The role and functions of religion in the modern world. World religions in the modern world

State educational institution

Vocational education

Regional government agency

Vocational school No. 15

Review lecture on the topic: “The role of religion in modern society.”

History teacher

Strezhevoy

"The role of religion in modern society"

Introduction

1. The origin of religion, its early forms

2. World religions

3. Religion in the modern world.

Conclusion

References

Introduction

Religion is an integral part of the modern world, since it performs three blocks of social functions. Firstly, religious institutions carry out the spiritual formation of believers, which is manifested in the organization of the connection “man - God”, in the education of religiosity and citizenship, in saturating a person with good and removing evil and sins. Secondly, religious organizations are engaged in religious and special secular education, mercy and charity. Thirdly, representatives of churches actively participate in social activities, contribute to the normalization of political, economic and cultural processes, interethnic and interstate relations, and the solution of global problems of civilization.

This is especially necessary in our multinational country, where believers belonging to various faiths and atheists coexist. For prosperous and peaceful living in such conditions, tolerance to any points of view, mutual respect between people of all views and beliefs is necessary. Religion is a system of established beliefs. In order to respect any form of religion, it is necessary to know religious traditions, otherwise, out of ignorance, unwillingly, you can hurt the religious feelings of people living nearby. For self-respect and preservation of cultural traditions, you should know the historical and religious foundations of culture and your people.

Religious slogans are often used by various kinds of extremists who, in fact, are pursuing far from religious goals. In order to separate the chaff from the wheat, it is also necessary to know not only the basic religious postulates, but also how they arose and why they were transformed.

The topic is especially relevant in our time, as the role of religion in modern society is increasing. The role of religion is felt not only in the political life of the state, but in the economy and sports. There is not a single area where the influence of the church is not felt. For example, at the state level the issue of introducing a new subject in Russian schools is being decided. Orthodox culture", in the army there is a position of army chaplain. It is not necessary to profess any religion, the main thing is to know about it. It is religion that is the lifeline that will lead our country from lack of spirituality and aggressiveness towards each other to the path of mercy and tolerance.

1. The origin of religion, its early forms

Before talking about the role of religion in modern society, it is necessary to remember what religion is and how it originated. The word “religion” is derived from the Latin “religio” - “piety, piety, shrine.” It is believed that the first religious views appeared during the formation of the tribal system. Since humanity arose earlier, scientists have found it possible to assume that religiosity is not natural state person. In order for a religious worldview to arise, a certain level of development of human thinking is necessary - abstract thinking. Religious thinking thus arises simultaneously with abstract thinking.

The main feature of the religious worldview of the people of the early primitive community was that they did not separate themselves from their environment. Human properties were attributed to nature, and nature's properties were attributed to people. This affected all early types of religious ideas. Early forms of religion include magic, fetishism, totemism, and animism.

Scientists attribute the emergence of magic to the Stone Age. Magic rituals probably already existed among the Neanderthals, who lived 80-50 thousand years ago. In magic the supernatural has not yet been separated from the natural. Magical beliefs implied belief in a supernatural (i.e., illusory) connection between real phenomena or objects.

The term "magic" comes from the Greek word for "witchcraft." There are many types of magic (malicious, industrial, healing, educational, etc.). Magic has survived to this day as an element modern religions and in an independent form (for example, fortune telling on cards).

Modern people often do magical actions without even knowing it, for example, when women use gold jewelry. Gold, according to the ancients, has magical powers that give longevity and immortality. Gold has long been perceived as a noble metal, as an attribute of the gods.

Magical thinking is based on the law of similarity and the law of contact. The law of similars means that like produces like. The Law of Contact means that things, once in contact, continue to interact at a distance after direct contact has ceased.

In those days when the main occupation of people was hunting, a belief appeared in the supernatural kinship of human groups with animals (less often with plants) - totemism (from the Indian words “totem” - “his kind”). The clan bore the name of its totem; relatives believed that they were related by blood to the totemic ancestor. The totem was not worshiped, but was considered an ancestor helping its descendants. The latter, for their part, should not have killed the totem animal, harmed it, eaten its meat, etc.

Totemism could take other forms. For example, there were personal totems. Totemism in the form of various rituals has entered modern religions. Thus, believing Christians, under the guise of bread and wine, eat the body and drink the blood of God; Christ is identified with the lamb, the Holy Spirit with the dove.

Fetishism (from the Portuguese "fetico" - "enchanted thing, idol, talisman") is the worship of inanimate objects endowed with supernatural properties. Among the ancient Germans, the role of a fetish was played by the spruce; among Christians, by the cross and relics. The fetish could be a cave that saved people or a mining spear.

Already the earliest types of religion contained the beginnings of not only fantastic ideas - faith, but also sacred rites - cult practice, which usually constituted a secret, protected from the uninitiated. With the development of beliefs and the complication of the cult, its practice required certain knowledge and experience. Religious rituals began to be performed by specially trained people.

The evolution of primitive beliefs led to the fact that the supernatural in the minds of people was separated from the natural and turned into an independent (immaterial) entity. It is the illusory doubling of the world, the recognition, along with natural and social existence, of the existence of the other world that constitutes the essence of religious consciousness.

Gradually, a belief in spirits and souls arose - animism. Special people also appeared - shamans (from the Evenki word meaning “frantic”), whose social function was to communicate with spirits.

Animistic beliefs are associated with the animation of nature. The beginnings of them were already present in early primitive communities. Tasmanians, Australians and other tribes of hunters, fishermen and gatherers had vague ideas about the souls of dead people, about evil and good spirits, usually thought of as physically tangible beings. The later transformation of animism is represented by spiritualism, that is, communication with the dead.

There are many religions in the world, many variants of their classifications. If we base the classification on the social conditions of the functioning of religions, then it is possible to distinguish the following types of religions:

Tribal religions that arose in primitive society;

National religions that developed within a certain nationality, for example, Confucianism in China or Shintonism in Japan;

World religions.

2. World religions

Religion is a specific form of reflection of reality. It still remains a significant force in the world. Religious worldview in the form of three world religions is widespread in different countries of the world.

World religions include Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Let's consider each of them separately.

Buddhism is the most ancient world religion. This religion arose in the 1st - 1st centuries. BC e. in India. Currently, it is common in Burma, Vietnam, China, Japan and Korea.

Tradition connects the emergence of Buddhism with the name of Prince Siddhartha (Gautama), who was called Buddha, which means “enlightened by knowledge.” Gautama lived in luxury, married his beloved woman, who bore him a son. The impetus for the spiritual upheaval for the prince, as legend says, was three meetings. Gautama caught the eye of a decrepit old man, then a cruelly suffering patient, and finally he watched as they carried out the burial of the dead man. This is how Gautama first learned about old age, illness and death - the lot of all people. The prince secretly left the palace and family. At the age of twenty-nine he became a hermit and died as an eight-year-old man on the day of his birth.

1. Identification of life with suffering. Life is suffering, the cause of which is the desires and passions of people. To get rid of suffering, you need to renounce earthly passions and desires. This can be achieved by following the path of salvation indicated by the Buddha.

2. After death, any living creature, including a person, is reborn again, but in the body of a new creature, whose life is determined not only by its own behavior, but also by the behavior of its “predecessors.”

H. The desire for nirvana, that is, for a higher existence, which is achieved by renouncing earthly attachments.

Unlike Christianity and Islam, Buddhism does not have the idea of ​​God as the creator of the world and its ruler.

The body of sacred books of the Buddhist religion is called Tipitaka, which means “Three Baskets”. A written statement of Buddhist teachings was compiled by the monks of the island of Ceylon in 80 BC. e.

Christianity

Christianity arose in the 10th century. BC e. in the eastern part of the Roman Empire - in Palestine. The Christian religion is a religion addressed to all peoples. It is based on the ideas of messianism, associated with hopes for a divine deliverer, and eschatology, i.e. belief in a supernatural end existing world. The name Christ is a translation into Greek of the Jewish religious term “messiah” - “anointed one, savior of people.”

Christianity absorbed the ideas and ideas of a number of other religions, primarily Judaism, from which it borrowed several basic ideas (which underwent a certain transformation).

1. The idea of ​​monotheism, i.e. recognition of one God who created the world and rules it. In Christianity, this idea is weakened by the doctrine of the Divine Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit).

2. The idea of ​​messianism, the idea of ​​a Divine messenger called to save people. Christianity develops the doctrine of the salvation of all people (and not just the Jewish people) through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

H. The idea of ​​eschatology is the idea of ​​the death of the existing world as a result of Divine intervention. In Christianity, this idea is associated with the belief in the second coming of Christ, which is borrowed from the ideological views of the Qumran community - a Jewish religious sect. Members of this sect believed that the Messiah was by nature a man whose first coming had already taken place and whose second was awaiting. The purpose of the first coming is to bring true religion to people and to atone for their sins. The Second Coming means the end of the world, the end of life on Earth, the resurrection of the dead and the Last Judgment.

The main tenets of Christian doctrine:

1. Dogma of the Trinity. One God exists in three persons. All persons exist eternally, but the Holy Spirit comes from God the Father (or, as Catholics believe, from the Father and the Son). One God in three persons is an image incomprehensible to the human mind.

2. The basis of Christianity is faith in the Savior - Jesus Christ. The second person of the Trinity, God the Son, is Jesus Christ. He has two natures at the same time (Divine and human).

H. The third dogma is related to the belief in an afterlife.

4. Recognition of the existence of supernatural beings, for example angels - disembodied good spirits, evil spirits, demons, and their ruler - Satan.

The holy book of Christians is the Bible. The origin of this word is often associated with the name of the city of Byblos, where papyrus was sold and where, perhaps, alphabetic writing was first used. The material for writing was called in Greek “biblion” - book. Literally translated from Greek, “Bible” means “books.”

The Bible consists of two parts: Old Testament(39 books) and New Testament(27 books). The first books of the Bible were called Torah (Law) by the Jews; these books are also called the Pentateuch of Moses (it includes the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy).

