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Beliefs Flashcards

organisations,theories

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1
Q

weber

what are substantive definitions of religion?

exclusive

A

focus on the belief in a supernatual power or God- exclusive

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2
Q

durkheim

what are functional definitions of religion?

inclusive

A

focuses on social or psychological functions religion performs for for an individual or society

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3
Q

alderidge- interpritivist approach

what are constructionist definitions of religion?

A

focuses on how each individal defines religion from their own experiences
we cannot produce a universal definition

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4
Q

who are a part of the functionalist theories of religion?

A

see society as a system of linked and realted parts or institutions
durkheim
malinowski
parsons
bellah
functional alternatives

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5
Q

religious organistations- troeltsch

what churches?

A
  • bureaucratic + closely linked to the state
  • ideologically conservative
  • universalistic- open membership
  • claim a monopoly on truth
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6
Q

religious organistations- troeltsch

what are sects?

A
  • small organisations
  • exclusive- not for everyone
  • hostile to wider society
  • charaismatic leader
  • claim a monopoloy on truth
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7
Q

religious organistations- niebuhr

what are denominations?

A

middle between churches and sects
* membership- less exclusive than sect
* broadly accept societies values not linked to state
* do not claim a monopoly on truth

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8
Q

religious organistations- reiki cult

what are cults?

A

the least organised type of religious organistation
* highly individualised, loose knit made up of small groups aroound shared themes
* exclusive
* led by therapists or practitioners who claim special knowledge
* tolerant of beliefs of others and do not demand strong commitment
* world-affirming- claiming to improve life

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9
Q

wallace

what are the similarities and diffs between the types of religious organistations?

A
  • how they see themselves- churches and sects claim their interpritation of faith is the only legit and right one WHEREAS demoninations + cults- accept that there can be many valid ones
  • how they are seen by wider society- churches + denominations= respectable WHEREAS sects and cults = deviant
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10
Q

religious organistations

what do stark and bainbridge argue about sects and cults?

A

they originate out of conflict with wider society
* e.g sects result from splits from existing organistaions (schisms) and tend to offer other worldly benifits like passage to heaven
* cluts - are new religions e.g scientology, they offer this world and followers benefits like good health or happiness now and apeal to those who are seeking spiritual fulfilment or experincing health issues

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11
Q

religious organistations

how are cults subdivided by stark and bainbridge?

doomsday cults

A
  • audience cults- least organised, do not involve any formal membership or much commitment + little interaction between members
  • client cults- based off the relationship between the consultant and client and provide services to their followers, ofetn promise personal fulfilment and self discovery e.g reiki
  • cultic movements- most organisednmand demand higher lvl of commitment than others, can be born out of client cults e.g scientology, aim to meet the needs of all members- little to no interaction with other cults or religions
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12
Q

religious movements- wallis

what are new religious movements?

A

since the 1960’s there has been a increase in the number of new reigions and organistaions (NRMs) there are three types:
1. world rejecting
2. world accomodating
3. world affirming

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13
Q

religious movements- wallis

what are world rejecting NRM’s?

A

often known as sects tend to be small and critical of mainstream society

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14
Q

religious movements- wallis

what are world accommodating NRM’s?

like denominations

A

often brakawyas from existing mainstream churches or denominations e.g neo-pentacostalists ( broke away from catholisism)
neither accepting or rejecting the world- focus on religious rather than worldy matters- want to regain and restore the spiritual purity of religion

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15
Q

religious movements- wallis

what are some charecteristics of world accomodating NRMs?

A
  • individual worship and realsing human potential
  • accept world as it is
  • non- critical of other religions
  • no social control and punishment
  • not exclusive
  • examples include neo-pentacostalism
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16
Q

what are charecteristics of world rejecting NRM’s?

A
  • clear belief in God
  • limited contact with the world
  • conservative moral codes (abortion, contraception)
  • very critical of other religions and society
  • high level of control over members lives
  • very exclusive- need to sacrifice a lot to be a member
    examples include the mason family, the peoples temple
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17
Q

religious movements- wallis

what are world affirming NRM’s?

A

help individuals realise their full potential making them highly individualistic and are low commitment.

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18
Q

religious movements- wallis

what are some charecteristics og world affirming NRM’s?

A
  • highly inclusive
  • claim to access spititual or supernatual superpowers and aim to help members access these also
  • lack any form of religious doctrine
  • tolerant of other religions
    examples include scientology, human potential movement
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19
Q

religious movements- weber and troeltsch

why are NRM’s growing according to them?

