The Role of Religion as Social Critique - Essay Example

According to C. Wright Mills, the sociological imagination is our capability and motivation to see the associations between our personal lives and the social world in which we live. In the Jakarta Post, Achmad Munjid talks about how religion can be used as a social critique. He commented that the social critique of religion is lessened when religion is controlled too much by those in power. This causes religion to not provide sociological imagination because those in authority tend to make religion as strict as possible, with those unable to keep up being punished for their sins.

Munjid gives the example of Christianity under the rule of Constantine. He also makes reference to Islam after the great prophet Muhammad had passed away. Despite these examples, Munjid also mentions such individuals as Martin Luther, the Buddha, and Confucius, all of whom came to bring about social reform through their actions and words. More people today need to come from the point of view of one of these role models and not look to take advantage of religion.