organisations, movements and members Flashcards by shirley ‎

What are differences between Church’s and sects

Church- universal, attract middle/upper class due to conservative ideaology, close relationship with state e.g. King Charles is head of CofE, ran by bureaucracy, e.g. CofE
Sect- exclusive, attract lower class, conflict with state, charasmatic leader, e.g. exclusive brethren

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What are the differences between a denomination and cult?

Demomination- midway between church and sect, less exclusive than sect, but don’t appeal to the whole of society like church, restrictions e.g. no alcohol, e.g. Methodist church
Cult- individualistic, exclusive belief system, led by practitioners who have special knowledge, scientology

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How do churches, sects, denominations and cults see themselves vs how wider society sees them?

Themselves:
Church+sect=their interpretation of faith is the only legitimate one
Denomination+cult=accept there can be many valid interpretations
Wider society:
Church+denomination=acceptable, legitimate
Sects+cults=deviant

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What is a schism?
Give an example of the result of one?

Splitting from an established Church because of a disagreement over religious doctrine
Sects

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How do Stark and Bainbridge see sects and cults?

Sects- promising out of world benefits e.g. heaven, to those suffering economic or ethical depravation
Cults- promising in world benefits e.g. good health, to prosperous individuals suffering from psychic depravation

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What are the 3 types of cults Stark and Bainbridge outline?

Audience- least organized, don’t involve formal membership or commitment, participation through media maybe e.g. astrology
Client- based on relationship between consultant and client, emphasis on therapies, self discovery
Cultic- most organised, higher level of commitment, not allowed to belong to other groups e.g. Moonies

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Explain New religious movements (NRM)?
What are the 3 types?

1960s increase in the number of new religions and organisations e.g. ‘Moonies’
Difficult to categorise them>3 categories
World rejecting NRM
World accommodating NRM
World affirming NRM

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Outline world rejecting NRMs

Similar to sects
E.g. moonies
Clear notion of God
Seek radical change for outside world
Live communally, restricted contact with outside world

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Outline world accommodating NRMs

Breakaway from mainstream religion
E.g. neo-Pentecostalists
Seeking to restore the spiritual purity of religion
Live conventional lives

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Outline world affirming NRMs

Some conventional features e.g. collective worship
Offer followers access to spiritual powers
E.g. scientology
Non exclusive and tolerant of other religions
Live normal lives

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What are 3 criticisms of NRMs

It is not clear whether he is categorizing them according to the movements teachings, or individual member beliefs
Ignores the diversity that may exist within NRM
Stark and Bainbridge rejects the idea of constructing typologies altogeher, instead, distinguish between religion organisations (cults, sects…)

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What are the 3 ways in explaining the growth of religious movements

Marginality
Relative depravation
Social change

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How does marginality explain the growth of religious movements?

Sociologist argues that sects tend to draw their members from the poor and oppressed, marginal in society, disprivledged
Weber argues that sects offer members a ‘theodicy of dispriveledge’=religious explanation and justification for their suffering e.g. promise of rewards in the future

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How does relative depravation explain the growth of religious movements?

=sense of being deprived>anyone can feel this, even the privledged
Middle class, well off may feel spiritually deprived>turn to sects for community e.g. argue that its harder for a rich man to enter heaven

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How does social explain the growth of religious movements?

Sociologist argues that periods of rapid change can disrupt and undermine established norms and values, producing ‘normleness’
Those affected by disruption turn to sects for a solution e.g. industrial revolution>birth of Methodist church

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Outline the explanation for the growth in world rejecting NRMs

Wallis explains this through social changes from the 1960s impacting young people
Increased time spent in education>freedom from adult relationships
Increased radical politics>alternative ideas about the future

Outline the explanation for the growth in world rejecting NRMs

Bruce argues growth is a response to modernity e.g. work -no longer provides meaning or a sense of identity, unlike the ‘Protestant ethic’ that gave work a religious meaning

What are 3 reasons why sects are short-lived

Second generation- born into the sect lack the commitment their parents had
Protestant ethic effect- sects that practice asceticism (hard work) become prosperous, some members will compromise with the world, abandoning
Death of the (charasmatic) leader- collapse, or another leader will take over and turn it into a denomination

What is a feature of modern society?
Which 3 theories explain this?

