OUTLINE Introduction The Church-Sect Typology Cults Secularization and Cult Formation Social Networks and Recruitment to Cults and

Sects: Two Case Studies

Lecture on Religion and Cults

Systems of meaning for interpreting the world that have a supernatural referent (e.g., Christianity, Hinduism).

Religions

Sociology and Religion

The Nature of Religion Systems of belief used to make life meaningful

may have supernatural referents, if they do, they are called RELIGIONS.

Systems of belief that are intended to make like meaningful without reference to supernatural powers are called HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVES and include ideologies such as communism.

Organizational Approaches

Organizational approaches see religious groups asbeing akin to “corporations”.

Organizational approaches focus on the basic characteristicsof religious organizations such as:

1. The nature and sources of their members.

2. Their formal and informal goals.

3. The norms and roles that are established to accomplish their purposes.

4. The sanctions that are used to ensure that norms are followed.

5. The success that groups experience in pursuing their goals.

Individual-Centered Explanations

There are three basic individual-centered explanationsfor religious behaviour:

1. Reflection

2. Socialization

3. Deprivation

Collective Religiosity I:The Church-Sect Typology

Collective Religiosity II: Organizational Approaches I

As social organizations, religions can be analyzed in terms of:

MEMBERSHIP.

GOALS.

Church - Sect Typology

A framework, originating with Weber, in whichreligious organizations are studied in terms of ideal-type, church, and sect characteristics.

Cults:

Cults are religious groups that have their origin outside of older religions.

Sects in contrast, are groups that have broken away fromestablished groups.

Secularization and Cult Formation

SOCIAL NETWORKS AND RECRUITMENTTO CULTS AND SECTS: TWO CASE STUDIES

INTERPERSONAL BONDS ANDCONVERSION TO MORMONISM