General Beliefs

Question 1

What are the 6 main religions?

Answer 1

Christianity
Hinduism 
Buddhism
Judaism
Sikhism
Islam

Question 2

What is a sect?

Answer 2

All controlling, exclusive institutions that are world-rejecting

Question 3

What is a cult

Answer 3

Organisations develope to aid everyday life, membership is in conjunction with normal life

Question 4

New age movements (WALLIS) 1970s

Answer 4

Decided 3 main categories based on their relationship with the outside world

Question 5

World rejecting

Answer 5

Ideologies are highly critic of society, they expect and seek change, command members lifestyles and are isolated from society. Control every aspect of members lives, they’re radical with conservative elements (unification supported Korean dictatorship, morally puritanical) claim to be uniquely legitimate

Question 6

World accommodating

Answer 6

Often denominations, don’t accept or reject just live in society, focus on religious not worldly questions. Religion isn’t the primary social matter but provides comfort and stimulation. Doesn’t aim to improve/create a new society but to restore spiritual purity. Conventional living outside of religious activities

Question 7

World affirming

Answer 7

Lack central features, may have no church/collective worship ritual or no developed theology/ethics.
Not critical of other religions, offer success in existing society via spiritual power, no Conversion offer a commercial service normal lives with training there’s little social control and it’s not exclusive, claim to provide access to spiritual/supernatural powers. There’s a rapid turnover in membership

Question 8

Evaluation of wallis

Answer 8

Acknowledged flaws: recognised no group will fully fit definitions, likely to combine elements of each
X categories are hard to apply: lack of definition as to if members or movements beliefs/ outlooks are the distinguishing factor
X ignores diversity: often a variation of views within a movement maybe different types
Still useful: despite flaws the use of typologies is still helpful

Question 9

Denominations stark and bainbridge

Answer 9

Organisations that share several but not all alleged features of a church, hold some similarities to a sect.
In 2011 there were 340 in the U.K.

Question 10

Denominations Aldridge

Answer 10

In some contexts a denomination may by respectable but in others as deviant, Mormons are accepted in the USA but viewed as deviant in the U.K.

Question 11

Niebuhr

Answer 11

Was the first sociologist to differentiate denominations/churches.
Doesn’t have universal appeal in society, members from all social strata not identified with high classes.
Doesn’t claim to be uniquely legitimate tolerant of other religions
Accept values of mainstream society, members freely admitted, there’s a heir archer of paid officials

Question 12

Troeltsch

Answer 12

Sects have characteristics almost opposite of churches. They’re smaller and strongly integrated, connected with lower social strata, reject values if society, manifest in refusal to follow law own property and take part in war.
Members must cut off previous lives, may still wish to change society. Are extremely committed to beliefs and are excluded if don’t show devotion.
Children and join as they don’t understand significance if lifestyle, adults willingly adopt. Have stronger control over individual lives, they believe they have a monopoly on religious truth. There’s no hierarchy if paid officials instead there’s one charismatic leader with Devine talent, if leader dies so does sect

Question 13

WALLIS and sects

Answer 13

Sects are deviant and see themselves as uniquely legitimate, they deviate from social norms/values

Question 14

Bruce: formation of a sect

Answer 14

Radical critique of society
Extreme demand of members
Aims to create a new heaven on earth
Some develop into tolerant denominations
Can prosper in modern society as increase opportunity to form subcultures however still find conflict

Question 15

Evaluation of Bruce’s formation of a sect

Answer 15

X exceptions, variation in size, beliefs within and attitudes in the outside world.
X Wilson: accurate in Europe/USA until recently, doesn’t explain the sudden increase in sects

Question 16

Cults and mysticism

Answer 16

Another tradition within Christianity, highly individualistic with different personal experiences and interpretations

Question 17

Scientology

Answer 17

A body of religious beliefs/practises that believe beliefs are based on rigorous research. Doctrines are believed to hold equivalence to scientific laws. They’re a “voice for humanity”

Question 18

Cults are….

Answer 18

A loosely knit group organised around a common interest. They lack defined/exclusive belief systems and are more individualistic with no set doctrine. They’re tolerant of other beliefs and beliefs are vague and have No concept of heresy. Customers not members with little involvement after learning beliefs. Are world affirming and are deviant organisations that don’t claim a monopoly in religious truth.

