seen as a conservative force in two different senses: 1) It is often seen as conservative in the
sense of being 'traditional' defending customs, institutions, moral views, roles ect. Upholds
traditional beliefs on how society should be. 2) It is conservative because it functions to conserve
or preserve things as they are. Maintains the status quo.
Conservative beliefs
Conservative beliefs about moral issues and may oppose
changes that would allow individuals more freedom in
personal and sexual matters
Uphold traditional family values. often
favour a traditional patriarchal
domestic division of labour.
Conservative Functions
Religion and consensus
functionalists see religion as a
conservative force as its function is to
maintain socail stability
Marxists and Femenists see religion as an ideology that supports the
existings social structure and acts as a means of social control, creating
stability in the interests of the powerful.
Religion and capitsalism
Marx sees religion as a
conservative ideology that
prevents social change. By
legitimising or disguishing
exploitation and inequality,
it creates false
consciousness in the
working class and prevents
revolution, thereby
maintainging the stability og
capitalist society.
Religion and Patriarchy
Feminists see religion as a conservative force
because it acts as an ideology that legitimates
patriarchal power and maintains woment's
subordination in the family and wider society.
Weber: Religion as a force for change.
Clvinist beliefs
Predestination
God has predetermined which
souls would be saved and which
were not, even before birth
Divine transcendence
God was so far about and beyond
this world and incomparably greater
that any mortal that no man can ever
claim to know his will other than the
Bible
Including the church and the priests leavin an unprecedented inner lonliness.
Weber called this a salvation panic
Ascenticism
This refers to abstinence, self disapline and self-denial.