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Urban (ch.1) writes that new religion scholar Gordon Melton counted over 2500 religious groups in the US alone, and he estimates that about _____ are unconventional or alternative movements.
a. 1 percent
b. 10 percent
c. half of them
d. 80 percent
c. half of them
True or False: Urban defines New Age Spirituality as "forward looking" and Neopaganism as "backward looking."
True
Why study new religions? Urban's reasons are
a. the diversity of religion
b. legal and political debates
c. privacy questions
d. all answer choices are true
d. all answer choices are true
True or False: In Bruce Lincoln’s definition (see Urban, ch. 1) religion is a form of discourse that appeals to a transcendent authority.
True
Urban (ch. 1, box) presents an extended discussion of _____ as a test case for how to make sense of NRMs.
a. Heaven's Gate
b. Jonestown
c. Urantia
d. Scientology
a. Heaven’s Gate
True or False: According to Urban (ch. 1), most scholars today prefer to use the term “cult” rather than “new religious movements.”
False
Dawson (ch. 1) argues that public suspicion against cults is mainly caused by
a. scholars who study them
b. the government
c. the media
d. the Catholic church
c. the media
Dawson (ch.1) gives an example of a typical media report about cults. It is a story about
a. the Heaven's Gate suicide
b. the Jonestown suicide and the Manson murders
c. Reverend Moon arranging marriages among complete strangers
d. Children of God using sex as a recruitment tool
b. the Jonestown suicide and the Manson murders
Dawson (ch.1) argues that NRMs in contemporary Western societies can be divided into ___ different religious families.
a. 2
b. 3
c. 5
d. 7
c. 5
Dawson (ch.1, box 1) illustrates the diversity of cults with two examples. They are
a. Scientology and Mormonism
b. Jehovah's Witnesses and Heaven's Gate
c. Shambhala and Urantia
d. Christianity and Islam
c. Shambhala and Urantia
The first distinction between churches and sects was drawn by Max Weber and Ernst Troeltsch. As they defined it
a. churches are organizations into which people are born, while members of sects tend to be converts
b. churches tend to be stricter and more exclusive than sects
c. churches have more charismatic leaders than sects
d. all answer choices are true
a. churches are organizations into which people are born, while members of sects tend to be converts
True or false: When later sociologists added the term "cult" to the church-sect typology, they defined as more similar to a sect than a church.
True
Michael Langone's definition of cult
a. is positively biased
b. is negatively biased
c. is neutral
d. applies to all groups
b. is negatively biased
Dawson concludes that
a. we should give up on the project of defining "cult"
b. Langone's definition of cult is the best
c. cults share a cluster of characteristics that include charismatic leadership and a clearer way to salvation
d. Yinger's definition of cult is best
c. cults share a cluster of characteristics that include charismatic leadership and a clearer way to salvation
New religions change over time. The least organized form is called
a. audience cult
b. client cult
c. cult movement
d. sect
a. audience cult
The goal of scientology is to
a. be saved
b. become enlightened
c. become clear
d. go to heaven
c. become clear
A core practice of Scientology is
a. prayer
b. meditation
c. auditing
d. none of the above
c. auditing
True or False: Scientology teaches that our current existence may be affected by our past lives
True
Scientology spent years in legal battles trying to obtain
a. permission to use hallucinatory drugs in rituals
b. the right to send missionaries door to door
c. the right to publish their literature
d. tax exempt status as a religious organization
d. tax exempt status as a religious organization
True or False: Navy Many, interviewed in Urban’s book, is a current member of Scientology
False
Berger theorized that every human society is created or built through a process of
a. war and peace
b. externalization, objectification, and internalization
c. growth and decline
d. reality, dreams, and illusion
b. externalization, objectification, and internalization
True or false: In Berger’s theory, religion is part of a human attempt to construct a meaningful world order in the face of chaos.
True
Berger’s term for meaningful world order is
a. nomos
b. anomie
c. secularization
d. pluralism
a. nomos
True or False: According to Berger, religion provides stability by sacralizing the social order
True
A powerful, viable society provides a ____________ that lends credence to it's religion.
a. fantasy
b. military industrial complex
c. plausibility structure
d. dictatorship
c. plausibility structure
True or False: Berger defines secularization as the process by which sectors of society and culture become dominated by religious institutions.
False
True or False: Berger links secularization to the rise of modern industrial society.
True
True or False: Berger though religious privatization and pluralism went hand in hand
True
True or False: In Stark & Bainbridge’s theory, religions are human organizations engaged in providing general compensators based on supernatural assumptions.
True
True or False: Stark & Bainbridge argue that secularization is self-limiting because when dominant religious organizations decline cults and sects will arise instead.
