Sociology: Beliefs in society

What does Marx call religion?

“The opium of the masses”

Define open belief system

Open to scrutiny by others

Give Bruce’s 5 main features of New Age religions

• Emphasis on self

• Connection between everything

• Self is final authority

• Global Cafeteria

• Therapy

Explain what is meant by Bruce’s ‘Global Cafeteria’?

The wide variety of beliefs available to society now

Give 4 indicators of Fundamentalism in religion?

• Traditional/patriarchal beliefs

• Them v.s Us attitude

• Literalism of holy texts

• Aggressive action

Define ‘sects’

A splinter group of a religion due to differing fundamental beliefs

What are the 4 CUDOS norms

• Communism

• Universalism

• Disinterestedness

• Organised Scepticism

What definition of religion is Giddens credited with?

Inclusivist definition

How did Lenin describe religion?

“The gin of the masses”

What do Abbott and Wallace describe?

The feminist prism, which all feminist perspectives of religion agree

Outline Stark and Bainbridge’s 2 characteristics of NRM recruits?

• Social Grievances

• Strong bonds with recruiters

Outline Bruce’s view of secularisation

It’s a long term decline of the power, popularity and prestige of religion

Wallis’ 2 types of NRM

• World affirming

• World rejecting

• World accommodating

3 characteristics of a sect

• Egalitarian not hierarchal

• Radical in nature

• Withdrawn from society

Stark and Bainbridge’s 3 categories of cults

• Audience

• Client

• Cultic movement

3 characteristics of a church

• Integrated into social/economic structure of society

• Conservative

• Universalist with open membership

Biggest gender demographic in religion?

Women

Define Millenarian Movement

Belief in significant world-changing event leading to 1000 of blessedness for the ‘saved’

3 religiously aided movements of social change

• Civil rights movement

• Latin America in the 60’s

• Iranian revolution 1979

3 areas of evidence for secularisation

• Practice

• Belief

• Power

Define ideology

Worldview or set of values/ideas

Outline Heelas

Argues the world is going through Resacrilisation, or a spiritual revolution

Outline Stark and Glock

NRMs are a form of religious/social protest