Organisations, Movements, Members

What is the meant by a world affirming religious group?

• A world affirming religious group embraces the world and its pleasures, seeking spiritual and individual growth.

• A world affirming religious group focuses solely on materialistic pursuits and disregards spiritual growth.
• A world affirming religious group believes in the destruction of the world as a means to achieve spiritual enlightenment.
• A world affirming religious group rejects the world and its pleasures, seeking spiritual meaning outside of it.

What are the key characteristics of a denomination?

• Inconsistent leadership and liberalised vieweds

• Lack of organizational structure, claim a monopoly of truth

• Organised structured, fairly conservative, offshoots of a mainstream religion, do not claim a monopoly of truth

• Harmful beliefs, practices, and worship style

Which of these are examples of a denomination?

(Choose three)

• Quakers

• Jesus Freaks

• Sufi Islam

• Pentecostals

What are the key characteristics of new religious movements?

• Authoritarian leadership, orthodox beliefs, focus on conformity, rigid structure
• No leadership, conventional beliefs, focus on religious scripture, hierarchical structure

• Traditional leadership, mainstream beliefs, focus on community, centralized structure

• Alternative beliefs and practices, focus on personal transformation, high turnover rate

Briefly tell me something about scientology

According to Heelas, what are New Age Movements?

• New Age Movements focus on spiritual growth, and alternative forms of healing, tend to pick'n'mix ideas together.

• New Age Movements focus on materialistic gains.

• New Age Movements are primarily concerned with political activism and social justice.
• New Age Movements promote traditional religious practices and beliefs.

Sects typically result from splits in existing religions. They break away from churches usually because of disagreements over doctrine and are usually in conflict with mainstream society. Sects share some common features, what are they?

• Authoritarian charismatic leader, secretive scripture, shunning, fear of punishment

• Unity over doctrine, isolation from society, tend be positive and beneficial

• Agreement over doctrine and harmony with society, no leadership, free movement

• Compromise over doctrine and cooperation with society

Tell me a little bit about the sect: Peoples Temple

(Leader? What happened? What makes it a sect? Deaths?)

Sects tend to be short-lived. Pick two reasons why sects do not last long?

• Struggle to keep commitment

• External support
• Loss of a leader

• Lack of funding

What is meant by the phrase "theodicy of disprivilege"?

• The celebration of privilege and power in society
• The belief that everyone is equal and treated fairly
• The attempt to justify or explain the existence of suffering, inequality, and oppression in the world.
• The idea that suffering is always deserved