Religion in a Changing Society, Kaftan, Exam 2

What are five functions that churches in the black community often serve?

bank, benevolent society, political organization, party hall religious safe haven

Cults are engaged in "stigma contests"- what are these?

battles over the right to define what shall be termed deviant. The outcome of deviantization is the loss of moral standing in the eye of other members of society

Why do many feminists reject the idea of the imagery of the male god?

because it reinforces social hierarchy of male superiority in religion over women

Engels predicted that religion would disappear as ______________ disappeared.

capitalistic economies

People in cults are considered:

deviants

In large part the class differences are a product of:

history

What 2 things did the interviews with members of the Shady Grove Ladies' Bible Class reveal?

(1) considerable ambivalence and contradiction in their views and their reported practices (2) a striking repertoire of strategies for negotiating, reinterpreting, and subverting this doctrine of female submission.

According to The National Study of Youth and Religion survey data poor teenagers are especially likely__________________(3 things), and are unlikely to _____________ (1 thing).

1. pray, read religious scriptures, and report high levels of personal faith 2. regularly participate in organized religious activities.

What are the three elements that predict economic support of a religious organization?

1.) Priestly or prophetic theology? 2.) Degree to which religious organization is independent of elite control. 3.) Extent to which aspects of religion support the believability of the class structure.

What are Weber's five possible characteristics of religion?

1.) a messiah who initiates the end of the world as we know it, 2.) the transmigration of souls, 3.)universal day of judgement, 4.)predestination, 5.)dual divinities of good and evil

Johnson Amendment

1954, prohibits tax-exempt institutionslike churches from involvement in political campaigns on behalf of or against any political candidate.

What percent of people want a religious candidate in America for office

62

What percent of people expressed opposition to church endorsements of candidates in 2016?

66

How did Marx believe the condition of alienation/exploitation could be resolved?

A classless society

Three strategies to confront the patriarchal nature of religion:

Abandonment, Radical Transformation and Reshaping 1.) Abandonment: Christianity and feminism are incompatible (Mary Daly: no organized religion) 2.) Radical Transformation: Wicca, non hierarchical structure. 3.) Reshaping: Modifying religious organizations to reflect equality.

Weber believed that Protestantism was the foundation of ________________.

America and capitalism

Which Christian sects are the more recent arrivals to the united states?

Catholic and Lutherans

In Olson's Public Perception of Cults article, what change is suggested?

Changing the language of the name "cult" to trigger more acceptance.

Why did slavery slavery present a problem for Christians?

Christians were forbidden from holding another Christian in bondage, so how could they convert slaves to Christianity?

According to Antonio Gramsci, religion is a source of_________? Why?

Class power- because it: -helps to establish the hegemony of of particular groups -these groups influence media, education, religion -group's position is reinforced- becomes 'common sense'- the way things are.

Prophetic theology (Gramsci)

Does not separate love of God from love of persons. Spiritual standards are upheld in personal relationships.

What did protestants consider their 'sign from God' to be?

Economic success.

_______ has a strong, positive effect on participating in religious activities other than service attendance.

Income

What did Ayella note as a difficulty in researching cults?

She was treated as a potential convert" and was "repeatedly interrupted and asked to do something else"

Who are at the bottom of the stratification system in any society where they exist?

Slaves

Weber described a capitalist as _______________________________.

Someone who regenerates wealth

What is crucial for capitalism to survive?

Surplus

Lower status eschatologies

Tend to be otherworldly (reality of this world is denied except as a testing ground) Only faithful will reach heaven Tend to be millennial (transformation of the world will be sudden and inaugurated by supernatural powers, collective, terrestrial, imminent, total, supernatural)

Upper status eschatologies

Tend to be progressive (God and humans will work together to attain perfection) God's plan is an ever more humane, just, Godly kingdom on earth)

Lower status theodicies:

Tend to emphasize despair, escape. God is comforter, protector, savior. Sin is a state of being Emphasis on rules, obedience, conformity

In the film "Jesus Camp", Fischer believes the children need to purify themselves in order to be part of:

The army of God

According to Wendy Griffith (Embodied Goddesses), what aspect of religion is reflected in society?

The patriarchal hierarchy

What two groups did Marc compare as being both suffering, but also chosen?

The proletariat and the Jewish people.

What did Marx believe was the most phenomenal expression of alienation?

The workers inability in a capitalist society to own the product of his/her work

Per Marx, what happens to workers when they sell their wages?

They lose connection with the object of labor and became objects themselves

Almost three-quarters think the influence of religion on American life is __________________.

Waning

What was the Theodicy of good fortune (Weber)?

Wealthy classes express religious justification for their good fortune and emphasize their 'blessings' as evidence that God looks upon them favorably and will do so in any future life.

