Organisations, movements and members Flashcards
What are the two main types of religious organisations identified by Troeltsch?
Troeltsch distinguished between churches and sects.
What characterizes churches?
Churches are large organisations with millions of members, run by a bureaucratic hierarchy of professional priests, and claim a monopoly of the truth.
What are the social characteristics of churches?
Churches are universalistic, aiming to include the whole of society, and tend to attract higher classes due to their ideological conservatism and links to the state.
What are sects according to Troeltsch?
Sects are small, exclusive groups that are hostile to wider society and expect a high level of commitment from their members.
What is a key difference between churches and sects?
Unlike churches, sects draw their members from the poor and oppressed and are often led by charismatic leaders.
What is a denomination according to Niebuhr?
Denominations lie midway between churches and sects, with less exclusivity than sects but not appealing to the whole society like churches.
How do denominations differ from churches and sects?
Denominations are tolerant of other religious organisations and do not claim a monopoly of the truth.
What is a cult?
Cults are highly individualistic, loose-knit groups around shared themes, usually without a sharply defined belief system.
What is a characteristic of cults?
Cults do not demand strong commitment from followers, who are often treated more like customers than members.
What similarities and differences did Wallis highlight between religious organisations?
Churches and sects claim their interpretation of faith is the only correct one, while denominations and cults accept multiple valid interpretations.
What are the three groups of new religious movements (NRMs) according to Wallis?
NRMs can be classified as world-rejecting, world-accommodating, or world-affirming based on their relationship to the outside world.
What characterizes world-rejecting NRMs?
World-rejecting NRMs, like the Moonies, are critical of the outside world and expect members to make a sharp break with their former life.
What defines world-accommodating NRMs?
World-accommodating NRMs focus on restoring the spiritual purity of religion without rejecting the world, often breaking away from mainstream churches.
What are characteristics of world-affirming NRMs?
World-affirming NRMs offer access to spiritual powers and are often less organized, treating followers more like customers.
What is a common trait of world-affirming NRMs?
They accept the world as it is and promise success in mainstream goals, while being tolerant of other religions.
What is Wallis’ evaluation of NRMs?
Wallis provides a useful classification of NRMs, but some argue it lacks clarity on whether it categorizes teachings or individual beliefs.
What do Stark and Bainbridge argue about sects and cults?
They identify sects as resulting from schisms in existing organisations, while cults are new religions that have been imported into society.
What is the difference between sects and cults according to Stark and Bainbridge?
Sects promise other-worldly benefits to those suffering economic deprivation, while cults offer this-worldly benefits to more prosperous individuals.
How do Stark and Bainbridge classify cults?
Cults are subdivided into audience cults, which are least organized, and client cults, which provide services to followers.
What explanations have sociologists offered for the growth of religious movements?
The main explanations are marginality, relative deprivation, and social change.
What does marginality refer to in the context of sects?
Marginality refers to sects drawing members from the poor and oppressed, who feel deprivileged in society.
How do sects provide a solution to marginality?
Sects offer a theodicy of deprivilege, justifying suffering and promising future rewards for keeping faith.
What is relative deprivation?
Relative deprivation is the subjective sense of being deprived, even if one is materially well-off.
How do relative deprivation and sects relate?
Relatively deprived individuals may break away from churches to form sects that safeguard original beliefs.
What is social change’s role in the growth of religious movements?
Periods of rapid change can disrupt established norms, leading individuals to seek solutions in sects.
What does Niebuhr argue about the lifespan of sects?
Niebuhr argues that sects are short-lived and either die out or become denominations within a generation.
What factors contribute to sects becoming denominations?
Factors include the second generation’s lack of commitment, the ‘Protestant ethic’ effect, and the death of charismatic leaders.
What is the New Age movement?
The New Age movement encompasses a range of beliefs and activities that have been widespread since the 1980s.
What characterizes the beliefs within the New Age movement?
New Age beliefs are diverse and eclectic, including topics like UFOs, astrology, and alternative medicine.
What is the New Age movement?
A range of beliefs and activities that have been widespread since at least the 1980s, with about 2,000 activities and 146,000 practitioners in the UK.
What are some examples of New Age beliefs?
They include belief in UFOs, astrology, tarot, crystals, alternative medicine, psychotherapy, and yoga.
What are the two common themes characterizing the New Age according to Heelas?
Self-spirituality and detraditionalisation.
What is self-spirituality in the context of the New Age?
New Agers seek spirituality within themselves, turning away from traditional external religions.
What does detraditionalisation mean in the New Age context?
The rejection of spiritual authority from external traditional sources, valuing personal experiences instead.
How do New Age beliefs vary beyond common features?
They include both world-affirming aspects for success and world-rejecting elements for inner enlightenment.
What does Bruce argue about the growth of the New Age?
It is a feature of modern society, valuing individualism, particularly among those in expressive professions.
How do Stark and Bainbridge categorize cults?
They subdivide cults based on their organization level, with cultic movements being the most organized.
What is a cultic movement?
A highly organized cult that demands a higher level of commitment from its members.
What gender differences exist in religious practice according to Davie?
Most churchgoers are female, with women attending church more regularly than men.
What is one reason for women’s higher levels of religiosity according to Miller and Hoffman?
Women are less risk-averse than men, making them more likely to participate in religion.
How does socialization contribute to women’s religiosity?
Women are socialized to be more passive, obedient, and caring, qualities valued by most religions.
How do women’s gender roles affect their religious participation?
Women often work part-time or are full-time carers, allowing more time for religious activities.
What does Bruce argue about women’s religiosity and paid work?
Women’s lower involvement in paid work contributes to their higher levels of religiosity.
What is the ‘decline of female piety’ as noted by Callum Brown?
By the 1960s, many women began to withdraw from religion as they took on secular roles.
What two reasons make religion more attractive to women?
Religion aligns with caring values and churches have become feminized spaces emphasizing women’s concerns.
What does Bruce estimate about women’s involvement in sects?
There are twice as many women as men involved in sects.
What is the Pentecostal gender paradox?
Despite being patriarchal, Pentecostalism has attracted many women.
How does Pentecostalism help women combat machismo culture?
It pressures men to act responsibly and redirect their income back into the household.
What recent trend has been observed in women’s religious participation in the UK?
There has been a decline in women’s participation in religious activities.
What ethnic patterns exist in religious participation?
Most minority ethnic groups have higher than average rates of religious participation.
What does Bruce argue about religion in minority groups?
Religion offers support and a sense of cultural identity in uncertain environments.
What is cultural transition in the context of religion?
Religion can ease the transition into a new culture by providing community support.
What general pattern exists regarding age and religious participation?
Older individuals are more likely to attend religious services, with a noted exception for those under 15.
What explanations do Voas and Crockett provide for age differences in religiosity?
The ageing effect, period or cohort effect, and secularisation.
What does Voas suggest about the likelihood of parents raising religious children?
Even parents of the same faith have only a 50/50 chance of raising their child to be a churchgoer.
