Module 1 Assignment
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Pasco-Hernando State College *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
2300
Subject
Religion
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
5
Uploaded by ColonelSeaLion2275
1
Three types of religion
Name and last name
Institution
REL 2300
Professor
Date
2
Three types of religion
Church
The church is an official religion of a country or state. It is a large bureaucratically organized religious organization that is integrated into society as they accept the social environment in which it exists (17.4 Types of Religious Organizations, 2016). There are two types of ecclesiastical organizations: ecclesia and denomination. The ecclesia is a large bureaucratic religious organization that is a formal part of the state, whose members consist of most or all of the citizens of a state or nation (17.4 Types of Religious Organizations, 2016). Usually, people do not join an ecclesia, but automatically become members at birth (17.4 Types of Religious Organizations, 2016). Examples of ecclesia in the world include Islam in Saudi Arabia and some other Middle Eastern countries, and the Catholic Church in Spain (17.4 Types of Religious Organizations, 2016). The second type of church organization is the denomination, which is a large bureaucratic religious organization that is integrated into the larger society but is
not a formal part of the state (17.4 Types of Religious Organizations, 2016). In today's pluralistic
nations, various denominations such as Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians coexist (17.4 Types of Religious Organizations, 2016). Most people are members of a certain denomination because their parents were members, so they are born into a denomination and consider themselves members of that denomination for the rest of their lives, whether or not they actively practice their faith unless they convert to another denomination or abandon religion completely (17.4 Types of Religious Organizations, 2016). An example of a church is Catholicism which is the official religion of Vatican City of which the leader is the Pope
.
Sect
3
A sect is a small religious organization with a closed membership. The sect is not integrated into the society around it and often conflicts with at least some of its norms and values
(17.4 Types of Religious Organizations, 2016). Often, a cult is separated from a larger denomination as they want to restore what sect members consider to be the denomination's original views (17.4 Types of Religious Organizations, 2016). Because of their size, sects lack the bureaucracy of denominations and ecclesiae, and often lack formally trained clergy (17.4 Types of Religious Organizations, 2016). It is important to note that when a sect successfully attracts many new members, it grows and eventually becomes a denomination (Types of Religion, n.d.). Most of the Christian denominations known in the United States today began as sects (Types of Religion, n.d.). The Amish in the United States are the best-known example of a current sect that is led and headed by a bishop (Who Leads the Amish Church?, n.d.).
Cult
A cult is a small antisocial religious organization that is in great disagreement with the norms and values of the larger society (17.4 Types of Religious Organizations, 2016). Cults are similar to sects but differ in three aspects that should be noted. First, they have not separated from a larger denomination and instead originate outside the mainstream religious tradition (17.4
Types of Religious Organizations, 2016). Second, they are reserved and do not proselytize as much (17.4 Types of Religious Organizations, 2016). Finally, cults rely on charismatic leadership based on the extraordinary personal qualities of the cult leader (17.4 Types of Religious Organizations, 2016). A cult has a living founder and as he or she dies, the cult often dies with him or her. Today cults are associated with negative things like madness and/or violence, but it is important to note that the world's major religions, including Christianity, Islam,
and Judaism, and denominations such as Mormons, began as cults. Examples of cults are the
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
4
Manson Family founded by Charles Manson, the Peoples Temple founded by Jim Jones, and Heaven's Gate founded by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Lu Nettles (Latifi, 2021).
5
References
17.4 Types of Religious Organizations
. M Libraries. (2016, April 8). Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://open.lib.umn.edu/sociology/chapter/17-4-types-of-religious-
organizations/#:%7E:text=A%20sect%20is%20a%20relatively,in%20the%20United
%20States%20today. Latifi, F. (2021, August 30). Most Famous Cults in U.S. History: Manson Family, Waco, and More
. Teen Vogue. Retrieved September 17, 2022, from https://www.teenvogue.com/story/most-famous-cults-history Types of Religion
. Lumen. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-introductiontosociology/chapter/types-of-religion/ Who leads the Amish Church?
Amish America. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://amishamerica.com/who-leads-the-amish-church/