Topic 6: organistions, movements and members

• church


  large organisation ran by a bureaucratic hierarchy who claim to have a monopoly of the truth. They are universalistic, aiming to include everyone.
• sect


  small, exclusive groups that are hostile to wider society and expect high commitment. They draw members from oppressed groups and have a charismatic leader who claims a monopoly of the truth.
• denomination


  branch of a church, don't claim a monopoly of the truth
• cult


  individualistic groups based on shared interest led by 'therapists' with clients, don't demand strong commitment
• Wallis' categorising of religious organisations

  Based on:

  how they see themselves (are they accepting of other beliefs?)

  how the world sees them (are they accepted or seen as deviant?)
• Wallis' types of new religious movements (NRM)


  world-rejecting NRMs

  world-accommodating NRMs

  world-affirming NRMs
• Stark and Bainbridge's categorising of organisations

  based on level of conflict and tension with wider society
• Stark and Bainbridge's types of cults

  audience cults (least organised)

  client cults (provides a service)

  cultic movements (most organised and high commitment)
• Factors explaining the growth of religious movements

  Marginality(theodicy of deprivilege)

  Relative deprivation (deprived breakaway from church)

  Social change (undermines norms and values)
• Theodicy of disprivilege


  A religious explanation and justification for suffering and disadvantage. Their misfortune may be seen as a test of faith.
• explanations for world-rejecting NRMs

  social change, education and failed counter-cultures means young people turn to NRMs for an idealistic way of life
• explanations for world-affirming NRMs

  work no longer provides meaning or a source of identity so people turn to NRMs for identity and this worldly success
• Niebuhr's death or denomination explanations

  -second generation lacks the commitment of their parents

  -'protestant ethic' effect

  death of leader - either collapses or become a denomination with a traditional leadership
• Stark and Bainbridge's sectarian cycle

  1- schism

  2- initial fervour (intensity, world-rejecting)

  3- denominationalism ('protestant ethic' effect)

  4- establishment (world accepting)

  5- further schism (breakaway again)
• protestant ethic effect


  ascetic sects eventually become prosperous so are tempted to compromise with society and become world- accepting
• Wilsons' established sects


  conversionist (converts people to join the sect) or

  adventist (holds separate from the world)

  Both of these methods means they don't become denominations but established sects
• Established sects and globalisation


  hard to keep separate from society but also easier to recruit from deprived countries
• Drane's view of the New Age appeal

  part of a shift towards postmodern society due to a loss of faith in meta-narratives and turning to ourselves to find truth
• Bruce's view of the New Age appeal

  modernity, not postmodernity

  values individualism and is 'watered down' version of traditional religion to make it more accessible in self-centered busy Western society
• Ways the New Age and modernity are linked according to Heelas

  -source of identity

  -consumer culture

  -rapid social change

  -decline of organised religions
• religiosity by gender


  In all major religions in the UK, except Sikhs, women are more likely to practice religion than men
• Miller and Hoffman's reasons for gender differences in religiosity

  1- risk taking (risk to not be religious and hell)

  2- women socialised to be passive, obedient and caring (valued by most religions)

  3- Roles (women more likely to work part time so have time to participate)
• Davie's explanation of gender and religiosity

  women closer to birth and death through childbearing and caring for elderly, which brings them closer to meaning of life questions
• Brown's 'decline of female piety'

  more women joining the workforce means they are also declining in religiosity because it was the home life and the private sphere where religion was found
• gender in the holistic milieu in Kendal (Woodhead and Heelas)

  80% of participants were female
• Reasons for women in the New Age

  -Bruce = women fit the expressive role found in New Age beliefs

  - Woodhead = attracted to the idea of wholeness and the inner self away from the conflict between expressive and instrumental roles
• Glock and Stark's explanation for female sect membership

  women experience more deprivation due to patriarchy so turn to sects
• Stark and Bainbridge's types of deprivation

  -organismic deprivation

  -ethical deprivation

  -social deprivation
• Brierley's findings of ethnicity and religiosity

  In London black people are twice as likely to attend church than white people.
• Cultural defense as a reason for ethnic differences in religiosity

  Bruce - religion offers support and a sense of cultural identity that may be threatened
• Cultural transition as a reason for ethnic differences in religiosity

  religion can provide community support and act as a focal point for the group in a new environment
• age and religiosity


  Under 15s church attendance is declining while over 65s is increasing

  In 2022, only 18% of regular attendees of church of England services were 17 or under.
• Reasons for age differences in religiosity according to Voas and Crockett


  - the ageing effect (as people approach death, they become more interested in spirituality)

  - the period or cohort effect (religiosity effected by events they have lived through)

  - secularisation (virtual collapse of religious socialisation
• Bruce's explanation of age differences in religiosity

  decline in religious education and socialisation and Sunday schools.

  Only 32% of New Age parents in Kendal said their children shared their spirituality.