How Religions Use Symbols

Sociology of Religion
1) Why are some people resistant to scientific approaches to studying religion?
Some people may be resistant to scientific approaches to studying religion because of their mistrust of the scientific process. It should be remembered that the scientific process really rose to prominence in opposition to the Church during the High Renaissance and after, eventually giving way to the Enlightenment Age, in which faith was marginalized and emphasis on naturalism given prominence in society. Therefore, religious people may view scientific approaches with some suspicion because they feel that religion is a matter of faith and not something that should be undermined by scientific inquiry.
However, faith rests upon reason and reason can be moved by scientific inquiry. Science is there to support the truth. Science can be used to show that something miraculous has occurred (as there will be no scientific explanation of the miracle, thus pointing to evidence of divine intervention for those who have faith in such things), but it can also be used in attempts to undermine some of the mysteries related to religion. It all depends on how science is being used. Not all scientists are free of confirmation bias, so that is another thing to be aware of. The scientific approach in and of itself may frighten some because they fear that their faith might be under attack by someone who wants to take an empirical evidence-based approach to studying religion. They might suspect that their faith is not based on reason but on fantasy. Scientific approaches might also surprise them and show that there are grounds for faith based on a lack of natural explanation for events. One who is interested in the truth should not fear the scientific approach.
2) Do you think human behavior is governed primarily by various groups pursuing their own self-interests? That is, are humans primarily competitive and conflictual or primarily cooperative?
Humans are a mix of self-interest and self-sacrifice. They have a higher and a lower nature. The Old World used to describe human nature as affected by Original Sin—the idea that humans were impacted by the effect of sin, the fall from the state of grace in which they were originally created by God. This explanation allows for one to see how human beings can be both self-interested at times (which can negatively impact the communal need for a common good, especially if the self-interest is pursued at the expense of others), and how human beings can be good and charitable in other times (by putting the needs of others before their own).
Humans are not necessarily primarily competitive and conflictual or primarily cooperative. Many philosophers are artists have described people in their works and writings by saying that there is a line between good and evil that runs through the heart of every person. This means that at any one moment, people have the propensity to be good or bad. Self-interest should not even always be viewed as bad because at some level one realizes that being a good person is in his or her own best self-interest, as the result of not being a good person usually leads to negative repercussions—social, political, economical and even religious. One might go to jail, lose office, lose money, or lose one’s eternal reward by not being good. So it all depends on how a person chooses to orient himself: whether he wants to promote the ideals that the ancient philosophers like Plato used to recognize as the only things worth pursuing, or whether he wants to attempt to seek happiness in some other way.
4) Why are symbols important in religion?
Symbols are important in religion because they represent the mystery involved in the rites of religious observance. For example, in the Roman Catholic Tridentine Mass, incense is used at the altar where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass takes place because it represents a number of things. When the tabernacle is opened and the incensed is directed towards it, it symbolizes the place where Christ was buried because the Eucharist is in the tabernacle and the Eucharist is believed to be the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. The symbolic act of incensing the tabernacle and then in turn the priest (who symbolizes the dead) supports the overall doctrines of the religion. The symbols make it powerful, meaningful, visceral, and impactful.
Symbols are used as teaching tools as well. They enable the doctrines of the religion to take shape before one’s eyes so that the ideas the support the religion can have a tangible effect. One can see them, touch them, take part in them. They appeal to the senses, whereas the doctrines appeal to the mind. So symbols help to connect what goes into the mind to what is seen in reality: they provide a sensible take on the religion that might otherwise be entirely mental or intellectual.
The sacraments are like symbols because they serve as outward demonstrations of the transference of grace. So the water used at baptism is both a symbol of grace washing away the stains of Original Sin and also the physical means by which the spiritual grace is bestowed. So symbols also have utility aside from their teaching power. They can serve a practical purpose within the rites of the religion itself and be relevant as conduits of meaningful spiritual exchange.
5) What is the meaning of the term “conversion”? Does it make sense to say that at many evangelical revival meetings what people experience is an intensification of faith rather than conversion? Why or why not?
The meaning of the term conversion is that one transitions from one what was before to the new thing that he is becoming. It refers to a set of ideas the direct the conversion, typically beliefs regarding one’s faith. So if one converts from Hinduism to Christianity, he relinquishes his Hindu beliefs and professes belief in the Christian tenets. However, conversion of the mind is typically meant to be followed by conversion of the will, so that one’s external actions match one’s internal mindset. A conversion that only occurs in the mind but is not followed by a conversion in one’s actions in daily life does not fully represent a real conversion.
An intensification of faith like what one might experience at an evangelical revival meeting can become a conversion if it leads to the conversion of one’s life following the revival. A conversion that only lasts the span of a revival and does not carry over into one’s daily life cannot be regarded as much of a conversion.
However, conversion should also not be seen as a one-time happening—like a light switch being turned on. Conversion is a process and can take years to be accomplished. For instance, one might be converted at a revival and realize the need to turn one’s life towards God, but that does not mean the conversion will take place and be accomplished immediately on the spot. That can happen sometimes, but in most cases people need to go through a process of conversion that entails educating and disciplining the heart, the mind and the will. The intensification of faith that a person might experience at a revival may be part of the conversion process but it should not be confused with the act of conversion in total.
8) In what ways can religion mobilize suppressed people to greater self-respect and to work for social change?
Religion can mobilize suppressed people to greater self-respect by convincing them that they have value as a human being. It can teach them that they were created by a loving God who cherishes their existence and has even given them special talents and gifts so that they might be able to do some good work in life and develop a good place for themselves. It can teach them that they are made in God’s image, for example, and this can inspire one and give them the self-confidence they need to start making a difference in the world.
Religion can mobilize people to work for social change by the doctrines that it teaches. For instance, if a religion teaches its followers that justice is an important virtue to pursue, then the followers of that religion may be inspired to go out into the world and promote equality or some other aspect of justice that they feel should be more present in social life. They will look for instances of injustice in the world and seek to resolve them. Religious people might look at the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza and feel that they must do something to advocate for social justice for this population because of the oppression and loss of human rights that they have experienced.
The doctrines of religion are what inevitably motivate people to act, as these are the teachings that form one’s beliefs and inform one’s will about how to live. If a religion does not have a very clear doctrines about anything, it is unlikely that a follower of the religion will be moved by the religion to have greater self-respect or to work for social change. The teachings of Christ, for example, have lasted for centuries because they inspire people to make a difference and to look at themselves and their neighbors in a more charitable light.