True
The founder of Mormonism was
a. Brigham Young
b. Joseph Smith
c. Thomas Monson
d. Cristopher Blythe
b. Joseph Smith
Some scholars view Mormonism as distinct from Christianity because of their belief
a. in continuous revelation
b. that both Jesus and God the Father had physical bodies
c. that all humans can someday become god like
d. all of the above
d. all of the above
Mormon “ordinances” are
a. holy scriptures revealed only to the Mormons
b. priestly orders within the Mormon hierarchy
c. rules mandating celibacy for all Mormon priests
d. rituals similar to sacraments in other Christian churches such as baptism and the Eucharist
d. rituals similar to sacraments in other Christian churches such as baptism and the Eucharist
True or false: The Mormons were controversial because no other religious group in the early 1800s was experimenting with alternative sexual practices.
False
The practice of plural marriage
a. was followed only by Joseph Smith
b. was endorsed by the Supreme Court as a free expression of Mormon religion
c. was abandoned by the majority of Mormons in the 1890s
d. is still common among the majority of Mormons today
c. was abandoned by the majority of Mormons in the 1890s
Some scholars see the rise of new religions as a response to cultural change, including
a. changes in values
b. changes in social structure
c. changes in religious institutions
d. all answer choices are true
d. all answer choices are true
According to Robert Bellah, the sixties counterculture attacked two pillars of traditional American values, including
a. biblical authority and utilitarian individualism
b. capitalism and democracy
c. communism and dictatorship
d. sex, drugs, and rock & roll
a. biblical authority and utilitarian individualism
True or false: Many scholars see the rise of NRS as a response to the moral certainty created by the sixties revolution
False
True or False: some scholars see the appeal of NRs as driven by a search for surrogate families
True
True or False: Many scholars believe that the rise of NRs was made possible by the decline of conventional religious institutions in modern society
True
True or False: William Bainbridge and Rodney Stark theorized that new religions may arise because mentally deranged leaders gather followers around an insane vision, or because entrepreneurial leaders want to make money.
True
William McLoughlin argued that
a. the religious fervor of the sixties was unique in American history
b. American history is marked by recurring periods of religious fervor called Great Awakenings
c. Americans have never been very religious
d. new religions are bad for America
b. American history is marked by recurring periods of religious fervor called Great Awakenings
True or False: Scholars such as J. Gordon Melton argue that so-called new religions are not really new but are continuing a lineage of alternative traditions based on occult, mystical, and Eastern thought.
True
Scholars such as Robert Ellwood & Harry Partin dispute the notion of "new religions." They point to alternative traditions that have existed in Western civilization since
a. the Industrial Revolution
b. the Middle Ages
c. pre-Christian times
d. the Bronze Age
c. pre-Christian times
Historians trace the origins of the Neo-pagan movement to
a. A German white supremacist named Wotan
b. A Jewish feminist named Starhawk
c. A retired British civil servant named Gerald Gardner
d. the Druids of Ireland
c. A retired British civil servant named Gerald Gardner
True or False: Neo-pagan witches practice magic and worship Satan
False
True or False: Neo-pagan rituals are often held outdoors during the full moon
True
True or False: Neo-pagans believe that Christianity suppressed the nature-based religion of Europe and elsewhere
True
Two influential leaders in American Neopaganism were Z Budapest and Starhawk. The former is most famous for advocating
a. White supremacy
b. lesbian separatism
c. communist revolution
d. black separatism
b. lesbian separatism
Wiccans have been most active in which political movement(s)?
a. the civil rights movement
b. feminism and environmentalism
c. the Republican party
d. Communism
b. feminism and environmentalism
Max Weber distinguished various ideal types of legitimate authority in society. These include
a. traditional authority
b rational-legal authority
c. charismatic authority
d. all of the above
d. all of the above
Rulers with traditional authority are obeyed because
a. they hold a particular office or position
b. custom dictates that they have a right to rule
c. they are deemed competent by their followers
d. they display supernatural power
b. custom dictates that they have a right to rule
True or false: Rational-legal authority invests authority in a person, rather than a position
false
For most of human history _______________________________ has held sway.
a. traditional
b. rational-legal
c. charismatic
d. dictatorial
A. traditional
True or false: Most governments in modern Western society have rational-legal authority
True
True or False: Charismatic authority is rooted in the display of seemingly supernatural gifts
True
True or False: Charismatic leaders are conformists who respect social conventions
False
True charisma is
a. an attribute of a leader’s personality
b. determined by a leader’s physical appearance
c. a quality attributed to a leader by his followers
d. a result of the leader’s intelligence and competence
c. a quality attributed to a leader by his followers
Charismatic leadership is precarious because
a. it is supported by the dominant social institutions
b. it rests on a deeply personal relationship between leader and followers
c. most charismatic leaders are mentally unstable
d. most followers of charismatic leaders are mentally unstable
b. it rests on a deeply personal relationship between leader and followers
When new religions are successful and grow, charismatic leaders must delegate some authority to others. This process is called
a. routinization
b. secularization
c. externalization
d. revolution
a. routinization
The Nation of Islam was founded by
a. Elijah Muhammad
b. Malcom X
c. Wallace Fard
d. Noble Drew Ali
c. Wallace Fard
Nation of Islam taught that
a. Christianity is the religion of the white man and a tool to control the minds of black people
b. Black people should integrate into white society
c. Malcolm X was a incarnation of God
d. all answer choices are true
a. Christianity is the religion of the white man and a tool to control the minds of black people
Nation of Islam encouraged its followers to
a. join Martin Luther King's civil rights movement
b. violently overthrow the US government
c. form black owned businesses
d. eat cornbread and pork
c. form black owned businesses
True or False: Nation of Islam members are supposed to pray five times daily just as other Muslims, though not all do.
