Symbols And Rituals In Christianity

Christianity has its own store of powerful cultural tools that are used to legitimate the social order. For instance, symbols. Symbols in Christianity are used to reflect and reinforce social boundaries. The common example is when most Christians’s ships on the open ocean are required to bare with symbols. Catholics wear a crucifix on a chain around their neck, which identifies them as Christians. In addition, Christians known for having a fish symbol on their car which also identifies them as Christians. Also, these types of symbols identify an individual as insider of the group and simultaneously opuses him or her to another group. Most of Christians often involve appeals to what the gods say. They use religious legitimations, such as “because

If we focus on the meaning of “the Bible says so” we will miss out on the social effect. The members of Christian community are simply saying that Bible says that some acts are forbidden and not allowed to be practiced. However, if we focus on social effect, we might notice that this way of talking also does something: it functions to add an additional level of supernatural authority to what they were saying. Rituals in Christian religion mark insider and outsider boundaries. The common example is when requires all members to go through “Communion” which is one of the central ritual practices of the Church. This ritual is designed to mark an individual as a full insider in the Catholic Church, with all rights and responsibilities of a full member. This is an other example of social order that people have to follow in order to be a member of the desired community. People who are not Catholic and have not gone through the ritual do not have the rights of a full member. In my opinion, from this type of order people only get benefits. They will know that in order for them to achieve something they have to work on it, to have a discipline, right sequences and order in

However, it happens very rare in our family. Usually we sit all together as a big family. Similarly, I have noticed that throughout the history of Christian Church, it has often been the case that the seating in the church is divided by gender. In addition, some churches also have divided seating by race. From my point of view, by sitting where people are invited to sit, individuals learn who they are and where they sit in social hierarchy. Traditions are also cultural tools that help maintain the social order. Marriage is one example of these types of traditions. The distinction between married and unmarried individuals, their relations, and legitimate and illegitimate children, all come into being with and through the performance of wedding, without which one of these categories would exist. In Christian weddings the minister announces the married couple by the name and last tame of the male pattern. It reinforces the subordination of women’s social position to that of