A

marginality
t- members of sects tend to draw members from the poor and oppressed
w- sects offer a solution to marginality by offering religious explanations and justifications for their suffering and disadvantage

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20
Q

religious movements- stark and bainbridge

why are NRM’s growing according to them?

A

relative deprivation
the subjective senve of deprivation in relation to others- m.c are well off they still feel spiritually deprived
* it the rd who breakaway from churches to form sects that safeguard the original message of the organistaion
* worldy reject sects offer the deprived with the compensation and validation taht they need for the rewards that they are denied in this world
* contrast- privilaged need no compensators or wordly rejecting religion so attracted o world accepting churches that express and support their status

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21
Q

religious movements- wilson and bruce

why are NRM’s growing according to them?

A

social change
w= periods of rapid change disrupt and undemine established n+v producing anomie or normlessness
in respone to this ppl turn to sects as a solution
b= growth of sects and cults == response to the social changes involved in modernisation and secularistaion, society is now secularised= ppl less attrcated to traditional churches and strict sects ( demand too much commitment= ppl now prefer cults ( less demanding)

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22
Q

wallace

why are world rejecting NRM’s growing?

A

social changes from the 1960’s impacted young people
* gave them freedom from adult responsibilites and enabled a counterculture to develop + growth for radical polictical movements offered alternative ideas about the future
* attractive due to providining an idealistic way of life
* failure of counterculture to change world= youth turn to religion

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23
Q

bruce

why are world affirming NRM’s growing?

A

respone to modernity essp the rationalisaion of work
* work no longer provides meaning or identity unlike the past when protestant ethic= work meaning to some
* provide both sense of identity and techniques that promise succes in world

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24
Q

niebuhr

how have sects developed?

A
  • world rejecting and come into existence because they split from an establisehd church that has disagreement over doctrine
  • sects= short lived + within a gen they die out or compromise the world abandoning their ideas becoming a denomination
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25
Q

what is the reason for sects being short lived?

A
  1. second gen- lack commitment
  2. protestqant ethic effect- practice aseticism become prospurus and move up
  3. death of a leader- sects with charistamic leader either collaspe or a more formal bureurqatic leader takes over making it a denomination
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26
Q

how do religious organistations move in a cycle according to stark and b?

A
  1. schism- tension between deprived and privilaged needs= deprived break away
  2. fervour- charismatic leader + great tension between sect and wider society
  3. denominationalism- protestant ethic effect + coolness of second gen= fervour disappears
  4. establishment- sees sect become more world accepting= tension reducing
  5. further schism where less privilaged breakway to find new sect true to original message
27
Q

what is the new age?

A

a range of beliefs that have been widespread since the 1980s
the are loosely organised audience or clinet cults- extremely diverse
put together unconnected beliefs in new combos e.g astrology, tarot cards, crystal healing etc

28
Q

heelas

what are the two common themes that are charecteristics of NAMs?

A
  1. self spirituality- look inside ourselves turning away from the traditional external religions
  2. detraditionalisation- can discover truth ourselves and within ourselves rejecting spiritual authority
29
Q

drane

why have NAMs grown?

A

shift towards postmodernsociety
* there has been a loss of faith in metanaritives and scientific claims of the truth- fill spiritual void

30
Q

bruce

why have NAMs grown?

A

individualism
the belief that the truth can be found within yourself
NAMs= softer versions of much more demanding and self disciplined traditional eastern religions e,g buddhism
explains why new age activities are often audience of client cults

31
Q

religious movements

how else does heeals see NAMs and modernity as linked?

A
  1. source of identity- authentic identity
  2. consumer culture- new way of finding perfection
  3. rapid social change- certinity and truth
  4. decline of organised religion- linked to secularisation
32
Q

religious members

what is religiosity?

A

the extent to which religion has an influence on an individual and society as a whole

33
Q

ideology and science

what do marxists say about scientific knowledge?

A
  • its far from the pure truth- they serve the intrests of dominant groups - the ruling class e.g theoretical work on balistics was driven by the need to develop new weapons
    feminists- men e.g biologcal ideas have been used to justify male domination
    science can be seen as an ideology
34
Q

ideology and science

what do feminists say about scientific knowledge?

A

its far from the pure truth- they serve the intrests of dominant groups- men e.g biologcal ideas have been used to justify male domination
science can be seen as an ideology

35
Q

ideology and science

what do postmodernists believe about scientific knowledge/claims?

A
  • like marxists and feminists, they reject the kowledge claims of science having the truth- it is one of many meta narratives that claim to have the truth (lyotard)
36
Q

ideology and science

what is meant by ideology?