True
The Nation of Islam
a. has millions of followers
b. has widespread influence through popular media such as rap and hip-hop music
c. disappeared after Malcolm X died
d. has attracted many followers in China
b. has widespread influence through popular media such as rap and hip-hop music
True or False: According to deprivation theories of conversion, people are drawn to new religions to seek an escape from the hardships and humiliations of life.
True
Support for deprivation theory came from studies that showed members of Pentecostal groups and Jehovah's Witnesses
a. came disproportionately from the wealthy classes of society
b. came disproportionately from the lower socio-economic strata of society
c. had high rates of mental illness
d. were predominantly white
b. came disproportionately from the lower socio-economic strata of society
True or False: According to relative deprivation theory, a poor person who is happy is less likely to join a cult or sect than a rich person who feels oppressed by his boss.
True
The Lofland-Stark model of conversion stipulates that 7 conditions are necessary for conversion to occur. The convert must
a. have a seeker mindset
b. encounter the NR during a turning point in their lives
c. cut ties with people outside the cult or sect
d. all answer choices are true
d. all answer choices are true
True or False: Studies of conversion found that recruitment to NRs happens primarily through group outreach to strangers.
False
True or False: Studies show Lofland-Stark were correct in specifying that person must form strong emotional ties with members of a cult before s/he will join.
True
True or False: Barker & Levine's theory says joining a cult or sect is a way to manage a temporary crisis or developmental transition.
True
Researchers have found that the typical member of a new religion is
a. less educated than the general population
b. poor or unemployed
c. middle aged
d. young
d. young
The available evidence suggests that individuals raised in ____ homes are more likely to join a new religion.
a. liberal Jewish
b. conservative Christian
c. atheist
d. Mormon
a. liberal Jewish
True or False: Most of the people who join NRs never leave
False
The Krishna movement in America began in the
a. 1860s
b. 1920s
c. 1960s
d. 1990s
c. 1960s
True or False: The Krishna movement appealed to young people because it embraced sexual experimentation and drug use.
False
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was accused of
a. illicit drug use
b. polygamy
c. brainwashing
d. racism
c. brainwashing
ISKCON was popularized by celebrity followers, including
a. the Beatles
b. Marilyn Monroe
c. Michael Jackson
d. the Rolling Stones
a. the Beatles
ISKCON religious practices include
a. chanting the names of god
b. a distinctive dress code and hairstyle
c. a vegetarian diet
d. all answer choices are true
d. all answer choices are true
True or False: The Unification Church followers believed that their leader was the Messiah
True
True or False: the Unification Church encourages its followers to avoid marriage and lead celibate lives as Jesus did
False
True or False: The Rev. Moon was a strong opposed of the Republican Party due to his communist views
False
True or False: Rev. Moon taught that God’s plan was for Jesus to get married and have children
True T
True or False: The Unification Church was accused of brainwashing because they recruited aggressively and encouraged followers to give up personal belongings and live communally
TrueT
True or False: American courts today accept expert testimony on cult brainwashing as scientifically credible
False T
True or False: Proponents of brainwashing theory based their model on the experiences of American POWs in Communist prison camps during the Korean War
True
Proponents of brainwashing theory say the process has 3 stages. Which of the following is NOT one of these stages?
a. emotional breakdown
b.. neurological purification
c. imposition of a new identity
d. consolidation
b. nuerological purification
True or False: Critics of brainwashing theory argue that it is based on anecdotal claims from ex-members which cannot be subjected to empirical testing
True
True or False: the fact that most new religions have very low retention rates supports brainwashing theory
False
True or False: In the original reports of brainwashing prisoners of war and political prisoners, the victims were forcibly confined and physically tortured
True
True or False: Eileen Barker’s study of the Moonies included a checklist to measure vulnerability to suggestion. Her research demonstrated that converts consistently scored higher than individuals who did not join the Moonies
False
The Pauline Paradigm of conversion frames conversion as
a. sudden and dramatic
b. permanent change that lasts a lifetime
c. passive
d. all answer choices are true
d. all answer choices are true
Researchers such as Ben Zablocki and Stephen Kent reformulate brainwashing as
a. a process used by NRs to recruit new members
b. a process used by NRs to keep existing members
c. a process used by NRs to cast out members they do not like
d. all answer choices are true
b. a process used by NRs to keep existing members
Dawson thinks the brainwashing debate
a. was resolved by the courts
b. will eventually be resolved by scientific research
c. will never be resolved because it’s really a political conflict
d. is unique to the US
c. will never be resolved because it’s really a political conflict