The Old Testament is the oldest part of the Bible, the sacred books of Judaism. The New Testament, actually Christian works, includes the four Gospels (the story of the life of Jesus Christ, the Good News of the Savior), the acts of the Holy Apostles, the Epistles and, or the Apocalypse. The Apocalypse dates back to 68 AD. e.

Already in the 4th century, Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. Nowadays Christianity is not a single religious movement. It splits into many currents. In 1054 Christianity was divided into the Western, or Roman Catholic (the word “Catholic” means “universal”) Church, and the Eastern, Orthodox Church. In the XVI century. The Reformation began in Europe - an anti-Catholic movement. As a result, the third main direction of Christianity appeared - Protestantism.

Both Orthodoxy and Catholicism recognize seven Christian sacraments: baptism, worldview, repentance, communion, marriage, priesthood and consecration of oil. The source of the doctrine of Western and Eastern Christians is the Bible. The differences are mainly as follows: in Orthodoxy there is no single head of the church, there are no ideas about purgatory; Western and Eastern Christians do not accept the doctrine of the Trinity in the same way.

Catholics view purgatory as a place of temporary afterlife for souls who then go to hell before going to heaven. The head of the Catholic Church is the Pope (from the Greek “papas” - “ancestor, elder, paternal grandfather”). Pape is elected for life. The center of the Roman Catholic Church is the Vatican, a state that occupies several city blocks in Rome.

There are three main movements in Protestantism: Anglicanism, Calvinism and Lutheranism. Protestants consider the condition for the salvation of a Christian not the formal observance of rituals, but his personal atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. During the Reformation, Protestants proclaimed the principle of universal priesthood, which means that every layman can preach. Protestants are characterized by asceticism in rituals, for example, the number of sacraments is reduced to two.

Islam arose in the 2nd century. n. e. among the Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula. This is the youngest religion among the world. Followers of Islam, Muslims, live mainly in Africa and Asia (the word “Islam” is translated as “submission”; the word “Muslim” comes from the Arabic “Muslim” - “faithful”). The founder of Islam, Muhammad, is a historical figure. He was born around 570. in Mecca. Mecca was big city at the intersection of trade routes (Muhammad was engaged in trade in his youth). In Mecca there was a shrine that was revered by most tribes - the pagan temple of the Kaaba.

Muhammad was orphaned early. His father died a month after his son was born. His mother died when Muhammad was six years old. Muhammad was brought up in his grandfather's family, a noble but impoverished family. At the age of 25, he entered the service of a rich Meccan widow and soon married her. At the age of 40, around 610, Muhammad acted as a religious preacher. He declared that God (Allah) had chosen him as his prophet. The ruling elite of Mecca did not like the sermon, and Muhammad had to in 622. move to the city of Yathrib, later renamed Medina. The year 622 is considered the beginning of the Muslim calendar, and Mecca is the center of the Muslim religion.

The basis of Muslim faith, the Qur'an (literally "reading") is a processed record of the sayings of Muhammad. During the life of Muhammad, his statements were perceived as direct speech from Allah and were transmitted orally. It was only two decades after the death of Muhammad that they were written down and compiled into the Koran. The book consists of 114 chapters.

In the faith of Muslims, a large role is played by the sunnah - a collection of edifying stories about the life of Muhammad - and sharia - a set of principles and rules of behavior obligatory for a Muslim (the word “sharia” is translated as “the right path”). The most serious sins among Muslims are usury, drunkenness, gambling and adultery.

Muslim places of worship are called mosques. Islam prohibits the depiction of humans and animals, so mosques are decorated with a variety of ornaments.

In Islam there is no clear and strict division between clergy and laity. Any Muslim who knows the Koran, Muslim laws (Sharia) and the rules of worship can become a mullah (priest). The cult of Islam is simple. A Muslim must fulfill five basic requirements:

1. Pronouncing the formula of the confession of Faith - “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.”

2. Performing the obligatory five-fold prayer (namaz).

3. Fasting during the month of Ramadan. During this month, you should not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset.

4. Giving alms to the poor.

5. Making a pilgrimage to Mecca.

3. Religion in the modern world.

So, religion is a worldview, attitude and the behavior of people determined by them based on belief in the existence of a supernatural sphere. This is the desire of man and society for a direct connection with the absolute, the universal basis of the world (God, gods, the absolute focus of everything that exists, substance, the main shrine).

The position of religion in modern society is quite contradictory and it is simply impossible to assess its role, possibilities and prospects with any certainty. It can definitely be said that a characteristic and natural process for modern times is the development of the secularization of social consciousness. However, secularization defines a general trend, which does not exclude the possible strengthening of the position of religion under the influence of factors favorable to it.

Religion, due to its universal nature (it relates to all manifestations of people’s lives and gives them its assessments), the mandatory nature of its requirements for the fulfillment of basic moral and legislative norms, psychological insight and vast historical experience, is an integral part of culture.

In history, religion has always coexisted with secular elements of culture, and in certain cases opposed them.

Currently, a fairly stable historical balance is emerging between the main religions of each country, on the one hand, and the secular sector of culture, on the other. Moreover, in a number of countries the secular sector occupies a significant position.

After a long period of atheistic propaganda and the forced displacement of religion from the public sphere during the period of the dominance of Bolshevik ideology in modern Russia, there is a process of restoration of the positions of traditional religions (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and believers who are able to more or less systematically avoid direct analogies with earthly events, experiences and circumstances. Nevertheless, in any religion, even the most refined (i.e. purified), the image of God always has the stamp of the earthly conditions that gave rise to and nourished it. This is also indicated by the personal characteristics of God (holiness, mercy, justice). etc.) in various religious systems. About a thousand similar characteristics of Allah are contained in Islam; in Judaism, God is presented as inaccessible and requiring sacrifice; in Christianity, God appears as the Father for all those who believe in him.

Another feature of religion is a system of religious rites, rituals, actions - cults (veneration), unfolding on the basis of ideas and ideas about God (deities). Such are sacrifices, ceremonies, and various mysteries in world (Christianity, Buddhism, Islam) and many national religions (Judaism, Confucianism, Shinto, etc.). They follow each other in accordance with the order and sequence provided for by the corresponding church and religious calendars. The center of religious worship is a temple, a house of worship with a set of various religious accessories (icons, crucifixes, frescoes or wall paintings with biblical scenes, etc.).

Another feature of religion is the believer’s direct emotional experience of the events of myths and cult actions. This experience is due to the fact that the most important events of human existence are refracted and reflected in religion: the mysteries of birth and death, the self-awareness of a child, the entry of a young man and girl into an independent life, marriage, the appearance of offspring, etc.

Finally, most religions of the modern world have a special organization - the church with a clear distribution of responsibilities at each level of its hierarchy (structure). For example, in Catholicism and Orthodoxy these are the laity, white clergy, black clergy (monks), episcopate, metropolitanates, patriarchates, etc.

The enormous influence of religion on the life of society is due to the fact that its structures are one way or another present in all the most important historical events and events in the private lives of citizens. Therefore, it had a noticeable impact on the sphere of public morality, especially in those conditions when it was the dominant spiritual and organizing force of society.

Conclusion

The conclusion is as follows. Science is both a powerful creative and destructive tool in the hands of educated humanity. We are able to direct this instrument for good only by maintaining within ourselves a sense of direct involvement in the world, the cosmos and that high reality that man calls the Divine. Science and religion are two scales, and for the balance of forces in this world, their balance is necessary as the unity of knowledge and faith, without which the cultural development of mankind is unthinkable.

With the help of religious symbolism, the experience gained by humanity is built into the deep layers of worldviews, forming a religious worldview in its integrity and comprehensiveness. Like science, religion can be understood as a symbolic model of the world, generalizing and according to certain principles ordering the entire experience of a person’s relationship to nature and the cosmos, to himself and all of humanity.

In religion, general humanistic, formational, civilizational, class, ethnic, global and local components are intertwined, sometimes bizarrely. In specific situations, one or the other is actualized and comes to the fore: religious leaders, thinkers, groups may not express the indicated tendencies in the same way. All this is directly related to socio-political orientations; history shows that there were and are different positions in religious organizations: progressive, conservative, regressive. Moreover, this group and its representatives do not always strictly adhere to any particular one. In modern conditions, the significance of the activities of any institutions, groups, parties, leaders, including religious ones, is determined, first of all, by the extent to which it serves to affirm universal humanistic values.

As N. Bohr wittily noted, “humanity has made two greatest discoveries, one is that God exists, the second is that there is no God.” And, perhaps, it is not so important which of these points of view each of us adheres to in our self-determination in the world, but what is important is to find the road that will lead us to the Temple.

References:

1. “Religious Studies” M. “Aspect Press”, 1994

2. Garage. M., 1995

3. “History of Religions” M. “Mysl”, 1975

4. “Religion and Modernity” M. Publishing House of Political Literature, 1982

5., “Sociology” M. “Center”, 1997

6. Tokarev in the history of the peoples of the world. M., 1986

7. Eliade M. Space and history. M., 1987

Religion and the Church in the modern world...

INTRODUCTION 3
CHAPTER 1. RELIGION AND CHURCH IN THE MODERN WORLD 5
1.1. Religions of modern society. Types and classification of modern religions. 5
1.2. The role of religion and the church in the modern world. 7
1.3. The attitude of modern society towards religion 11
1.4. Religion in modern Russia 12
Conclusions to Chapter 1. 13
CHAPTER 2. PROBLEMS OF RELIGION IN THE MODERN WORLD 14
2.1. Crisis phenomena in modern religious life 14
2.2. Global problems of our time in their religious interpretation and solution 18
Conclusions to Chapter 2. 26
CONCLUSION 27
LIST OF SOURCES USED 29

Introduction

The preaching of absolute (eternal and unchangeable) moral values ​​was characteristic of all religions of the world and remains relevant in our age full of evil and violence.

