About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about how sociologists have explained the existence of religion, focusing in particular on: (i) explanations which focus on individuals’ needs, such as Weber’s argument that religion emerged as a response to humans’ inherent need for meaning; (ii) wider societal explanations, for example Émile Durkheim’s view that religions originate as the means through which societies are formed; (iii) accounts which centre around individuals’ religious experiences, including those of Mircea Eliade and Rudolf Otto.

About the lecturer

Professor Chris Shilling is Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent. He has written widely across a range of issues in sociological theory, including religion and the sociology of the body. His recent publications include Uncovering Social Life: Critical Perspectives from Sociology (2017, as co-author), The Body: A Very Short Introduction (2016), and Sociology of the Sacred: Religion, Embodiment and Social Change (2014, as co-author).