6.3 RELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS Flashcards
What are the five major forms of religious organisation that sociologists identify?
- The Church
- The denomination - Wallis (1984) refers to recent denominations such as Pentecostalism as world accommodating new religious movements (NRMs).
- The sect - Wallis refers to these as world rejecting NRMs.
- The cult - Wallis refers to these as world affirming NRMs.
- The new-age spiritual movement - Heelas refers to this as the “holistic milieu”.
What does Wallis (1984) refer to the denomination as?
Wallis (1984) refers to recent denominations such as Pentecostalism as world accommodating new religious movements (NRMs).
What does Wallis refer to the sect as?
Wallis refers to these as world rejecting NRMs.
What does Wallis refer to the cult as?
Wallis refers to these as world affirming NRMs.
What does Heelas refer to the new-age spiritual movement as?
Heelas refers to this as the “holistic milieu”.
d
d
Why is Scientology difficult to categorise?
Scientology is difficult to categorise because it contains elements of the denomination, the sect and the cult. Christian Science has both sect-like and cult-like characteristics.
According to Weber (1920) and Troeltsch (1931) what characteristics did they identify as specific to Churches?
- They normally have a large universal membership. 8.5 million people identified with the Church of England in 2014, about 17 per cent of the British population. Meanwhile, 9 per cent of British people identified themselves as Catholic.
- Churches have inclusive membership. This means that members are born into the Church and are recruited as children, long before they can understand its teachings.
- Churches have large, complex bureaucratic structures and hierarchies, and consequently, tend to resemble large business organisations.
- Churches have professional salaried clergy who undertake training, follow a professional ethos, compete for promotion and receive pensions when they retire.
- Churches are often formally tied to the state and ruling establishment.
According to Weber (1920) and Troeltsch (1931), how many people identified with the Church of England in 2014?
8.5 million people identified with the Church of England in 2014, about 17 per cent of the British population.
According to Weber (1920) and Troeltsch (1931), what percentage of British people identified themselves as Catholic?
9 per cent of British people identified themselves as Catholic.
What type of membership do Churches have?
Churches have inclusive membership.
What does it mean by the fact that churches have inclusive memberships?
Churches have inclusive memberships. This means that members are born into the Church and are recruited as children, long before they can understand its teachings.
What type of structure do churches have?
Churches have large, complex bureaucratic structures and hierarchies, and consequently, tend to resemble large business organisations. Power in the form of policy making and decision making is concentrated at the top. For example, the Church of England is led by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Like any other business, it employs thousands of bureaucrats to fulfil its religious and non-religious functions, including education, welfare, charity fundraising, investment banking and land management.
How can the Church of England be seen as having a complex bureaucratic structure?
Like any other business, it employs thousands of bureaucrats to fulfil its religious and non-religious functions, including education, welfare, charity fundraising, investment banking and land management. Its extremely wealthy and invests in stocks, shares and pension funds as well as owning extensive landholdings.
What are churches often formally tied to?
Churches are often formally tied to the state and ruling establishment. For example, the Queen is both the symbolic head of the Church of England and the symbolic Head of State. Bishops sit in the House of Lords. In European societies such as the Republic of Ireland, Spain and Poland, there are strong ties between the state and the Roman Catholic Church. In contrast, France is secular, which means the state and religion are entirely separate entities.