Rise of science and rational thoughts
Functionalism
Marxism
Feminism

What is a feature of postmodern society?
Which 3 arguments explain this?
*use postmodernism as an alternative at the end of theories

Consumerism
New age movement
Spiritual revolution
Believing without belonging

Are women or men more religious (Church attendence)? Give evidence
Give 3 reasons for this

Women, 2021 found that female church goers outnumber men by almost half a million
Risk taking
Socialisation
Gender roles

Explain risk taking in the gender differences in church attendance

Being religious means not risking the chance that religion might be correct
Eliminates the chance of going to hell
Men are more risk taking>less religious

Explain socalisation in the gender differences in church attendance

Women are socialised to be more passive, obedient and caring
These qualities are valued by religion
But men who have these qualities will be more religious

Explain gender roles in the gender differences in church attendance

Women are more likely to work as careers>organisation
Can organize their time to practice religious activities

What percent of the Kendal Project (New Age) were female? How can this be explained? (2)

80% Gave women higher status and self worth- men wish to achieve, women wish to feel (aim of the new age) Emphasised the importance of being authentic- rather than acting gender roles

What does Brown argue about women and the new age in gender differences?

The new age is self religious (subjective experience), attracting women because they appeal to women wish for autonomy Or because some prefer the traditional gender roles

Which gender attends sects more regularly? Give evidence How can this be explained? (3)

Women, estimated there are 2x as many Organismic depravation- women are more likely to suffer from mental and physical health problem, need healing Ethical depravation- women are more morally conservative, seeing the world In moral decline Social depravation- sects attract poorer (women)

What do recent trends suggest about gender differences in religion?

Decline in women's participation in religious activities in the UK Due to movement into paid work, rejecting traditional gender roles

Give 2 ethnic patterns on religion

Black people are 2x as likely to attend Church than white people Black Christians, Muslims, Hindus are more likely than White Christians to see their religion as important and attend worship weekly

What are 2 explanations to ethnic differences in religion

Cultural defence Cultural transition

Explain cultural defence (3) *How is this supported?

Bruce argues that religion offers support and a sense of cultural identity in a hostile environment Preserves one culture and language Way of coping with oppression in racist society Many Afro-Carribeans did not feel welcomed in White Churches in the UK *Sociologist found a growth of new Churches in London catering for specific languages and nationalities

Explain cultural transition *How is this supported?

Religion can be used to ease into the transition of a new culture by providing support and a sense of community for minority groups in a new environment *High levels of religious participation among first generation immigrants in the UK, USA

What is the general pattern for age and religion? What is the exception? Why? Give statistic

The older a person is, the more likely they are to attend religious services >15s are more likely to attend Church than ages above them, because they have less choice as they are dragged by parents By 2030, 15-19 y/os will make up 2% of all Church goers

What are 3 explanations for age differences in religion?

The ageing effect The period or cohort effect Secularisation

Explain the ageing effect

View that people turn to religion as they get older Kendal project show that people are more interested in spirituality as they age -as we approach death, we 'naturally' become more concerned with spiritual matters, repentence>Church attendance ^

Explain the period or cohort effect

People born during a particular period may be less or more likely to be religious because of the events they lived through e.g. war, social changes

Explain secularisation What does Vons and Crockett argue about this? What did they find? Why?

As religion declines in importance, each generation becomes less religious than the one before Secularisation is a more important reason (than ageing and period effect) in explaining why younger people are less religious They found that in each succeeding generation, only half as many people are religious in comparison to the generation before -because of a 'virtual collapse of religious socialisation'

Explain the virtual colllapse of religious socialisation as an explanation to secularisation?

E.g. traditional Sunday schools have disappeared Found that parents who share the same faith have a 50/50 chance of raising their child to be a Churchgoer as an adult 1 parent>chance falls to 1/4