Authors
- Tkachenko Alexander Vladimirovich Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor
- Osmolovskaya Svetlana M. PhD (Sociology), Associate Professor
Annotation
The study focuses on analyzing two approaches to defining the social role of religion, which were formulated by the great sociologists of the early 20th century, Max Weber and Emile Durkheim. The study highlights the differences between these approaches, one of which focuses on religion from a social dynamic perspective, while the other focuses on religion from a social static perspective. The relevance of the study lies in the growing scientific and popular interest in religion and the ongoing discussions about its place in social processes. The main research method is a comparative analysis of the concepts of M. Weber and E. Durkheim, which showed that they have different understandings of the social role of religion: while M. Weber sees the purpose of religion in creating a progressive idea, E. Durkheim sees religion as a successful attempt to preserve social institutions. Accordingly, the former focuses on religious dogma, while the latter focuses on ritual. In M. Weber’s concept, religion guides society towards the future, while in E. Durkheim’s concept, it guides society towards the past. From this, it is concluded that for M. Weber and his supporters, religion is associated with social development, while for E. Durkheim and his numerous followers, the main goal of religion is to preserve the existing order. The theoretical significance of this work lies in clarifying several aspects that are relevant to the philosophy and sociology of religion.
How to link insert
Tkachenko, A. V. & Osmolovskaya, S. M. (2026). THE SOCIAL ROLE OF RELIGION IN THE CONCEPTS OF M. WEBER AND E. DURKHEIM Bulletin of the Moscow City Pedagogical University. Series "Pedagogy and Psychology", № 1 (57), 63. https://doi.org/10.24412/2078-9238-2026-157-63-74
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