Social Significance Of Religion: Religion And Social Life

Abstract

Religion in one sense is a matter of individual faith, but its social significance cannot be ignored. Religion manifests itself in society in many ways. It shapes the domestic, economic and political institutions. Throughout the human history, especially in primitive society, religious rites are performed on many occasions as birth, initiation, marriage, death, hunting, agriculture etc. Religion involves thought and activity as well as beliefs and values. Religion is not simply worship or rituals. From the standpoint of social philosophy, religion should be regarded as meaning the ‘spirit of devotion to the perfection of human life’. The writers on ‘Dharmasastra’ meant by dharma or religion is not a creed or religion, nut a mode of code of life or a code of conduct, which regulated a man’s work and activities as a member of society and as an individual, and was intended to bring about the gradual development of a man to enable him to reach what was deemed to be the goal of human existent.