The Organisations of Religion Flashcards
What are the four types of religious organisations?
Church
Sect
Denomination
Cult
What is membership like for each religious organisation?
Church - large scale, inclusive, open to all
Sect - small scale, exclusive
Denomination - open to all
Cult - open to all, no formal membership
What is the organisation of each religious organisation like?
Church - complex, formal hierarchy of professional clergy
Sect - informal, rely on charismatic leader
e.g. Jim Jones of the People’s Temple
Denomination - formal hierarchy of professional clergy
Cult - very little
What is worship and ritual like for each religious organisation?
Church - formal and restrained
Sect - informal, emotional and spontaneous
Denomination - relatively formal and restrained
Cult - very informal, focus on what works for the individual
What is sense of legitimacy like for each religious organisation?
Church - monopoly of truth
Sect - monopoly of truth
Denomination - no monopoly of truth
Cult - no monopoly of truth
What is their relationship with wider society like with each religious organisation?
Church - closely linked to the state, accept norms and values
Sect - highly critical (sometimes hostile) to wider society, members encouraged to distance themselves from non-members
Denomination - accept norms and values but are separate to the state
Cult - accept norms and values
What is involvement and commitment like for each religious organisation?
Church - low
Sect - very high standards and levels of commitment
Denomination - low, some may restrict things such as gambling or alcohol
Cult - very low
What are the followers like of each religious organisation?
Church - predominantly middle class
Sect - predominately working class, often ethnic minority
Denomination - both middle class and working class
Cult - tend to be middle class
What is an example of each religious organisation?
Church - Church of England, Catholicism
Sect - People’s Temple
Denomination - Baptist, Methodist, United Reformed, Quakers, Salvation Army
Cult - Scientology
What are the three types of new religious movements (NRMS)?
World affirming (NRMS)
World accommodating (NRMS)
World rejecting (NRMS)
What are the characteristics of new age movements?
Focus on the individual; no membership
Spirituality rather than religion; personal experience to discover own truths
Business-like: consultant and client
Appeal particularly to middle class, middle-aged women
No monopoly of truth
What are examples of new age movements?
Crystal healing
Guided visualisation
Tarot
Astrology
Yoga
Why does sociologist Bruce argue NAMs shouldn’t be considered religions?
Bruce argues that NAMs are leisure activities, not religious or spiritual practices
e.g. many people do yoga for better flexibility and postures, not for spiritual reasons
What are meta-narratives?
Grand single explanations for events
e.g. Christianity
Why do sects tend to be short-lived?
The sect dies out
The sect becomes a denomination
Why may a sect die out?
The charismatic leader dies and there is no one with the same God-given talents to lead the sect. As a result the sect may just die out, or a new more formal leadership takes over becoming a denomination
The second generation of sect followers are less committed than the first; again, the sect with either die out or become a denomination
Members lives improve meaning they have less reason to be critical of society and they leave the sect
Who do sects and world-rejecting NRMs particularly appeal to?
People from working class or ethnic minority groups
What might sects and world-rejecting NRMs be in response to?
Social marginalisation
Relative deprivation
Rapid social change
Protest
Why might sects and world-rejecting NRMs be in response to social marginalisation?
People who are marginalised are cut off from the rest of society
e.g. through poverty, homelessness, racism etc.
A sect offers help with a theodicy of disprivilege which is:
- an explanation for their suffering
- a promise that life will improve in the future
Why might sects and world-rejecting NRMs be in response to relative deprivation?
Relative deprivation refers to a sense of lacking something in comparison to others
- e.g. lack of status, respect, spirituality etc.
A sect can help with this. It demands a strict code of conduct, self-discipline and commitment from its members
If members follow this they will gain status and respect within the sect
Why might sects and world-rejecting NRMs be in response to rapid social change?
Sects may appear during times of rapid social change
This can be caused by natural disasters or man-made events
This rapid social change can lead to a sense of anomie, where societies norms that usually shape our behaviour have broken down
Sects can help because they provide clear and strict norms of behaviour during a time of normlessness. The sect also offers the promise things will improve, giving followers hope for the future
Why might sects and world-rejecting NRMs be in response to protest?
Glock and Stark argue sects and world-rejecting NRMs may be used as a means of social protest by people critical of society
They join a religious organisation that shares these criticisms
- e.g. black muslims (Nation of Islam)
Furthermore, in the USA in the 1960s young people tried to use political protest to transform society. They failed, so turned to sects/world-rejecting NRMs to provide supernatural means for change
What are three reasons for the appeal of world-affirming NRMs, cults and NAMs?
To get a happier, healthier and more successful life
To re-gain spirituality
Individual choice
Why might world-affirming NRMs, cults and NAMs offering a happier, healthier and more successful life appeal to people?
NAMs offer the MC techniques and services to improve their lives
e.g. fulfilling personal relationships, promotions at work
MC women make up majority of NAMs and cults - may be due to women feeling more pressure than men to improve themselves
Why might world-affirming NRMs, cults and NAMs offering an opportunity to regain spirituality appeal to people?
Many MC experience feelings of relative deprivation - feeling their lives lack spirituality
Look to NAMs and cults to make their lives more meaningful
e.g. Transcendental Meditation (TM) offers the MC techniques to reconnect with their ‘inner selves’
Why might world-affirming NRMs, cults and NAMs offering individual choice appeal to people?
Postmodernists argue NAMs and world-affirming NRMs offer a new source of identity
Individuals are now ‘spiritual shoppers’ and ‘pick n mix’ different beliefs according to their own personal tastes and identities
Why might religious fundamentalists organisations appeal to followers?
To end westernisation
A protest against modernity
To remove liberal values
Offer direction and certainty in a modern society
