Sociology of Religion Exam Notes

"Pennies from Heaven." Peter L. Berger, Wall Street Journal.

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Making Sense of the Heaven's Gate Suicides." Robert W. Balch and David Taylor in Cults, Religion & Violence

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Social Conditions that Generate each Type of Groups

1. when denominations ignore the original oncer of faith for poverty and inequality, sect groups may arise 2. Some groups are expressions of ethnic values and national loyalties 3. Rebellion against complex organizational structure, desire for smaller, more informal, and less under the control of a professional clergy 4. desire for spontaneity and emotional expression in worship

The Routinization of Charisma

A stable set of roles and statuses must be established and a consistent pattern of norms generated and practiced, charisma of personality must now be transformed with the religious ideology and with the religious organization Process of routinization is called institutionalization Most critical test of routinization is the way it handles succession. When charismatic leader dies the group may quickly disperse , however, many people want it to survive, the problem is who will provide the group with leadership. First, The group, the body of beliefs and a written record become sources of veneration(respect). Second, the new leader is an ideological leader rather than a charismatic one because new leaders words no longer taken as true simply because that person said them, rather, they must be evaluated in light of what the original leader said it did.

"The Case for the Prosperity Gospel." Grant Brooke, M.Div. The Huffington Post.

Arguments against prosperity gospel:pg does not problematize poverty like Christian theology but problematize the poor because they are faithless and preachers are getting rich over prosperity message, leads to poor finical decision making what if pg works: many believed in ones own prosperity 1. educational opportunity: encourages education that brings mobility 2. market individualism: insistence on personal pitty - gets people of the bottle into the workforce and go home to family at the end of the day 3. Fiscal Soundness: encourages people to use their money wisely - proof of salvation is directly tied to the economic conditions and individual economic outlook 4. Secular Mentality: secularization creates an insistence upon the present . It rejects past dogma tradition Author: only through capitalism, discipline workforce take people to take things seriously

Social Class and Religious Involvement: Interactive Process

Connection between denominational affiliation and social class, two key measures of social class are income and education Correlation between social class and religious affiliation Possible reasons historical effects: order of arrival, rural vs urban, human capital upon arrival, structural discrimination Selection effects: like seeing like, social mobility, religious ideas that justify your insistence *all these above can explain social stratification

Conversion, Brainwashing, and the NRM's

Conversion: Process of transforming around or changing direction in life. It refers to a change in worldview. Conversion represents a transformations in a person's identity or self image. (intensification is not conversion) NRM: non conventional religious groups Brainwashing is a process by which persons are involuntarily cased to adopt a belief system, a set of behaviors, or a worldview . To force a person in to make such change, one must have total physical control over the individual. The captors control of necessities of life and be able to control life and death itself. *many Americans don't use the term properly because a recruit is usually actively involved in choosing to be converted , for example heavens gate had strange beliefs but it did not involve brainwashing, however brainwashing and "mind control" is talked about because conventional religious organizations lose those resources being lost when NRMs are recruiting members, and family ties are being broken due to little time devoted to family. It is a weapon to suppress these nonconventional groups

New Religious Movements, aka "Cults"

Cult is used by sociologist in two distinctive ways 1. describe a group without much internal discipline and with loose knit structure 2. cult as the beginning phase of an entirely new religion, the group may be loosely structured or it may demand tremendous commitment Difference between sect and cult: sect attempts to renew or purify the prevailing religion of the society, whereas the Cult introduces a new and different religion NRM and sect both go through process of institutionalization and modification, however if it survives and eventually gains legitimacy in the society, the cult it becomes a new religion rather than a denomination of an existing religion

"Switching" among Denominations Religious

Denominational switching does not necessary involve any change of worldview, but it does involve a change in organization membership. Reaffiliation more accurate than conversion - two most consistent predictors of religious switching are education and intermarriage rational Choice Theory: Social positions governs preferences, people develop a preference for religious goods in their denomination of origin, isolation breeds loyalty, make choices to make others happy, people with children affiliate with children, people seek incentives, choices influenced by geographic

"Does God Want You To Be Rich." David Van Biema and Jeff Chu. Time Magazine.

