A2 revision for New age movements, New Religious movements, Sects, Cults ect. overview sheet.

1. Organisations,MovementsandMembers
Church & Sects - Troeltsch
Church – large organisations,millionsof followers,
bureaucratichierarchy,monopoly onthe truth,
conservative ideology,universalistic.
Sect– small,exclusive, hostile towidersociety, high
commitment,membersare poor/oppressed,ledbya
charismaticleader.
Denomination&cults – Neibuhr
Denominations –midwaybetweenchurchandsects,less
exclusivethanasect,don’t appeal towidersocietylikea
church, tolerantof otherreligions, donotclaima
monopoly.
Cults– individualistic,loose-knit,small,ledby
practitioners,tolerantof otherreligions,donotdemand
strongcommitment,worldaffirming.
Similaritiesanddifferences –Wallis
 Churchesandsects claima monopolyof the truth,
denominationsandcultsdon’t.
 Churches anddenominations are seenasrespectable
whilstcultsand sectsare seenasdeviant.
 Bruce – Troeltsch’sideathatchurchesholda
monopolyonlyappliestothe CatholicChurch.
Churcheshave become denominationscompeting
withthe rest.
NewReligiousMovements - Wallis
WorldrejectingNRMs – Moonies,Krishna,Masons
 Religiousorganisationswithclearnotionof god.
 Highlycritical of the outside world.
 To achieve salvation membersbreakfromtheir
formerlives.
 Memberslive communally.
 Oftenhave conservativemoralse.g.sex,alcohol.
WorldaccommodatingNRMs – Neo-Pentecostalism,
Subud– branchof Islam.
 Breakawaysfromexistingchurchesordenominations.
 Theirneitheracceptor rejectthe world.
 Focuson religiousratherthanthis-worldlymatters.
 Seekingtorestore the spiritualityof religion.
WorldaffirmingNRMs – Scientology,HumanPotential.
 Acceptthe worldas it is,promise achievementof this-
worldlymainstreamgoalse.g.career.
 Non-exclusive and tolerantof otherreligions.
 Claimto have existingknowledge ortechniques to
memberscanachieve success.
 Most are cults,withfewdemands.
 Successful atrecruitingmemberse.g.Scientologyhad
165,000 followerswhilstthe Moonieshadonly1,200.
 Clearand distinctivewayof categorisingnew
movementsaccordingtotheirteachings.
 Useful tomake comparisons.
 Ignoresthe diversitywithinaNRM.
 NRMs will rarelyfitintothistypologye.g.the Healthy
Happy HolyOrganisationmayhave featuresof all
three.
 Stark + Bainbridge – we shoulddistinguishbetween
religiousorganisationsusingone criterion –the
degree of conflictortensionbetweenthe groupsand
widersociety.
Sects& Cults – Stark+ Bainbridge
Sects– resultfrom‘schisms’ –splitsinexisting
organisations.Theyusuallybreakawayfromchurches
overconflictaboutdoctrine.Promise other-worldly
benefits.
Cults– new religionssuchasscientologyandChristian
Science,oronesnew to a particularsociety.Promise this-
worldlybenefits.
 Audience –unorganised,noformal membership,little
commitment,involvementcanbe throughthe media.
Examples;AstrologyandUFOcults.
 Client–consultant/clientrelationship,medical
miracles,contactwiththe dead,shifttowards
therapiespromisingfulfilmentandself-discovery.
 Cultic- organised,demandhighlevel of commitment,
aimsto meetreligiousneeds,notallowedtofollow
otherreligionse.g.the Moonies. Doomsdaycultsmay
be seenas cultic.
Explainingthe grownof religiousmovements
Marginality – Weber – sectsdraw membersinfromthe
poor/oppressed.Sectsarise ingroupswhoare
marginalisedinsociety.Theodicyof disprivilege –offersa
religiousexplanationfortheirsuffering.E.g.Moonies
were M/C but manywere drugusersand unemployed.
Relative deprivation –subjectivesense of beingdeprived.
