Chapter 14

Which religious bodies are known as the "People of the Book"?

Christians, Muslims, and Jews are known as the "People of the Book."

Cult

A religious organization that has little or nothing to do with conventional religious traditions and believes that society is degenerate and that the members of the organization must withdraw together from normal life and live apart in group quarters or a commune.

Which of the following is characteristic of religion?

A. holding rituals and ceremonies B. making the distinction between the sacred and the profane C. having beliefs

How does symbolic interaction theory view religion?

From the symbolic interactionist perspective, religion is impotant because it affects individuals and their social relationships. By virtue of being a member of a religion, the individual can more fully answer the question "Who am I?" For some people, religion is their primary means of identifying with others.

Religion contributes to social cohession, controls many important points in a perosn's life cycle, and helps reduce anxiety by providing answers to broad questions about the meaning of life.

Functionalist

Religion, as well as other social institutions, contributes to the harmony and stability of society.

Functionalist

Which of the following religious proposes that after death, a person's spirit is reborn into another body and that the quality of the new life is determined by the quality of the old life?

Hinduism

Which are the principal religious bodies of Eastern societies?

Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confunianism are the principal religious bodies of Eastern societies.

Which of the following religions believes in a convenant between the people and God that is expressed in the Torah and the Talmud?

Judaism

With less than 1 percent of the world's population as followers, which of the following is the smallest of the world religion?

Judaism

What sociologist argued that there was a close connection between the virtue of Protestantism and the value of captialism?

Max Weber

Which of the following groups typically believes that the Bible is literally true, that moral standards have sunk to alarming depths, and that people can attain salvation only by accepting Christ as their savior?

Protestant Fundamentalists

Civil religion

Quasi-religious beliefs that link people to society and country.

What does the future hold for religion?

Religion offers some answers to timeless questions and therefore remains a powerful force in contemporary society. The commitment to religion will probably not change very much in the future; however, the way in which religions are organized may change a great deal. New forms of religious organization - including the megachurch - are already in place.

Denomination

A religion that maintains friendly relations with the government and eith other religions but that does not claim to be the nation's only legitimate faith.

Ethicalist

A belief system that emphasizes living a "good" life rather than worshipping a deity.

Ecclesia

A church that is a state's offical religion.

Church

A formal religious organization that is well established and well integrated into its society.

Megachurch

A large religious congregation in while the church becomes a life center aruond which people organize their activites and provides its members with many nontraditional services and facilities.

Sect

A loosely organized, nonbureacratic religious organization with nonprofessional leadership that actively rejects the social environment in which it exists.

What insights into religion are provided by the functionalist theoretical perspective?

According to the functionalist perspective, religion helps to organize society, gives people a sense of where they stand in relation to the infinite, provide people with a sense of purpose, and is a source of social cohesion and social control.

What are the general characterisics of religion?

All religions are systems of belief that perform the following functions: they distinguish between the sacred and the profane, provide people with powerful emotional experiences, have rituals and ceremonies permitting worshipers to approach the deity and to celebrate social solidarity, and contain a community of people who provide social support for members.

The Roman Catholic Church has found so much support in many Latin American countries that is has become the state's official in those countries. In such countries, the Roman Catholic Church is

An ecclesia

Which of the following religions believes that the manner in which routine actitvities are performed creates spiritual improvement or decline?

Christianity

Polytheism

Belief in and worship of more than one god.

Monotheism

Belief in and worship of one god.

How do churches differ from denomination?

Churches are formal religious organizations that are well established, are well integrated into their society, and claim moral authority over all aspects of life. Denominations maintain friendly relations with the government and with other denominations but do not claim to be the exclusive religious faith of the country.

Ritual

Commonly rountinized behaviors that express and reinforce religious faith.

Religion is a conservative force that perpetuates oppression and supports inequality.

Conflict

What contributions are made by conflict theory to understanding religion as a social institution?

Conflict theorists argue that religious benefits the ruling class by legitimizing social inequality and by perpetuating the status quo. Marx referred to religion as "the opiate of the people" because he thought that religion blinded people to the reality of their oppressed condition.

Which of the following religions emphasizes je, or human-hearted sympathy, that binds all people together?

Confucianism

Confucianism is the world's largest religion.

False

Dallas' First Baptist Church is an example of a minichurch.

False

Durkheim said that religion was a narcotic that dulled the pain of inequality.

False

It seems likely that as time goes on, women will be less likely to hold important positions in religious organizations.

False

Karl Marx believed that the middle class used religion in their struggle against the ruling class.

False

Within a society, civil religion ia a direct substitute for traditional religion.

False

How in general does religion differ between communal and associational societies?

In many communal societies, religion permeates all aspects of society and is woven throughout people's daily lives. In industrial associational societies, religion is separated from other social and economic activities and has become a matter of private expression.

How has social change affected religion?

Many religions are rethinking the role of women, and some religious accept women as ministers or rabbis. Both secularization and civil religion are growing in importance, yet at the same time, a worldwide religious revival seems to be under way. In the United States, this revival is most evident in the spread of Protestant fundamentalism.

Which of the following religious groups are called "People of the Book?"

Muslims, Christians, and Jews

From the Christian point of view, the crucifux and the rosary are which type of objects?

Sacred

How do religious sects and cults fit into their society?

Sects are loosely organized and reject the social environment in which they exist. Their members are deeply commited to their beliefs. Most cults develop around a charismatic leader, and cult members disavow the broader society. In comparsion with sects, cults are generally smaller, less structured, and lack ties to other established religious bodies.

In the United States, science has been growing more influential in explaining disease, climatic changes, and mental health, while the influence of religion has been declining. Which of the following terms do sociologists use to describe this process?

Secularization

Both religious identity and the beliefs and values associated with religioun are the products of socialization.

Symbolic Interactionist

Perhaps the most significant impact of religious on the individual concerns the development of social identity.

Symbolic Interactionist

Religion is important because it affects individuals and their social relationships.

Symbolic Interactionist

The megachurch strives to attain the idea that

The church should be a life center or a hub around which people organize their daily rountines and social commitments.

Secularization

The declining influence of religion in life combined with an increasing influence of science.

According to the text, which of the following is NOT a reason that people join cults?

They identify with the elaborate rituals of the cults.

Profane

Those things that are regarded as part of ordinary life.

Sacred

Those things that have supernatural signifacance and qualifies.

Christianity began as a tiny cult whose members believed that Jesus was long-promised Messiah of the Jews.

True

Followers of Islam believe that the Qur'an is the word of Allah as set down by the prophet Muhammad.

True

In communal societies, religion permeates all aspects of life.

True

Liberation theology is a blend of Christian principle with political activism.

True

More than most other religious groups, Protestant fundamentalists focus on sin.

True

The central belief of Hinduism is the idea that a special moral force exists throughout the universe that makes demands on the individual and gives everyday life a sacred quality.

True

The roots of religion lie in an ancient communal past.

True

The theory of evolution stands in direct contradiction to the account of human life known as creationism.

True

To some extent, religion and science compete to explain the same phenomena.

True

Unlike communal society, religion in contemporary industrial society has become

separated from many social and economic activities.