Religious Organisations Flashcards
(21 cards)
Troeltsch
(sects)
Sees sects as small exclusive groups - hostile to wider society and expect high levels of commitment
Niebuhr
Describes denominations as lying midway between churches and sects
Bruce
Argues Troeltsch idea of church having religious monopoly only applies to Catholic church before 16th century Protestant Reformation
Wallis
Categorises new religious movements (NRM) in 3 groups based on relationship to outside world:
- World Rejecting NRM
- World Accommodating NRM
- World Affirming NRM
Stark and Bainbridge
We should distinguish between religious organisation using 1 criteria - degree of conflict between group and wider society
Stark and Bainbridge
(Sects and Cults)
2 organisations that are in conflict with wider society:
. Sects result from schisms = splits in existing organisations
. Cults = new religions or new to particular society
Weber
Sects arise in groups who are marginal to society - feel they are deprivileged
^ sects offer solution by offering members a theodicy of deprivilege
Bruce
(Growth of World Affirming NRM)
Growth is response to modernity, especially rationalisation of work
Heelas
(New Age)
Most normally offer both world - affirming aspects and world - rejecting elements
Bruce
(New Age)
Growth of new age is feature of latest phase of modern society as modern society values individualism which is a key feature of New Age beliefs
Miller and Hoffman
Women express greater interest in religion and stronger personal commitment to it
Miller and Hoffman
(Reasons)
- Risk taking
- Womens socialisation
- Gender roles
Brown
(Eval of paid work)
‘decline of female piety’ - women withdrawing from religion as since 1960s more are in paid work
Brown
New Age ‘self’ religions attract women recruits as appeal to womens wish for autonomy
Stark and Bainbridge
(Gender)
Women may participate in sects as offer compensators:
- organismic deprivation
- ethical deprivation
- social deprivation
Brusco
Study of Pentecostals in Colombia
. Pentecostals demands followers to adopt ascetic lifestyle (trad division of labour)
. Pentecostal women use it to combat widespread culture of machismo in Latin America - raising standard of living of women and children
Brierley
Black people 2x more likely to attend church as white people
Modhood
Decline in importance of religion for all ethnic groups especially among second generation
Bird
Religion among minorities can be basis for community solidarity
Voas and Crockett
Three possible explanations for age differences in religion:
1. The Ageing Effect
2. The Period/Cohort Effect
3. Secularisation
Heelas
(Age)
The Ageing Effect
. more interested in spirituality as we approach death = more concerned with afterlife and more likely to attend church
