1.
T6 :Religious
Organisations &
Movements
Unit 3: Beliefs In Society
Typologies of
religious
organisations:
- Churches
- Denominations
- Sects
- Cults

2.
Churches – Ernst Troeltsch (1912)
 Bureaucratic – closely linked to the sate.
 Hierarchal power structure – paid officials
are wealthy and have a large amount of
power & influence within society e.g
Archbishop of Canterbury
 Conservative, Worldly accommodating –
accept the dominant norm of society &
generally support the status quo
#Secularisation away from tradition within the
church e.g female bishops & gay marriage.
 Universal – requires only a belief, no
demonstrations required.
 Religious Monopoly – Claims complete
control over religious doctrine. #Only
applies to the Catholic church before the 16th
century Protestant reformation

3.
Denomination – H.R Niebuhr
 Breakaway movements from the church.
 Democratic - more equality in the division
of authority.
 Integrated into the social & economic
structure of society. Worldly
accommodating.
 Tolerant of other denominations.
 Membership = less exclusive. Doesn’t
appeal to the social majority due to
restrictions e.g Methodism: alcohol
abstinence.

4.
Sects – Ernst Troeltsch
 Egalitarian – power shared.
 Charismatic leader – a face to
promote the fringe belief system.
 Intolerant – Exclusive rather than
inclusive.
 World rejecting – highly critical of
the outside world.
 Outer-worldly – benefits include
entrance to heaven.
 Radical –Members expected to
withdraw from a conventional life
in society. They devise their own
societies and live communally.
 Attracts marginalised groups.

5.
Wilson (‘82) Types of Sect:
 Revolutionists – Foresee a second coming
of Jesus Christ and an Armageddon.
Millenarian movement e.g Seventh Day
Adventists.
 Introversionists – Withdraw from society,
forming separate societies e.g Amish.
 Thaumaturigical – Offer miracles & magic
healing e.g Necromancy, Astrology.

6.
Cults – Steve Bruce
 Loose structure – they lack rigid
structures such as collective worship
and strict dogmas.
 Individualistic – offer opportunities
and success through spiritual
teachings.
 Worldly- affirming - Followers
continue to live normal lives.
 This-worldly – benefits include
prospering career & relationships.
 Tolerant – open membership, sold as
a service.
 Attracts the higher socio-economic
class.
Scientology
Tom Cruise

7.
Stark & Bainbridge (‘85) 3 types of Cults:
 Audience Cults – Individualistic &
organised and usually sustained through
the media e.g Astrology.
 Client Cults – organised and provide a
service to clients e.g
clairvoyance/spiritualism.
 Cultic movements – overlap with sects.
Offer spiritual & material rewards to
followers e.g Scientology.
#Overlap #Similarities & differences

8.
Similarities & Differences
Churches Denominations Sects Cults
How they see
themselves
Intolerant -
Interpretation
of faith is the
only
legitimate
one.
Tolerant –
Multiple valid
interpretation
s
Intolerant-
Interpretation
of faith is the
only
legitimate
one.
Tolerant –
Multiple valid
interpretation
s.
How they are
viewed by
society
Legitimate
and
respectable
Legitimate
and
respectable
Deviant Deviant
# Confusion between sects & cults portrayed by the media. Cults now have
unnecessary negative connotations.
Popularity – Scientology, a world-affirming cult had 165,000 UK members in 2005
compared to 1,200 world-rejecting moonies #+world affirming.

9.
Reasons for increase in New
Religious movements (NRMs)
+800 NRMs, with <half a million members.
 Marginality – Weber: offers an explanation
for suffering and promises a better
afterlife(theodicy of disprivilege). Bellah:
Black American Muslims found support &
friendship. Abandonment of slave names
and replacement with Muslim names e.g
Cassius Clay -> Muhammad Ali (boxer)
# Barker: study of Moonies. Most members were from
happy, affluent MC backgrounds. <# Counter argument
from Wallis: Marginalised MC hippies & drug use..

10.
 Relative Deprivation – Materially secure however
spiritually deprived leads to a spiritual vacuum.
Stark & Bainbridge (‘85): When the MC
compromise beliefs in order to mould into a
materialistic society, those who feel relatively
deprived break away from churches to form sects
to safeguard the original intentions of the
message.
 E.g economically deprived stress the relevance of
Mark 10:25 – It is easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter
the Kingdom of God.
 Deprived -> world rejecting denominations/sects,
the after life = compensation
 Wealthy -> world accepting churches/cults =
further success (#protestant work ethic)

11.
 Social change – Wilson (’82): In times of rapid
change and anomie, individuals turn to
religious movements that offer security and
certainty e.g 18th Century revolution ->
Methodism -> social solidarity.
 Secularisation – Bauman (‘92) Conflicting
ideologies & beliefs in a postmodern world ->
‘crisis of meaning’ ->join NRMs to retain sense
of control.
 Globalisation & Media – increased
awareness of NRMs & greater access e.g
magazine horoscopes. Religion becoming
fashionable.