Fragment of work for review

If we characterize the attitude of modern society towards religion, we can notice some trends that apply to almost all countries: - a more loyal attitude of citizens towards religions that are considered traditional for their state, and a more hostile attitude towards new movements and world religions that “compete” with traditional beliefs; - increased interest in religious cults that were widespread in the distant past, but were almost forgotten until recently (attempts to revive the faith of their ancestors); - emergence and development religious movements, which are a symbiosis of a certain direction of philosophy and dogmas from one or several religions at once; - the rapid increase in the Muslim part of society in countries where for several decades this religion was not very widespread; - attempts by religious communities to lobby for their rights and interests at the legislative level; - the emergence of trends opposing the increasing role of religion in the life of the state. Despite the fact that most people have a positive or loyal attitude towards various religious movements and their fans, attempts by believers to dictate their rules to the rest of society often cause protest among atheists and agnostics. One of the striking examples demonstrating the dissatisfaction of the non-believing part of society with the fact that government authorities, to please religious communities, rewrite laws and give members of religious communities exclusive rights, is the emergence of Pastafarianism, the cult of the “invisible pink unicorn” and other parody religions. 1.4. Religion in modern Russia At the moment, Russia is a secular state in which the right of every person to freedom of religion is legally enshrined. Now religion in modern Russia is going through a stage of rapid development, since in a post-communist society the demand for spiritual and mystical teachings is quite high. According to survey data from the Levada Center company, if in 1991 just over 30% of people called themselves believers, in 2000 - approximately 50% of citizens, then in 2012 more than 75% of residents of the Russian Federation considered themselves religious. It is also important that approximately 20% of Russians believe in the presence of higher powers, but do not identify themselves with any religion, so at the moment only 1 out of 20 citizens of the Russian Federation is an atheist. The most widespread religion in modern Russia is the Orthodox tradition of Christianity - it is professed by 41% of citizens. In second place after Orthodoxy is Islam - about 7%, in third place are adherents of various movements of Christianity that are not branches Orthodox tradition(4%), then - adherents of Turkic-Mongolian shamanic religions, neo-paganism, Buddhism, Old Believers, etc. Religion in modern Russia is playing an increasingly important role, and it cannot be said that this role is definitely positive: the spread of various destructive sects, attempts to introduce the educational process of one or another religious tradition and conflicts arising on religious grounds in society are negative consequences, the cause of which is the rapid increase in the number of religious organizations in the country and the rapid increase in the number of believers. Conclusions to Chapter 1. In the modern world there is a very large number various religions, their directions and currents, denominations, sects, tribal cults. They differ greatly from each other in time, place and conditions of their origin, in their dogmatic, cult and organizational characteristics, in the number of supporters and the breadth of distribution. Religion has been and remains today an important factor in the development of any civilization. Its place in the life of a particular society is determined by various circumstances: the level of development of society, public consciousness, culture, traditions, and the influence of related socio-political formations. In the modern world, the role of religion is quite significant, although it must be borne in mind that much depends on the ability of a particular religion to adapt to modern realities in today’s rapidly changing world. Today, the church plays a large role in the development of democratic principles in society. The Church acts as a significant factor in the democratization of society on the basis of Christian values, forms a socially active position of believers in defending their civil rights, ultimately directly serves the interests of the formation and development of civil society in the Russian Federation. Nowadays, the role and importance of religion in the life of modern society is increasing significantly. More and more attention is paid to the religious worldview of the individual and its influence on improving social, individual life and mental health of a person. Recognizing religious faith psychological phenomenon, inherent in a person from birth, many domestic and foreign scientists, pointing to the reality and value of religious life for a person, see in it a system-forming guideline in the organization and streamlining of the human psyche in the moral development of the individual and the improvement of society. CHAPTER 2. PROBLEMS OF RELIGION IN THE MODERN WORLD 2.1. Crisis phenomena in modern religious life In the history of every religion, there have been crisis phenomena of the largest scale. However, in the past they were predominantly of a local nature and were caused by reasons specific to each type of religion (ethnic religions, national-state religions, world religions) and turned out differently, giving rise to not at all the same consequences. A feature of the modern stage of social development is that the trends and manifestations of the crisis of religion are associated, first of all, with global phenomena in the world. Radical social transformations caused by revolutions and the establishment of totalitarian regimes, primarily communist, significantly limited and even eliminated the scope of activity of church institutions. Violent methods of ideological pressure, the imposition by the state, which, in fact, was an instrument of the Communist Party, not so much of atheism as of primitive atheism, raised entire generations indifferent to religion. This ideological indifferentism remains the main reason for the helplessness and unconscious attitude of a significant part of modern youth in new independent democratic countries to the choice of religion, making them easy prey for an active preaching campaign of various neo-religions - both neo-Christian, neo-Orientalist and neo-pagan. An important reason The general crisis of religions was the scientific and technological revolution, which caused a critical attitude towards the traditional religious picture of the world, religious traditionalism in general, and stimulated the spread of secularization tendencies in the world. Traditional forms of defense and justification of religion, developed in the era of its undivided dominance, when science was assigned the role of a servant of religion, turned out to be insufficient and ineffective in the face of new conclusions and arguments of science, and rapid technical progress. This could not but shake the ideological foundations of religion. Finally, the third reason for the crisis of religion is the general cultural progress of mankind, which seriously limits the influence of religion on spiritual life. The sharp increase in the influence of mass media (primarily television) on people has contributed to the development among young people of an indifferent attitude towards religion as a form of spiritual activity. There was a sharp increase in the number of people who wanted to satisfy their spiritual needs not in the church or religious community, but outside them. Religious forms of spiritual life that developed in past centuries, and are designed for people of a different intellectual level and emotional mood than our contemporary, are increasingly losing their attractiveness. Religious leaders themselves note with alarm that the number of people who would rather watch television programs and attend mass sports and cultural shows than church services is steadily growing. To have full view about the crisis of religion and the church, we must consider its most significant and characteristic manifestations in the modern world. Among them, one can note, first of all, the gradual liberation from the influence of religion and the Church in public and personal life. This phenomenon, known as secularization (lat. secularis - secular), has now acquired a massive character and has a clear tendency towards further growth. The number of countries that retain religion as a state ideology and allow Church control over school education and other areas of state and public activity of citizens has noticeably decreased. The spiritual censorship of the church in the field of science and culture has lost its former influence, or even simply been annulled. The Catholic Church, for example, was forced to rehabilitate scientists (Galileo Galilei, Giordano Bruno and others) who were victims of repression by the Holy Inquisition, condemn the so-called “witch trials”, as well as the crusades for the “liberation of the Holy Sepulcher.” Everyday life is also secularized, which is less susceptible to change than others social spheres. There is a decrease in the level of religiosity and the degree of religious activity. More and more believers, thanks to the growth of their social activity and under the influence of secular trends in social development, although they do not break their ties with religion, but cease to be deeply religious people. Among other reasons for the general crisis of religion, one can also name such as a reduction in the reproduction of religion in new generations, as well as acute shortage persons wishing to become professional clergy. There is an obvious shortage of clergy personnel. Catholics need more than 200 thousand clergy; many Orthodox parishes also do not have their own permanent priests; Protestants of all denominations are complaining about the lack of the required number of pastors. A significant portion of Christian and Buddhist monasteries are empty or remain understaffed. Theological seminaries and other church educational institutions do not systematically select the required number of students, even in the classical Catholic countries of Europe and America. There are not enough “spiritual callings” - such an alarming motive in the speeches of many authoritative figures of modern churches. All these manifestations of the general crisis of religion and the church cause natural concern among religious authorities around the world, forcing them to make efforts to prevent further development crisis phenomena and maintain the former influence of the church. There are discussions in Catholic theology about current state, prospects for the moral and ethical teaching of the church. A number of fundamental provisions of the moral teaching of the Church are criticized by moral theologians. The traditional Catholic doctrine of natural law, the universality and immutability of its moral imperatives is denied, or even rejected entirely. This is a state of crisis in the Catholic Church, caused by theological movements that are based on anthropological and modern ethical concepts of morality. The encyclical “Veritatis splender” - “The Shine of Truth” (1993) states that a situation has arisen in Christian communities that is characterized as a crisis. As a result of this crisis, the moral teaching of the Church increasingly raises doubts and reservations of humanitarian, psychological, cultural and also theological content. John Paul II assesses this situation as an attempt at a global and systematic formation of a new moral doctrine based on anthropological and ethical concepts. There are alarming differences between the traditional moral teaching of the Church and certain theological views that are disseminated primarily in Catholic seminaries and theological institutions. Views are gaining ground that question the existence of an internal, inextricable connection between faith and morality. Faith, as modern modernist moral theologians believe, should indicate only belonging to the church and provide support for the internal unity of man and the church. But the pluralism of views and modes of behavior depends entirely on the “individual judgment of subjective conscience” or on the “complexity of socio-cultural causality.” Orthodox believers in the Catholic faith - the educational authority of the Church, in particular the Pope - believe that it is precisely this kind of moral relativism within the Church that creates a situation that should be assessed as a crisis, since difficulties arise both for the moral life of believers and for the unity of the Church, as well as for fair and solidary public life. The church is seriously concerned about problems arising from the interpretation of the results scientific research in Anthropology. Pointing to the huge variety of traditions, customs and institutions that exist in modern society, scientists, according to the Pope, “draw a negative conclusion” about the existence of universal human values. Which leads to the adoption of relativistic concepts of morality. On the occasion of the 2000th anniversary of Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church is forced to state: “de-Christianization has painfully affected many peoples and societies in which faith and Christian life once flourished, which not only causes a loss of faith, but also steadily leads to disorder and devaluation of moral content, disappearance from consciousness of the unique character of evangelical morality, deprivation of its fundamental foundations and values.” The conflict between the moral life of the Church and modern moral and anthropological concepts of morality, between faith - the teaching power of the Church and the currents of modern moral theology that appeared in educational theological institutions of the Catholic Church, is deep and dangerous for traditional faith and morals. It deepens the overall crisis phenomena in modern religious life. 2.2. Global problems of our time in their religious interpretation and solution One of the characteristic features of the development of the modern world is the growing scale of events, the increasing internationalization of social processes, their tendency to become global, that is, such that they cover the whole world, all of humanity and each person individually. Preventing the threat of global thermonuclear war and creating a solid basis for the development of international relations, rational and integrated use of natural resources, pursuing an active and balanced demographic policy, protecting the environment, enhancing international cooperation in the field of scientific research and using the achievements of scientific and technological progress for the benefit of all mankind , the elimination of hunger, poverty, dangerous diseases and, at the same time, the exploration of space and the world's oceans - these and other problems are extremely acute for humanity now. On the basis of these problems, in terms of their understanding and solution, Christian globalism was formed as a component of the doctrine of Christian denominations, which includes a certain set of different concepts and ideas that reflect universal, world-historical problems characteristic of the modern stage of development of civilization. The global problems caused by the threat of nuclear war in the 60-80s were particularly acute, and hence the attention of theologians. Some Christian theologians (formerly Protestant) have since taken the position of a clearly expressed apocalyptic consciousness of social pessimism regarding the ability of humanity to solve the global problems of our time, in particular the problem of war and peace. Antiscientism characterized the views of many theologians on solving global problems during this period, but in last decade exchanged a more moderate approach, which is consistent with overcoming obstacles in solving them. Assessing global problems as the result of human activity, Christian ideologists generally interpret them as an expression of the sinful nature of man. Therefore, through their radical decision, they consider the rebirth of a person’s personal world on the basis of Christian teaching, in particular Christian ethics. At the same time, in Christian global studies, two opposing approaches to understanding and solving global problems of our time are clearly distinguished, which are characterized, on the one hand, by apocalyptic alarmism and social pessimism, and on the other, by Christian solidarism and social realism. Pessimistic forecasts for the future of humanity, worked out in the 60s and 70s under the auspices of scientists from the so-called Club of Rome, were perceived by some Christian, mainly Protestant, theologians in the West as a new version of the Apocalypse. Conclusions of the Club of Rome on the negative consequences of the modern scientific and technological revolution (STR): planned in critical, and hence threatening the existence of mankind, indicators of depletion of the planet’s natural reserves, the development of an energy crisis, environmental pollution, a “population explosion”, and hence the inevitable world hunger and other things - were used with the aim of escalating the apocalyptic state of humanity. The results of research and forecasts of the Club of Rome, already in theological reasoning in scientific forms and with references to the authority of world-famous sociologists, demographers, economists, and, ultimately, politicians, highly raised eschatological actions about the inevitability of a world cataclysm, if not during the lifetime of the current one, then the next one generations. The severity of all other global problems intensified due to the threat of thermonuclear destruction of humanity, which was relevant in the 60-80s as a result of the tense confrontation between two world systems led by the USA and the Soviet Union. Protestant theologians, for example, persistently predicted that the modern world, in the conditions of the scientific and technological revolution, is in a state of illusory equilibrium and any economic and political upheavals will throw it into tartar. The interdependence and interdependence of crisis situations (overpopulation of certain regions, environmental pollution, raw materials, energy, food crises and other global disasters and phenomena) are becoming global, covering the whole world. On this basis, apocalyptic-oriented theologians created theological concepts of globality negative consequences Scientific and technological revolution for all humanity. The authors of theological concepts of the future, clerical futurologists predicted the “irreversible degradation of humanity” and the “coming death of civilization.” In the early 70s, theologians in the West and East focused their attention around the environmental problem. The environmental crisis has become cornerstone theological concepts of modern scientific and technological revolution. Preachers of some Protestant denominations have put forward environmental problems as the main argument of “current eschatology.” Stunning apocalyptic calculations were made: the overpopulation of the planet seemed to have reached a crisis point in 1970, world hunger and ecological crisis will become irreversible from 1980, critical pollution of water and land will occur between 1980-1985, lack of oxygen on Earth, the death of all life on it should be expected in 1990 This is, of course, an example of extreme eschatological theology, focused on actual preaching campaigns with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of preaching and missionary work, as well as attracting followers. The assessment of global problems by Christian theologians is generally characterized by theocentrism.

