BINS Mini topic 5- Religious organisations and movements

Question 1

Types of rel org & movements

Answer 1

Churches, denominations, sects, cults, NRM- new religious movements, NAM new age movements.

church- building in which people of christian faith gather and perform religious rituals together.

Church- a reference to a religious org- not necesarily of christian faith.

Question 2

Church- trolesch

Answer 2

Large, formal organisation with a hierachy of paid officials e.g vicars, bishops…
- Recruitment is automatic- people are born into it
- Appeals to all members of soc- especially upper classes as it is conservative & aims to maintain status quo
- Close relationship with the state
- Accepting of wider soc- tolerates religious diversity
- Claims monopoly of truth
- In existemce for 1000s of yrs

Question 3

Sect - Trolesch

Answer 3

• Small religious group broken away through schism from a large well established church
• no hierarchy, led by a single charismatic leader
• sects recruit members- adults join voluntarily
• Membership is exclusive- tends to be wc who may feel marginalised from wider soc
• Req total commitment- have to lose contact w non follower family members
• rejects wider soc
• monopoly of truth
• short lived- die when the charismatic leader does

Question 4

Denomination- Neiburhr

Answer 4

• large formal religious groups that develop from sects as they grow in size
• hierarchy of paid officials
• appeals to all members of soc
• dont cliam monopoly of the truth
• dont fully accept wider soc
• few minor restrictions- no drinking
• dont have a close rs w the state

Question 5

Cult- Niebuhr

Answer 5

• Spiritual association that emphasises individualism
• no/ minimal Organisational structure
• limited formal contact between members
• No control over lives
• Limited committment or participation
• Dont claim monopoly of the truth
• Affirm life in this world rater than rewards in the afterlife
• Short lived- fail to fulfil promise to improve lives

Question 6

NRM- new religious movements

Answer 6

small religious groups
wallis- 3 types
1- world rejecting- highly critical of outsid eworld, tend to withdraw from world and live comunally, share all poss, traditional & conservative, membership is excluisve, similar to sects
2- world accomodating- offshoots of exisisting churches, conservative. similar to denominations
3- world affirming- no collective membership, offer an independent way to better urself, no restrictions, pop amongst mc young. similar to cults

Question 7

NAM- New age movements

Answer 7

NAM- religions & therapies emerged since 1970s
no leaders, pow or sacred texts.
NAMS- no commitment, and limited interaction between members
Some- provision of a service which is paid for, crystal healing, tarot cards etc

Question 8

Explaining Rel org and movements
Sects- 3 explanations for the increasing number of sects and their members

Answer 8

1- marginality
2- relative deprivation
3- social change

Question 9

increasing sects
1- marginality

Answer 9

Marginality- marginal groups feel they are dispriveleged- theyre not recieving economic benefits / hold no status in soc

weber- sects appeal to these marginal groups by offering a solution to their situ- theodicy of disprivelege - a religious justification for suffering (rewards in the afterlife).

e.g nation of islam- recruited succesfully among disadvantaged black people in usa.

Question 10

2- rel dep - sects

Answer 10

rel dep- subjective sense of being deprived- feeling you lack wealth, spirituality…
mc- materially well off but feel spiritually deprived in a materialistic world they perceive as lacking moral values.
sects - offer a sense of community when they feel spiritually deprived- filling the gap caused by rel dep. explains why young mc joined the moonies.

Stark & Bainbridge- wc feel mat dep & sects offer compensators by promising rewards in hte afterlife. they join world-rejecting sects e.g peoples temple. mc who dont need compensators join world-affirming NRM/cults which allow them to furrhter their welath e.g scientology

Question 11

3- social change sects

Answer 11

wilson- rapid social change undermines vc, creating anomie (normlessness).
- creates a sense of uncertainty & insecurity- ppl turn to sects in search of a solution.

e.g social and economic upheaval caused by ind rev, led to cration of methodism which offered a sense of community, warmth for wc when communities were falling apart bc of urbanisation.

Question 12

Why world rejecting NRMs (sects) emerged in 1960s

Answer 12

1- social change- Wallis- social changes in 1960s lead to young joining world rejecting NRMS bc they offered a more idealistic way of life. since 60’s young peop;e spending more time in full edu- freedom from adult responsibilities. same time- political movements- CRM, femnism. combined give a alternativ view of the future & allow to develop a counter culture. for some counter culture failed and made them feel disillusioned so turned to NRMS e.g children of god- this offered deeper & more meaningful relationships

Question 13

The end of sects- Neibuhr

Answer 13

Niebuhr- sects are world-rejecting, short lived and tend to die out within a generation or compromise with the world and become denominations.
reasons;

1- second gen members- children born into sect, lack commitment, parents may have joined willingly but they dint
2- protestant ethic effect- sects practice asceticism- ahrd work simple lifestyle- thus become prosperous and may no longer be world rejecting
3- death of leader- sects led by charismatic leader die when they do

However, Stark and Bainbridge argue they move through a cycle or rebirth and renewal rather than dyign

Question 14

Established sects

Answer 14

Wilson- not all sets either die or become denominations. some sects e.g amish, jehovahs witness have survived over many gen, this is bc they are either

1- conversionists- sects that aim to convert more members are more likely to grow
2- adventists- rel org awaiting 2nd coming of chirst e.g amish believe they must be seperate from corrupt world around them in order to be saved- so can nerver become world accepting sects

therefore, sects can become estalished sects which will not end as they are succesful in socialising 2nd 3rd.. gen into a high level of commitment or recruiting new members who have the fervour to fully commit

Question 15

Bruce- social change causes cults

Answer 15

Bruce- today social upheaval is caused by technological advances and secularisation. these lead people to turn away from trad rel & strict sects, instead join cults which are less demanding & req less commitment than trad church/ sects.

Question 16

Bruce- modernity & rationalisation are causing world affirming NRMS (cults)

Answer 16

bruce- modernity & rationalisation of work means people no longer get meaning or sense of identity from the work they do (calvinists- work had religious meaning) today no longer the case- ppl stay in jobs for short times and jobs are a means to a end we do them to pay the bills. soc promotes achievement which not everyone can achieve due to lack of opp.
therefore people join world affirming NRMS bc they offer a sense of identity & techniques for ach sucess in life e,g scientology.

Question 17

NAMS- Drane & bruce- Modernity & Postmodernity are causing the growth in NAMs.

Answer 17

Postmodernity- Drane- NAMS have become popular as a result of pm. pm brings with it a decline in the reliance on science (failed 2 better the world- nuc weapons), as a result people have lost faith in metanarratives e.g science. at the same time they have become disillusioned w trad religion bc failed to meet spiritual needs, as a result people turn to NAMS - idea we can find the truth for ourselves by looking within.

Modernity- Bruce- disagrees & argues appeal of NAMS is a feature of last phase of mod not pm. Modernity- individualism- promoted in NAMS- nams are watered down versions of (buddhism) & are often audience cults which enable followers to be spiritual shoppers, reflecting consumerism.
Heelas agrees with bruce, appeal of NAMS is a feature of modernity- nams offer a sense of identity when they have many diff roles in soc, nams reject consumerism which fails to deliver the perfection it promises, so nams offer an alternative way to perfection. nams provide a sense of certaint in an uncertain world caused by rapid social change.