Religious organisations, including cults, sects, denominations, churches and New Age movements and their relationship to religious

& spiritual belief in practice:

Typologies of churches, denominations, sects, cults with examples

of each. New Religious Movements and typologies of NRMs eg world rejecting/accommodating/ affirming; millenarian beliefs, with examples of each. New Age movements and spirituality, with examples. The relationship of these organisations to religious and spiritual belief and practice.

The relationship between different social groups and religious/spiritual organisations and movements, beliefs and practices:
Reasons why people join NRMs, NAMs and other organisations.

Typologies of religious organisations: churches, denominations, sects and cults with examples of each.
Church Structure Large hierarchical religious organisation Based on priesthood and rituals Generally recognises state and accepts norms and values of society Denomination Large formal religious organisation Based on priesthood and lay (or non official members) Usually recognises value of state and shares most norms and values Stronger commitment of members following rules such as teetotalism or nongambling Sect Small voluntary group Charismatic leadership and authority Small group Cult

Organisation

Charismatic leadership
Often reclusive and withdrawn from society with differing prevailing norms and values

Relationship with secular society

Critical of mainstream society

Relationship with members

Little formal commitment required from members

Exceptional commitment of members

Flexible commitment, but exceptional while in place

New members

Children join at birth

Adults join, but children inducted early

Members converted, though some second generation membership. Members can be expelled. Can continue beyond death of leader, but generally have a discernible life span. May evolve to denomination status.

Membership is flexible and movement between cults can take place Expulsion possible

Time Scale

Often developed over centuries

Often more than a hundred years of development

Often short-lived and die with the leader

Lesson 1: Learning Objectives

Identify the key characteristics of churches and denominations. Recognise the possible links between church, denomination and sect. Explore some examples of churches and denominations in society today.

A Church is?????
What do you think a church is?

A large, formal religious organisation most commonly associated with Christianity. Worldwide examples are the Anglican (Protestant) or Roman Catholic Churches A national example is the Church of England.

Ernst Troeltsch (1931)

Developed the classification of religious organisations. Identified a church as having several features which distinguish it from other organisations. Came to a definition based on Western Christian Organisations, which is still applicable to other societies and faiths. Troeltschs classification focuses on 16th Century Europe so does not account for the wide variety of religious groups in modern society.

A Church: Defining Features

Large, Formal organisation

A Church: Defining Features

A hierarchy of paid officials

A Church: Defining Features

Automatic Recruitment

A Church: Defining Features

Tries to appeal to all members of society

A Church: Defining Features

May have a close relationship with the state

A Church: Defining Features

Accepts wider society

A Church: Defining Features

Claims a monopoly on religious truth.

Case Study: The Church of England

Part of the worldwide Anglican church spans several societies. Huge size so has to be bureaucratically organised with a hierarchy of professionals: bishops, ministers, archbishops. Draws members from all social classes. Is traditionally conservative and supports the status quo appeals to the upper classes.

Church of England and The State

Weaker now than in the middle ages, but the Queen is still head of the church and the state in England. Automatic recruitment still applies but infant baptisms have fallen from 70% in the 1930s to 30% during the 1990s. Now tolerates a wide range of coexisting faiths which have contrasting versions of religious truth. Participates in the Ecumenical Movement uniting Christians against the threat of non Christian groups.

Is the concept of the church now obsolete?

Bruce (1996) suggests the concept of the church is out-dated in most Christian countries now and should only really be applied in cases where a single religious organisation really does dominate society and can reasonably claim to be administering to all members of society. E.g. the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, Spain or Italy or Islam in Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan. Many Western societies are now experiencing religious pluralism and many churches do not expect or get a high degree of religious pluralism. Churches are becoming more tolerant of other groups and beliefs and coexist quite happily with other groups. The term denomination may now more accurately describe the major religious organisations in societies with religious pluralism.

 Robertson (1987) argues that there has been an increase

in church-state tensions throughout the world. Churches are increasingly distancing themselves from the State. Examples of tensions between churches and the state: o Shiite fundamentalists in the Middle East. o Coptic Christians in Egypt. o Sikhs in India. o Islamic Fundamentalists in Pakistan, Indonesia and the Philippines. Churches are increasingly transnational organisations. In International trade and diplomacy theological issues are not seen as important so national governments tend to come into conflict with the concerns of domestic churches.

