Religious Typologies Flashcards
Religious organisations can be broadly split into 4 main groups… what are they?
- CHURCHES
- DENOMINATIONS
- SECTS
- CULTS
Who distinguished between churches and sects first?…
Weber and Troeltsch
- CHURCH examples
2 CHURCH features
1. Christianity Hinduism Judaism Sikhism Islam
2. Exclusive legitimacy- the only truth World accommodating Strict hierarchy Large and open membership (e.g. the Pope)
1 SECT examples
2 SECT features
1. West boro baptism Jim Jones and the People's Temple Strong City Armish
2. World rejecting (Wallis typifications for NRMs) Monopoly of the truth Total commitment Headed by a charismatic leader
1 DENOMINATION examples
2 DENOMINATION features
1. Pentecostal groups Methodists Mormons Moonies
2.
They do not claim monopoly on the truth
Low church (egalitarian) - not a hierarchy
World accommodating
1 CULT examples
2 CULT features
1
Crystal healing
Reiki
TM
2 World affirming Low commitment No spiritual guide book They do not claim to have the only truth
There are three types of cults (based on the level of organisation and client involvement)
Who came up with the categories?…
Stark and Bainbridge came up with the categories
- Audience Cults
hardly any organisation because the participants and the consumers lack involvement. Lowest commitment
2 Client Cults
service providers exhibit a degree of organisation. Slightly more commitment Involves a trainer e.g. Yoga instructor
3 Cultic Movements
the highest commitment
and crosses over with sect features
NRMs (formed after 1960s - 1970s)
The three typifications are… categorised by Wallis
- World rejecting
reject the values of main stream society
e.g. sects - World accommodating
exist within the society
e.g. Denominations - World Affirming
actively embrace the values of society
e.g. cults
How many new religious groups (NRMs) in the Europe?
25,000
Why is it difficult to measure membership or affiliation to these organisations?
. because they are not formally registered
. some have disbanded their organisations but still have the devotees
. a lot of them are based overseas so it is hard to trace supporters in the UK, and the commitment between the NRMs varies enormously between organisations
why does BRUCE think NRMs have grown since The Reformation in the 16th and 17th century.
argues that in the 15th Century Europe there was one dominant church and one dominant conception of God. The Reformation allowed the growth of religious freedom.
industrialisation allowed the process of competing belief systems to arise: inc. scientific, religious belief, and practice became more diverse.
In contemporary society there are many different religions and many different gods. The definition of religion has changed from a substantive definition, to a social construct definition: not one universal definition but is subjective and is down to choice.
Classification of NRMs- who categorised the groups? and in what year ?
Wallis categorised the movements in 1984, and into 3 categories.
world rejecting NRMs- most like a sect
world accommodating NRMs- most like a denomination
world affirming NRMs - most like cults
Evaluation of Wallis’ categories;
including Stark and Bainbridge’s evaluation
hard to categorise: according to the movements teachings or member’s beliefs
he gives insufficient attention to the diversity with in religious movements
no group can reject the world altogether
S and B argue that it would be better to categorise according to the amount of tension or conflict there is between the religious group and the outside world
NAMs- is a sub section of NRMs
they focus on the individual potential and are therapeutic, and may focus on spiritual beliefs, rather than directly religious beliefs
who suggests that they take three forms/ what are they?
Stark and Bainbridge argue that they take three forms.
Audience cults
Client cults
Cultic Movements
the sectarian cycle :
what does explain?
who came up with it ?
the sectarian cycle is an analogy used to explain the lifecycle of a sect
Church— schism—- sect—- Denomination —- sect…..hence cycle
