Religion and science have coexisted for a long time. Their relationship can not be called easy, because science inherently protests against religious beliefs in the divine essence, proving the superiority of nature. Science explains all phenomena from the point of view of processes undergoing analysis, revealing the nature of these processes from chemical, physical and other points of view. There are many works on the subject of “Science and Religion” written by both modern and more ancient historical and scientific figures.
Religion has been analyzed since ancient times, but the analysis was only philosophical, which did not deprive theology of the right to life. Only in the nineteenth century did a scientific approach to the concepts of “science” and “religion” begin to appear. The history of the relationship between these two important components of human life is complex. One cannot help but realize their importance. A philosophical approach to the study of religion implies consideration of the spiritual side of the issue, in which the most important are the concepts of man’s place on Earth, the struggle between the spiritual and the material, and so on. The scientific approach, however, involves examining religion from the point of view of its importance in public life, its value, and its impact on human thinking.
Science and religion are a combination that cannot be revealed without a deep awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of each participant. Only a person who deeply understands the essence of the issue realizes that both of them play a huge role in shaping a modern society with a rich cultural and spiritual heritage. Science studies religion with the help of various methods, among which historical, ethnographic, and anthropological are particularly distinguished.
As a result of scientific research, such a concept as the sociology of religion appeared, which subsequently grew into a separate direction of sociology. Interestingly, its foundations were laid precisely in philosophy. The world-famous scientists began to engage in the isolation of this science: O. Comte, M. Weber, and E. Durkheim. With the help of sociology, they tried to solve social problems, one of which was religion. They tried to explain it using various scientific approaches.
The sociology of religion is an area that the founder of sociology, O. Comte, took a very long time to study. He identified three stages of development of society:
- Theological (all phenomena are explained by divine providence, which allows the church to be used as the main institution of power).
- Metaphysical (an attempt to transition from belief in the supernatural to abstract essences and causes).
A. Comte tried to solve problems of a social orientation with the help of religion, without at the same time being engaged in its scientific research. Weber and Durkheim implemented precisely the scientific approach by which the sociology of religion became an independent branch of religious studies.
M. Weber in his study of religion does not proceed from its historical origin. For him, the only question is the influence of religion on the life of society and the formation of its behavior without trying to solve the problem of falsity and truth of religion. In his scientific works, Weber points out the mutual influence of society and religion.
The sociology of religion in the interpretation of E. Durkheim became fundamentally different. For him, religion is a social fact to which standard valuation methods and methodologies can be applied. For him, religion is a social institution that arose naturally to address certain social needs.
Thus, the formation of ideas about what science and religion was. society’s behavior at various stages of its development. Today it is impossible to imagine the absence of one of these institutions, since each of them performs extremely important social functions, ensuring the spiritual and cultural development of mankind.