Religious Knowledge: A New Dimensional Approach for Studying Religiosity’s Social Impact in Muslim Societies

Abstract

Researchers frequently postulate a strong relationship between religiosity and social peace and stability. If one examines the construct of religion in sociological literature (e.g., doctrine, rituals, etc.), it appears that it is so diverse and multifaceted that a single measure of religiosity is inadequate. While quantification of religiosity is possible, social studies rely exclusively on single-item markers of religiousness (e.g., frequency of church attendance). Moreover, two of the dimensions of Glock's (1962) model - religious knowledge and the consequential dimension - have not been examined at all (Filsinger & Wilson, 1986). This paper’s objective is to draw attention to the “religious knowledge” dimension as an influential social factor within society by attempting to construct a peculiar definition to the sociology of Muslim societies. Besides, this paper aims at putting emphasis on the importance and the validity of “religious knowledge” scales and their ability to provide an overview about Muslim individuals’ religiosity.