References

LIST OF SOURCES USED
1. Academic religious studies: Textbook /Under scientific. ed. prof. A. Kolodny. – M:. 2000. - pp. 858-862.
2. Babiy M. Yu. Freedom of conscience: philosophical, anthropological and religious understanding. – M:. 1994.
3. Klochkov V.V. Religion, state, law. - M.. 1998.
4. Klochkov V.V. Religion, state, law. - M.. 1998.
5. Lubsky. V., Kozlenko V., Lubskaya M., Sevryukov G. History of religions: Textbook. allowance. – M:. 2002. - pp. 589-615.
6. Models of church-state relations between countries Western Europe and USA: Co. articles. - M., 1996.
7. Religious studies: Textbook. distance aid. textbook / A.M. Kolodny. T.A. Nikolyuk. - M. 2003. - P. 179-183. 201-214.
8. Religious studies: Textbook E.K. Dutuman, M.M. Zakovich, M.F. Ribachuk, et al.: Ed. MM. Zakovich. - M. 2000. -S. 290-309.
9. Religious freedom: historical background, legal foundations and realities // Scientific collection/ Under the general ed. prof. A. Kolodny. - M. 1988.
10. Religious freedom: Nature, legal and state guarantees // Scientific Yearbook / Ed. A. Kolodny. V. Slensk. - M., 1999.
11. Religious freedom: mass media, school and church as social factors of affirmation // Scientific Yearbook / Under the general title. ed. A. Kolodny. - M. 2001.
12. Rene D. Basic legal systems of our time. - M.. 1998.
13. Savelyev V.I. Freedom of conscience: history and theory. - M. 1991.
14. Freedom of conscience, religion and religious organizations: Collection of documents. - M. 1996.
15. Cherny A.M. Religious Studies: Guide. - M. 2003. -P. 270-301.
16. Yarotsky P. Religious Studies: Textbook. allowance. - M., 2004. -S. 244-275.

Please carefully study the content and fragments of the work. Money for purchased finished works will not be returned due to the fact that the work does not meet your requirements or is unique.

* The category of work is of an evaluative nature in accordance with the qualitative and quantitative parameters of the material provided, which is not scientific work, is not a final qualifying work and is the result of processing, structuring and formatting the collected information, but can be used as a source for preparing work on the specified topic.

WHAT IS RELIGION IN THE MODERN WORLD?

In any world, religion (from the Latin verb religare - “to bind”) has been and remains a form of social consciousness, inseparable from the very existence of man. Its social function is to externally structure a person’s internal faith in God or gods. Faith and religion, by the way, are different things, more on that below. There are no human communities without religion. At different stages of history, there is a loss of trust of the masses in certain religious institutions, a temporary loss of interest in participating in rituals or worship of higher powers. In this case, reforms occur, sometimes radical and even great. It also happens that some forms of widespread popular religions disappear. But never completely, since, while outwardly disappearing, they actually dissolve in other religions, organized more effectively and on theoretical principles more accessible to the masses - so-called theology. This is what happened, say, with Mithraism and Manichaeism, the teachings of the prophet Mani, which was professed from Europe to Siberia, Tibet and China, but was supplanted by Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, finally by the 17th century. None of the religions disappears without a trace, and periods of formal irreligion with the regularity of a pendulum are replaced by periods of intense religiosity. This does not change the essence of the matter: in cases of rejection of one or another religion, it is replaced by another form of religion, built on the worship of the state (this is most often), science, ideology, philosophy or pure morality (for example, Confucianism). That is, religion, abandoning its direct functions, is replaced by a religious attitude towards other forms of social consciousness. I have listed some of them.

Atheism, by the way, no matter how angry atheists are about it and object, is also a form of relationship with God and towards God. Atheists believe that there is no God. Therefore, atheism is also a form of religion or quasi-religion. Which does not make atheists “bad” or “second-class citizens.”

DOES IT MAKE A PERSON BETTER OR MAKE A PERSON HATE “OTHER”?

No, it doesn't make it better. This is simply a given, like other forms of social consciousness. Does law, morality or science make a person better? No. Law monitors legality, i.e. something external. Moral different nations different and something considered good in Ancient Egypt or Ancient Rome, may not have been the norm in Ancient China and may be considered bad or abnormal today. Science is intended to improve the human condition through experimental study of the physical world and a greater understanding of its processes. But it does not make the person himself “internally” better. Only faith can do this, and not just any faith. In addition, the concepts of “better” and “worse” are very relative. What is good in one culture may be considered bad in another. Another thing is that religion undoubtedly makes a person “better” in the social sense, i.e. for the state or society. A religious person who tries to implement the principles of his religion in practice is easier to manipulate, control and make more obedient in the face of the state, which formally professes the same religion.

But this is also related to the fact that church hierarchy or the state, using the subordinate position of its parishioner or citizen, can easily force him to hate the “other.” This is a constant phenomenon in human history, this is the main reason for wars, uprisings and other social cataclysms. Moreover, sometimes (this is usually due to the individual characteristics of human character) faith in God or invisible forces can weaken and even disappear. But even in this case, faith never disappears completely, it is simply crowded out or replaced by faith in pragmatism, i.e. the most effective means for successful living in this world or faith in one or another idea that supposedly contributes to success in life, personal, social and state good. In this sense, we are no longer talking about religious faith, but about quasi-religious faith. But it is still a faith, and followers of such a faith are just as easily manipulated and forced to hate the “other.” Which is what usually happens.

IS THIS A MEANS OF SELF-IDENTIFICATION IN ORDER TO NOT MISTAKELY KILL YOUR FELLOW OR SOMETHING ELSE?

Yes, in primitive societies, local tribal religions, of course, were a means of self-identification in order not to accidentally kill one of your own. Moreover, general principles primitive and ancient religions were tied to the same archetypes of the human unconscious, but at a more archaic level. This archaism was represented by the cults of unusually large stones, various groves and rivers, and especially sexual mysticism and magic associated with the most ancient of the religious ideas of mankind - the idea of ​​​​fertility and reproduction as the only means of preserving one’s tribe, one’s children, and therefore oneself. Let me remind you that the Slavic word “God” itself came to us through the Scythians from the Persian baha (pronounced like the Ukrainian fricative “g”), and to the Persians - from the Sanskrit bhaga (one of the names of God), which in turn came from the Sanskrit bhakti, meaning both fertility in general and the female reproductive organ in particular (vagina).

