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religious organisations - Coggle Diagram
religious organisations
types
church
more attractive to higher classes, more ideologically conservative and often closely linked to the state, claim a monopoly of truth, place few demands on members.
sect
small exclusive group- barriers between themselves and outside world, drawn from poor and oppressed
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followers believe they have found a new truth that is different from wider society, require high levels of commitment
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promise other worldly benefits, a place in heaven to those suffering economic or ethical deprivation
denomination
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not considered deviant and widely accepted, membership is open to all but may not appeal to all of society, do not claim monopoly of truth, methodism
cult
widely regarded as deviant, do not claim to have a monopoly of truth
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low levels of commitment, often more like customers, may be led by therapists, tolerant of other organisation, for example scientology,
new religions, or ones that are new to a particular society
offer this worldly benefits, good health, to more prosperous individuals who are suffering psychic deprivation (normlessness) or organismic deprivation- health problems
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world affirming NRM- may claim to access supernatural or spiritual powers, followers have normal lives not controlled by NRM
growth of NRMs
marginality
sects arise in marginal groups, who feel disprivileged not recieving the economic rewards or status they deserve
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many NRMs have attracted young white middle class individuals however Wallis argues this is a result of them becoming marginal to society, eg hippies and drug users
relative deprivation
those who feel deprived in comparison are more likely to join a sect, even wealthy people who believe something is missing from their lives
deprived individuals feel that mainstream churches justify and accept the world as it is, they offer no compensators for the deprived who do not enjoy the same privileges as others
world rejecting sects offer underprivileged compensators that they need for the rewards denied to them in this world, eg heaven
social change
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World rejecting nrms grew in 1960s because they offered an idealistic way of life, failure of other ways to change the world, led young people turn to reiligion instead
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growth of the new age
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look inside themselves for spirituality, rejcting external sources such as sacred texts or priests
explanations
postmodernity
drane argues there is a loss of faith in meta-narratives, which promised truth and a better world, this loss of faith has made ne age beliefs more attractive
modern societies values such as individualism are erflected in new age religions therefore they become increasingly more appealing
people are able to choose from a variety of new age beliefs and this fits in with today's consumerism
new age & modernity
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rapid social change, new agers given a sense of certainty in a time of anomie
traditional religions are declining, this removes traditional alternatives to new age beliefs, for example in the USA the new age is strongest where churchgoing is at its lowest, in California