d Marxist-Stalinist communism have both "instigated revolutionary social movements" in modern times.
According to De Vos, religious beliefs help to explain and define the systems of "differentiation and stratification according to age, sex, family, clan, classificatory lineage, caste, and class." Ritualistic ancestor worship represents the interaction between the dead and the living, and may be demonic or saintly, but nevertheless have a profound effect on the maintenance of society. Religious and magical concepts of the universe transcend physical reality and the secular dimensions of space and time. And some religious practices are not only therapeutic for a particular individual, but they may benefit a larger unit within society as a whole--physically, morally, or both.
C. K. Yang points out, with respect to Chinese society in particular, that religion takes on both diffused and institutional roles. Regardless of its form, religion "stems from psychological sources which are independent of the structure of secular life." Institutional religion may be readily observed in the system of local temples and other places of worship, however, the nature of diffused religion is all the more pervasive, and less apparent, as it serves an important function in support of both secular institutions and society in general. Among the many consequences of the diffusion of religion into both secular and community life, two of the most prominent are the functioning of religion in society without the need for a dominant religious institution, and an imparting of a sacred character to social institutions.
The close bond between religion and society finds its strength, perhaps even its very existence, in the effective functioning of society itself. When times of peace and prosperity are enjoyed, the religious symbiosis between Heaven and Earth inspires hope and confidence in governmental affairs; but when disorder and chaos ...