Types of Religious Organisation Flashcards
1
Q
Church and sect
A
- Troeltsch
- Churches:
Large Organisations
Often have millions of members
Run by a bureaucratic hierarchy of professional priests
Claim a monopoly of the truth - Sects:
Hostile to wider society
Expect a high level of commitment
Members are poor and oppressed
Charismatic leader
Monopoly of the truth
2
Q
Denomination and cult
A
- Niebuhr
- Denominations:
Midway between churches and sects
Less exclusive membership than a sect
Don’t appeal to the whole of society like church
Not as demanding as sects
Tolerant of other religious organisations
Don’t claim a monopoly of the truth - Cults:
Individualistic, loose-knit and small groups
Led by ‘practitioners’ or ‘therapists’
Tolerant of other organisations
Don’t demand a strong commitment
World-affirming
3
Q
What does Wallis (1984) highlight in terms of similarities and differences?
A
- How they see themselves:
- Churches and sects claim that their interpretation is the only legitimate one
- Denominations and cults accept there are many valid interpretations - How they are seen by wider society:
- Churches and denominations are seen as respectable and legitimate
- Sects and cults are seen as deviant
4
Q
On what grounds does Bruce criticise Troeltsch’s definitions?
A
- Churches only had monopoly before the 16th century Protestant Reformation
- Since then, sects and cults have flourished and religious diversity has become the norm
- Churches are no longer truly churches: they have lost their monopoly and been reduced to the status of a denomination
5
Q
Wallis (1984)
A
- World-rejecting NRM’s
- World-accomodating NRM’s
- World-affirming NRM’s
6
Q
World-rejecting NRM’s
A
Examples include: The Moonies, The People's Temple, Children of God... Characteristics include: - Clear notion of God - Critical of the outside world - Members must live communally - Conservative moral codes
7
Q
World-accomodating NRM’s
A
- These are often breakaways from existing mainstream churches or denominations
Examples include: Neo-Pentecostalists
Characteristics include: - Focus on religious matters over worldly matters
- Seek to restore the spiritual purity of religion
- Members lead conventional lives
8
Q
World-affirming NRM’s
A
Examples include: Scientology, TM, Human Potential…
Characteristics include:
- Acceptance of the world as it is
- Non-exclusive and tolerant of other religions
- Offer additional special knowledge
- Most are cults which offer training
Most successful of the 3: 2005, Scientology had 165,000 members whereas the Moonies had 1,200
9
Q
Evaluation of Wallis’ NRM’s
A
- Not clear if he is categorising them according to the movement’s teachings or individual members’ beliefs
- Ignores the diversity of beliefs that may exist in an NRM
- Stark and Bainbridge (1986): should distinguish between religious organisations using just one criterion- the degree of conflict/tension between the group and wider society
10
Q
Stark and Bainbridge: 2 kinds of organisation that are in conflict with wider society
A
- Sects
- Result from schisms (splits in existing organisations)
- Formed due to disagreements about doctrines
- Offer other-worldly benefits - Cults
- New religions
- Or religions new to that particular society that have been imported
- Offer this-worldly benefits
11
Q
How do Stark and Bainbridge further classify cults? Organisation
A
- According to their level of organisation
1. Audience cults
Least organised
Not a lot of formal membership and commitment
Little interaction between members
Examples include astrology
2. Client cults
Based on the relationship between a consultant and a client
Emphasis has shifted from medical miracles to ‘therapies’ promising personal fulfilment
3. Cultic movements
Most organised and demand a high level of commitment
Not allowed to belong to another group at the same time
Examples include the Moonies
