Tradition, History and the Sociology of Knowledge

Have been thinking about this a lot lately: theistic belief and the difference between knowledge gained from rational processes and from social processes. I think that most would agree, viewed from a strictly rational standpoint, that the the tenets I've outlined below are valid. But in practice, empirical phenomena such as history, tradition, and even individual psychology, also influence the social construction of belief. Concepts that are rational are not always socially persuasive due to these forces and vice versa.

The trouble is that when a source is attempting to persuade socially, if it turns out there are rational gaps, we are taught that the right course of action is to have faith. In some instances, I think this can be genuine: We don't always know all the details, and that's okay. But an appeal to faith can also become a type of "wild card" or "open cheque" that can be used to retain political control rather than to provide spiritual enlightenment. The trouble with philosophy is it only rules in the rational world. In the rest of the world, social might makes right. It makes me wonder if there's any way to make social cultures more rational and less political.

There are a couple of topical areas that could be of use here: First, the debate between liberalism and communitiarianism in contemporary political philosophy. Second, the sociology of knowledge and social construction of reality. This could help to understand how social cultures form and the role that belief and tradition play in those cultures.