Research Paper on:
Catholicism in America:

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
Ritual and symbolism are very important aspects of Catholicism, and highlight the ability of religion to meet a variety of needs for people, outside of Gods essential Truth. Theologians  and religious authorities have tied ritual and symbolism to religion, specifically Catholicism, and in this way have revealed much about religion versus actual Truth. In other words, it is  through aspects of religion such as symbolism and ritual that we see how very specific sociological and psychological needs of people are met, which are not necessarily intertwined with actual  spiritual "truth". Catholicism in America In the book, Sociology of Religion, there are clear and evident links drawn between Catholicism  and the sociological and psychological theories of men like Weber, Durkheim, and Marx, while including contemporary developments which are new to todays generation of Catholics (Christiano, Swatos, and Kivisto, 2002).  What this reveals is that Catholicism is indeed immersed in ritual and symbolic expression which encourages followers to adhere to a very specific set of standards in order to  ensure their moral and spiritual integrity. In other words, it is the dynamics and "props" of the religion which serve as the means of dissemination. Through these rituals  and symbols of faith, Catholics are able to participate in their religion, which serves a variety of sociological and psychological needs.  One example of this is the role of the supernatural in Catholicism (The Sacred: Supernatural and Innate, 2003). There are actually several levels of supernatural in Catholicism -  the Supernatural Sacred, The Unmediated Sacred, the Mediated Sacred and the Innate Sacred (The Sacred: Supernatural and Innate, 2003). An example of how this idea is manifested in Catholicism,