The Organisations of Religion Flashcards

1
Q

What are the four types of religious organisations?

A

Church

Sect

Denomination

Cult

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2
Q

What is membership like for each religious organisation?

A

Church - large scale, inclusive, open to all

Sect - small scale, exclusive

Denomination - open to all

Cult - open to all, no formal membership

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3
Q

What is the organisation of each religious organisation like?

A

Church - complex, formal hierarchy of professional clergy

Sect - informal, rely on charismatic leader
e.g. Jim Jones of the People’s Temple

Denomination - formal hierarchy of professional clergy

Cult - very little

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4
Q

What is worship and ritual like for each religious organisation?

A

Church - formal and restrained

Sect - informal, emotional and spontaneous

Denomination - relatively formal and restrained

Cult - very informal, focus on what works for the individual

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5
Q

What is sense of legitimacy like for each religious organisation?

A

Church - monopoly of truth

Sect - monopoly of truth

Denomination - no monopoly of truth

Cult - no monopoly of truth

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6
Q

What is their relationship with wider society like with each religious organisation?

A

Church - closely linked to the state, accept norms and values

Sect - highly critical (sometimes hostile) to wider society, members encouraged to distance themselves from non-members

Denomination - accept norms and values but are separate to the state

Cult - accept norms and values

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7
Q

What is involvement and commitment like for each religious organisation?

A

Church - low

Sect - very high standards and levels of commitment

Denomination - low, some may restrict things such as gambling or alcohol

Cult - very low

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8
Q

What are the followers like of each religious organisation?

A

Church - predominantly middle class

Sect - predominately working class, often ethnic minority

Denomination - both middle class and working class

Cult - tend to be middle class

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9
Q

What is an example of each religious organisation?

A

Church - Church of England, Catholicism

Sect - People’s Temple

Denomination - Baptist, Methodist, United Reformed, Quakers, Salvation Army

Cult - Scientology

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10
Q

What are the three types of new religious movements (NRMS)?

A

World affirming (NRMS)

World accommodating (NRMS)

World rejecting (NRMS)

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11
Q

What are the characteristics of new age movements?

A

Focus on the individual; no membership

Spirituality rather than religion; personal experience to discover own truths

Business-like: consultant and client

Appeal particularly to middle class, middle-aged women

No monopoly of truth

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12
Q

What are examples of new age movements?

A

Crystal healing

Guided visualisation

Tarot

Astrology

Yoga

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13
Q

Why does sociologist Bruce argue NAMs shouldn’t be considered religions?

A

Bruce argues that NAMs are leisure activities, not religious or spiritual practices

e.g. many people do yoga for better flexibility and postures, not for spiritual reasons

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14
Q

What are meta-narratives?

A

Grand single explanations for events

e.g. Christianity

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15
Q

Why do sects tend to be short-lived?

A

The sect dies out

The sect becomes a denomination

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16
Q

Why may a sect die out?

A

The charismatic leader dies and there is no one with the same God-given talents to lead the sect. As a result the sect may just die out, or a new more formal leadership takes over becoming a denomination

The second generation of sect followers are less committed than the first; again, the sect with either die out or become a denomination

Members lives improve meaning they have less reason to be critical of society and they leave the sect

17
Q

Who do sects and world-rejecting NRMs particularly appeal to?

A

People from working class or ethnic minority groups

18
Q

What might sects and world-rejecting NRMs be in response to?

A

Social marginalisation

Relative deprivation

Rapid social change

Protest

19
Q

Why might sects and world-rejecting NRMs be in response to social marginalisation?

A

People who are marginalised are cut off from the rest of society

e.g. through poverty, homelessness, racism etc.

A sect offers help with a theodicy of disprivilege which is:

  • an explanation for their suffering
  • a promise that life will improve in the future
20
Q

Why might sects and world-rejecting NRMs be in response to relative deprivation?

A

Relative deprivation refers to a sense of lacking something in comparison to others

  • e.g. lack of status, respect, spirituality etc.

A sect can help with this. It demands a strict code of conduct, self-discipline and commitment from its members

If members follow this they will gain status and respect within the sect

21
Q

Why might sects and world-rejecting NRMs be in response to rapid social change?

A

Sects may appear during times of rapid social change

This can be caused by natural disasters or man-made events

This rapid social change can lead to a sense of anomie, where societies norms that usually shape our behaviour have broken down

Sects can help because they provide clear and strict norms of behaviour during a time of normlessness. The sect also offers the promise things will improve, giving followers hope for the future

22
Q

Why might sects and world-rejecting NRMs be in response to protest?

A

Glock and Stark argue sects and world-rejecting NRMs may be used as a means of social protest by people critical of society

They join a religious organisation that shares these criticisms

  • e.g. black muslims (Nation of Islam)

Furthermore, in the USA in the 1960s young people tried to use political protest to transform society. They failed, so turned to sects/world-rejecting NRMs to provide supernatural means for change

23
Q

What are three reasons for the appeal of world-affirming NRMs, cults and NAMs?

A

To get a happier, healthier and more successful life

To re-gain spirituality

Individual choice

24
Q

Why might world-affirming NRMs, cults and NAMs offering a happier, healthier and more successful life appeal to people?

A

NAMs offer the MC techniques and services to improve their lives

e.g. fulfilling personal relationships, promotions at work

MC women make up majority of NAMs and cults - may be due to women feeling more pressure than men to improve themselves

25
Q

Why might world-affirming NRMs, cults and NAMs offering an opportunity to regain spirituality appeal to people?

A

Many MC experience feelings of relative deprivation - feeling their lives lack spirituality

Look to NAMs and cults to make their lives more meaningful

e.g. Transcendental Meditation (TM) offers the MC techniques to reconnect with their ‘inner selves’

26
Q

Why might world-affirming NRMs, cults and NAMs offering individual choice appeal to people?

A

Postmodernists argue NAMs and world-affirming NRMs offer a new source of identity

Individuals are now ‘spiritual shoppers’ and ‘pick n mix’ different beliefs according to their own personal tastes and identities

27
Q

Why might religious fundamentalists organisations appeal to followers?

A

To end westernisation

A protest against modernity

To remove liberal values

Offer direction and certainty in a modern society