religious organisations, movements and memberships

• TROELTSCH - CHURCH AND SECT TYPOLOGY

  aimed to highlight how religious groups differ in terms of size, social status, level of commitment require, organisational structure and relationship to wider society
• TROELTSCH: definition of church 


  • large and universalistic - aim to include all members of society regardless of personal belief and participation
  • strong institutional presence - integrated with the state and involved with national ceremonies (royal weddings)
  • bueratically structured - clear hierarchy of religious leaders and doctrine
  • offer a form of civil religion - moral guidance and reinforce dominant norms and values
  • claim monopoly of truth - only legitimate faith
  • attract people of higher social classes who allign with dominant norms and values
• TROELTSCH: definition of sects 


  • formed through schism - arise when members break away from an established church due to perceived moral decline or corruption
  • small, tightly knit groups based on shared c commitment and moral expectations
  • often led by charismatic leaders who believed to have divine insight or special access to the truth
  • members often feel alienated or marginalised from society
  • tend to have separatist ethos - reject norms and values from mainstream society which they see as sinful or impure (Jehovahs witnesses who reject blood or political participation)
• 2 strengths of TROELTSCH

  • clear conceptual distinction
  • historical relevance
• 2 weaknesses of TROELTSCH

  • outdated and rigid categories - modern society distinction is blurred
  • cultural theological bias
• NIEBUHR - DENOMINATIONS AND SECT LIFECYCLE 


  argue religious groups don't remain static but evolve based on internal dynamics (leadership changes, generational attitudes) and external pressures (social acceptance and institutionalism)
• NIEBUHR: denominations 


  • well established religious organisations - sit between exclusivity of sects and universality of church
  • some formal structure but not hierarcally rigid or closely tied to the state
  • voluntary membership and personal interpretation
  • attract MC who desire moral community without the extreme commitment
• NIEBUHR: sect lifecycle 


  most sects can't remain in original radical state due to several pressures that push them to modernation, forming denominations:

  • success and growth - as attract more members, they become institutionalised
  • generational change - push for less strict rules
  • desire for respectability
  • bureaucratisation - adopt formal leadership structures and roles - less emphasis on charisma

  sects evolve into denominations - lose radical edge and integrate with society
• 2 strengths for NIEBUHR

  • explains organisational change over time
  • accounts for internal and external pressures
• 2 weaknesses for NIEBUHR

  • not all sects become denominations - Jehovahs witnesses
  • too linear and deterministic
• WALLIS - TYPOLOGY OF NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS 


  • world rejecting NRMs
  • world accommodating NRMs
  • world affirming NRMs
• WALLIS: world rejecting NRMs


  • critical of mainstream society - view as immoral, materialistic or spiritually empty
  • require members to withdraw from society to fully commit
  • often demand strict behavioural codes and communal living arrangements
  • charismatic leadership and tight social control are common
• WALLIS: world accommodating NRMs 


  • don't aim to reject society but help members to live spiritual lives within in
  • arise from traditional religions that has become too secular/institutionally rigid
  • focus on spiritual renewal, healing, reviving religious commitment
  • members may still work, study or live in secular settings
• WALLIS: world affirming NRMs 


  • accept and embrace world
  • help individuals succeed in life through spiritual techniques often from psychology or self help
  • typically individualistic, lacks collective worship or rigid belief systems
  • members may not consider themselves religious
• importance of WALLIS' typology 


  • reflects increase of postmodern spirituality and individualism
  • helped sociologists move away from traditional church - sect models and consider newer, more diverse religious expressions
• why do people join sects?

  relative deprivation (Stark and Bainbridge) 


  • may feel spiritually/emotionally deprived despite material comfort
  • NRMs provide a sense of purpose, identity and emotional support
  • appeal to mC who may experience existential insecurity rather than economic hardship
• why do people join sects?

  marginality (Weber) 


  • those excluded from mainstream society due to poverty, racism or immigration status
  • sects offer sense of spiritual reassurance and belonging to people who are socially or emotionally excluded
  • religion may serve as a compensator for worldly deprivation
• why do people join sects?

  social change and disruption

  • NRMs flourish during periods of rapid social upheaval, when traditional norms and values are questioned
  • provide clear moral codes and certainty in uncertain times
  • youth may be drawn to NRMs as form of rebellion or search for identity during times of cultural change
• why do people join sects?

  protest and identity formation (Wallis, Bruce) 


  • NRMs can act as a form of protest towards consumerism, materialism or institutional religion
  • offer a framework for forming alternative identities that reject dominant social norms
  • particularly appealing to young, disillusioned or those experiencing identity crisis
• why do people join sects?

  2 strengths

  • comprehensive scope
  • empirical support
• why do people join sects?

  2 weaknesses

  • over emphasis on deprivation
  • neglects group influence