Contemporary churches do retain some of their traditional features in some areas: They tend to be larger and more conservative than other religious groups. Bruce and Wallis (1986) argue that where it is dominant, the Roman Catholic Church acts as a universal church which claims authority over society as a whole e.g. In Spain, Portugal and the Republic of Ireland. In Iran there is a close identification of Islam and the state.

A Denomination is
A smaller, formal religious group. First identified by Neibuhr (1929) Have steadily increased in number over the last 200 years. Developed from sects which originated as breakaway groups from the main church. Share some characteristics with the church.

The relationship
Rejection of the church and or organised religion. Extremist groups. Often led by a charismatic leader.

Church

Growth in size and influence

Increase in Membership or influence

Militant or deviant behaviour, dwindling numbers Formal, large, more socially acceptable

Sect

Denomination

Denomination: Defining Features

Large, formal organisation

Denomination: Defining Features

Hierarchy of paid officials

Denomination: Defining Features

Tries to appeal to all members of society

Denomination: Defining Features

No claim to monopoly on religious truth

Denomination: Defining Features

Accept religious diversity

Denomination: Defining Features

No close relationship with the state

Denomination: Defining Features

May not fully accept wider society

Denominations: The Info

A variety of denominations can exist within a single society therefore impossible to offer a monopoly of truth. Brierley (2001) claimed there were 250 Christian denominations in Britain at the start of the 21st Century. Bruce (1995) argues the most significant difference between them and a church is the acceptance of other beliefs. Are conservative, but advocate a split of the church from state to focus on religious not political matters. Tend to place a few minor restrictions on members participation in social life.

Denominations Case Study: Methodists

Methodists are advised against drinking and gambling.

The appeal of Denominations

Have a lesser appeal in society than the church. Brierly estimates there were 340,500 Methodists in Britain in 2005 compared to 1,549,940 for Anglican Churches. It is difficult to define membership. Other examples: Pentecostalists, Baptists

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Try your own

Churches
Troeltsch (1931) who was one of the 1st writers to try to distinugish between different types of religion defined a church as a large religious organisation which stabilises and determines the political order. Claims a monopoly on religious truth. Dont have to demonstrate faith often born into it so children automatically recruited. Accepts and affirms life in society, members can play a full and active part in society and are not expected to withdraw. Claims to be universal welcoming everyone but not always in practice. Upper classes particularly likely to join. Often closely linked to State, particularly in the past. Likely to be ideologically conservative and support the status quo. Formal organisations with a hierarchical structure.

 Bruce (1996) believes that Troelschs definition is only really applicable to premodern Christian societies. He believed that the development of religious pluralism in modern times undermined the maintenance of church type organisations as it became difficult for the state to only support one religion. Bruce says that the Church of England is now a denominations. Support for Bruce: Percentages of people who are members of churches vary widely. Many churches no longer claim to have a monopoly on the truth. Ecumenical movement seeks unity between different Christian religious groups shows how far churches are willing to compromise their beliefs. Churches are not always ideologically conservative and do not always support the dominant groups. The General Synod of the C of E clashed with the UK Conservative government in the 1990s over things like poverty and poor conditions in inner city areas. In some circumstances churches are not linked to the state and may even oppose them e.g. The Roman Catholic Church in Poland who opposed the Communist Government.

Denominations
Niebuhr (1929) was the first sociologist to differentiate clearly the denomination from the church. He says that denominations have the following features: 1. Does not have a universal appeal in society. 2. Draw members from all areas of society but are not closely linked to the upper classes like Churches. All members are freely accepted. 3. Does not identify with the state and approves the separation of church and state. 4. Do not claim monopoly on religious truth. Tolerate and work with other religions. 5. Usually conservative: members generally accept the norms and values of society. They may be expected to do slightly different things to wider society e.g. Methodists are encouraged not to drink to excess or gamble. 6. Hierarchy of officials. Stark and Bainbridge (1985) see denominations as sharing several, but not all of the features of a church. They are a kind of watered down church which have some similarities to a sect.

In 2000 the UK Christian Handbook listed 250 different Christian Denominations. Bruce (1995) sees the lack of claim to a monopoly of the religious truth as the defining feature of denominations. He sees them as increasingly important in society. The concept covers a wide range of organizations from Jehovahs Witnesses to Methodists to Pentecostalists to Baptists. Some organisations are classified as sects by some sociologists but as denominations by others.