Religious diversity Flashcards
What are the 4 NRM’s
- Church
- Sect
- Denomination
- Cult
What is a church?
Institutional religion, large organisations with millions of members e.g. Catholic church. They place few demands on members. These are run by a hierarchy of clergy. They claim a monopoly of truth.
What is a sect?
A small, exclusive group, with no professional clergy. They are radical religious groups, demanding total commitment from members. Hostile to wider society. Offer a monopoly of truth, appeal to the poor. Led by a charismatic leader and involve a split from a church. Emphasise separateness from mainstream society. e.g. Jehovah’s Witnesses and Amish
What is a Denomination?
A splinter group from the established church religion. Membership is less exclusive than a sect, but they don’t appeal to the whole of society. Impose minor restrictions on members but aren’t as demanding as sects. Tolerant of other religious organisations. Do not claim a monopoly of truth. E.g. Baptist and Methodist
What is a cult?
Least organised and most informal. Highly individualistic, loose knit and are usually a small group around some shared themes and interests, usually without a sharp defined belief system. Usually led by therapists or practitioners and are concerned with finding new ways to salvation rather than a return to new ways. Tolerant and usually led by charismatic leader. E.g. Scientology and peoples temple
What is an NRM?
When did they start to appear/increase?
New Religious Movement
since the 1960s
What were Wallis’ NRM categories?
- World Affirming
- World Accommodating
- World Rejecting
What is a World Affirming NRM?
Lack some conventional features of religion e.g. collective worship and clear organisations. Offer followers access to spiritual powers and accept the world as it is - optimistic. Promise followers success in mainstream goals. Like cults they are non-exclusive and tolerant, but claim to offer additional knowledge that enable followers to unlock their own potential. Most are cults, whose followers are often customers rather than members, entry through training. E.g. Church of Scientology
What is a World Accommodating NRM
Often breakaways from existing mainstream churches or denominations such as Neo-Pentecostalists. Do not accept or reject the world, focus on religious rather then worldly matters. Members lead conventional lives.
What is a World Rejecting NRM
Highly critical of outside world (similar to sects). Seek radical change. To achieve salvation, members must make a sharp break from their former life. Members live communally and have restricted contact with the outside world. Conservative moral codes regarding subjects like divorce and abortion. E.g. Moonies and the Peoples’ Temple
Evaluation of Wallis’ classification
Criticised for ignoring diversity within an NRM and because real NRM’s rarely fit into Wallis’ typology - some NRM’s may have features of all three groups
What 5 factors explain NRM growth?
- Marginality
- Relative Deprivation
- Social Change
- Pragmatic Motives
- Spiritual Void
What is meant by Marginality?
Sects tend to draw members from poor/oppressed. Weber says sects offer a solution to those who feel disprivileged and offer members justification for their suffering (a theodicy of disprivilege)
What is meant by Relative Deprivation
Someone who is quite privileged may feel they are deprived in some way. Although middle class people are materially well off they may feel spiritually deprived. Stark and Bainbridge argue it is the relatively deprived who break from churches to form sects
What is meant by Social Change?
Wilson argues thats periods of rapid social change undermines established norms and values, producing anomie. Sects are a solution to the uncertainty that social change creates. E.g Wilson argued that methodism was a result of the industrial revolution. Bruce sees the growth of sects as a response to social changes involved with modernisation and secularisation
