Organisations, movements and members

Question 1

Church and Sect

Answer 1

Troeltsch distinguished two types of religion, the church and the sects.
A church is a large organisation which has a beurecratic hierarchy and they claim a monopoly of truth. They aim to include the whole of society
Sects are seen as small excusive groups that are hostile to wider community and expect high levels of comittment. They both believe they have monopoly of truth

Question 2

Denomination and Cult

Answer 2

Niebuhr decribes denominations as the leeway betwene church and sects - membership is less exclusive but they dint appeal to whole of society they impose some values such as banning of alcohol but are not as strict as a sect.

Cult is an highly individualistic, loose-knit grp usually small grouping around some shared themes and interests

Question 3

Similarities and differences

Answer 3

Wallis (84)
- How they see themselves as church and sects claim their interpretation of faith is the only legitimate or real onewhereas denominations and cults do accept other interpretations
- How they can be seen by wider society as churches and sects are seen as respectable and denominations and sects are seen as deviant.

Question 4

Churches to cults

Answer 4

TROELTCHS SAYS religious diversity has become the norm and in todays society churches are no longer churches.

Question 5

New religious movements
World rejecting NRM

Answer 5

• religious organisations with a clear notion of god
• highly critical of the outside world/seek radical change
• To achieve salvation members must make a break from their outside lives.
• Conservative moral codes

Question 6

World accomodating NRM

Answer 6

Usually breakways from mainstream religion that neither accept or reject the world and focus on religion rather then worldly matters

Question 7

World affirming NRMs

Answer 7

• Accept the world how it is
• Tolerant of all religions
• Most are cults

Question 8

Sects and Cults

Answer 8

Stark and Bainbridge identify this as the 2 kinds of organisation that conflict with wider society.
- sects break away from the church usually due to disagreement about doctrine
- Cults are new religions such as scientology
STARK AND BAINBRIDGE say that sects promise other worldly benefits and cults promise this worldly benefits

Question 9

Types of cult

Answer 9

Audience cult : least organised and do not involve formal membership
Client cult : based on relations between a consultant and a client and services they provide
Cultic movement : most organised and demand a lot compared to other cults.