EMILE DURKHEIM’S FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE OF RELIGION: ISSUES AND IMPACTS ON THE NIGERIAN STATE

Abstract

Emile Durkheim’s functionalist perspective of religion, issues and impacts on the Nigerian State is the centrality of this research. Society is structured to function smoothly and produce a desired result that provoke revolution. He viewed religion as a crucial social institution that promotes social cohesion, solidarity and stability by creating a shared collective conscience. Through collective ritual distinguishing the sacred from the profane, religion reinforces shared values and bonds individual to society, essentially worshipping society itself. The profane refers to mundane ordinary life: our daily routine/ grind of getting up in the morning, doing our ablutions, going to college, eating our daily Nachos, and doing the dishes. The sacred refers to anything which transcends the humdrum of everyday life: which typically take the form of collective representations which are set apart from society (spiritual places such as churches or mosques are the most obvious examples of ‘sacred’ spaces.). This research addresses Durkheim functionalist perspective, the functionalist perspective on religion, Durkheim and social solidarity, Issues associated with Emile Durkheim’s functionalist perspective of religion, criticisms of the functionalist perspective, limitations of the functionalist perspective and impacts of Emile Durkheim’s functionalist perspective of religion on the Nigerian State. Books, journal and internet materials were used and thus recommends that religion should be a symbol o peace and not a threat to societal unity.  It recommends that individuals should embrace religion’s most important functions which is to reinforce the collective conscience as society cannot exist without it, according to Durkheim.