think they held and still hold the high moral ground. This was reinforced by the cross and prayers during the invasion. Even with Trump is gone, we will see political opportunists like Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley stroking crowds and feeding the same lies as Trump. Like "the South will rise again" these gullible followers will talk of victory over the unclean. After the Civil War the South rallied around the phrase, Lost Cause. For decades, and maybe to this day, there are ceremonies remembering fallen martyrs, Re
Read more

Father Frank Pavone, the Ultimate Crook

Image
Recently, the Vatican defrocked Frank Pavone. His diehard fans are outraged. This is because he cleverly manipulated his fans and the press all the while living well from donations and, apparently, abusing some women. By making abortion the "sin" of the century, and himself the main opposition to this one sin, he himself could get away with any sin he pleased.  As the link points out, Pavone was the perfect priest for the Trump era. Trump is so self-important laws have no role in his life. He felt accountable to no one. Women were there to be had. Pavone and Trump are interchangeable.  Pavone was very successful raising money. In his mind, abortion was so important in Catholic beliefs and he was so important in anti-abortion the money he raised opposing it was his to do with what he liked. The Catholic Church, the brand name he used to raise this money, thought the money belonged to it. When he gave the Vatican the bird, it gave him walking papers. With polls showing the majo
Read more