name: Raphaël
place: Brussels (Belgium)
age: 25
studies: BA Communication Science, MA Social and Cultural Anthropology
occupation: writer
religion & 'godsdienst' Jun 19
In the Dutch language there are different words for what in English is called religion. We naturally think of religion as everything that has to do with church, God, morals, values, tradition and of course other religions all over the world. But saying what religion actually is has always been a problem for sociologists and anthropologists of religion. Generally there are two sorts of definitions, namely functional and substantial definitions.
The first (functional) explain what religion is by the function it has in society - 'what does it do?'. Durkheim wrote about the integration of society which religion brings. Luckmann talks about how it's the way people confront reality. But Dobbelaere (a notorious Belgian sociologist of religion) says these definitions are too inclusive where they work as an umbrella under which you can gather anything from marxism, atheism, etc. - all the things most people wouldn't classify as religion. Therefore he claims a substantial definition is needed which actually describes religion by its contents; the reference to the transcendent / supernatural. This means only systems which explicitly talk about something supernatural like God, heaven, etc. can be qualified as religions.
It has to be said Dobbelaere doesn't use the word religion but rather the word 'godsdienst'. This is a difference worth understanding where 'godsdienst' already implies a reference to the transcedent and even more specific: God. Godsdienst literally means 'the worship/celebration of God'. This makes one wonder why he doesn't make use of the two terms 'religie' en 'godsdienst' which the Dutch language provides. I will try to show the use of these two terms (which unfortunately the English language lacks) in the study of the changing religious conditions in Europe. Mostly I will defend a functionalist approach where I see the substantial definition as a mere example of the former. In other words, all 'godsdiensten' are religious but not all religions are 'godsdienstig'.
I would like to argue that a functionalist approach allows to study religion as inherent to humanity. Luckmann writes about how religion is the system through which people confront reality. This definition is inclusive where everything that humans do to 'make sense out of reality' can be marked as religious. Dobbelare claims this approach is too inclusive where anything from marxism, atheïsm, etc. can be filed under this category.
Dobbelaere then suggests we should use a substantial approach which only classifies those systems which refer to the transcendent. Now, in Europe we see the decline of the old religious institutions like the Catholic Church (which obviously has this transcendent notion). With this secularisation process people would become less religious when using a substantial definition of religion. When people don't actually refer to God anymore and go on with their lives without bothering about the transcedent, the Belgian society should be defined as less religious.
In the debate with religious people this causes for the polarisation of the Godly and the ungodly where the religiousless have lost something and are often described as 'being without a compass in life'. This is remarkable where Dobbelaere says the mainstream view on religions is the substantial one. But when religious people talk about the difference between them and other groups (both non-religious as other-religious) they just as often talk about what it does to people when they don't have religion.
It is quite clear that the loss of religiousnes is not a satisfactory explanation of what is happening in Europe. People don't lose their 'compass in life' when abandoning their religious system. The differentiation of religion and godsdienst seems absolutely necessary in order to facilitate a dialogue between different groups. The reference to a transcendency stands in the way since it is something that can be 'lost' and thus automatically values these 'lost' people. Godsdienst is then a specific form of religion with its reference to the transcendent. Godsdienst always is religious as where not all religions are godsdienst.
To facilitate dialogue one can point out the commonness of the religious aspect in humanity. Humans are inherently religious where they try to confront reality with all the means they can find to help them. Godsdienst is one system which offers people a means of doing this but certainly not the only one. The secularisation process in Europe shows how people make their way in very different ways too.
religion & 'godsdienst' Jun 19
In the Dutch language there are different words for what in English is called religion. We naturally think of religion as everything that has to do with church, God, morals, values, tradition and of course other religions all over the world. But saying what religion actual...
essentialism May 15
Currently the debate in Belgium between the two main language groups (French and Flemish speaking) has become rather heated where the fire's been simmering since the beginning of this country. As in every debate between two opposed visions there seems to be a simplificatio...
plausability structure May 15
With 'plausability structure' Peter Berger refers to the social condition of people's worldviews where they are not individualy held but embedded in a larger social network of people who share these beliefs. This way the worldview gains credibility because of the continuou...
reclaiming 'religious' experiences May 14
The religious experience is universal where every individual experiences things that seem larger than oneself. This perception of reality is filled with a wide range of emotions; fear, awe, joy, etc. All are part of the spectrum with which we set out to encounter this real...
the social construction of reality May 14
One of the most influential sociologists to have written about religion would be Peter Berger somewhere in the 60's. One of his classics would be the 'The Golden Canopy' in which he speaks about religion being an intrinsically human construct. Through the processes of exte...
No place for mystery May 14
In my job I create a lot of promotional pieces for Catholic events. Lately this has become a major source of frustration where the clients want to cramp a lot of information into e.g. a poster.
In my personal work I love the way design can leave a lot space for interpre...
Protestantism in Belgium Dec 21
When talking to people in Belgium about the environment I grew up in they often connect the dots and figure it must be some kind of sect. Especially here in Belgium where Protestants are a marginal group. Belgium is historically considered to be a Catholic country where pe...
My background Dec 21
There's only one thing that can keep me up at night. One thing that has haunted me for years and I'm only now making my peace with. It dominates my thoughts and is the origin of thousands of ideas, feelings and experiences which have shaped my life.
I was born into a Prot...