Sociology / Unit 8 Soc 1323 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Durkheim on Religion
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The idea
Durkheim argued religion binds people together, promotes consistent behavior, and offers comfort during transitions, and that celebrating the sacred is also celebrating society's own power.
In practice
A shared funeral ritual reasserts a community's bonds at the exact moment a member's death might threaten to loosen them.
Where people slip
Durkheim's claim is that religion serves social cohesion, not that religious belief is therefore false.
Your place on the trail
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