The earliest man-made works of religious art and human hands in general - menhirs - were a horizontally standing roughly processed stone. It was nothing more than a sacred image of the male reproductive organ - the phallus. They are found everywhere from Gambia to Tuva: in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Siberia. Another ancient religious building, belonging to the category of megaliths (large stones) and just as ubiquitous, is the dolmen. These are two stones covered with a third, sometimes with an additional round hole - a symbol of the feminine reproductive organ, which was also placed in burial places (symbol of the return of the soul to the mother’s womb). Ancient Greek herms - stone pillars with the head and often the phallus of the god Hermes, placed along dangerous highways - are also relics of ancient phallic cults. The ubiquitous garden effigies are a reminiscence of the phalluses or statues of the phallic god Priapus in the gardens, orchards and fields of ancient Rome, guarding the crops. The sacred lingams (phalluses) and yoni (vaginas) have survived to this day from ancient times and are still preserved in India.

Why am I talking about this? This is a clear illustration of the principle “so as not to kill your own by mistake.” Because what we today call obscenities or, scientifically, taboo vocabulary, has been taboo since ancient times, but not because it was considered a curse, but because it was a sacred amulets. Checkmate, i.e. sacred words associated with the ancient cult of the Great Mother protected the traveler from strangers on the high road of the times, so to speak, of “Conan the Barbarian.” When everyone he met could become deadly for the traveler. IN similar situation two main amulets were used. The first person to say “I had sexual relations with your mother” magically placed himself in the position of the stranger’s father. Of course, he could still kill you, but by doing so he incurred the wrath of the Goddess and became cursed. The second amulet was more primitive: by sending a stranger to three letters, the traveler magically turned him into a woman and, as it were, deprived him of his strength. Despite the fact that different tribes (not only Slavic, there are analogies among the Celts and the Germans, and in the English language) had different cults, sexual magic was understandable to everyone and was used religiously. These sacred formulas were turned into curses by Christianity, which declared them “pagan abomination.” Nowadays, this quality of the amulet has been preserved in the form of a peasant belief that if an evil spirit begins to “guide” you in the forests or swamps, you must constantly swear at it. The same amulet.

So yes, religion is definitely one of the the most important means self-identification and the difference between “us” and “alien” in human society, as in ancient world, so it is today.

IS THIS A CURE FOR DEATH OR A CAUSE FOR MURDER?

Neither one nor the other. This is not a cure for death, if you mean the belief in the immortality of the soul. The belief in the afterlife existence of souls, and in some cases also about the transmigration of souls, has existed since ancient times and is not so important for more modern religions - for them it is obvious. Christ taught how to live here, and not what will happen there. So did Moses and Muhammad. In other words, in order to believe in the immortality of the soul and the afterlife, it is not at all necessary to be a Christian or a Muslim. Christianity and Islam are not about that.

No religion is or can be a reason for murder. The reason for murder is not religion, but religious ideology. People substitute concepts and present their religiously colored ideology as religion. Some do this while being sincerely mistaken. Others do it intentionally, that is, for charlatan reasons. Pumping up hatred towards everyone who disagrees with them. We see such a charlatan infusion of religious ideology, full of hatred and intolerance mixed with unctuousness and hypocrisy, and which at the same time passes off as religion, in Putin’s Russia. This is done very clumsily, because it is done by the KGB, or whatever they are called today. The names are not important, the essence is important, and the essence is the same Cheka, GPU and NKVD who organized mass executions, mass hunger, mass repressions. Moscow totalitarianism has remained the same as it was and continues to educate the Russian people in its spirit in order to be able to continue to use them with impunity as cannon fodder and a beast of burden. And he uses it perfectly. I repeat, this is being done clumsily, but the Russian masses, uneducated and immature after 70 years of communism, accept all this nonsense at face value. The so-called “Moscow Orthodoxy”, which calls itself today the “Moscow Patriarchate”, is not a church or a religion, but an ideology, a continuation of the ideology of Sergianism, which in the 1920s in Soviet Russia taught that the church must completely submit to the godless authorities and cooperate with her. Which is what they do. This is one of the ideologies of modern Russian Orthodoxy. In those countries where Russian Orthodox churches are not under the control of Moscow, this ideology does not work. For example, the ideology of Russian Orthodoxy in France and American parishes independent of Moscow is the so-called Eulogianism, a completely liberal Orthodoxy. In their churches, by the way, there are rows of benches, like in all Western churches. Therefore, when you get to them, for a long time you cannot believe that these are Russian churches. There are simply no such people in Russia. And if there is, they are oppressed in every possible way, sometimes openly persecuted.

We see the same thing with Muslim terrorism. Islam is a religion. The Koran does not teach violence. It is not Islam that teaches violence, but Islamism, the radical ideology of war against everyone, including Muslims themselves, the majority that does not support terrorists. Islamism terrorizes Muslims as much as it terrorizes Christians and the democratic world. Another example. The official ideology of Saudi Arabia is Wahhabism. Wahhabism opposes Islamism and terrorism, although it is also a rather intolerant and suppressive ideology. But Wahhabism is not all of Islam. And, for example, in the ideology of Shiism there are a variety of directions, both radically intolerant and deeply humanistic and peaceful.

The same thing happened in the case of the terrorist war in Ulster and Northern Ireland. It was not Catholics and Protestants who waged a life-and-death war between themselves, but Catholic-terrorists and Protestant-terrorists, both of which were deliberately financed by the USSR, just as Putin’s Russia finances Islamist terrorists today. Continuing with this the tradition of the Soviet Union and the KGB, in which in the 1960-70s, under Andropov, all types of international terrorism and acts of hijacking aircraft were developed in detail (this was the personal invention of the head of foreign intelligence in 1956-1971, Colonel General of the KGB A. Sakharovsky ), Palestinian movement, Tamil movement in Sri Lanka and so on. I remember this time well, because I studied at the translation department of the “ideological” Moscow foreign language, where such plans were not even particularly hidden by party lecturers. By the way, Valeria Novodvorskaya also studied with me on a parallel course, and I was already a member of her underground organization together with the future professor Andrei Zubov. And we all knew very well who exactly was financing global terrorism, including religious terrorism. Which does not mean that there are few people in the world who are willing to do this kind of thing even without Moscow money. But that’s why Moscow money is needed: to identify potential rapists and murderers “shifted by religious phase,” to organize them and supply them with finances and weapons. But the goal is still the same - to destabilize the countries of the free world. The same goal that Moscow is pursuing today in the territory of Donbass. Because Ukraine today is an obvious part of the free world. And because of this, Russia is furious with furious anger and envy and in a rage is ready to tear itself in half, like Rumpelstiltskin from the famous fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm.

ARE THERE “GOOD” AND “BAD” RELIGIONS?

No. All religions are equally neutral. And at the same time, all religions stubbornly insisted that only they are good, and everyone else is bad. This especially applies to the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Precisely because all three descended from Abraham, and therefore perceive each other within the framework of intense competition. But one should not think that more ancient religions were more tolerant. Yes, the incredible size of the Roman Empire at that time forced the Romans not only to accept the Greek gods, but also, in order to establish harmony between all citizens, to constantly include the gods of the newly conquered peoples in their pantheon. But this was not always the case and not with all gods. As we know, the Romans accepted the Jewish tribal god with great reluctance because the Jews claimed that he was the only true God. They treated Christians even harsher, but in the end they were given equal rights. Hindus also slaughtered Muslims, and the specific Burmese Buddhism is still incredibly intolerant and cruel today.

I know that these words of mine will seem scandalous to many, but from the point of view of comparative religion there is no difference in the sense of “bad” and “good” between, say, Christianity and the Church of Satan. Yes, Christians believe in good, and Satanists believe in evil. But Satanists believe in evil only from the Christian point of view. On the contrary, from the point of view of Satanists, Christians believe in evil, and they, Satanists, believe in good. Both have their own moral principles, and the morality of Satanists (their commandments can be easily found on the Internet in any language) is undoubtedly quite reasonable in its own way, imbued with common sense and high human dignity. Until certain churches and religions become sharply asocial, that is, do not begin to cause harm to others through violation of the criminal code, all religions are the same and have the same rights to free coexistence. And asocial actions (including calls for mass suicide of their followers) can be carried out not only by the “Peoples Temple”, as in Guiana in 1978, or “Aum Shinrikyo” based on peaceful Buddhism in Japan, or “Santeria” in Mexico (see. Sara Aldrete) but also Christian groups, like the Branch Davidians in 1993 in Texas.

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RELIGION AND FAITH?

There is a difference and a very big one. These are two different phenomena and concepts. Faith is an internal feeling of confidence, and confidence is by no means in the existence of higher invisible spiritual forces. Their existence for a person of faith is obvious and an axiom that does not require proof. Faith is trust in higher invisible spiritual forces. These higher powers or higher power can be perceived as individuals. Others perceive it as an archetype and as the energy of being, with which one can and should come into contact and consonance, into appropriate relationships, in order to live life correctly and with the greatest dedication and self-disclosure. Since human consciousness and especially the unconscious sphere are built on archetypes - innate primary mental structures, images and symbols common to all people (there is even the concept of “collective unconscious”), then inner experience The faith of different people, despite the uniqueness and uniqueness of each person, is usually built on similar elements of consciousness and emotions - what we attribute to the sphere of the soul or, which is the same thing, to the psyche. Therefore, people are able to share their faith. The accumulation of experience of faith in the soul gradually transfers it to a higher sphere, which in many religions is called spiritual. The spiritual sphere is no longer emotions; this sphere includes the human will and morality (rules of behavior in a team), the fulfillment of which this will is aimed at. And also common sense - the ability of the mind to control emotions and will.