Question 19

Religions impact on sociology

Answer 19

Determines what we study and how we classify the change in society

Question 20

Ways to define religion

Answer 20

Functional and inclusive
Substantive and exclusivist
Social constructionist

Question 21

Functional definitions (inclusivist)

Answer 21

Defined religion in terms of social/psychological functions performed by individuals/society. Durkheim defines in terms of its contribution to social integration not a specific belief.
Definition is inclusive so allows it to include a wide range of beliefs with no bias against non-western religions.
An institution can help integrate individuals into groups without being a religion e.g. Chanting at football games

Question 22

Social constructionism definition

Answer 22

Takes an interpretivist approach that focuses on each member definition of religion, no universal definition is provided to cover all cases as different experience are for individuals. Focus on how definitions are formed, challenged and fought over, don’t assume religion involves belief in god/supernatural or that it performs similar functions for all this allows them to study individual meanings but makes it hard to generalise the nature of religion

Question 23

Substantive definitions (exclusivist)

Answer 23

Focuses on the content of belief WEBER classed it as the belief in a superior power. Draws a clear line between religion/non-religion is western bias as it excludes religions such such as Buddhism that have no god believes religion must have BELIEFS in supernatural/symbols and THEOLOGY (teaching determining behaviour) INSTITUTIONS family organised around specialist.
CONSEQUENCES moral/ethical values that guide behaviour

Question 24

Ideology

Answer 24

A set of ideas/values shared by a social group to benefit them/an individual. Provide a particular world view, present only a partial view of reality, express/legitimate the interests of a particular social/ political group

Question 25

Pluralist ideologies

Answer 25

Sees the excersise of power in society as reflecting a broad range of social interests with power being spread between competing groups with nobody/group having a monopoly on power. Suggests there are many different types of social group with their own ideologies to interpret the world. None have a claim to being the only ‘right way’. However it’s insistence that the main ideas in society reflect a range of social groups with no dominant ideology risks claiming superiority as it denies an imbalance of power.

Question 26

Marxist ideology

Answer 26

Believe ideas are formed by ones position in society so ideology is the ideas of particular social groups reflecting their interests. The dominant ideology is the ideas/beliefs of the dominant class associated with hiding the facts to conceal inequality and the privileged position of their class and prevent social change that may threaten their position.

Question 27

Althusser and Marxist ideology

Answer 27

He sees ideology as state apparatus which institutions justify the power of the dominant social class

Question 28

Gramsci and the Marxist ideology

Answer 28

Developed the concept of hegemony, the process by which the ruling class maintains its power by convincing other social classes to adopt ruling-class ideologies as their own beliefs/values and consent to their rule without being forced to obey.

Question 29

Patriarchal ideology

Answer 29

Supports/tries to justify the power of men via beliefs of male superiority. Men are seen as more logical and less emotional whilst women are better at domestic tasks. feminists view contemporary religions as being patriarchal and are more focused on promoting/protecting the interest of men over women

Question 30

Political ideology

Answer 30

Provide an analysis and interpretation of how society should work and how governments should change society via policy making/political action.

Question 31

Religion vs ideology

Answer 31

Both gave a different means of looking at/understanding the world. Religion doesn’t form from a specific social group.

Question 32

Giddens and religion

Answer 32

Involves “shared beliefs and rituals that provide a sense of ultimate meaning and purpose by creating an idea of reality that is sacred, all encompassing and supernatural

Question 33

Religion has….

Answer 33

A belief in spiritual/supernatural
Faith of believers: a sense of trust not based on testable evidence
Unchanging religious truths e.g. God created the world, new info is fitted around said unchangable truths

Question 34

Science and religion

The displacement of religion in modernity

Answer 34

BRUCE: scientific method is more challenging to religion than specific scientific discoveries. People are focusing more on evidenced reasons and impacts of nature phenomena rather than the meaning behind them.
Modernity takes a rational outlook on social issues and emphasises the role of science on the understanding of development/organisation of society

Question 35

Gould: science and religion are compatible

Answer 35

Argued for biological evolution and against creationism but believes there’s no conflict for religion/science.
Non-overlapping magisterial principle (NOMA), religion and science fulfil different human needs so they don’t conflict.
Need to understand how nature works is sciences domain.
Need to give meaning to our lives and to fund a moral basis is the magisterium of religion.
Meaning and morality are not based in fact so religion can do this without conflicting science

