The question of which direction the religion of Americans is going is one that the class has been questioned with throughout the semester. So far in class we have studied what is it about religion that is so attractive, and from there what is it about certain types of denominations that brings people to wanting to be religious. Using trends like those in both McGuire’s book and Chaves we can predict from the past a possible future. The affects of modern religion are both good and bad. In a place like America the differences in race and ethnicity and the consequences of being a part of the minority group are being highlighted especially with the new presidency. Movements like those against American immigration, and black lives matter are issues that are being thought about and critiqued. In the film watched in class the church was a way to express the anger and feelings boiling inside those who were being directly influenced by racial profiling. The church of predominantly African American members had sermons on rising above and being good to other’s in need. The church gave its’ youth the opportunity to see the success of members with professions like lawyers and doctors that they other wise would not have met. What was powerful about watching this film is how the church reacted to the racism they experienced in their lives. Yes, they were very strongly against how they were being treated but they used that to fuel their passion to rising above.

McGuire’s chapter on “The Impact of Religion on Social Change” is especially timely in today’s world with the religious landscape changing. Although dense, many of the theoretical perspectives that McGuire discusses at the beginning of the chapter are relevant and help us understand in a modern context. The four stories presented were relevant and applicable to religion now, and can help us understand religion is changing. With much of European culture heading towards secularization, one can relate that to America’s religious landscape as well. Even though America is still considered very religious, it is heading towards secularization. This move to secularization has to do with the decline in “official religion”, and society adding a greater emphasis to individualized religion. A secular society is not devoid of religion; often it is where religious pluralism takes place with out having religion in the central government or institutions. Religious pluralism can also been seen in the form of any type of “spiritually” or unofficial religion, which is where America is heading in terms of the religious landscape. The involvement of churches with in society is also declining, therefore the need for these institutions is slowly becoming less and less.

Although sociologists do not agree on the cause of declining religion, I do think it is interesting to think about how big of an impact religion can have on a person’s everyday life. The idea of institutional differentiation, “the fragmentation of social life, as specialized roles and institutions are created to handle specific tasks are functions” (McGuire 286) is one of the debatable reasons for why beliefs in a religion or attendance at a church is declining. Because programs such as Welfare are replacing the Poor Box, a collection of money and/or gifts for the needy by the church, less involvement within the church is required. The implementation of law and the court system eliminated the necessary prosecution’s defined by the church in the Middle Ages. As time passes, our society will continue to advance. Societies strive to eliminate the needs of people and more and more projects and technologies will be created to do that. If our government takes care of problems once solved by participating churches, such as not being able to provide necessities for themselves, fewer church volunteers will feel that it is their job to do so. If we give people a physical and more obtainable way to find answers like therapy or law, fewer people will need to look to their church when they encountered problems. Because many people consider their religion to be sacred and essential to their way of life, I do not think that religion will fade out altogether, but I do think it will always change and conform to what society needs at that point in time.

Last week we only had one discussion in class because  of the midterm. This discussion was based around McGuire’s Chapter 7. A main focus that McGuire talked about was the role religion plays in people’s lives. It provides a world view and shows individuals how to be human; this in itself has an effect on society. In contemporary times religion has found a decrease. Chapter 7 was a framework for the questions and ways in which sociologists are able to explain religion.

The reading for the class this week provided different explanations for the decline of religion. One main focus was individualism and secularization. There are statistics that show religious attendance is declining, therefore religion itself is declining. However, with the growth of spirituality, as previously discussed in the class, and the rise of individualistic religion, is religion itself declining? Or, is it simply, the ideas of what we believe religion to be are changing? Religion in a society has multiple roles and one of these is the importance in community. However, as America becomes less community based, the church is no longer the center of people’s lives and therefore is not the center of the society. Church is not only a place of worship, but it is a place to learn about what is going on in the lives of others, to stay connected, and to create relationships. As churches become less important and people’s lives become busier and filled with other things, religion is no longer a staple, but it is more in the way we practice religion. This brings it back to McGuire’s definition of unofficial and official religion. Maybe people are practicing in other ways, maintaining their religion in a different way.

The four stories about what is happening to religion today wraps up our semesters worth of discussion so far. Here we can discuss, support, or critique these theories and try to figure out where American religion is heading.

