Religious organisations

Question 1

a) What does Roy Wallis suggest are the two ways that differerent religious organisations can be compared?

b) How does Bruce criticise this?

Answer 1

1 = How the groups see themselves, such as claiming they are the only legitimate faith.

2 = How they are seen by wider society, such as being seen as respectful and legitimate, or deviant.

However, bruce argues monopolies of truth only applies to times before the 16th century protestant reformation.

Question 2

State whether the following organisations are world accomodating or world rejecting:

1= Sects
2= Denomination
3= Cults
4= Church
5= New Age Movements

Answer 2

1= world rejecting
2= world accomodating
3= world accomodating (apart from cultic movements)
4= world accomodating
5= world accomodating

Question 3

Ernst _________ suggested that churches are _______ organisations, run by a ___________ ___________ of professional preists. They are attractive to ________ classes and place _______ demands on its members.

Answer 3

Troeltsch
large
bureacraric hierarchy
higher
few

Question 4

Which religious organisation does the following description match? These organisations are bureacratic with some division and democracy. They are generally conservative, integrate socially and are tolerant of others. They are world-accomodating.

Answer 4

A denomination

Question 5

Sects are ________ to wider society. They expect a high level of ______________ and draw their members from the _______ and __________. They are normally led by a charismatic leader and are ______ in size.

Answer 5

hostile
commitment
poor and oppressed
small

Question 6

True or false? (Cults)

1= Membership is exclusive
2= Members are seen as customers
3= Cults offer other-worldly benefits
4= They may not be religious in nature
5= Cults are tolerant of other religions

Answer 6

1= FALSE, there is open membership
2= TRUE
3= FALSE, they offer worldly benefits, i.e. healing
4= TRUE
5= TRUE

Question 7

New Age Movements place emphasis on the _____. They are _______ organised and _________. They are world-________, and value _________________ (rejecting spiritual authority and values personal experience).

Answer 7

self
loosly
diverse
affirming
detraditionalism

Question 8

What is an evaluation of the categorisation of different religious organisations?

Answer 8

Wallis regodnises that organisations rarely fit the typography and are very unique. He suggets that some organisations may have features of many types.

Question 9

How does Bruce explain the growth of world-affriminf NRMs?

Answer 9

Bruce suggests that their growth is a response to modernity, especially the rationalisation of work. With it no longer providing a source of identity, and us still being expected to achieve, NRMs offer this identity and promise success in this world.

Question 10

What does Stark & Bainbridge suggest are the 5 stages of the sectarian cycle?

Answer 10

1= Schism
2= Initial fervour
3= Denomination
4= Establishment
5= Further schism

Question 11

What is a schism?

Answer 11

A schism is where there is tension between the needs of the deprived and priviledged members of the church. The deprived members then break away and form a world-rejecting sect.

Question 12

What are the three main reasons that sects abandon their extreme ideas and become denominations?

Answer 12

1= The second generation
2= The protestant ethic effect
3= Death of a charismatic leader

Question 13

What is meant by the ‘protestant ethic’ effect in regard to sects?

Answer 13

Sects that practice ascetism tend to become prosperous and become tempted to compromise with the world as they are not deprived anymore

Question 14

One reason for the growth of sects and cults is marginality. _________ suggests that sects draw their members form the _____ and ____________. _______ says members feel they are _______________, and sects offer a solution (___________ __ _____________).

Answer 14

Troeltsch
Poor
Oppressed
Weber
disprivledged
theodicy of disprivledge

Question 15

One reason for the growth of sects and cults is relative __________. Many ________-class members feel _________ deprived, ________ suggests they may look to sects for a sense of ___________.

Answer 15

deprivation
middle
spiritually
Wallis
community

Question 16

One reason for the growth of sects and cults is social ________. _______ says it disrupts norms and values, producing _________. Many turn to sects as a response to this. _______ suggets people now look to less ____________ belief systems such as cults.

Answer 16

change
Wilson
anomie
Bruce
commited