M/C may be relativelywell off butmaystill feel spiritually
deprived.Theymayturntosects fora sense of warmth
and communityinthisimpersonalsociety. World-
rejectingsectsoffertothe deprivedcompensators,by
contrast the rich don’tneedthissoare part of world-
affirmingchurches.
Social change – Wilson - Periodsof rapidsocial change
underminesestablishednormsandvalues.This
uncertainty andsecuritymaycause othersto turn to sects
e.g.Methodisminindustrial revolution.

2. Schimsms -
deprived
members of
churches break
away to form
sects
Intial fervour -
charasmatic leader
and high tensions
with wider society
Denominalisation -
protestnant ethic
and coolness ofthe
second genration.
Establishment -
sects become
more world
afccepting
Further
schisms.
Bruce – societyisbecomingsecularisedandtherefore
people are lessattractedtothe traditional churchesand
sects,insteadpeopleprefercultsastheyare less
demanding.
The growth of NRM
Worldrejecting– Wallis – providedyoungpeople withan
idealisticwayof life asa resultof not beingable tochange
the world,alongside radical political movementsinthe
60s.
Worldaffirming–Bruce – a response tomodernityand
rationalisationof work.Workno longerprovidesmeaning
or identity,worldaffirmingNRMsprovide asource of
identityandtechniquesthatpromise successinthis
world.
The dynamicsof sects andNRMs
Denominationordeath –Niebuhr
Sectsare short livedandwithinagenerationtheyeither
die outor compromise withthe worldandbecome
denominations.
 The secondgenerationwhoare bornintoa sectlack
commitment.
 The protestantethicof savingand workinghard
makessome membersof sectsrich, maygive into
materialismandcompromisewiththe world.
 Deathof the leadermeansitwill eitherdie outor
incorporate a
bureaucratic
leadership.
The sectarian
cycle – Stark
+ Bainbridge
 Life anddeathmay be more complex,itdoesnot tell
us of revivalsof sectsthathad been‘dead’.
Establishedsects –Wilson - notall sects behave inthe
same way.Whetheror not theydoso dependsonhow
theyanswer,‘whatshouldwe doto be saved’?:
 Conversionists –gatherlotsof members,likelyto
grow intoa denominatione.g.evangelicals.
 Adventists –believe theymustholdthemselves
separate fromthe corrupt worldto be saved,
therefore,will notbecome adenominatione.g.
Jehovah’sWitnesses.
Overmanygenerations,some sectshave beensuccessful
inbecomingestablishedsects.Theysocialise their
childrentoa highdegree bykeepingthemseparatefrom
the rest of societye.g.Mormons,Amish.Globalisation
threatensthisbalance.
The Growth of the New Age – Heelas
Commonthemesthatcharacterise the NewAge:
 Self-spirituality
 Detratitionalisation –rejectionof authorityandvalue
on personal experience andsearchforthe truth.
Postmodernityandthe New Age –Drane
Loss of faithinmeta-narratives,lossof faithinscience
because of the manufacturedrisks,disillusionedby
science asit hasn’tbroughtspiritual fulfilment.People
turn to the New Age to findinnertruth.
 The new age and modernity –Bruce – NA isa feature
of modernitynotpostmodernity.Modernsociety
valuesindividualismwhichisakeyvalue of the NA.
 NA beliefsare oftenwatereddownorsofterversions
of traditional beliefse.g.Buddhismbecomes
transcendental meditation.
Heelas - New age and modernityare linkedinfourways:
 A source of identity - whenyouhave a fragmented
identitye.g.lotsof differentroles.
 Consumerculture - nevergivesusthe happinesswe
desire,new age offersalternate satisfaction.
 Rapidsocial change - provides certaintythroughsects.
 Decline of organisedreligion,new age ariseswhere
there islessdemandfortraditional religions.
Religiosityandsocial groups
Gender:
 Brierley – femalesare more likelytogotochurch and
frequently,incomparisontomen.
 More womenthanmen,55% vs 44%, say theyhave a
religion –BritishAttitudesSurvey.
 Voas– menare almosttwice aslikelytobe atheistsor
agnostic.
