Religious Organisations: Churches, Sects & Denominations

• What do most people with a religious belief belong to?

  A religious organisation
• How do most people within the Christian tradition describe their organisation?

  As a "church"
• What are the two types of religious organisations mentioned in the text?

  Churches and sects
• What is the sociological term for the different branches of the Christian church?

  Denominations
• Who was the first sociologist to create a typology of churches?

  Max Weber
• What did Max Weber differentiate between in his typology?

  Churches and sects
• What does Troeltsch's typology claim about churches?

  They claim a monopoly over the truth
• How are churches connected to the state according to Troeltsch?

  They are closely connected to the state
• What is a characteristic of churches regarding their structure?

  They have a hierarchical bureaucratic structure
• What type of members do churches generally attract?

  People from a range of social backgrounds
• How are individuals typically included in a church?

  They are often born into it
• How does Troeltsch characterize sects?

  As organisations that broke away from a church
• What do sects claim regarding the truth?

  They claim a monopoly over the truth
• Who typically leads sects?

  A charismatic leader
• What type of commitment do sects demand from their members?

  Total commitment
• How do sects generally view the state?

  They are often hostile to the state
• What types of groups often make up sects?

  Marginalised, deprived groups
• What happens to sects that survive and grow?

  They may lose their sect characteristics
• What does the life cycle of a sect suggest?

  Sects will not last more than one generation
• Who recognized denominations as a category in religious typology?

  1. Richard Niebuhr
• How do denominations differ from churches?

  They are not closely connected to the state
• What is a characteristic of denominations regarding truth claims?

  They often do not claim a monopoly over the truth
• What are the characteristics of churches according to Troeltsch?

  • Claim a monopoly over the truth
  • Closely connected to the state
  • Developed hierarchical structure
  • Make few demands on members
  • Mainstream and conservative
  • People are often born into them
• What are the characteristics of sects according to Troeltsch?

  • Claim a monopoly over the truth
  • Led by a charismatic leader
  • Small in size
  • Demand total commitment
  • Hostile to the state
  • Often consist of marginalized groups
• What are the characteristics of denominations?

  • Not closely connected to the state
  • Larger than sects but smaller than churches
  • Some bureaucracy and hierarchy
  • Accepting of other denominations and religions
• How does the typology of Troeltsch apply to the Roman Catholic Church in different countries?

  It fits neatly in some countries, not others
• What does Steve Bruce argue about Troeltsch’s typology in modern society?

  It may not apply due to religious pluralism
• What does Roland Robertson argue regarding established churches and governments?

  There are increasing disagreements due to secularisation
• How many active members does the Church of England have?

  Fewer than 1 million
• What is the population of the UK in relation to the Church of England's active members?

  Nearly 66 million