Religion is the outward expression of inner individual faith, involving the observance of principles that so organize our lives as to enable us to most effectively come into contact or attunement with higher powers. Since people are able to share their faith with each other, religion is no longer an internal state, like faith, but a social phenomenon. It combines the theoretical principles of a given faith and rituals that ensure and symbolize coming into contact with higher power(by force). Therefore, religion is one of the forms of social consciousness, namely the one that is determined by belief in the supernatural (as a rule). Religion should not be confused with other forms of social consciousness - mythology, ideology, philosophy, morality, law, science, art, economics. These forms may be closely related to religion, but they are completely independent of it. That is why contradictions between science and religion only occurred when religious views were presented as science, as Galileo’s opponents did. There is no contradiction between pure science and pure religion. They just talk about different things. As for creationism as opposed to evolutionism, this is not a religion, but a religious ideology. There are many of them.

A person can have faith but not be religious. For example, he chooses not to attend religious services or refuses to outwardly express his faith in public, considering his faith a private matter. In the same way, a person may not have faith, but be religious. He participates in worship, in rituals, because his soul is lighter when the “consolation” is structured, organized, and can be touched. A man died and people go to special service in churches, synagogues, mosques, Buddhist temples, where someone reads prayers for them for the deceased. After which people feel that they have fulfilled their duty, especially when they arrange additional commemorations on the third, ninth and fortieth days after death, even if they do not go to temple. Or a person goes to take an exam, is sad about the person who has left, wants to help himself or someone else’s recovery. Such people light candles in appropriate places in the temple and order prayer services. This makes them feel better. But all these actions among the huge mass of formal followers of various religions remain external. There is no real faith in the soul, but external actions make it possible to create a spiritual mood. This is also normal, this has always been and will be.

Submitting your good work to the knowledge base is easy. Use the form below

Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.

Posted on http://www.allbest.ru/

Abstract on the topic:

Religion in the modern world.

INconducting

Religion is an integral part of the modern world, since it performs three blocks of social functions. Firstly, religious institutions carry out the spiritual formation of believers, which is manifested in the organization of the connection “man - God”, in the education of religiosity and citizenship, in saturating a person with good and removing evil and sins. Secondly, religious organizations are engaged in religious and special secular education, mercy and charity. Thirdly, representatives of churches actively participate in public activities, contribute to the normalization of political, economic and cultural processes, interethnic and interstate relations, and the solution of global problems of civilization.

The current perception of the cultural situation as a breakdown forces us to reconsider previous research dogmas. The point is to consider the actual syncretism of the religious and cultural spheres, which has long been inherent in them, as a significant fact not only in distant eras, but also in modern phenomena, as well as in culture as a whole.

Seemingly relict, sometimes very hidden, the religious background for identification and analysis requires very sophisticated cultural tools, enriched by the history of religions and an understanding of the knowledge they have accumulated.

The reversal of ideals and behavioral norms in modern culture in comparison with the previous one is to some extent consistent with the desire for reform in traditional religion, the radicalization of inter- and intra-confessional contradictions, the active search for heretics, all sorts of enemies of the true faith, etc. The information boom corresponds to a sharp increase in missionary work and preaching using all media.

1 . Scientific understanding of religion

A unique key to understanding the role of religion in ongoing processes is a scientific understanding of this phenomenon, free from extremes. The concept of "religion" comes from the Latin "religare", which means "to bind, unite, unite." Religion is a person’s idea of ​​universal world connections, expressed through specific behavior. Consequently, religious teaching is nothing more than a person’s systematized idea of ​​​​universal world connections.

There are world and national religions. Religious scholars include Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam as world religions, i.e., religions that are supranational in nature and develop outside the specifics of the mononational self-awareness of a certain ethnic group. The formation of national-national religions - Judaism, Confucianism, Shintoism, etc. - is possible only on the basis of a mono-ethnic community (no more than 10-15 percent of foreigners) due to the presence of national exclusivity in the public consciousness of this ethnic group of people.

Developed religions form religious systems that have the following structure: 1 - faith in God; 2 - dogmatic theology; 3 - moral theology and the corresponding moral imperative of behavior; 4 - historical theology; 5 - system of cult (ritual) practice; 6 - presence of churches (mosques, houses of worship, etc.), preachers, ministers.

Dogmatic theology deals with the systematic presentation of religious views, as well as the interpretation of religious dogmas. Dogmas (from the Greek verb “to think, believe, believe”) are undoubtedly true and indisputable principles about God and man, constituting the symbol of faith in every religion. Distinctive features of dogmas: 1) speculativeness or contemplation: they are comprehended by faith and do not require rational evidence; 2) revelation from God. dogmas were given to man directly by God, therefore they are sincere, indisputable and unchangeable, once and forever recorded in the sacred scriptures; 3) ecclesiastical dogmas are recognized by all churches of a given religious system, it is the churches that preserve and interpret dogmas as divine revelation, convince believers of their immutability and truth, 4) universally binding for all members of the church, all believers must unconditionally believe in the truth of the dogmas and must be guided by them in life, otherwise excommunication follows.

The main differences between religious systems are the peculiarities of the perception of God (God is, as it were, “dissolved” in Buddhism, trinitarian in Christianity, united in Islam, etc.). Each religion dogmatically solves its own important problem. There are also differences in historical theology (i.e., the interpretation of the history of the Universal Church and specific churches), in the system of cult or ritual practice, manifested in the activities of priests and laity.

So, the difference in the understanding of God and his ways of communicating with man leads to the functioning of various religious systems, characterized by specific religious practices and independent religious associations. At the same time, religions have been and remain the spiritual core of the development of earthly civilization.

Is there a decline in religion?

Is religion losing its former meaning, its influence on society? Modern man, having mastered the scientific methods of consciousness, no longer sees the need to turn to God to explain the world. In the past, the weakness of man as an active being gave rise to and supported faith in the “almighty” God - the compensator of human powerlessness, but now people have learned to overcome their weakness, they are becoming more and more confident masters of the world around them and themselves. There is an opinion that the God that traditional religion proposed has now been overcome and discarded as a natural scientific, political, moral and philosophical hypothesis.

We can agree that traditional faith and the usual image of God as a miracle worker and savior have largely lost their former meaning and degree of influence. According to some estimates, under the influence of science and the development of education, the proportion of people who believe in God in his traditional form - “God the Father”, “God as a Person”, etc. has decreased over the last three centuries, starting from 1700, by one third, although this data is, in principle, controversial. As some studies show, many believers today believe in God as they themselves understand him, and this understanding often diverges from what the church teaches: God is presented as a certain embodiment of goodness, a rational principle, etc., that is, as a certain an abstract principle, not necessarily supernatural, often impersonal.

But this kind of data only records the decline of traditional religion. They may indicate that the sources that previously fed it are drying up. But they by no means exclude the possibility that new ones may appear and that the religious need itself may remain urgently necessary, capable of nourishing religious creativity in some updated forms.

In the political sphere, religion was supplanted, first of all, by the development modern state- secular, separated from the state. In the twentieth century, especially in its first half, transformations in many countries took place under anti-religious slogans (Russia, Turkey, China, etc.). After the First World War, religion suffered very tangible, but still temporary, losses. Religion managed already in the second half of the twentieth century. strengthen their positions by joining the movement for national liberation and revival in many regions (India, Israel, the Arab world, etc.) Religious organizations have become increasingly involved in activities aimed at resolving the most pressing problems of our time (ecology, apartheid, anti-war movement, etc.).

How far can religion go along the path of seeking agreement with the world, along the path of compromise?

All questions concerning the future of religion boil down to the fact that society is becoming more complex, people's lives are changing in some significant way, and they are rushing towards new spiritual values, including an understanding of the meaning of religion. Religious consciousness manifests itself in new, often unexpected and unusual forms. What is important is the growing conviction that it is impossible to make a radical division between the sacred and the secular, the sacred and the secular, if we are to understand today's gods. It is also important to understand that the emergence of highly organized religions with bureaucratic structures, occupying a dominant position in society at one or another stage of history and at the same time making universalist claims, is rather not a rule, but a special type, a historical accident, an exception.

First of all, as a spiritual and moral force, and not as a state authority or church-organized institution, religion today has the opportunity to enter into dialogue with the world, the fate of which now so depends on the moral viability of the human community in the face of the, sometimes global, challenges that stand before it. , problems of all kinds. This dialogue is made possible by the fact that fundamentally the cultural values ​​shared by most modern religions are such universal human values ​​as love, peace, hope, and justice. However, on this general basis, the political, social and cultural orientation of specific religions turns out to depend on specific circumstances, which are very different.

There is such a fairly noticeable factor as religiously motivated activity, aimed not at the reconstruction of society, the eradication of social evil and injustice. Loss of trust in various social projects, secular utopias makes many today turn to the idea Christian civilization or a Muslim state, religious-national revival.

The current growth of interest in irrationalism, the craving for occult phenomena, Eastern meditation, astrology, fortune telling, etc. are symptomatic. These phenomena are closer to what is commonly called magic, which is traditionally separated from religion. However, there is also a phenomenon of a more general order - a protest against the growing rationalization and bureaucratization of modern society, in which a person turns out to be an appendage of a machine, disappointment in the consequences of scientific and technological civilization, disappointment, which is often associated with a craving for the irrational and an orientation towards what lies behind, lost " golden age".

Religious restoration often cultivates the spirit of religious exclusivity and intolerance, a religiosity that is “closed” to the uninitiated and is the property of the chosen, the faithful. The basis for claims to exclusivity is the confidence in the monopoly of the truth.

In religious consciousness today there is, and quite widely, an opposite tendency, a type of religiosity that can be characterized as “open” - open to contacts with other religions, interreligious dialogue, and even with such a phenomenon as humanism. This tendency is represented in Russian religious thought of the beginning of the century, which put forward a program of religious revival and renewal, in modern Catholic and Protestant thought, which discovered religious meaning in the humanistic aspiration to help a person be human, gain a sense of solidarity with other people and share responsibility for their fate. This trend - the religious discovery of humanism - is deeply consonant with the spirit of the times of the birth of “planetary consciousness”, the ethics of universal human solidarity, overcoming those traditions that separate and contrast people.

