Beliefs- Topic 6(Paper2)

Question 1

According to Troeltsch, what is a church?

Answer 1

Large organisation, often with millions of members such as the Catholic Church run by a bureaucratic hierarchy of professional preists.

Question 2

According to Troeltsch, what is a sect?

Answer 2

Small. exclusive groups.

Question 3

What is a cult

Answer 3

It’s a less conerent religious organisation, focus of cults tend to be an individual experience, brining like-minded individuals together.

Question 4

How are churches and sects similar in the way they see themselves?

Answer 4

Claim the monopoly of truth.

Question 5

How are denominations and cults similar in the way they see themselves?

Answer 5

Accept that there can be many valid interpretations.

Question 6

How does wider society see churches and denominations?

Answer 6

They are seen as respectable and legitimate.

Question 7

How does wider society see sects and cults?

Answer 7

Seen as deviant.

Question 8

What is world-rejecting?

Answer 8

Sects tend to fit this category. Organised religions which focus on the God and higher powers. Highly critical of the world and seek radical change followers reject their normal lives.

Question 9

What is world-affirming?

Answer 9

Newer cult activity fits this category. They lack organisation and tend to offer spiritual or super ‘services’ to followers or customers. They accept the world as it is and are optimistic of their follower’s ability to achieve success.

Question 10

3 Criticisms of Wallis’ classification (world affirming/rejecting).

Answer 10

-It’s unclear whether he categorises the movements based on the teachings of the movement or the actions of the followers.

-Wallis himself acknowledges that some organisations don’t fit neatly into one category.

-Stark and Bainbridge believe that we need to focus more on the nature of the relationship between organisation and wider society.

Question 11

According to Stark and bainbridge what are scets and cults?

Answer 11

Sects- smaller organisations which spoilt from mainstream religions due to disagreements about religious teachings.

Cults- New religions which are created from scratch or spiritual movements which have been imported from elsewhere.

Question 12

According to Stark and bainbridge what benefits do sects and cults offer their followers.

Answer 12

Sects- sects ate ‘other worldly’- promise benefits such as salvation in afterlife for those who are economically or ethnically deprived.

Cults- Cults are this worldly- focuses on real techniques to improve life for those who are suffering from psychic or organismic deprivation.

Question 13

Audience cults.

Answer 13

Are least organised and involve little interaction between followers, eg, interest in horoscopes

Question 14

Client cults.

Answer 14

Are based on relationships between consultants and customers: consultants provide spiritual fulfilment eg. medication.

Question 15

Cultic movements.

Answer 15

Are more organised and require more commitment: they promise to meet spiritual needs of members provided they dedicate their time to the organisation eg. scientology.

Question 16

Why are marginal groups in society more likely to join sects?

Answer 16

Weber believes marginalised groups may join sects when they feel that they’re not receiving economic reward.

Question 17

What does Weber mean by a ‘theodicy of disprivilege?

Answer 17

It’s a justification for this inequality that’s offered by sects eg. you may get rewards in the future.

Question 18

According to Wallis, why do some well-educated young, middle class whites join sects?

Answer 18

Many middle class people are marginalised eg, hippies or drug users and so many join sects due to this.

Question 19

Relative deprivation.

Answer 19

Subjective sense of being deprived

Question 20

why might middle-class people feel spiritually deprived?

Answer 20

they may feel spiritually deprived as the world lacks, moral values and warmth

Question 21

why do world rejecting sects appeal to the deprived?

Answer 21

deprived people are likely to break away from mainstream organisations in order to protect its original message.

Question 22

Why are the privileged more likely to join world-accepting churches?

Answer 22

They express their status and bring them more sucesss.

Question 23

According to Wilson, why do sects emerge in periods of rapid social change?

Answer 23

Due to Anomie.

Question 24

According to Bruce, why do people join sects in response to secularisation?

Answer 24

some sects and cults require less commitment.

Question 25

what’s the reason for the growth in World rejecting NRMs and world-affirming NRMs?

Answer 25

World rejecting NMRs- grew as a result of radical political movements, increased time spent on education and offering young people a more idealistic way of life.

World-affirming NMRs- Grew due to rationalisation. When we don’t get rewards they can give us a sense of identity.

Question 26

Define schism.

Answer 26

Splitting from an established church or denomination.

Question 27

Explain Niebuhrs 3 reasons for sects being short lived?

Answer 27

The 2nd generation- born into the sect lack the commitment of theor parents who joined voluntarily.

The ‘Protestant ethic’ effect- May help the members to become more prosperous turning the organisation into a denomination as they abandon world rejecting beliefs.

Death and leader- the organisation will either collapse or again turn denominational.

Question 28

According to Wilson, what patterns do conversionist and adventist sects follow

Answer 28

Conversionist- such as mormonism tend to grow in number as they make it their mission to attract more members; they tend to end up being almost denominational.

