Category: religious organisations
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Outline and explain two ways in which religious organisations have changed in response to globalisation
This is a suggested answer to the first type of 10 mark question you’ll find in section A of the AQA’s second sociology paper (paper 2, topics in sociology). For some general advice on how to answer (both types of) 10 mark questions – please see this post. This is a brief, bullet pointed answer…
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What is the New Age Movement?
During the 1980s increasing numbers of people started turning to various unconventional spiritual and therapeutic practices, which have been labelled as the ‘New Age Movement’ by sociologists such as Paul Heelas (1996). The New Age Movement consists of an eclectic range of beliefs and practices based on Buddhism and Taoism, psychology, and psycho-therapy; paganism, clairvoyance,…
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World Affirming New Religious Movements
According to Roy Walllis, World Affirming New Religious Movements aim to help individuals achieve success within mainstream society by unleashing their spiritual potential. This is the third type of movement in Wallis three fold typology of New Religious Movement, and is most closely related to Bruce’s concept of ‘the cult’. Examples of World Affirming NRMs……
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World Accommodating New Religious Movements
The World Accommodating New Religious Movement (NRM) is one of Roy Wallis’ three types of New Religious Movement. As the name suggests, their orientation to wider society is one of ‘accommodating’ the world rather than rejecting or affirming it. These type of religious movement have normally broken off from an already existing mainstream church or…
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World Rejecting New Religious Movements
The World Rejecting New Religious Movement (NRM) is one of Roy Wallis’ three types of New Religious Movement. As the name suggests, their orientation to wider society is one of rejecting most of what that society stands for. Wallis’ World Rejecting NRMs are closely related to Troeltsch’s category of the sect. Examples of World Rejecting…
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Types of religious organisation: the cult
Steve Bruce (1995) defines a cult as a ‘loosely knit group organized around some common themes and interests but lacking any sharply defined and exclusive belief system’. Cults correspond closely to Roy Wallis’ category of ‘World Affirming New Religious Movements’. Examples of Cults/ World Affirming NRMs include Scientology Transcendental Meditation The Human Potential Movement Key…
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Types of Religious Organisation: The Sect
According to Troeltsch, the Sect is basically the opposite of The Church…. Key characteristics of sects according to Troeltsch… They have significantly smaller memberships than churches The membership base of sects is drawn from the lower social classes Sects are not aligned with the state Sects do not accept the norms and values of mainstream…
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Types of Religious Organisation: The Denomination
H.R. Niebuhr (1929) was the first sociologist to distinguish between a church and a denomination. His distinction was based on a study of religion in the U.S.A. Denominations share some, but not all of the features of churches. Examples of denominations include the Methodists, the Pentecostals and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. According to Neibuhr, denominations have…
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Types of Religious Organisation: The Church
Ernst Troeltsch (1931) used the term ‘church’ to refer to a large, hierarchically organised religious institutions with an inclusive, universal membership, typically with close links to the state. According to Troeltsch* Churches have about 5 characteristics: Churches tend to have very large memberships, and inclusive memberships. Churches tend to claim a monopoly on the truth.…
