THE INTERACTION OF RELIGION AND CULTURE IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIETY / TOPLUM BAĞLAMINDA DİN-KÜLTÜR ETKİLEŞİMİ

This study deals with mutual relations of culture and religion taking place in the social basis. The aim of the study is to understand and give meaning to the interaction between culture and religion, both of which are essential to social life, with the sociological perspective. In this research, the phenomenon of religion-culture interaction on the social setting is discussed with a substantive-functional approach through benefiting from documents on religion and culture. Culture, which is among most complex anthropological, ethnological, folklorical, sociological, etc. concepts, has varying definitions. Culture, as all kinds of human products produced in the society, is one of the most important aspects of social life. A series of combination of the social processes, culture can be understood as a set of complex symbols and concepts in social life. The symbolic aspect of culture is a very important aspect which reveals itself in society's interaction with culture's world of meanings and beliefs, and religion. The symbolic dimension is the interaction ground of culture and religion. It is impossible to understand religion witihout seeing its symbol dimension, for religious beliefs, ideas, and practices become a common point with symbols in social life, are transmitted from generation to generation, become permanent and deepened in the inner world and life of human, and in collective spirit, consciousness, memory, and life. Religious symbolism or a system of symbols is necessary for society's communication with the sacred, turning towards the sacred, and manifesting its tendency to the sacred in social ground. That culture- religion interaction is mentioned means that religion and culture have two separate entities in social life. In this context, in society, religion influences culture and culture influences religion in various ways with different factors. Religion-culture relations finds reality sometimes in harmony, accordance, and adaptation, and sometimes in violence, conflict, discord and maladaptation.