Chapter 15
what do christianity and islam have in common
-both believe in a single supreme god -both share many of the same stories in their central religious texts -both believe in an afterlife (all of the above)
In what ways does religion serve the role of a social institution
-religions have a complex and integrated set of norms -religious practices and beliefs are related to societal values -religions often meet several basic needs (all of the above)
in what part of the world have Confucianism and Taoism been primarily practiced?
China
what are some denominations of the Christian Protestant church?
Methodist and Seventh-day Adventist
megachurch
a Christian church that has a very large congregation averaging more than 2,000 people who attend regular weekly services
denomination
a large, mainstream religion that is not sponsored by the state
monotheism
a religion based on belief in a single deity
polytheism
a religion based on belief in multiple deities
ecclesia
a religion that is considered the state religion
sect
a small, new offshoot of a denomination
religion
a system of beliefs, values, and practices concerning what a person holds to be sacred or spiritually significant
religious rituals
behaviors or practices that are either required for or expected of the members of a particular group
the protestant work ethic was viewed in terms of its relationship to
capitalism
which socialist perspective most emphasizes the ways in which religion helps to maintain social inequalities within a society
conflict theory
the main difference between ecclesia and a denomination is
ecclesia are state-sponsored and considered an official religion
which perspective most emphasizes the ways in which religion helps keep the social system running smoothly
functional perspective
a cultural universal is something that
is found in all cultures
megachurches tend to have
large arenas where services are held
social scientists refer to the use of a church to combat social injustice in the political realm as
liberation theology
a sect:
often believes it must split from the large group to return to important fundamentals
which of the following do the functionalist and conflict perspectives share
position that religion relates to social control, enforcing social norms
cults
religious groups that are small, secretive, and highly controlling of members and have a charismatic leader
some controversial groups that may be mislabeled as cults include:
scientology and the Hare Krishna
established sects
sects that last but do not become denominations
many stories in the sacred text of judaism are:
shared by Christianity and Islam
religious beliefs
specific ideas that members of a particular faith hold to be true
Which of the main theoretical perspectives would approach religion from the micro-level, studying how religion impacts an individual's sense of support and well-being?
symbolic interactionism
totemism
the belief in a divine connection between humans and other natural beings
atheism
the belief in no deities
religious experience
the conviction or sensation that one is connected to "the divine"
animism
the religion that believes in the divinity of non human beings, like animals, plants, and objects of the natural world
liberation theology
the use of a church to promote social change via the political arena