religious organisations Flashcards
(19 cards)
churches
large organisations, run in a hierarchy, claim monopoly of truth, inclusive
church of england
sects
small, exclusive, hostile to wider society, high commitment, charismatic leader, claim monopoly of truth
people’s temple
denominations
tolerant of other religions, impose only minor restrictions, broadly accept societal values
methodism
cults
led by people who claim special knowledge, demand little commitment, loosely organised
scientology
world-rejecting nrm
critical of the outside world, seeking radical change, strict rules
world-accommodating nrm
break-aways from churches or denominations, aim to restore spiritual purity to religion
world-affirming nrm
claim to offer techniques that unlock spiritual powers or personal fulfilment
nam
spiritual, contemporary, borrow from older forms of religion
tarot cards, crystals, yoga, feng shui
neibuhr
sects are short lived and evolve into denominations or die out because they grow a connection to mainstream society that makes world-rejection short-lived, and children born into sects are likely to reject them
AO3 of neibuhr
sects can survive by isolating themselves from society (i.e., amish people), leaders of sects can ban members from mass media to confine them to the sect
what makes nrm and nam attractive
individual choice (creating identity)
globalisation (awareness increases)
providing meaning (solves uncertainty)
practicality (expecting greater success)
secularisation (spirituality > mainstream religion)
social deprivation (sense of security)
social change (address lack of norms)
status frustration (young people seek alternative ways to achieve status)
religious fundamentalism
literal interpretation of religious texts and ideas
characteristics of religious fundamentalism
- sacred texts are the one absolute truth
- offerring ‘solutions’ to crises
- modern technology furthers interests (televangelism)
giddens and bauman
fundamentalism is a response to change and uncertainty because it provides clear answers - christian and islamic fundamentalism provide strict rules on how to live
armstrong
fundamentalist groups rise to retaliate against liberal views
why did islamic fundamentalist groups emerge
- some muslims feel let down by western involvement in their political and economic issues, leading them to reassert their culture and ideas
- some muslims are against usa involvement with israel during their conflict with palestine
westboro baptist church
a fundamentalist christian group that speaks out against liberal views in response to modern views towards sex and homosexuality
islamic state
a fundamentalist islam group that causes terror and mass killings throughout syria and iraq in response to growing western values
fundamentalism and social change
seeks to return to an idealised version of the past where religion held authority
