Introduction to the Study of Religions:
Sociology of Religion

- Table of Contents -

  • 1
    Sociology of religion

    Source 1:

    Source 2:









    Sociology of Religion. (text)

    Pictures

    Picture 1: Burning of the Danish flag following the Muhammad Cartoon-Crisis 2005.

    Picture 2: Blessing of soldiers by a minister in the Russian Orthodox Church.

    Picture 3: Monument in Vietnam commemorating a monks who burned himself to protest against Buddhism oppression in the 1960s

    Picture 4: Christians against abortion.

  • 2
    Civil Religion

    Source 1:

    Source 2:




    Civil Religion. (text)

    Highlights from the Opening Ceremony for Youth Olympics Nanjing 2014. (video)

- Guidelines for Teachers -

Guidelines and introduction for Teachers

The purpose of this course is to contribute to the students' knowledge of the relationship between society, the individual and religion. They are introduced to different theories of sociology of religion and they are going to apply the theories in relation to specific cases and examples. In page 5, teacher's text, a final exercise for the module is suggested in which the students can try to investigate the relationship between individuals, society and religion by way of making their own observations in the field.

Curricular Level:

Upper-secondary school, but some of the content could also be used in lower-secondary school

Conceptual (knowledge) and skills Objectives:

Giving an introduction to the sociology of religion as a part of the academic study of religions and some of its theoretical and methodological approaches and discussions.
Giving the students analytical tools to analyse and reflect on different cases about the relationship between society, individual and religion from an academic study of religions perspective.
Giving the students some knowledge of religion in modern and postmodern society, including theories of secularization, and raise awareness of the differences between different countries and cultures in respect to religion.
Make the students reflect on how globalization influences religion, and the differences between maximalist and minimalist attitudes toward religion.