Organisations, movements & members Flashcards
1
Q
What features of churches does Troeltsch identify?
A
- churches are large organisations
- they claim a monopoly of the truth
- they are universal, but more attractive to higher classes because they are ideologically conservative
2
Q
What features of Sects does Troeltsch identify?
A
- sects are small exclusive groups
- draw their members from the poor and oppressed
- hostile to wider society & demand high level of commitment
- believe they have monopoly of religious truth
3
Q
What features of denominations does Niebuhr identify?
A
- describes denominations as lying midway between churches and sects because
- they broadly accept society’s values
- impose minor restrictions on members e.g. no alcohol
4
Q
What features of cults does Niebuhr identify?
A
- highly individualistic loose-knit usually without an exclusive belief system
- usually led by practitioners or therapists who claim special knowledge
- do not demand strong commitment from its followers
5
Q
What organisations have arisen that lie outside the religious mainstream?
A
- New religious movements
6
Q
How does Wallis explain how these new religious movements can be distinguished?
A
- by the worldview in which they have adopted
- world rejecting NRMs
- world accommodating NRMs
- world affirming NRMs
7
Q
What is a reason for the emergence of NRMs?
A
- Wilson argues that periods of social change disrupt & undermine established norms & values producing anomie
8
Q
What are the characteristics of world-rejecting NRMs
A
- similar to Troetsch’s sects e.g. Moonies, Children of God
- as they are critical of the outside world & seek radical change
- have conservative moral codes
9
Q
What is the reason for rise of world rejecting NRMs?
A
- Wallis point to social changes from the 1960s e.g. the increased amount of time young people spent in education as well as a rise in radical political movements
- these factors led to their growth because young people adopted radical worldviews > thus world rejecting NRMS were attractive as they offered a idealistic way of life to young people
10
Q
What are the characteristics of world-accommodating NRMs?
A
- formed due to breakaways of existing mainstream churches or denominations e.g. neo-Pentecostalists
- they focus on religious matters rather than worldly matters, seeking to restore the spirituality of religion
11
Q
What is the reason for growth of world accommodating NRM’s?
A
- due to complaints surrounding mainstream religion
12
Q
What are the characteristics of world-affirming NRMs?
A
- like cults e.g. Scientology
- as they accept the world as it is> very optimistic
- offer special knowledge that enable followers to unlock their own spiritual powers & success
13
Q
What are the reasons for the growth of world-affirming NRMs?
A
- Bruce argues they have grew in popularity as a result of modernity
> work no longer provides meaning or a source of identity
> World affirming emerged to provide that sense of identity & techniques that promise success in this world
14
Q
Evaluation of Wallis categorisation of NRMs
A
- Stark & Bainbridge argue that the only criterion which should be used to distinguish NRMs is the degree of conflict & tension between the religious movement & wider society > explanation suffers from faulty premise
- Wallis portrays these movements as static structures, ignores the diversity of beliefs that may exist within in NRM > more dynamic than portrayed
15
Q
What two organisations do Stark & Bainbridge believe are in conflict with wider society?
A
- sects and cults
16
Q
How are sects created according to S & B and what is there distinctive feature?
A
- result of schisms or conflicts within churches
- results in members breaking away from the religious organisation e.g. Jehovah witnesses
- distinctive future is that they promise other-worldly benefits to those suffering from economic or ethical deprivation > provides them assurance & fulfils need
17
Q
What is another explanation for the growth of sects?
A
- they compensate for the needs which traditional religious organisations fail to deliver
- linked to the idea of relative deprivation > sense of feeling deprived despite being privileged in comparison to others
- Wallis > m/c turn to sects because of this > they suffer ethical deprivation e.g. bibles assertion that is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter heaven
- sects thus allow them to express their status & bring further success in achieving earthly rewards
18
Q
How are sects created according to S & B and how are they organised?
A
- cults emerge due to deprivation both psychic (normlessness) and orgasmic (health issues)
- distinctive future is that they offer this world benefits
- client cults (based on relationship between consultant & client) tackle the issue of orgasmic deprivation
- cultic movements> aims to meet all their members needs
19
Q
Evaluation of Stark & Bainbridge on sects
A
- explanations does not fairly represent the motivations for people joining cults and sects > feel as if there spiritual needs are met not just deprivation
- assumes all members of cults or sects are spiritually dissatisfied, may not be true as some may join for practical reasons e.g. community or alternative lifestyles
- static categorization of sects & cults > fail to account how these groups may change over time e.g. transforming into a denomination
20
Q
Wy are sects short-lived according to Niebuhr?
A
- growth of sects = not long lasting
- sects are short lived > either die, compromise with the world, or abandon their extreme ideas to become denominations
21
Q
What are the three reasons for sects being short lived?
A
- Protestant work ethic > emphasis on this worldly ascetism encourages them to work hard and save money> creates upward mobility among sects & thus become tempted to compromise with the world
- second generation> those born into the sect lack fervour & commitment like their parents > used to the status quo
- death of leader> sects collapse at the same time of death of their charismatic leader > more bureaucratic leadership takes over which transforms it into a denomination
