How Religion Works: Authority

Abstract

Authority and Projection Appeals to authority are almost universally found in religious traditions. When people ask the “why do we do it this way?” question and demand an answer, the answers offered—designed to manufacture consent—are almost always linked to locally authoritative figures, texts, icons, symbols, and so on. We say “locally authoritative” because none of these things are authoritative for all societies in all times and places. What is authoritative here may not be authoritative there, and what is authoritative now may not have been authoritative then. There are at least three types of authority. First, there are authoritative things : texts, rituals, practices, and so on. The US constitution is clearly an authoritative text in the United States. The Bible is an authoritative text for Christians. Zazen—a type of meditation—is an authoritative practice for Zen Buddhists. A second type of authority is linked to religious figures or social positions above one in a social hierarchy. For instance, the Dalai Lama is an authoritative figure for Tibetan Buddhism. The pope is an authoritative figure for Catholicism. The president is an authoritative figure in the United States. For those who claim to be adherents to these traditions, the actions or commands of these authoritative figures have a special, important, or sacred status. US citizens aren't expected to follow what the president of Iran says, but they are expected to respect the authority of the American president.