God doesn't want anything less for us There are gospels that suggest to give up but there is theology that focuses on God's plan for generosity . Joyce Meyer says God doesn't want us to be miserable

Dilemmas of Institutionalizations

Institutionalization is necessary but can create dilemmas for the religious organization 1. The Dilemma of Mixed Motivation: when a stable institution is formed, jealousy for prestigious positions can cause conflicts and concerns about personal security within the organization may cause to loose sight of groups primary goals 2.The Symbolic Dilemma: Objectification Versus Alienation: forgotten meaning of symbols, symbols seen as barriers of communication 3. The Dilemma of Administrative Order: Elaboration of Policy Versus Flexibility: rational policies and regulations may be established making it overcomplicated 4. The Dilemma of Delimitation: COncrete Definition Versus Substitution of the Letter for the Spirit: religious message is translated into specific guidelines of everyday life, however, translating the spirit of faith into specific moral rules and ritual requirements might lead to future generation missing the central message because they become literalistic about those rules 5. The Dilemma of Power: Conversion Versus Coercion: organization might rely on coercive methods as a last resort to maintain conformity such as excommunication

Selections from "The Mormons" in Extraordinary Groups: An Examination of Unconventional Lifestyles. R. Schaefer and W. Zellner.

Joseph Smith- religion originated in the US produced sacred scriptures translated foreign language in tablets Book of Mormon They also read new/old testament Joseph Smith extremely charismatic Smith was killed Mormons prosecuted Charismatic leader Brigham Young after Smith Polygamy- ordained by God as revealed by Joseph Smith - banned in the US by Lincoln Every worthy male is expected to take place in hierarchal priesthood - through out age different roles starting with assisting the higher ranks, becoming teachers, to traveling missionaries Strong emphasis on family relations- ensured meaningful place in kin system

Charisma and Charismatic Leader

Many new religious movements appear to get started through charismatic leader, may be viewed as an agent of God or incarnate. Charisma is unstable and if group is to survive then must routinize

Process Models of Conversion

Predisposing Conditions 1. Tension: some felt need for change, dissatisfaction with the current situation *not sufficient to cause conversion 2. Religious Problem-Solving Perspective: inclination to solve problems by turning to religious leaders or methods rather than political or psychiatric 3. Religious Seekership: Dissatisfaction is present but also the feeling of being a religious seeker, have conclude religion raised in was inadequate and find themselves seekers of truth but a person already holds attitudes that are consistent with new religion Situational Contingencies ( are circumstances that influence the social interaction between a potential convert and recruiter to a religious group) 1. Turning Point in Life: divorces, sickness and most likely if here is no turning point not convert to unconventional groups 2. close Intergroup Affective Bonds: preexisting friendship networks 3. Weakening of Extra-Group Affective Bonds: 4. Intensive Interaction:

Religious Choices and Commitments: A Rational Choice Model

Rational Choice theory has drawn to micro and macro economic theories. When it comes to conversion, an individual is an active agent purposely making choices and seeking conversion. As people play the role of convert they find the role rewarding. churches as entrepreneurial establishments Growing churches meet consumer demands such as selling salvation groups with very high commitment and greater certainity about claims to the truth would offer more benefits such as leaving behind drinking

The Church Sect Typology

Sect:m exclusive group, one must meet certain conditions such as conformity to particular practices. Three characteristics 1. memborship is voluntarily 2. it is limited for those who qualify for membership 3. it involves a substantial commitmnent by the members Church: 1. group that one is typically orb into rather than choosing 2. inclusive-that is, encouraging all members of larger society to join 3. minimal commitment is required to remain as a member Single Variable Model: A church is a religious group that accepts the social environments in which it exists. A sect is a religious group that rejects the social environment in which it exists Yinger's Social Multilinear Evolution Model: Three social factors that seem to be central, model lends insight into types of groups and their evolution 1. degree of membership exclusivity 2. degree of acceptance of secular values 3. degree of organizational development

Religious Ethics and Economic Action

Socioeconomic circumstances affect religion and how religion in turn impacts economic behavior Marx: material self interest - its all about the economy -Economy is at the bottom of everything - Relationship between religion/economy ( economic self interest independent variable which causes and out come dependent variable) Weber Flips Marx Theory: Religion not only the outcome but it can be that economics is the outcome

Classifying Religious Organizations

churches, sects, denominations, and cults(NRM)

Protestant Ethic

priesthood of all behaviors, asceticism, delayed gratification, predestination

Religious "Nones"

those with no religious preference , nones does not mean nonreligiious, many believe in God, pray, participate in religious services and report having religious experiences, there are four types of religious nones