Reasonswhy?
Risk,Socialisationandroles - Miller + Hoffman
1. Womentake lessrisks,notbelievinginGodmightbe
riskyif youwant to avoidcondemnation.
2. Womenare socialisedtobe passive,obedientand
caring whichare qualitiesvaluedbyreligion.
3. Womenmay notwork or maywork part time and
therefore,have more time toattendchurchor
participate in religiousactivities.

3. Davie - womenare closertolife anddeathas theygive
birthand care for the elderly,whichbringsthemcloserto
ultimate questions.Womenare more likelytosee godas
lovingwhereasmensee godasa formof control.
Paidwork – Bruce
Religionhasbeenpushedtothe private sphere of the
family,the sphere thatwomenare concernedwithasthey
are lesslikelytobe involvedinpaidwork.
 Brown – womenare toomovingto the sphere of paid
worksince the 60s.
Men’swithdrawal fromreligioninthe lastcenturyhas
meantthat church and religionhasbecome feminisedand
so empathiseswithwomen’sconcerns.
Womenand the NewAge
Since womenare more oftenassociatedwithnature and
healing,theymaybe more attractedthan mento NAM.
Because movementsoftencelebrate the natural which
giveswomenahigherstatusandself-worth.
Bruce – womenare lesslikelytobe goal orientatedand
more interestedinfeeling.Thisfitsinwiththe expressive
natural of the NewAge.
Womenmay alsobe attracted because of the emphasis
on beingauthentic,andbreakingfreeof genderroles
The individual sphere –Woodhead - outside the sphereof
workand the family,there isthe individual sphere.
Focusingonautonomyandpersonal growth.
Classdifferences – Bruce - some workingclasswomenare
more attracted to traditional religions thatgive thema
passive role.
Women,compensatorsandsects – Bruce
Womenare more involvedinsects asthey are more likely
to feel marginalisedanddeprived.
 Organismicdeprivation –physical andmental health.
 Ethical deprivation –womenare more morally
conservative andsee the worldasgoingintomoral
decline.Soturnto sects.
 Social deprivation –sectsattract the poor,womenare
more likelytobe poor.
Pentecostal genderparadox –Brusco
WomeninLatin Americause Pentecostalismtoimprove
theirpositions.DespitePentecostalismbeingpatriarchal,
church pastorsand priestsare able to combata machismo
culture amongmenwhere theywaste householdincome
on alcohol andgambling,redirectingincometothe family.
Recenttrends – there has beenanoverall declinein
religiosityacrossall genders.
Ethnicityandreligiosity
Ethnicminoritiesare more likelytobe religiouswithmore
MuslimsandAfricanProtestantslikelytoattendchurch
comparedto white Anglicans.
Reasonswhy?
 Cultural defence
 Cultural transition –Pryce – Pentecostalismhasbeen
an importantsource of defence andsupportforAfro-
Caribbeans,itisdescribedasthe ‘religionof the
oppressed’.
Age and religiousparticipation
The under15s are more likelytoattendchurchthan any
otherage group.Thisis because theymayhave less
choice.
In everyotherage group,apart fromthe over65s, there
has beenasharp decline, Brierley statesthat by2025
those aged15-19 will make uponly2.5% of all
churchgoers.
Reasonsforthe age difference –Voas+ Crockett
 The aging effects,people turntoreligionwhenthey
getolderand closerto deathas theyare concerned
withmatterssuch as an afterlife.
 The period/cohorteffect –people ina particularage
groupmay be more/lessreligion dependingonan
eventtheyhave beenthrough.
 Secularisation,religiondeclinesinimportance so
everygenerationislessreligious.
 Polandused Catholicismasa meansof cultural
defence againstSovietRussiabutsoonbecame
disinterestedwhentheywereatpeace – superficial
religion.
 You are notmade aware of the motivesof the young;
whatreligionmeanstothem.
 Many feministswouldargue thatthe church has not
become feminised,asitisstill apatriarchal institution.
 Overexaggeratesthe reasons forwhywomenare
attractedto religiononthe premise of beingclose to
life anddeath.