Renewal of religion in the modern world is possible only on the path of gaining new religious experience, human experience in man. Such religious experience today has a serious social basis, namely the formation of human society on a global scale. The lives of all people on Earth today are connected into a single whole by a common technical base, new means of communication and transport, an intercontinental network of scientific and information connections, trade and industry, common threats that cast doubt on the very continued existence of humanity, and a common destiny. Today, people living on our planet have common problems, and they are equally looking for ways to solve them. They can solve many of these problems only together, only by finding the possibility of unification. But this is not an easy problem. The explosion of ethnic self-awareness these days testifies to the living fear of leveling tendencies, fear of losing identity and national traditions. This is one of the factors counteracting the formation of the world community and at the same time is an indicator of how necessary the spirit of solidarity and cooperation is today. The social basis for the renewal of religious experience today can also serve as a trend that is expressed in the creation of “small groups” and with which the prospect of the continued existence of religion in a changing world can also be associated. Unlike sectarian movements typical of the past, this movement is aimed at establishing contacts between people, not separating them, but awakening a consciousness of community and solidarity.

2. The moral and humanistic role of religion

Faith today is not only one of the windows into the world, but a synthesis and union of religion and philosophy, religion and art, religion and science. Theology is a whole system of disciplines: metaphysics, anthology, epistemology, natural philosophy, ethics, aesthetics, sociology, philosophy of history, philosophical anthropology - from existentialism to personalism. Perhaps it is she who provides the most fundamental knowledge about man and life. After all, experimental knowledge only leads us to the boundaries of existence, but no matter how vast this boundary is, it only suggests the thought of that otherworldly vastness from which all this visibility is drawn.

Religion binds civilization and unites people not only through morality, samabakhva, but through tradition, spirituality, and Heaven. Without a religious principle, a person loses the main thing - his humanity. A religious idea, unlike a philosophical or scientific one, is accessible to everyone - both the highbrow and the common people.

If we discard everything superficial, everything too human, then religion has always been a treasury of morality. She not only created standards of humanity, did not simply “stupefy” the masses with golden commandments, but was the only slow process of ethical improvement against which the impatient and lustful have always rebelled. Yes, in its development, religion was not devoid of evil, but this evil differed from other human institutions, such as the state or power, in that, despite this evil, it introduced the masses to the sublime, and through the sublime - to moral beauty. But those who rebelled against the “religious dope,” having destroyed the “damned cult,” did not fail to take full advantage of the negative sides of churchliness - despotism, hypocrisy, Jesuitism, completely rejecting its highest essence, sublimity and humanity. Having destroyed what the church had cultivated with such efforts, they received the only thing they could get - total corruption, a cult-free cult of lack of culture, the religion of the trough, that is, “satisfying continuously growing needs.”

Culture sets itself purely earthly tasks, which from now on are self-sufficient and are not, in their totality, too lofty in relation to the Kingdom of God; Let's use a word that has been used many times recently: this is an anthropocentric type of culture. Let us not forget that by virtue of the natural law of growth and under the influence of the evangelical ferment introduced into humanity, a certain process is taking place in the bosom of this civilization, and it could be called material, giving this word a broader philosophical meaning, for material culture progresses not only in the field of scientific and technical means of exploitation of nature, but also in the field of intellectual, artistic, spiritual tools of development; Even the level of moral life or moral ideal, but of concepts and feelings as a means of forming stable conditions of moral life, has increased. It's a fragile structure, but in the end, the idea of ​​slavery or torture or forcing people with weapons to do things contrary to their conscience, and a number of similar ideas today seem to disgust more people than before, at least the condemnation of these ideas today it has become an officially recognized common place, and this already means something.

3. Doctrine of integration of religions

New religious thinking, the creation of new symbols of integrity and meaning of social life was in many ways the salvation of ancient civilizations. Byzantines of the 5th or 6th century. They attached more importance to theological disputes than to public finances, and they were right: The harmonious doctrine of the Trinity made it possible to create a single Byzantine ethnos from different tribes and peoples, which lasted a thousand years. Without new symbols, unity would not have happened.

In the Mediterranean, India and China, the process took place in different forms. But everywhere, thinking that passed through philosophy and was not satisfied with philosophy created world religions, addressed to every person, stepping over the disputes of tribes and classes.

Our era can also be called a turning point, and the crisis of antiquity is easier to understand based on own experience. Everything that was called progress revealed its destructive character. The productive forces turned out to be destructive forces. Their unlimited growth leads to an ecological crisis and the threat of destruction of the biosphere. But other accumulating processes are also dual. Differentiation of culture forces us to live in a constant flow of new, unexpected facts, ideas, temptations and threats. The way out of one crisis leads to another, the number of open questions is increasing. The majority of the current population of the Earth is lost in such " open society“, and throughout the underdeveloped world waves of fundamentalist movements are rolling, attempts to restore a solid medieval hierarchy of values.

The most important obstacle to the integration of cultures is the religious unity achieved in the early Middle Ages. Not the spirit of world religions, the universal spirit, but their dogmatics, the pride of religion. Christianity is convinced that it is a world religion, Buddhism is convinced of the same, and Hinduism is ready to give all religions a place in its structure as embodiments of its spirit.

Ethnic differences are not as strong as they seem. They are very rarely able to resist the preaching of world religions, and before our eyes Africa is becoming a confessor of Christianity or Islam. True, this does not create peace. On the contrary, tribal conflicts become more acute if they are supported by differences in religions. But from a global point of view, the main difficulty is different: neither Christianity nor Islam were able to overcome the resistance of Hinduism and the religions of the Far East; several centuries of Christian propaganda in India and China yielded only islands, enclaves of Christianization that did not change the integrity of the culture. Even less was the attempt to break into the world of Islam. The experience of global Christianization failed.

It is not today that global solidarity is needed.

One approach to solving this problem is to understand that all great religions say the same thing, just in different words. This requires centuries of dialogue, centuries of effort to understand each other. For example, a Buddhist says: “I am an illusion,” and a Christian: “I am the worst.” You can emphasize different approaches to the problem, or you can emphasize a single problem: overcoming egocentrism, overcoming the thirst to possess the world, revealing the One Being in each of us. Then it will be revealed that great religions are simply different languages spiritual experience. Some things were better expressed in Buddhist language, and some in Christian language. Spiritual pluralism itself seems petty and unprincipled for zealous faith. All words about God are metaphors, of which there can be as many as you like. The fundamental difference is not at the level of words, but at the level of depth of feeling, experience of God. And anyone who knows even a little about the experience itself will not confuse it with the helpless translation of the feeling of eternity into the language of everyday experience.

In our country, for example, the “new religious consciousness” of the beginning of the century was making its way to the level of direct spiritual experience. But a movement began in India. Back in the 19th century, convinced that all religions are parts of one Eternal Religion, Ramakrishna taught: “You cannot cling to doctrines, you cannot cling to dogmas, or sects, or churches! They are of little importance in comparison with the holy power in every person, that is, in comparison with spirituality, and than more people develops this inner strength, the closer he is to salvation. Achieve this and do not condemn anything, for all doctrines and sects have good sides. Prove with your life that religion is not an empty word..."

4. Religiosity in everyday life and in popular culture

religion theology culture

The connection between the religious and cultural spheres is manifested in such a historical pattern as the assimilation of purely religious ideas by modern, at first glance purely secular, realities. For example, the foundation of Abrahamic and pagan religions is belief in the other world. However, careful consideration of scientific knowledge modern type and its functioning in the mentality is also revealed here by an analogue of another world. Indeed, following mathematics, more and more sciences are based on axiomatic, essentially a priori, provisions in which an adherent of a given scientific field must believe if he wants to be recognized in the community of learned men and women. It is also easy to notice that they are trying to put the main body of scientific provisions into terminologically, symbolically and conceptually inaccessible forms for the uninitiated - exactly as is the case, say, in theology, not to mention the so-called “secret knowledge” in non-traditional sciences. religions. Let us also add that scientific knowledge claims that only with its help can one effectively influence the material world, society, and human nature. But the other world in religious systems has approximately the same ability.

In art the situation is similar. Art in general exists to create something that goes beyond the ordinary. And here we again encounter a special language of expression, a circle of initiates, etc., which is very clearly visible in elite art. The coinciding features of science, art and religion are precisely what make them rivals.

Nowadays there is a widespread opinion that modern mass culture is irreligious. To make sure it is wrong, let’s continue our excursion through its highways and back streets. As already noted, the otherworldly from heaven and hell in traditional Orthodoxy migrated to the artistic worlds of art and the mysterious hieroglyphs of scientific knowledge. But not only that. After all, all kinds of speculation and hypotheses about aliens are from the same series. And the craze for astrology is fueled not only by its dubious successes, but also by the eternally sacred attitude towards the stars. Mystical transferences to other worlds, characteristic of the prayer and ascetic practices of traditional religions, are replaced by social methods and drugs. The role of initiates, which, for example, in Orthodoxy, belongs to the priesthood, elders and elders, holy fools, is now appropriated by psychologists, artists, teachers, ideologists, sorcerers and sorceresses - all these characters teach and treat the gullible public.

So we see that modern popular culture thoroughly saturated with religious fluids, mythologies, reflections. Probably, there is some kind of little-studied, heterogeneous, unstructured, anonymous religiosity at work here. The mass person, as a rule, does not realize the nature of his own religiosity or understands it incorrectly. According to surveys, more than half of Russians consider themselves Orthodox, but in fact no more than 5% live church life.

Let's give a few not very complicated examples. Among the individual phenomena that immediately catch the eye are modern wedding rituals, funeral symbols, processions and rock concerts. The laying of flowers by the newlyweds at the so-called eternal flame and monuments, as ethnographers know, goes back to the worship of ancestors, especially warriors. Whether the belief in the intercession and childbearing help of ancestors is conscious or unconscious, it is an element of real religiosity, although most often anonymous. Funeral symbolism is filled to the brim with similar elements: wakes, tombstones, and grave care are nothing more than forms of pleasing the dead and confirming their participation in present life. The processions, it seems, have completely divorced themselves from the religious basis, but this is not so - there are relics of the detour and thereby the mystical fencing of one’s own possessions (the same function of religious processions, reviews, detours by rulers of subject territories), and also relics of ritual glorification and curses, public wearing of amulets (posters, flags, etc.). At rock concerts, slightly curtailed orgiastic celebrations are reproduced. By the way, again, most of the current holidays, including civil ones, have a religious background. These are New Year(the favor of cosmic forces and deities); Women's Day and May Day (impact on fertility); Defender of the Fatherland Day and Soviet November holidays, primarily expressing a memorial connection with ancestors and mythological heroes.

