Topic 6 - Organisations , Movements And Members Flashcards
How does Troeltsch distinguish between the 2 main types of religious organisations (churches and sects ) ?
He distinguishes between 2 main types , churches and sects
-Churches - large organisations , often with millions of members run by a bureaucratic hierarchy of professional priests , and they claim the monopoly of the truth . They are universalistic , claiming to include the whole of society , tend to be more attractive to higher classes because they are ideologically conservative and often closely linked to the state
-Sects - small , exclusive groups . Unlike churches , sects are hostile to wider society and expect a high level of commitment . They draw their members from the poor and oppressed . Many are led by a charismatic leader rather than a bureaucratic hierarchy.
-The only similarity with churches is that sects to believe they have a monopoly of religious truth
What is an another religious organisations that Niebuhr identifies and what are the features ?
-Niebuhr identifies denominations such as Methodism as lying midway between churches and sects
-Membership is less exclusive than a sect , but they don’t appeal to the whole of society like a church .
-Like churches , they broadly accept society’s values , but are not linked to the state
-they impose minor restrictions on members such as forbidding alcohol , but not as demanding as sects
-Unlike both sects and churches , they are tolerant of other religious organisations and do not claim the monopoly of the truth
What is the 4th type of religious organisations , which is the least organised ?
- the least organised religious organisation is a cult.
-This is a highly individualistic , loose knit and usually small groups around shared themes and interests , but usually without a sharply defined and exclusive belief system
-Cults are usually led by practitioners and therapists who claim special knowledge
-Like denominations , cults are usually tolerant of other organisations and their beliefs
-Cults do not demand strong commitment from their followers , who are often more like customers than members
-They have little further involvement with the cult once they have acquired the beliefs or techniques it offers .
-many cults are world affirming , claiming to improve life in this world
What are the 2 characteristics which Wallis identifies when summing up the similarities and differences between religious organisations ?
Wallis highlights 2 characteristics ;
-How they see themselves - Churches and sects claim that their interpretation of the faith is the only legitimate or correct one. Denominations and cults accept that there can be many valid interpretations
-How they are seen by wider society - Churches and denominations are seen as respectable and legitimate whereas sects and cults are seen as deviant
How does Bruce criticise Troeltschs description of churches ?
-Bruce argues that Troeltschs idea of a church as having a religious monopoly only applies to the Catholic Church before the Protestant reformation , when it had religious monopoly over society , symbolised by its massive and imposing cathedrals
-Since then , sects and cults have flourished and religious diversity has became the norm
-In todays society , churches have lost their monopoly and been reduced to the status of denominations competing with all the rest
What are some examples of new religious movements ?
-Eg. Moonies , children of God , The Manson Family ,peoples Temple
What are the 3 Groups that Wallis categorises these new religious movements into ?
-World Rejecting NRM’s
-World Accomodating NRM’s
-World Affirming NRM’s
What are world rejecting NRM’s - key features ?
-World Rejecting NRM’s are similar to Troeltschs idea of sects
-Examples include the Moonies , children of God , The Manson Family
-They vary greatly in size , from a handful of members to hundreds of thousands
-They are clearly religious organisations with a clear notion of God
-They are highly critical of the outside world and they expect to see radical change
-To achieve salvation , members must make a sharp break with their former life
-Members live communally , with restricted contact with the outside world
-The movement controls all aspects of their lives and is often accessed of brainwashing them
-They often have conservative moral codes , for example about sex
What are world affirming NRM’s ?
-World affirming NRM’s differ from all other religious groups and may lack some of the conventional features of religion , such as collective worship and some aren’t highly organised
-However , like religions , they offer their followers access to spiritual or supernatural powers
-Examples include Scientology
-they accept the world as it is . They are optimistic and promise followers success in terms of mainstream goals and values , such as careers and personal relationships
-they are non exclusive and tolerant of other religions , but claim to offer additional special knowledge which help their followers to unlock their own spiritual powers and achieve success or overcome problems such as unhappiness or illness
-most are cults , whose followers are often customers rather than members , and entry is through training . The movement places few demands on them and they carry on normal lives
What are world accommodating NRM’s ?
-World accommodating NRM’s are often breakaways from existing mainstream churches or denominations
-They neither accept nor reject the world , and they focus on religious rather than worldly matters , seeking to restore the spiritual purity of religion
-Members tend to lead conventional lives
How do Stark and Bainbridge criticise Wallis’s 3 types of new religious movements ?
Stark and Bainbridge reject the idea of constructing such typologies altogether . Instead they argue we should distinguish between religious organisations using just one criterion - the degree of conflict or tension between the religious group and wider society
What are the 2 kind of organisations that Stark and Bainbridge identify which are in conflict with wider society ?
-Sects -splits in existing organisations . They break away from churches usually because of disagreements
-Cults - new religions such as Scientology
What are the 3 types of cults that Stark and Bainbridge categorise them into based on how organised they are ?
-Audience cults - least organised - don’t involve formal membership or much commitment , there is little interaction between members , participation is through the media
-Client cults - based on the relationship between a consultant and a client and provides services to their followers
-Cultic movements -most organised - demand a high level of commitment than other cults . The movement aim to meet all the members religious needs , not allowed to belong to other religious groups at the same time unlike the other cults
Where does Troeltsch believe sects tend to draw their members from ?
Troeltsch notes that sects tend to draw their members from the poor and oppressed
Where does Marx believe sects arise ?
Marx argues that sects arise in groups who are marginal to society , such groups may feel that they are disprivileged - that is that they are not receiving their just economic rewards or social status
What does Weber believe sects offer their members which solves the problem of them being marginalised ?
In Weber’s View , sects offer a solution to their problem by offering members a theodicy of disprivilege - a religious explanation and justification for their suffering and disadvantage This may help to explain their misfortune as a test of faith .
For example , while holding out the promise of rewards in the future for keeping with their faith
What is relative deprivation ?
Relative deprivation - the feeling of being disadvantaged compared to others within society
Why does Wallis argue middle classes face relative deprivation and therefore leads them to join sects ?
Wallis argues that although middle class people are materially well off , they may feel spiritually deprived , especially in todays society
As a result , Wallis argues that the middle class may turn to sects for a sense of community
Why do Stark and Bainbridge argue relative deprivation leads the deprived to join sects ?
Stark and Bainbridge argue that is is the relatively deprived who break away from churches to form sects. When middle class members of a church seek to compromise its beliefs in order to fit in with society , deprived members are likely to break away to form sects that safeguard the original message of the organisation
What are the 3 explanations for the recent growth of religious movements ?
-Marginality
-Relative deprivation
-Social Change
How does Wilson argue that social change has led to a growth of religious movements such as sects ?
-Wilson argues that periods of rapid change disrupt and undermine established norms and values , producing anomie or normlessness
-In response to the uncertainty and insecurity that this creates , those who are most affected may turn to sects as a solution
How does Bruce agree that social change has led to a growth of religious movements such as sects ?
Bruce sees the growth of sects and cults today as a response to social change involved in modernisation and secularisation
-In Bruce’s View , society is now secularised and therefore people are less attracted to traditional churches because these demand too much commitment
-Instead people now prefer cults because they are less demanding and require fewer sacrifices
Why does Niebuhr argue sects come into existence ?
Niebuhr argues that sects are world rejecting organisation that come into existence because of schism - splitting from an established church because of disagreement over religious doctrine
