Rethinking the Big Names of Sociology and Their Take on Religion

The idea that famous sociologists like Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim were all about secularization might not be as straightforward as it seems. Over time, people have assumed these thinkers were on the same page, predicting religion's decline. But let's take a closer look. These sociologists had different views on religion. Marx saw it as a tool used by those in power to keep people in line. He thought that as societies progressed, religion would fade away. But Marx wasn't just talking about religion disappearing. He was more about how society changes and what role religion plays in that. On the other hand, Weber believed that religion could drive social change. He looked at how different religions influenced people's actions and beliefs. For Weber, religion wasn't just something that would go away. It could shape how societies developed. Durkheim had a different take. He saw religion as a way for societies to come together. It wasn't just about beliefs. It was about how people connected and formed communities. Durkheim thought religion was important for social cohesion. So, these sociologists didn't all agree on what would happen to religion. They had different ideas about its role in society. The assumption that they all predicted secularization might not hold up under scrutiny. This raises some interesting questions. If these big names in sociology didn't all agree, why do people think they did? And what does that say about how we understand secularization today?