Adventist- Such as the seventh day adventists are awaiting the second coming of christ they therefore tend to segregate themselves from the corrupt world around them

Question 29

3 example of established sects

Answer 29

Amish
Quakerism
Pentecostalism

Question 30

According to a wilson why is it becoming more difficult for sects to keep themselves separate?

Answer 30

Because the rise in globalisation and media, contact between different social groups is increasing so isolation is a challenge which could cause the sect to lose power.

Question 31

what is the positive impact of globalisation for some sects?

Answer 31

it can benefit sects which are struggling in developed countries as they can now access other parts of the world to attract members there.

Question 32

4 example of New Age beliefs.

Answer 32

Astrology
Tarot
Psychotherapy
Medication

Question 33

What is self spirituality

Answer 33

looking inside oneself.

Question 34

What is detraditionalisation.

Answer 34

Personal experience and discovering truth. Generally classed as world affirming as they focus on individual potential.

Question 35

What are meta narratives

Answer 35

Big stores or claims of truth.

Question 36

Why have people lost faith in professionals such as scientists and doctors?

Answer 36

science promised to bring about a better world but it’s as failed.

Question 37

According to Bruce, why is the growth of the new age a feature of modern society?

Answer 37

Modern society promotes individualism and this is a key principle of new age movements.

Question 38

why are new age activities attractive to westerners!”?

Answer 38

as they are similar to eastern religious but watered down.

Question 39

explain the 4 ways in which Heelas links the new age and modernity

Answer 39

A source of identity- modern society offers many identities, NAMs offers and authentic identity.

Consumer culture- never offers perfection the new age does.

rapid social change- creates anomie, the new age offers a sense of certainty.

decline of organised religion- modernity leads to secularisation, thereby removing the traditional alternatives.

Question 40

3 main reasons for women’s higher levels of religiosity (Miller and Hofferman’s)

Answer 40

-Women tend to be risk averse whereas men tend to be risk takers. Not going to church can be risky as it could lead to failure to enter heaven.

-Women are taught to be more submissive and passive than men these characteristics are associated with being more religious.

-Social roles. Men are more likely to be hill time breadwinners and women are more likely to be housewives/ work part time and raise children. this give them more time also personal identity and taking children to church can be an extension of the mother role.

Question 41

According to Bruce what was the reason for women’s higher religiosity in the past?

Answer 41

it’s a result of their lower levels of involvement in paid work.

Question 42

2 reasons why religion remains attractive to some women.

Answer 42

-women still perform caring roles and religion is still linked to this.

-religion has become feminised and this attracts more women.

Question 43

Why are women more often associated with nature?

Answer 43

due to childbirth and the healing role.

Question 44

According to Bruce how does women’s experience of child rearing make them more likely to be attracted to new age movements?

Answer 44

women are more caring and need to feel and this fits with NAMs

Question 45

Explain the role conflict that women in paid work suffer from.

Answer 45

Women in paid work experience conflict between the instrumental work role and the expressive role.

Question 46

Explain what woodhead means by the individual sphere.

Answer 46

it’s the 3rd role women perform and this is concerned with personal growth.

Question 47

According to brown why do self religions attract women.

Answer 47

as they appel to their wish for autonomy.

Question 48

why might women be attracted by fundamentalism

Answer 48

as these religions offer certainty.

Question 49

Explain the class differences in the types of religion the appeal to women identified by Bruce

Answer 49

Working class women tend to continue to support religions which believe in an all powerful God and in which they are quite passive. Middle class women have more experience of controlling their lives and are more attracted to new age groups in which individuals can develop their own spirituality b

Question 50

Organismic deprivation

Answer 50

women are more likely to suffer i’ll mental health

Question 51

ethical deprivation

Answer 51

women have higher morals and so join sects as they tend to be strict

Question 52

social deprivation

Answer 52

women tend to be poor

Question 53

In what ways is pentecostalism a patriarchal religion

Answer 53

men are viewed as the head of the house and the head of the church.

Question 54

according to Bruso, why is pentecostalism attractive to women despite its patriarchal features

Answer 54

due to its strict calvinist principles. they attract women as they can exert control over their husbands.

Question 55

why had religious participation declined among women in the UK

Answer 55

They’re becoming less religious due to paid work and decline of traditional roles.

Question 56

why do women reject treaditional religions?

Answer 56

as they reject traditional gender roles

Question 57

cultural defence

Answer 57

a source of community defence

Question 58

cultural transitions

Answer 58

helps people to cope with stress of migration and eases transition to new society culture

Question 59

the ageing effect as an explanation for age differences in religiosity

Answer 59

people become more religious as they are. life experiences eg having children or getting older might encourage time to return to religion.

Question 60

the period or cohort effect as an explanation for age differences in religiosity

Answer 60

period effect those born in a particular period (time) are more lucky to be religious than those born at another time period.

Question 61

secularation as an explanation for age differences in religiosity

Answer 61

progressive decline each generation is less religious than the period one.

Question 62

According to Voas and corckett which of the 3 reasons for age differences in religiosity is the main one.

Answer 62

Secularisation.