Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) shifted the focus to the structure and the function of religious groups. He is a structural functionalist who views society as an integrated unit, bound together by ties of ideas and social unity, and that everything in society exists for a purpose. In his writing, he sought to understand how moral and religious factors function in society. He stated that all forms of religion are essentially the same, they must serve a function in society and regardless of their form, serve the same function in every society. In "The Elementary Forms of Religious Life," Durkheim's reveals the function of religion. Durkheim believes religion "is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say,
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In his article, he also concluded that religion is a reflection of society and a way of creating cohesion. The form religion takes is the form of social life which echo in each other, correlating meaning and belief in law and order through rituals and religious institutions, "Religious representations are collective representations that express collective realities" (38). However, the spiritual but not religious phenomenon does, to a certain extent, exhibit function of religion proposed by Durkheim. In a way, the SBNR is a community that provides unity under the principle of collective effervescence, the admission of this group is not based on coercion but rather own belief. SBNR also displays certain aspects of religiosity, as followers do believe in an individualistic take on a deity. It ties in well with Durkheim's revolutionary sense of religion, Durkheim saw the “cult of the individual” as part of modernity- hence religious forms would adapt to that. Spiritual but not religious can be explained as a new form of religion based on indigos and we are just not used to it, but fundamentally speaking, it shares the same values with other
In his article, he also concluded that religion is a reflection of society and a way of creating cohesion. The form religion takes is the form of social life which echo in each other, correlating meaning and belief in law and order through rituals and religious institutions, "Religious representations are collective representations that express collective realities" (38). However, the spiritual but not religious phenomenon does, to a certain extent, exhibit function of religion proposed by Durkheim. In a way, the SBNR is a community that provides unity under the principle of collective effervescence, the admission of this group is not based on coercion but rather own belief. SBNR also displays certain aspects of religiosity, as followers do believe in an individualistic take on a deity. It ties in well with Durkheim's revolutionary sense of religion, Durkheim saw the “cult of the individual” as part of modernity- hence religious forms would adapt to that. Spiritual but not religious can be explained as a new form of religion based on indigos and we are just not used to it, but fundamentally speaking, it shares the same values with other