Beliefs Organisations

Question 1

Troeltsch and churches

Answer 1

churches are large organisations
formal organisation with hierarchy
paid officials
close relationship with the state and monarchy

Question 2

Niebuhr and denomination

Answer 2

midway between churches and sects
beliefs which are widely accepted
no formal connection with the state
minor restrictions
do not claim a monopoly on the truth
tolerant of other religions

Question 3

Troeltsch and sects

Answer 3

sects= small exclusive group
hostile to wider society
high level of commitment
charismatic leader
belief tend to conflict with those of wider society

Question 4

cults

Answer 4

least organised organisation
individualistic
loose- knit
grouped around a shared theme or interest
led by a practitioner/ therapist who claim to have special knowledge
world affirming

Question 5

Wallis - differences

Answer 5

1)how they see themselves
churches + sects claim a monopoly on the truth and see their faith as the only legit one
Cults + denominations = accept more than one valid interpretation of the world
2) how wider society saw them
churches + denomination= widely accepted
cults+ sects = seen as deviant

Question 6

NRM features - Barker

Answer 6

charismatic leader
young adults
spiritual/ supernatural
monopoly on the truth
short lived
they a the chosen ones

Question 7

Barker - NRMs

Answer 7

uses a more neutral term than the negative meaning of cult and sect
value free - non judgemental

Question 8

World affirming = Wallis

Answer 8

mainly cults
lack of traditional religious rituals
individualistic + enable people to unlock spiritual power to release their human potential
accept the world as it is
enable the individual to participate more effectively

Question 9

Aldridge = world affirming

Answer 9

they do not require a radical break with well established professionals groups
e.g. science

Question 10

World Accommodating

Answer 10

often breakaways from existing mainstream churches or denomination
neither accept nor reject the world
focus on religion rather than worldly matters seeing to restore the spiritual purity

Question 11

evaluation of NRM’s

Answer 11

some argue they ignore the diversity of beliefs within an NRMs
Wallis recognises that NRMs rarely fit into his neat typology and some may have features of all three NRM. He notes that it is still useful to have a way to categorise NRMs.

Question 11

World Rejecting

Answer 11

1)they are clearly religious organisation with a clear notion of god/ religion
2) they are highly critical of the outside world and seek radical change
3) to achieve salvation members must make a sharp break with their former life = exclusive

Question 12

Audience cults
stark and bainbridge

Answer 12

tend to be unorganised + do not have formal membership or committee e.g. astrology

Question 13

client cults
stark and Bainbridge

Answer 13

organised to provide a service between consultant and client e.g. spiritualism + medical miracles ( scientology)

Question 14

Cultic movement
stark and bainbridge

Answer 14

offer spiritual + material supports for their members
demand a higher level of commitment
not able to be members of other committees/ religions at the same time
aim to meet all the needs of their people

Question 15

social change explanations for the growth of NRMs

Answer 15

Wilson= sects arise during periods of rapid social change when trad norms are disputed + social relations lack constant meaning= anomie
Methodist movement = response to urban w/c to the chaos + uncertainty of life in a new industrial town + cities
those trying to make sense of + survive new hostile environment

Question 16

Marginality explanation of the growth of NRMs

Answer 16

weber= agrees S+B members drawn from the poor and oppressed
tend to arise in marginalised groups e.g. the w/c
w/c feel disadvantaged + not receiving their just eco. rewards or social status = theodicy of disprivilege = religion as an explanation + justification for their suffering + disadvantage

Question 17

Wallis = reasons for the 1960 development of NRMs

Answer 17

1) the growth of higher education = extended periods of trans between child + adult = young people have a period of freedom in which they could experiment, since they had few responsibility
2) the growth of radical political movements , which provided an alternative to dominant social norms + values = anti-Vietnam war

Question 18

Heelas

Answer 18

2 common themes that characterise the new age=
self- spirituality new agers= seeking the spiritual
detraditionalization: reject the spiritual authority of external traditional sources e.g. priests
personal experiences instead - discover truth

Question 19

types of NEAs

Answer 19

world- affirming = emphasis on outer world= focus on practical, usefulness of the new age for achieving objectives
world- rejecting = emphasis on the inner world of the individual = turning away from the world/ worldly success - towards inner reflection

Question 20

reasons for the growth

Answer 20

generally well educated middle class who have experienced personal development + believe new age is a way to achieve progress
a symptom of this society and is based on personal viewpoint rather than objective truth- secondary socialisation

