new religious movements (NRMs)

• Roy Wallis = many new types of religions do not fit the categories of church, denomination, sect, cult

  introduced NRMs and based this on one factor 'what is the relationship between religion and the world?'
• world-affirming NRMs = cult-like

  accept the world as it is - help members in life with work and personal relationships

  membership is flexible = members come and go as they want to

  members are like customers = pay for techniques to help improve their lives
• world-accomodating NRMs = denomination-like

  neither accept nor reject the world - develop members spirituality

  membership is flexible - allow members to continue with their lives

  usually form as a protest against established church

  seek to restore spiritual purity of religion
• world-rejecting NRMs = sect-like

  reject the world as it is - live separately in a commune

  claim a monopoly of truth - religion offers the only truth

  total commitment + loyalty

  they seek change
• evaluation

  • he simply re-named cult, denomination, sect. he does not seem to offer a new insight - just another list , nothing new
  • he claimed everyone following this has the same outlook on the world but this is not the case. he does recognise that diversity can exist within each type of NRM e.g heavens gate and jehova's witness both rejecting the world
  • not all religions fit neatly in his classifications = another classification that doesn't work