Faith and Free Time: Examining the Impact of Institutional Religion on Leisure Behavior
The proposed paper examines the influential role of institutional religion on leisure behavior. Religious organizations, deliberately or unwittingly, support a communal vision, including the use of free time often dictated by dogma and moral pronouncements.
Rappaport (1999) describes religion "as binding us to an external force, stabilizing our meaningful interaction with the world". Religious authorities identify forbidden behaviors and activities (taboo) for the protection of social order, the maintenance of health and peace, and the establishment of hierarchical structure within societies. While these constraints can provide a sense of structure, identity, and belonging, they also limit individual autonomy in leisure choices, frequently emphasizing collective values over personal freedom, influencing how individuals navigate their personal, discretionary time.
Rifkin (1987) explains:
“Most societies create an ‘image of the future’ ... Effective rule, in every society, depends on the ability of those in power to establish a compelling image of the future and then convince the people to sacrifice their time (and behaviors) in hope of gaining access to the perfect kingdom that exists just beyond the time horizon.” Religion, as an instrument of socialization, establishes temporal controls in concert with a promise of eschatological rewards for those who conform to the established norms. Ecclesial regulations governing the use of leisure are accompanied by sanctions against particular behaviors, sometimes including harsh punishments.
Through the analysis of contemporary research, ecclesial documents, civil pronouncements, and historical realities, the complex relationship between religion and leisure will be demonstrated and explained in this project.
Annotated Bibliography
Rappaport, Roy. (1999). Ritual and religion in the making of humanity. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Rifkin, Jeremy. (1989). Time wars: The primary conflict in human history. New York: Simon and Schuster.