The Sociology of Religion

1. The Sociology of Religion 1 – Key concepts and religious movements

2. 1b Different types of religious institutions and movements

3. Early Typologies • A typology classifies according to ideal types • Religions and religious organisations can be classified into typologies according to various factors • Membership • Organisational structure • Scale • The relationship to the wider society • Demand on members • Attitude to others

4. Churches, Ecclesia, Denominations, Sects and Cults • Church: a formal religious organisation; bureaucratic • Ecclesia: essentially, a church that has less affiliation among members of the society and is not the sole religious body. • Denomination: a named subgroup of a religion with its own tradition and identity • Sect: a subgroup of a religious group that breaks away to follow its own rules and principles • Cult: a group with deviant and novel beliefs and practices • Distinct from other religions - completely new

5. Characteristics of Ecclesiae, Denominations, Sects, and New Religious Movements

6. The Church-Sect Continuum • Less bureaucratic; more distinct from society More bureaucratic;more integratedinto society

7. Example

8. Churches and Ecclesia • Religious organisations claiming to include most or all of the members of a society and recognized as the national or official religion • Ecclesiae are conservative, in general, and do not challenge the leaders of a secular government

9. Denominations • A denomination is a large, organised religion not officially linked with the state or government, and usually with • an explicit set of beliefs, • a defined system of authority, and • a generally respected position in society • Example: in USA, • 87% identify themselves as Christian • Largest Christian denominations = Roman Catholic Church (57 million members) • About 80 million people, or 60% of the religious population are Protestant, but they are divided into hundreds of denominations • The Southern Baptist Convention, with about 15 million members, is currently the largest Protestant denomination

10. Sects • A sect can be defined as a relatively small religious group that has broken away from some other religious organization to renew what it considers the original vision of the faith • Sect formation is very common in the U.S. • Sects usually exhibit a higher degree of fervour and loyalty than more established religious groups do • To sustain their membership, sects rely on active recruitment, of new members

11. Criticisms of the church/ecclesia/denomination/sect/cult typology • Religions evolve, and it is often difficult to make distinctions • e.g., when did Methodism become a denomination? Unclear how well Church of England is now integrated with society. etc. • It is based on Christian examples (ethnocentric) • e.g., Eastern religions (Taoism, Confucianism, Shintoism) do not fit the typology • It is hard to apply it to new religious movements

12. New religious movements New Age movementsReligious fundamentalism

13. New Religious Movements (NRMs) • Religious, ethical or spiritual groupings • Not yet mainstream • Examples: • Unification Church (Moonies) • Scientology • Krishna Consciousness • The Family International

14. Wallis (1984) Classification for NRMs • World-rejecting • e.g. Krishna Consciousness; Moonies • Critical of outside world • World-affirming • e.g. Transcendental Meditation; Scientology • Accept world as is and offer help to succeed • World-accommodating • e.g. Neo-Pentecostalism • Offer stronger direct experience of God

15. New Age Movements • The New Age “counterculture” has developed since 1980s • Rejects scientific methodology, professional expertise, organised religion in favour of • Belief in self-spirituality • Commitment to ecology • Affirmation of feminine imagery • Shift from “life-as” • fulfilling objective roles, duties, obligations towards “subjective-life” • living according to inner experience, emotions

16. Advantages & Disadvantages of Being a Religion • Advantages: • Tax concessions • Social acceptance • Disadvantages: • Laws may prevent certain activities • Risk of being seen as a cult • Associations with authority and narrow-mindedness

17. Religious Fundamentalism • Reassertion of traditional religious values and practices • Particularly when threatened by change • Term coined in 1920s in relationto US protestants • But also describes • Moral Majority (USA) - reaction against perceived moral decline from 1970s • Islamic fundamentalism – reaction against Western influence/encroachment • etc.

18. Exercise • What is the Alpha organisation? • Who is it aimed at? • What does it offer? • How many people attend the course in the UK? • Find 3 facts about new religious movements.