I like how some of these stories were straight to the point and gave good examples. For example, societalization. Bryan Wilson described it, almost everywhere in the modern world, small-scale communities have lost power to large-scale organizations: huge corporations, mass media and marketing, political bureaucracies, and the like. This explains one story on how religion is being affected in todays modern society. Local churches not only have to compete with other religious organizations, but with television, sports, national politics, and other forms of entertainment. I haven’t thought about this perspective although it is quite prevalent and makes sense. Although people are still connected to religion it doesn’t seem to be the center for communities. This is quite interesting because it ties into the next story explaining the change of religion in modern society. The idea of pluralism in the modern time may undermine ones personal belief when that individual is presented with multiple other perspectives and beliefs. These multiple narratives may seem plausible and the credibility of all may be undermined.

These two stories explained were very realistic and was applicable to todays era of religion. I believe in these stories being true although I never thought about them before. It opens my eyes to the macro lens sociologist put on in order to view religion and society as a whole.

Since our midterm was this past week, it is easy to reflect on the first half of the semester. We have stressed many times the complete influence that religion has on so many areas of our lives. Its influence has a lot to with the ever changing atmosphere that it creates. Although it seems that religion has a strong grounds that is much more of the facade it gives off. Religion is complex, difficult to define, and has trouble staying the same. McGuire uses Chapter 8 to tie together all the thoughts that we have been reflecting on all semester. She says that the place religion is at today is very different from where it began but that doesn’t mean it is any less influential today than it used to be. Religion in the modern world looks at understanding the major changes in society that have gotten us to our current state. It takes the time to reflect on how far we have come as a nation. One aspect that McGuire says has a pattern of growth, is secularism in religion. It has become a much bigger deal than it ever was before and has pushed the big denominations away to the side for the first time. Religion has become something much more private, and unique depending on those in society that are a part of it. It is interesting to take a step back and think about how restructured our religion is compared to where it began. We live in a unique world with very distinct characteristics and I love studying religion because it says a lot about what our culture is all about.

This week, we read McGuire’s “The Impact of Religion on Social Change,” which showed how religion can be used to support the status quo or to disrupt it. She began with a discussion of Marxism, which saw religion as “the opiate of the people,” an institution exclusively used to perpetuate social inequality. In his vision, on a local level, religious specialists and rituals drew off public dissent that might otherwise lead to revolution. As a larger institution, Marx saw religion instilling values of obedience in the lower classes and justifying the “divine right” of the elite. In particular, Weber speaks of theodicies, “religious explanations that provide meaning for problematic experiences” such as economic or racial inequality (241). Examples of this theory playing out in real life come from the Russian Orthodox’s upholding of the czar’s leadership and serfs’ submission, or from American churches preaching whites’ manifest destiny over Native Americans.
On the other hand, McGuire also discusses how religion can promote social change, reaching beyond the Marxian framework. Religious imagery such as the “kingdom of God” creates opportunities for believers to imagine a better world. Additionally, the advent of Protestantism and created a whole group of Christians eager to prove their faith by bettering society, since the sacraments no longer provided a clear expression of one’s dedication to God. In the end, McGuire points out that different religious groups are more conducive to either reinforcing or overturning the status quo, depending on whether they place their focus on this world or the next one.

On Monday, Ivanka Trump posted a tweet in response to the waves of bomb threats to Jewish Community Centers around the country. It read: “America is a nation built on the principle of religious tolerance. We must protect our houses of worship and religious centers. #JCC.” Ms. Trump converted to Orthodox Judaism before she married her husband, Jared Kushner, in 2009. As of Monday, 11 bomb scares had been reported all over the country, but especially in the South and Midwest. Trump’s tweet garnered some criticism as followers commented that she was being hypocritical, given her father’s hostility toward Muslims. Some also found her tweet confusing given the President’s perceived slowness to speak out against the same attacks himself and his earlier refusals to disavow the support of anti-Semitic, white supremacist groups. Later on Monday, the White House deputy press secretary issued a statement condemning “hatred and hate-motivated violence.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/20/us/politics/ivanka-trump-jewish-community-centers.html?_r=0