It can be argued that we have real religiosity, at least secretly. But concealment is also a well-known feature of religiosity. In-depth cultural study should, in our opinion, address these phenomena with all seriousness. Let us also note: it is possible that the amazing stability of many customs is precisely due to their religious basis.

Conclusion

Recognition of the fact that faith has been and remains one of the main means of sociocultural integration, satisfying one of the basic needs of human nature - to have an ideal and an object for worship, does not remove the question of the specific place of religion among other spheres of culture. Being the most important connecting element of any society, the religious worldview and belief in some higher values ​​generally manifest themselves in very different ways in such basic areas of human spiritual life as science, art and morality.

Modern, so-called post-Christian European culture contains many traces and elements Christian tradition. But in this same modernity the Church is also present - that Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, which recently celebrated its 2000th anniversary. Although today the Church is obviously “unfused” with culture, at the same time it is “inseparable” from it.

Today, religion has lost its former monopoly on explaining natural and social reality, and has ceased to be a universal worldview, an institution that integrates various layers. The main integrating factors were politics, law and the market. Society derives its values, norms and ideals to a large extent from secular culture. IN Western countries The influence of the church on political and civil life is noticeably declining. Sociological analysis reveals a more complex picture. Population surveys in Western countries show that more than 70-80% of the population, to one degree or another, believe in some kind of divine principle. In the same countries, especially in the United States, in addition to traditional churches, hundreds of sects and religious groups exist and continue to emerge. The Pope tours different countries world, and he is heeded by millions of Catholics, and the Catholic Church has enormous wealth that allows it to carry out extensive social work.

Thus, we can say that the church today does not have significant worldly power and does not determine socio-cultural processes, but continues to be significantly present in the world. Evidence of this presence is the lively interest in church tradition, which is gradually increasing these days.

If the most important thing on which the fate of humanity depends is the human qualities of the billions of people inhabiting it, then the future of religion depends on the extent to which its contribution to the search for an answer to the question of what it means to be human can be socially significant.

List of sources used

1. Garin I. Prophets and poets, volume 5. - M.: Terra, 1994.

2. Maritain J. Knowledge and wisdom. - M.: Scientific world, 1999.

3. Mamontov S.P. Fundamentals of cultural studies. - M.: Publishing house. Russian Open University, 1994.

4. Sh.N. Munchaev Religion: history and modernity. - M.: Culture and Sports, 1998.

5. Metropolitan Philaret Christianity on the threshold of the third millennium - materials of the conference report 06/20/2000.

6. L. E. Vand, A. S. Muratova Genealogy of culture and faith - visible and secret. - M.: Rudomino, 2000.

7. G.S. Pomerantz From a bird's eye view and point blank // World Tree, No. 1/92.

Posted on Allbest.ru

...

Similar documents

Concept, structure and social functions of religion. Sacralization and secularization are the leading processes of modern religious life. Concepts of holiness and divinity. Problems of religion in the modern world. The relationship between religious tolerance, freedom of conscience and religion.

abstract, added 05/20/2014


Question about the meaning of life. Religion and atheism. Features of the scientific method of knowledge of religion. The formation of the sociology of religion. Philosophical analysis of religion in European culture. The difference between the scientific and philosophical approaches to the study of religion.

abstract, added 03/28/2004


Religion as a social stabilizer: ideological legitimizing, integrating and regulating functions of religion. Religion as a factor social change in society. The social role of religion. Humanistic and authoritarian tendencies in religions.

abstract, added 05/29/2009


Definition, origin, essence of religion. Typology of religions. The place of religion in culture: basic approaches. Christian culture. Review of atheistic teachings on the origin of religion. Christian teaching and modern science about the origin of religion.

abstract, added 12/24/2010


The concept and chronology of prehistoric and historical religion, their essence and main differences. Primitive people and the concept of tribal religion. Features of the formation of primitive religion: fetishism, animism. The role and significance of religion in the modern world.

abstract, added 03/22/2011


The emergence and directions of development of religion. The revival of Ukrainian culture and the revival of the people's life of religion as a spiritual phenomenon. The role of religion in the life of society. Religion as a subject of study. Social functions of religious organizations.

abstract, added 11/20/2011


Religion like state institute. The role of world religions in the modern world. Differences and relationships between Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Characteristic features of Buddhism. The most important concepts of the Muslim religion. Development of the European world.

abstract, added 07/03/2009


The attitude of modern society towards religion. Main types of religions. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism. Religions of modern society. The emergence of numerous new religious movements. Worldview and communicative role of religion in the modern world.

presentation, added 06/21/2016


Theoretical approaches to understanding religion as social phenomenon: types, functions, specific characteristics in the works of philosophers and sociologists. The place and role of religion in modern society, the relationship with politics, the impact on the family and family relationships.

thesis, added 05/28/2014


Definition of the concept of transcendental forces as religious and philosophical concepts that are beyond the boundaries of human feelings and reason. The connection of religion with a sense of moral duty, dependence and fear of the unknown. The role of beliefs in the modern world.

STATE BUDGET EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

HIGHER PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

"SAMARA STATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY"

Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies

Essay

"The role of religion in the modern world"

Completed by a 1st year student

Faculty of Dentistry

SI-13 groups

E.A. Smirnov

Scientific supervisor

Departments of Philosophy and Cultural Studies

Ya.A Golubinov

In general, religion has always played and is playing a pivotal role in attempts to find a support with the help of which one can, if not turn the world upside down, then at least not fall out of it. Religion is special type social consciousness, will and existence. As social consciousness, it appears in the form of collective belief, faith in the supernatural, primarily in God (Gods). As public will, it appears in the form of certain norms and rules of behavior, partly moral, partly legal, partly purely religious. As a form of social existence, it appears in the form of a system of rituals and religious actions (prayers, sign of the cross, fasting, etc.).

It is difficult to underestimate the role of religion in the life of mankind. Moreover, the history of our species can be considered as the history of religion and people’s attitude towards them, and it is not for nothing that there is a definition of a person as “a being who worships the gods.”

It is impossible to unambiguously assess the influence of religion on the development of society, since at any point in time both positive and negative aspects of religion can be identified.

Religion occupies an increasingly important place in modern society. The activities of religious associations cover a wide range of social relations: spiritual, cultural, legal, economic and political.

The religious factor influences the development of many social processes in the field of interethnic and interfaith relations and contributes to the formation of moral values ​​in the consciousness of society. Today the church is one of the guardians of traditional spiritual values ​​in Russia and has a significant influence on the formation and development of its statehood and culture. In a modern democratic state, religious beliefs play the role of a regulator of moral values ​​in society, a bearer of moral traditions and foundations.

Despite the processes of secularization, the role of religion in modern society continues to be serious. Science, having solved many problems of understanding the world and man’s mastery of the forces of nature, forcing religion to take the risky path of modernization, pushed the frontier of knowledge to even more complex problems than before, more complex in philosophical depth. In new areas of knowledge, many familiar concepts have lost their meaning, and this happened primarily because today science has gone far beyond the limits of the visual world sensually accessible to humans. The emerging “scissors” between the everyday and scientific vision of the world, the feeling of contact with the depths of the unknown and remaining a “mystery” for the human mind - all this gives a new chance for a religious worldview, not to mention the fact that the gigantically increased power of human action itself poses us now faced with the problem of the consequences of scientific and technological progress and, therefore, its moral validity.

Religions entered our century with the burden of traditions of resistance to new knowledge and movements for the renewal of society. The dominant churches enjoyed state support and official recognition, strongly opposing democratic movements. Therefore, there was a widespread belief among large sections of the population in many countries that religion did not help the oppressed and exploited in the struggle for better conditions of existence, but often hindered their efforts.

At a time when social unrest and the desire for democratization of society swept the whole world, religion remained a stronghold of those forces that resisted any change and sought to preserve the old order. Against this background, the influence of Marxism with its criticism of religion strengthened.

The First World War, which claimed 10 million lives, undermined religious faith and trust in church authorities, who justified “their governments” and their participation in the war. The churches - and above all the Roman Catholic one - have discredited themselves by supporting odious and anti-people regimes in different countries. However, already in the 20-30s. and, especially during the Second World War, factors came into play that contributed to the strengthening of the position of religion and the growth of its influence.

The hardships and hardships of the war created fertile ground for the mass spread of such feelings and experiences as fear for oneself and one’s loved ones, loneliness, and despair. Even in the USSR, where atheism was actively promoted for 20 years, people were drawn to religion. It is difficult to assess the position of the church during the war years unambiguously. On the one hand, the church often acted as the spiritual support of the Resistance; on the other hand, it is difficult to ignore the fact that during the war years the Roman Catholic Church, represented by the Pope, continued to actively cooperate with Nazi Germany. Since the end of the Second World War, religions have entered into dialogue with the “world” more actively than ever before. The Catholic and Orthodox churches condemned Marxism and took a more flexible position, breaking with the traditions of the Cold War: the church should serve the interests of the individual, and not of this or that system. The Second Vatican Council reflected the trend of bringing the church closer to the “world”, setting the task of turning the church to face the modern world, its concerns and needs. Currently, religious organizations are addressing issues of economic life, politics, demography, but, first of all, the problem of preventing nuclear war. Almost all denominations and churches have spoken out today on the destructiveness of wars, the need to solve environmental problems, the value of family and family relations, immorality, promiscuity, drug use. The position of religion in modern society is quite contradictory and it is clearly impossible to assess its role, possibilities and prospects. It can definitely be said that the development of secularization of social consciousness is characteristic and natural for modern times. Today it is obvious that religion plays a significant role in the life of society.