Question 21

Postmodernism

Answer 21

Drane - its appeal= shift toward postmodern society
loss of faith in meta- narrative
science failed = bring war, genocide , environmental destruction etc.
lost faith inn professionals and churches
turn to NEAs to find the truth for ourselves

Question 22

evaluation of post modernism

Answer 22

Sutcliffe - there isn’t a new age movement = cannot be considered a movement due to lack of features e.g. an established premise, leaders etc.
e.g. growth of individual spirituality shops- popularised by media as a way of improving inner spirituality / self- development
social constructionist definition

Question 23

feminisation of religion

Answer 23

Davie = feminisation of churches
religion shifting to be more emotional focus and god is less on power

Question 24

gender and inequality

Answer 24

the stained glass ceiling = blocked from opportunities within religion e.g. the bible - eve Holm = move to the male god is the origin of gender inequality in modern religions e.g. orthodox Judaism= women cannot participate in ceremonies holm + Bowker = fundamentalist movements also expected trad roles

Question 25

Risk taking

Answer 25

Miller and Hoffman= attitudes to risk between genders men more wiling to take risks than women = high levels of religiosity evidence of risk averse risk not going to heaven

Question 26

Postmodernism and gender

Answer 26

Davie = women are closer to life and death so have more gain from religion Knott= biological reasons = giving birth is a spiritual experience experience (creation of a new life) and are at risk of dying in child birth maternal death - low, still a risk

Question 27

Material factors of gender religiosity

Answer 27

Glock and stark = organismic deprivation - women experience more deprivation- material + spiritual- than men, because of patriarchy less financial control- stay at home mothers- attend churches to gain control less spiritual purpose- men get purpose from work, women are defined by their husbands

Question 28

Cultural defence

Answer 28

Bruce= religion can offer support and a sense of cultural identity in hostile environment religion can be the basis of community and solidarity- preserve language + culture + coping with oppression

Question 29

Modood et al- ethnicity

Answer 29

religion was important in the lives of ethic communities as : a source of socialisation maintaining traditional morality e.g. conceptions of mutual responsibility

Question 30

cultural transition

Answer 30

can help people transition into new environments Bruce links this to immigration in the UK, Religion has provided a focal point for Irish, African Caribbean, muslim and hindu communities- high in 1st generation religiosity= something familiar

Question 31

criticism of cultural transition

Answer 31

Cultural transition= 2nd generation are socialised into the new country= don’t need religion as much to connect to “old country” Once a group have made their transition into the wider society, religion may lose its role and decline in importance Modood = there is less religiosity amongst second generation ethnic groups

Question 32

social class and ethnicity

Answer 32

Weber- theodicy and disprivilege= potentially explaining higher levels of Pentecostalism found among African Caribbean and the Rastafarianism among alienated young black men Marx’s view of religion- as the opium of the people providing comforting diversion from attacking the cause of their poverty and the racism they encounter.

Question 33

believing without belonging

Answer 33

Davie= young people may choose to treat religion/ beliefs as a private matter even if they have general beliefs they may not feel they belong to one specific religious belief prefer no public displays through religious organisations

Question 34

Lynch + young people

Answer 34

turning away from conventional ideas of religion as there is now an "expanded spiritual marketplace" growing exposure/ accessibility to wide diversity of religious ideas no longer subscribe to trad religions we shop around religions/ features that fit us

Question 35

the elderly

Answer 35

Voas + Crochett people come closer to the end of their lives their interest in spirituality + what comes next increases why elderly women attend church more than men as they live longer - long life span

Question 36

religious socialisation - 65+

Answer 36

older people- greater emphasis placed on religion through the education system and socialisation voas= due to the increase in inter- faith marriages - children wih a wide range of views

Question 37

Niebuhrs reasons sects are short lived

Answer 37

1) the problem with maintaining commitment = hard to sustain after 1st gen. = will need to wither or modify its beliefs but Aldrige = sects maintain strict standards - expel people - make them more exclusionary= FLDS 2) loss of charismatic leader= group will collapse without central figure 3) changing circumstances of members = Barker - young people get older- reasons wane - wish for normal life

Question 38

religious diversity in a post modern society

Answer 38

fragmentation of belief + wide diversity see peoples beliefs as a personal matter Hervieu - Leger = spiritual shopping = we can shop around for beliefs have so many beliefs we can pick the features of a religion we want and shop around

Question 39

secularisation

Answer 39

Wilson= society undergoing a long term process of secularisation the process whereby religious beliefs, practices + institutions lost social significance - rise in science = rationalism = can explain the big human question - changes in politics- separating the church from the state - rise in feminism - women's priorities changed