A

a worldview or a set of ideas and values (belief system)

37
Q

ideology and science

what are the three negative aspects of the meaning of ideology in soc ?

A
  • disorted, false or mistaken ideas about the world
  • ideas that conceal the intrests of a particular group
  • a self sustaining belief system that is irrational
38
Q

ideology and science - marxism and ideology

what does marxists propose about ideology ?

A
  • capitalists take advantage of the w.c by exploiting their labour to produce profit
  • in order to escape this- the w.c need to overthrow captitalism through socialist revolution and replace it with classless communist society ( means of production collectively owned rather than privately)
39
Q

ideology and science- ideology and marxism

what is required for the revolution to occur?

A
  1. w.c must become conscious of their position as explotied- develop class consiousness
    but capitalism also control the means of production of ideas through e.g religion- produces ruling -class ideology ideas that legitmate the w.c position
40
Q

ideology and science- marxism and ideology

what are some examples of ruling-class ideology?

A
  • equality will never work bc it goes against human nature
  • victim blaming ideas about poverty, theory of meritocracy so if your poor youre just lazy
  • racist ideas about the inferiority of ethnic minorities- divides black and white workers and make them easier to rule
41
Q

ideology and science - ideology and marxism

overall what are dominat ideas?

A
  • the ideas of the r.c and they function to prevent change by creating false consciousness
  • HOWEVER- despite these abrriers- marx believes that the w.c will develop a true class consciousness and unite to overthrow captitalism
42
Q

ideology and science- hegemony and revolution

what does the neo-marxist gramsci say further about r.c ideology?

A
  • hegemony- dominace of ruling class ideology over others
  • argues that w.c can develop ideas that challenge this bc in capitalist society workers have a mixture of r.c ideology and ideas that they devlop from their own direct experience of exploitation and struggles against it
  • so its possible for revolution but requires organic intellectuals- workers who have developed class consciousness through their anti-capitalist struggles
43
Q

ideology and science- ideology of nationalism- Marxism

what is nationalism?

A

political ideology that claims:
* nations are real distinctive communites with their own unique characteristics and shared history
* every nation should be self governing
* national loyalty and identity should come before all ( religion)

44
Q

ideology and science- ideology of nationalism

marxist arguement for nationalism as false consciousness

A
  • its a form of it that helps prevent the overthrow of capitalism by dividing the international w.c
  • this is bc nationalism encourages workers to believe they have more in common with the capitalists of their own ocountries rather than with workers from other countreis- enables the r.c of each capitaist country to presuade the w.c to fight wars on thier behaf
45
Q

ideology and science- ideology of nationalism

functionalist arguement for nationalism as civil religion

A
  • see it like a secular civil religion- intergrates individuals into larger scoail and political units by making us feel part of something greater than oursleves
  • in morderns ecular society- ppl maybe more willing to see themselves as a part of a nation instead of willing ot believe in supernatural beings
  • nationalism- unites everyone into a single national community regardless of diffs
  • social solidary created through e.g singing national anthem in schools, the flag learing nations history etc
46
Q

ideology and science- ideology of nationalis

what does gellner say about nationalism and modernity?

A
  • nationalism= false consiousness, its a very modern thing
  • pre-industrial societys were help together by face-to-face relationships in small communities with fixed hierarchy of ascribed status ( not nationalism)
  • modern socsiety is diff- industrialistion created large impersonal societys with comples divisions of labour administered by burracices and where all citizens a reletively equal
  • bc of thismoder states need a means of enabling communication between strangers- nationalism make this possible by using standard national culture and language on every memebr in society
  • nationilism regards all as equal- makes social and economic co-operation easier
  • also used by elites to motivate people to endure hardships and suffering
47
Q

ideology and science-

what is mannheim’s ideology and utopia?

A
  • all belief systems are partial or one-sided world view- results from being the viewpoint of one particular group or class and its intrests= two broad types of belief system or worldview
48
Q

ideology and science- ideology of nationalism

what are the two types of belief system and world view that mannheim distingusishes between?

A
  • ideological thought- justifies keeping things as they are it refelcts the positin of privalled groups
  • utopian thougth justifies social change- reflects the position and intrests of the unprivilleged and offers a vision of how society could be organised diff e.g marxism
49
Q

ideology and science- ideology of nationalism

what is the source of conflict in society mannheim?

A

intellectuals represent the intrests of a particlular group and not society as a whole= produce partial views of reality
* belief system of each class or group only gives us partial truth of the world= oppossed anatagonistic ideas that justify the interrests and claims of their group as against others

50
Q

ideology and science- ideology of nationalism

what is free-floating intelligentsia mannheim?

