Topic 6 Organisations, Movements and Members
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- Created on: 30-05-13 17:17
Who talked about the Types of religious organisations?
Troeltsch
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What are characteristics of a Church?
Large organisations, millions of members, run by a bureaucratic heirachy of professional priests, claim monopoly of truth, universalistic, although tend to be more attractive to higher classes because they are closely linked to the state
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What are characteristics of a denomination?
lie midway between churches and sects. Membership is less exclusive than a sect but dont appeal to whole of society like church. they appeal to whole of society, but not linked to state. impose minor restrictions, do not claim monopoly of truth
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What are characteristics of a Sect?
Small, exclusive groups. Hostile to wider society and expect high levels of comitment. they draw members from poor and oppressed. led by charismatic leader rather than heirachy, claim monopoly of truth.
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What are characteristics of a cult?
highly individualistic, loose-knit and usually small grouping around shared themes and interests. led by practitioners or therapists. tolerant of other organisations, dont demand strong commitment. many are world afirming
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wallis highlights two characteristics which sum up similarities and differences between religious organisations:
1. How they see themselves - churches and sects claim monopoly of truth. denominations and cults accept there can be many 2. how theyre seen by wider society - churches and denom are seen as respectable whereas sects and cults seen as deviant
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Who categorises New Religious movements and what are they?
Wallis - World rejecting NRMs, World-accommodating NRMs, World-affirming NRMs
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What are the characteristics of a 'world rejecting NRM'
1. clear religious organisations, with a clear notion of god. 2. highley critical of outside world and seek radical change 3. to achieve salvation, members must make a sharp break with former life 4. restricted contact to outside world
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what is a 'world-accommodating NRM'
breakaways from existing churches, neither accept or reject the world. focus on religious rather than wordly matters seeking to restore the spiritual purity of religion.
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what are characteristics of 'World-affirming NRMs'
They accept the world as it is, optimistic and promise followers success. non exclusive tolerent of other religions, most are cults followers are customers rather than members.
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Evaluation of Wallis NRMs
not clear weather wallis is categorising them according to movement's teaching or individuals beliefs/ also ignores diversity of beliefs which may be within NRMs
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which two kind of organisations do stark and bainbridge see as in conflict with wider society?
Sects result from schisms - splits in existing organisations they break away from churches due to disagreement with doctrine. Cults - new religions such as scientology that have been imported
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Stark and bainbridge sub divide cults into what?
Audience Cults, Client Cults and Cultic movements
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What is an Audience cult?
Least organised and do not involve formal membership or much commitment. little interaction between members. participation may be through media.
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What is a Client Cult?
based on the relationship between a consultant and client, provide services to their followers. emphasis on 'therapies' promising personal fulfilment and self discovery. e.g. s
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What are Cultic movements?
the most organised and demand higher level of commitment than other cults. They aim to meet all members religious needs and are rarely allowed to belong to other religious groups at same time. e.g. the Moonies
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what are the three main explanations for the rapid growth in sects and cults
1. Marginality 2. Relative Deprivation 3. Social Change
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How does Marginality lead to a growth in sects or cults?
sects tend to arise in groups who are marginal to society. they may feel they are disprivilaged. weber - sects offer members theodicy of disprivilage religious explanation for their suffering and disadvantage.
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How does Relative Deprivation lead to a growth in sects or cults?
Stark and Bainbridge - Relativley deprived people break away from churches to form sects. middle-class members of church seek to compromise beliefs to fit society, deprived members break away form sects that safeguard original message of organisation
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How does Social change lead to growth of sects or cults?
Bruce - Growth of sects and cults as response to social change involved in modernisation and secularisation. society is now secularised therefore people less attracted to traditional churches because they demand too much commitment.
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What explanations have been put forward for the growth of World-rejecting NRMs?
increase in time spent in education gave freedom from adult responsibilities allowing a counter-culture to develop.
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what explanations have been put forward for the growth of world-affirming NRMs
Bruce - response to modernity; work no longer provides source of identity - unlike past when the protestant ethic gave work a religious meaning for some. world affirming provide both sense of identity and techniques that promise success.
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What are reasons for sects being short lived?
1. The second generation who are born into sects lack commitment and fervour of parents 2. protestant ethic effect - sects that practice ascetisism (hard work) become upwardly mobile. members will be compramise with world and leave 3.death of leader
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What are the 2 common themes that characterise new age; and who came up with them?
1. Self-Spirituality: New ages seeking the spiritual turned away from traditional churches + look inside themselves to find it. detraditionalisation: rejects spiritual authority of external traditional sources priests. values personal experience.
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How has postmodernity lead to 'the new age'
main feature of post modern society is loss in faith of metta-narratives. science has given us war, global warming etc. therefore people have lost faith in experts + churches dont meet there spiritual needs. therefore they turn to the new age.
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How has modernity lead to 'the new age'?
Bruce - Modern society values individuals is also a key principle of new age. New age beliefs are softer versions of tradidional eastern religions which have been watered down.=why new age are often client/audience cult-make few demanands on follower
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Heelas sees 'New Age' and Modernity as linked in 4 ways:
1. A source of Identity 2. Consumer Culture 3. Rapid social change - modern society disrupts norms and values creating anomie. new age provides truth. 4. Decline of organised religion - new age is strongest whereas church is lowest in california
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Why are women more likely to be religious?
Miller and hoffman - women are socialised to be more passive, obidient and caring. these are qualities valued by most religions. women are more likely to work part-time. Women attracted to church as a source of gender identity.
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Why did davie say women are more religious?
Womens close proximity to birth and death (Child bearing and caring for sick old relatives) brings them closer to 'ultimate question' about meaning of life religion is concerned with.
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why might women be more attracted than men to new age movements
women are associated with nature and healing.Bruce - womens experience of child rearing makes them less aggressive + goal orientated which fits expressive emphasis of new age.
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Which forms of deprivation do Glock and Stark argue are all more common among women explaining higher level of sect membership?
Organismic dep - women more likely to suffer ill health and seek healing through religion. Ethical dep - women regard world as being in moral decline and be attracted to sects who share this view. social deprivation - women more likely to be poor.
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What is cultural defence?
Bruce - religion offers support and sense of cultural identity in an uncertain/hostile environment. Bird - Religion among minorities is basis for community solidarity (preserving culture + language) and way of coping with oppression in racist society
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what explanation does Herberg give for high levels of religious participation among first generation immigrants?
Cultural transition - means of easing transition into a new culture by providing sense of community.
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why are under 15's more likely to attend church than over 65's?
under 15's - they may be made to do so by parents. Over 65's - More likely to be sick or disabled therefore unable to attend.
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who came up with the two main explanations for age differences in religious participation?
Voas and Crockett
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What is the ageing affect?
People turn to religion when they get older. Heelas argues this is due to as we approach death we naturally become concerned about after life etc so we are more likely to attend church
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What is the generational affect?
Society becomes more secular, each new generation is less religious than the one before. there are more old than young churchgoers because they grew up at a time when religion was popular.
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
What are characteristics of a Church?
Back
Large organisations, millions of members, run by a bureaucratic heirachy of professional priests, claim monopoly of truth, universalistic, although tend to be more attractive to higher classes because they are closely linked to the state
Card 3
Front
What are characteristics of a denomination?
Back
Card 4
Front
What are characteristics of a Sect?
Back
Card 5
Front
What are characteristics of a cult?
Back
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