Question 36

Richard Dawkins: science and religion are incompatible

Answer 36

Supernatural gods are delusions and are completely at odds with all scientific beliefs. Religion shouldn’t have the right to dictate morals as it doesn’t do any other job. There is much inter/inta religious conflict regarding morality so why should it be allowed or claim any truth of human behaviour. Religion is based upon faith, so is inadequate as it requires no evidence and is dangerous and it encourages unquestioning obedience

Question 37

Bainbridge

Answer 37

Religion has a huge variation and science has become specialised and fragmented so one section of religion may conflict one area of science but the two wholes are hard to judge.
Religion can encourage science, monotheism implies the universe follows a single set of laws so it is a positive thing for science to try and understand the laws.
Some aspects of modern physics have their routes in Asian religions and religions can be based on science

Question 38

Bainbridge (issues with reconciling science and religion)

Answer 38

Religion interprets the world from a human POV (anthropocentric). Though world was centre of the universe. Issues arise when science found that there are many planets and life started by chance etc

Question 39

Unification of scientific knowledge (bainbridge)

Answer 39

Scientists are trying to develop a grand unified theory or a theory of everything. If are successful it will be problematic for religion to find a gap to fill.
Might not fulfil positive functions in society, stark/bainbridge suggest religion is a form of deception and if science is true it will be hard for religion to exist

Question 40

Aldridge

Answer 40

3 stages to describe Contes view on how society transitioned to modernity and the change in human understanding.
THEOLOGICAL STAGE: phenomena are explained as arising from the actions of gods/spirits
METAPHYSICAL STAGE: supernatural element lessens and phenomena are explained by natural forces
POSITIVE/SCIENTIFIC STAGE: theological/metaphysical is dismissed and replaced by scientific explanations based on evidence from observation/ experiments (weber calls this the disenchantment of the world)

Question 41

Bruce and modernity

Answer 41

Modernity persists religious explanations are being shown as false by scientific explanations when phenomena what are hard to explain/understand people now turn to science not religions

Question 42

Popper

Answer 42

A theory must be able to be falsified by empiracle evidence, if this is accepted science would be expected to gradually displace religion as there is nothing that can prove or disprove god

Question 43

Has science displaced religion?

Answer 43

Science could be expected to replace religion entirely in a modern society, but religion is still very common.
Many individuals hold beliefs in abstract unseen extra-human forces with the capacity to intervene in life for individual/social benefits, including those who don’t classify themselves as religious.

Question 44

Postmodernism and science

Answer 44

Argues science can no longer lay claim to superiority if it’s scientific method and the claim of enabling humans to control/improve the world are discredited as it fails to meet new challenges (global warming etc)
This has led to the loss of scientific authority in society and some claim the belief in science is as much an act of faith as believing in religion

Question 45

Postmodernism and religion

Answer 45

People have lost faith in religious meta-narratives and their ability to explain/give a sense of meaning to the world.
Characterised by growing individualism choice and diversity.
People establish their identity via consumer culture

Question 46

Decline of metanarratives, fragmentation of belief, secularisation and increase in do-it-yourself spirituality.

Answer 46

Decline of metanarrative means people reject the traditional religions and are less likely to accept what religious authorities say they should believe.
Hold a wide range of beliefs due to securalisation

Question 47

Religion as a consumer product/lifestyle/choice

Answer 47

Religious beliefs are chosen as a product, they create their own mix of beliefs

Question 48

Mannheim

Answer 48

Beliefs systems are one view of the world linked to the interests of the social group. There were 2 types of thought; ideological and utopian.

Question 49

Mannheim and ideological thought

Answer 49

Justified keeping things the same to focus on maintaining the status quo for the benefit of the price ledges groups

Question 50

Mannheim and utopian thought

Answer 50

Justifies social change, proposes a new view of how society could be organised differently to support the underprivileged

Question 51

Mannheims solution to world views

Answer 51

Free floating intelligentsia
He believes world views are created by intellectuals affiliated with a specific social group. All are bias/one sided so don’t create a full, true representation of reality but create partial/false realities. Different groups compete/conflict separating intellectuals from a group to work together and create a view that fully portrays reality/all of society.