A

the solution to the conflict- detach intellectuals from social groups they reprersent and create it
being freed will enable synthesise elements of the diff partial ideologies and utopias to become a total worldview the represents thw intrerests of society as a whole

51
Q

ideology and science- ideology and feminism

what doe feminists say?

A
  • gender inequality= fundemental divison in society and partirachal ideology plays a key role in legitimating it
  • bc gender diff is in all societies there must be many ideologies to justify it
  • e.g ideas from science used to justify excluding women from edu ‘19th cent male doctors etc said educating women would lead to a new raceand punny of unfeminie women’
52
Q

ideology and science- ideology and feminism

what do feminists say in addition to patriarchal ideology in science ?

A

those embodied in religous beliefs and practices have also been used to define women as inferior
* e.g in christinaity- a new mother may not recieve communion until after she has been churched
* other religions women are seen as rituallt impure or unclean bc of mensturation and childbirth

53
Q

religion in a global context- fundamentalism

what is religious fundamentalism?

A

a time where religion was an essential part of ppls lives
* seek to return the basics of the fundamentals
* can emerge from capitalist globalisation
* military invasion
* penetrain of western culture

54
Q

religion in a global context- fundamentalism

what are the key features of fundamentalism?

A

an authoritive sacred text- this is the literal truth not open to interpritation
us and them menatlity- seperate themselves from the rest of the world
aggressive reaction- aim to draw attention to the threat of beliefs and values= intended to shock
use of modern tech- to spread their message/aims- even military weapons
patriarchy- favour a world that controls womens sexuality, reproduction and roles
conspirecy theories- attracted to them as they control human destiny

55
Q

religion in a global context- fundamentalism

how does modernity view fundamentalism?

A

occurs when threatened by modernity and feel need to protect themselves against it

56
Q

religion in a global context- postmodernity view

what is cosmopolitanism?

A

a way of thinking that embraces modernity and in is keeping with todays globalising world- enemy of fundamentalism
features include:
* tolerant of others
* open to new ideas
* reflecting and modifying beliefs in the light of new info
* requires people to justify their views through rational arguement
* lifestyle=personal choice
* empahsis on pursuit of personal meaning + self improvement

57
Q

religion in a global context- postmodernity view

what are the two reponses to postmodernity- castells?

A

resistant identity- a defensive reaction
project identity- a forward looking reaction engage in movements

58
Q

religion in a global context- fundamentalism and monothesism

what are polythestic and monothestic religions and which one is less liekly to produce fundamentalism-bruce?

A

mono- belief in a single almighty God like Islam, Christianity etc
poly- believe in the existance of many Gods e.g Hinduism- less likely to because they have many diff interpritations does not align with the features of fundamentalism

59
Q

religion in a global context- fundamentalism

what is the diff between fundamentalism in the west vs third world- bruce?

A

west- its internal a recation to changes taking place within a society liek the new Christian right= developed in oppostion to fam diveristy, abortion rights
third world- its external a recation too changes being placed upon society from the outside e.g Islamic revolution in Iran

60
Q

religion in a global context- fundamentalism

what was the Islamic revolution?

A
  • the Shah( who only existed because of west influence) decided to introduce western culture to Iran
  • felt as though Islam was holding back Iran
  • in 1070s Iran= westernised= economic prosperity but rest of country in poverty
  • Iranians overthrerw the Shah as he was to blame for the countrys decline
61
Q

religion in a global context- fundamentalism

what is secular fundamentalism- davie?

A

linked to two changes in nature of society
1. change in society= threat so turn to fundamentalism e.g enlightentment
2. secular ideas now under threat France banning the wearing of Hijab in public spaces

62
Q

religion in a global context- fundamentalism

what is the conclusion of fundamentalism?

A

both religious and secular movements can be fundamentalist- as they are both recation to uncertinity or a percieved threat
ansell- changes because of fundamnetalism ( secular) are a form of cultural racism

63
Q

religion in a global context- clash of civilisations

what is this- huntington?

A
  • there are seven civilisations- western, Islamic,Latin American, Confucian,Japanese,Hindu and Salvic-Orthodox- each= common cultural baackgroup+history and identify closely with the Greatest Religions
  • but today the religious diffs between these civilisations= conflict like hostility between west and Islam the west is ‘underthreat from Islam and need to reassert their identity through Christian civilisation’
64
Q

religion in a global context- religion and a cultural defence

what are the wto countries as an exmaple of this- bruce?

A

religion can be used to unite against external threat
Iran- Islamic revolution- the threat was the west
Poland- communist rule= Catholic church supressed threat was the Soviet Union

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