What does church in the black community provide for its neighborhood?

a cultural blueprint for civic life

Social stratification

a hierarchical arrangement or ordering of people in a group according to criteria or standards determined and accepted by that group

According to Karl Marx, religion for the bourgeoisie serves as:

a means of oppression and as a rationalization for one's own position of power and privilege

What did the researchers of the Kendal project suggest as an occurring instead of secularization?

a spiritual revolution

A third of the religiously unaffiliated want politicians to have ______________________.

a strong faith

Why is church in the black community so encompassing for its members?

it allows its members to become part of something that they are typically excluded from: (economic, social, political, life of major society) and it is the one place where the institution is completely controlled by blacks.

Sectarians, almost by definition, are more likely to come from:

lower economic classes.

According to Karl Marx, religion for the proletariat is a:

narcotic that dulls peoples understanding and sensitivity to their harsh surroundings

Congregations tend to draw their members from the neighborhood. Why is this socioeconomically important?

neighborhoods tend to be fairly class exclusive.

What are two alternatives names proposed to take the place of the word "cult"?

new religious movements, alternative religious movements

Nearly half of Americans also say they want churches and other houses of worship to ______________________________________________.

speak out on social and political topics

According to Weber, what are 2 factors associated with stratification other than income?

status group affiliation, religious world views.

Upper status theodicies

tend to emphasize good fortune, prosperity as a sign of blessing or favor. God is energetic activity and same productive activity is expected from humans Sins are specific actions or personal characteristics Emphasis on individual freedom, creativity, critical thinking, independence

What notion do the findings of the study on the religious practices of poor teenagers support?

that social class can impose constraints on religious participation

Among Protestants, which class is more likely to affiliate with conservative denominations?

the lower class

Which class is least likely to affiliate with religion?

the lower class

What did "the Kendal Project" study?

the prevalence of regular congregational church attendance compared with the popularity of spirituality in the holistic domain

According to The National Study of Youth and Religion survey data, what are poor teenagers are unlikely to report?

the types of emotional religious experiences that are commonly associated with lower class religion

With the exception of the Jews, the highest status groups have all been:

well-established in for the longest period.

According to The National Study of Youth and Religion survey data what do poor teenagers place emphasis on?

Role reversal in the afterlife

What notable aspect is missing from Weber's description of religion?

Salvation

Postmillennial Lower status eschatologies

Savior will come after humans have prepared the way

Leland W. Robinson's 6 conditions for religion to be used by social movements:

-Individuals' views of the social and physical world is heavily influenced by religion. -The theology is in tension with the existing social order. -Clergy are closely associated with and have close contact with the members of the revolutionary class. -Revolutionary classes are united in a single religion. -Revolutionary class's religion is different from the dominant class's religion. -Alternative organizational structures are not available.

Two examples of Stratification in religion?

1) distinction between the leader and the followers 2) those who follow the rules of the group more closely are more revered (saints)

4 characteristics of lower class religion:

1. Poor people are less active in organized religion than are non-poor people 2. Poor people are likely to emphasize the afterlife, meaningful religious experiences, and the importance of religion in daily life, 3. Poor people are likely to perform personal devotional activities (prayer) 4.Poor people are less likely than non-poor people to participate in secular voluntary organizations but they are more likely to interact with like-minded believers.

Eschatology

Belief system explaining how and when ultimate victory over suffering and death will commence in the future

Theodicy

Belief system explaining reasons for evil, suffering, and injustice by placing them in a divine master scheme

What did Ruth Wallace observe that women pastors were able to do better in the Catholic Church than male priests?

Break down communication barriers.

In America, Church affiliation can be a _______________________ for poor Americans.

Financial hardship

According to Wendy Griffith (Embodied Goddesses), what aspect of religion fails to address the lives of women?

God as "father"

Premillennial Lower status eschatologies

God will intervene unilaterally in human history in response to human sinfulness

What was the outcome of the Kendal Project?

It showed that church attendance was trending steadily downwards, and uptake of spirituality in the holistic domain increasing

What did Marx feel should guide social relations?

Logic and reason

Priestly theology (Gramsci)

Official pronouncements, purely spiritual reflections

While Republicans and Democrats are famously deeply divided on many social and political issues, there is a much smaller gap on which issue?

Opposition to the endorsement of candidates by religious figures.

In Catholic churches, what is the one thing women are not allowed?

Ordination

What are Gramsci's two possible natures of theology?

Priestly or prophetic

In the film "Jesus Camp", who does Fischer identify as "the enemy"?

Radical Islam

What did Marx believe was the response to the condition of Alienation?

Religion- because it distorts reality and prevents people from seeing clearly

How was the Christian dilemma of slavery eventually resolved?

Religious leaders abandoned their original position that conversion required emancipation.

According to Marx, when does religion become destructive?

When it become distracting from otherworldy obligations

Which gender is typically more religious; women or men?

Women

What was the Theodicy of despair and escape (Weber)?

Working classes count on the promise of release and salvation if they can remain faithful. Hope in the face of an adverse existence is seldom colored by resentment and the underprivileged seem to be satisfied that hell is reserved for wealthy sinners