Religious Organisations Flashcards
Key Features of a Church
> Bureaucratic hierarchy of professional priests
Large, global, with millions of members
Draw from all classes
Few demands on members
Claim a monopoly of truth
Key Features of a Denomination
> Some hierarchy
Large membership
Minor restrictions such as forbidding alcohol but not as demanding as sects
No monopoly of truth claimed
Key Features of a Sect
> Often led by a charismatic leader
Size varies but can be up to millions
Draws members from the poor and oppressed
Expect a high level of commitment
Claim a monopoly of truth
Key Features of a Cult
> Usually led by ‘practitioners’ or ‘therapists’
Small in number
Often seen as deviant
No formal commitment required
Claim no monopoly of truth
Why do people join a sect?
Marginalisation
> Weber argues such groups may develop a ‘theodicy of disprivilege’ - a religious set of ideas which explains why they are in that position.
The promise of salvation is compensation for their poverty.
Example: Nation of Islam in the USA in the 1960s.
Why do people join a sect?
Relative Deprivation
> Sects attract members of the MC as they feel deprived in relation to others.
Social Deprivation
> Stems from a lack of power, prestige, status and job dissatisfaction.
Organismic Deprivation
> Experienced by those who suffer from ill-health so turn to sects in order to be healed.
Ethical Deprivation
> Perceiving the world to be in moral decline and therefore retreating into a sect. E.g. Jim Jones People’s Temple.
Why do people join a sect?
Social Change
> Rapid change undermines traditional norms and values which leads to normlessness or anomie.
For example, the popularity of groups such as Methodism in the late 18th and 19th century was a reaction to anxieties created by social change such as industrialisation and urbanisation.
Why do people join a sect?
Status Frustration
> Young people feel unhappy with their low position in society.
Mainly due to the long transition from childhood and adulthood.
NRMs appeal to young people because they offer them an identity and overcome a sense of status frustration.
Why are sects short lived?
> They either die out.
OR
> Become denominations.
Why are sects short lived?
The Second Generation Effect
> Those who are born into the sect lack the commitment and passion of their parents.
> Leads to a denomination because the groups have to compromise with wider society and become a world accommodating denomination.
> Leads to death because they are not able to retain members as the young people reject the world-rejecting values of the group.
Why are sects short lived?
The Protestant Work Ethic
> Sects that practice asceticism tend to become prosperous and upwardly mobile.
> Leads to denomination because once the members have become more affluent (rich), they no longer need to reject society - they no longer need an explanation for their suffering.
> Leads to death because once the members have the values they need to be successful and have achieved success, they might abandon the group altogether.
Why are sects short lived?
Death of the Leader
> Some sects are based on the charismatic leadership of one inspirational figurehead.
> Leads to denomination because a more formal bureaucratic leadership takes over, transforming it into a denomination.
> Leads to death because once the inspiration for members has gone and there is no ‘like for like’ replacement, people may abandon the group.
Key Features of New Age Movements (NAMs)
> Reject obligation and authority
Individualism
Spiritual shopping and picking and mixing
Self-spirituality
Emphasis on the self-within
Holistic approach
Detraditionalisation
Global cafeteria
Therapeutic
Why do people participate in New Age Movements (NAMs)?
Individualism
> Society is more focused around the individual and people are increasingly reflecting the options/choices available to them.
> Individuals are increasingly choosing their own identity and NAMs are helping people to ‘find themselves’.
Why do people participate in New Age Movements (NAMs)?
Decline In Status Of Science
> Science has failed to provide solutions to problems such as ill-health and poverty.
People are uncertain about how to make sense of their everyday actions and experiences.
NAMs offer an alternative belief system.
