Durkheim Theory of Religion
Durkheim in his classical work “The Elementary Forms of Religious Life,” published in the year 1912, develops his sociological theory of religion. Durkheim tries to explore the origin and cause of religion. He sought the origin of religion in society rather than in individual minds. Durkheim’s main interest was how society is bound together. He investigated the role of religion in keeping society together and sought the origin of religion in communal emotion. He thought the model for relationships between the people and the supernatural was the relationship between individual and community.
Durkheim defines religion “as a unified system of beliefs and practices forbidden to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden - beliefs and practices which unite in one single moral community called a church, all those who adhere to them.”
For Durkheim, religion is a group phenomenon because it is a religion that gives religion its specific character and unity. On the other hand, religion unifies the group and binds the people together. He, therefore, felt that there should be a new approach to the whole problem.
Religion and Sacredness: According to Durkheim, all things can be divided into profane and sacred, and religion belongs to the latter. But it should not be believed that all sacred things are spiritual or that spiritual things are always sacred, though spirituality and sacredness are closely linked with each other. Since sacredness is based on collective representation, the people frequently find themselves inferior to that. Social beliefs, rituals, and ceremonies are channels through which kingdoms of profane and sacred are reflected as well preserved and distinguished.
Religion and Society: According to Durkheim, for primitive people, it was difficult to distinguish between natural and supernatural. He did not agree with Max Muller or Spencer that religion found its origin in such natural objects as ghosts, souls, etc. he also did not agree with the theory of naturalism as the origin of the religion. According to him, all these theories explained nothing else but indicated that primitive people had no such a phenomenon that it could emerge out of any dream or illusion. It can be based only on solid ground and realities. According to him, the source of all religion is only society. It is the outcome of collective representation or the outcome of group activity. According to Durkheim, religion is nothing but group excitement and glorified society.
Totemism and Religion: Durkheim realized the importance of totemism in religion. According to him, primitive totemism is the basis of all religions. It contributes to group organization by linking the members to common ancestors and regulating their behaviour through specific prohibitions. According to him, practices of totemism belong to the realm of the sacred rather than the profane. It is a basic source of division of all things.
Functions of Religion: According to Durkheim, religion had four important functions to perform.
It distinguishes between good and bad, which depends on the character of the society. But religion should always try to maintain balance in sentiments and emotions. It should try to connect the present with the past group.
Then another function is to keep the group intact and ensure that group solidarity is maintained. Then it should encourage people to live in group life and that too in a disciplined way.
A good religion should also try to give good life to the group life. It should keep the members away from profane activities. He also felt that places of worship should be kept free from profane activities and that sacred paces should not be used for secular affairs.
Religion should try to convert a profane man into a sacred one and an already sacred man into higher stages of sacredness. For him, religious life is the concentrated expression of the whole collective life.
Therefore, religion is born in the group, and society is the birthplace of religion. Durkheim’s point of departure in the study of religion is his assertion that religion originates from the social activities of groups and the tendency of groups to form beliefs relative to sacred objects. In this respect, Durkheim differed from those who believed that religion is derived from nature, the universe, or the experience of the divine. Religion exists, according to Durkheim, because it serves the function of representing the collective realities of society to those who live within it.
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