Beliefs In Society- Reasons For The Growth Of NRM & The Lifespan Of Sects Flashcards
(33 cards)
What sort of lifespan do sects have?
A short one
Who suggested that sects have short lifespans?
Niebuhr
What are the 4 reasons that a sect may have a short lifespan & who proposed it?
Niebuhr:
- death of the charismatic leader
- children of the sect members dont have the same intensity of belief (the sect dies out in the 2nd gen)
- it evolves into a denomination
- it dilutes its beliefs (compromises with outside world)
Who proposed the sectarian cycle?
Stark and bainbridge
What are the 5 stages of the sectarian cycle, and explain them?
Schism -> when members of a trad church break away & form their own movement
Intensity -> sect’s leader establishes values (often conflict with society)
Denominationalism -> intensity cools over time (especially due to 2nd gen)
Establishment -> sect becomes more accepting of the world
Further schism -> some members who hold original beliefs get frustrated & break away (cycle starts again)
Who argues that not all sects are necessarily short lived, and what do they say?
Aldridge:
- not all depend on charismatic leadership
- many have been successful in socialising children & converting adults
- many can maintain strict standards over long periods of time
- many have existed over a long time & still retain features of sects
AO2: What is an example of sects that have existed for a long term?
Jehovah’s witnesses & the Amish
Who argued that not all sects will become denominations and whether a sect will become a denomination depends on what its members see as being required in order to be ‘saved’?
Wilson
What is a conversionist sect and who proposed it?
Wilson -> sects that are the most likely to become a denomination
What are features of a conversionist sect?
Think the best way to save the world isnt to be hostile & isolated to outer society, but to be engaged with it & try to convert individuals
What is an example of a conversionist sect?
The Salvation Army
Who proposed introversionist and Adventist sects?
Wilson
What is an introversionist sect and give the features?
Believe to achieve total salvation is to withdraw from society (can only succeed doing this)
Do not try to convert others
Cannot survive as denominations
What is an Adventist sect and give the features?
Hold doomsday beliefs (believe there will be a catastrophic end to the world e.g. Armageddon)
May try to spread beliefs
Do not dilute beliefs
What are the 6 reasons for the growth of NRMs?
Secularisation
Individual choice
Globalisation
Marginalisation
Relative deprivation
Social change
Who suggested there is a ‘disenchantment with the world’?
Weber
What is the concept of disenchantment?
Spiritual aspects of life have diminished and is being replaced by rational explanations
Who suggests that people have found trad religions ritualistic and therefore they may find comfort in smaller NRMs?
Giddens
How may NRMs attract individuals in a secular society?
Attract those turned off by mainstream religion & provide refuge for those seeking spiritual and supernatural beliefs
How may individual choice cause an increase in NRMs, according to postmodernists?
Traditional sources of identity (gender, social class etc), have become more fragmented
People increasingly form identities through consumer culture (includes beliefs they buy into)
Joining a sect/NRM may meet personal needs & individual choice (in terms of lifestyle)
Who suggested we live in a media-saturated society?
Baudrillard
How has globalisation contributed to the increase in the growth of NRMs?
People have access to huge range of ideas (particularly through media) -> people can now mix & match beliefs from across the world
NRMs can communicate it’s large numbers of people -> raised visibility of those groups (particularly among younger people)
Who argued that sects are most likely to emerge among marginalised groups?
Weber
What is a marginalised group?
Those who are pushed to edges of mainstream society & arent integrated into it
