7.2.1
Religious Organisations
Churches and Denominations
Churches and Denominations
Religious organisations can be defined as churches, denominations, sects and cults.
Churches
Churches
- Large, worldwide memberships.
- Long life spans; often centuries or even millennia.
- Have professional clergy.
- Have a multi-layered hierarchy structure.
Churches cont.
Churches cont.
- Have inclusive memberships; people are often born into these religions.
- Can be linked to the state e.g. The Roman Catholic Church or Church of England .
Denominations
Denominations
- Relatively large memberships; can be international, national or regional.
- Tend to originate as a sect but become successful enough to evolve into a large movement.
Denominations cont.
Denominations cont.
- Tend to be successful with the poorer communities.
- A variety of different denominations, some have long life spans such as the Methodist church, whereas others are more recent such as The Pentecostal church.
- They tend to have professional clergy and rely on volunteers.
Sects and Cults
Sects and Cults
Religious organisations can be defined as churches, denominations, sects and cults.
Sects
Sects
- Sects revolve around a charismatic leader.
- Usually have a short life span, especially if the leader dies.
- Tend to have small memberships.
- The majority of sects do not have professional clergy.
- Often demand total dedication from their followers.
- Can evolve into a denomination, if they gain wider popularity.
Cults
Cults
- Have small memberships.
- Tend to consist of people with like-minded world views.
- Are often wrongly confused with sects by the media and are often misunderstood.
Cults cont.
Cults cont.
- Usually have a loose structure and therefore have no professional clergy.
- Rarely demand strong commitments and often focus on spiritual development.
- Sometimes demand a fee from followers.
1Theory & Methods
1.1Sociological Theories
1.2Sociological Methods
2Education with Methods in Context
2.1Role & Function of the Education System
2.2Educational Achievement
2.3Relationships & Processes Within Schools
3Option 1: Culture & Identity
3.1Conceptions of Culture
3.2Identity & Socialisation
3.3Social Identity
3.4Production, Consumption & Globalisation
4Option 1: Families & Households
4.1Families & Households
4.2Changing Patterns
4.3The Symmetrical Family
4.4Children & Childhood
5Option 1: Health
5.1Social Constructions
5.2Social Distribution of Healthcare
5.3Provision & Access to Healthcare
5.4Mental Health
6Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare
6.1Poverty & Wealth
7Option 2: Beliefs in Society
7.1Ideology, Science & Religion
7.2Religious Movements
7.3Society & Religion
8Option 2: Global Development
8.1Development, Underdevelopment & Global Inequality
8.2Globalisation & Global Organisations
8.3Aid, Trade, Industrialisation, Urbanisation
9Option 2: The Media
9.1Contemporary Media
9.2Media Representations
10Crime & Deviance
10.1Crime & Society
10.2Social Distribution of Crime
Jump to other topics
1Theory & Methods
1.1Sociological Theories
1.2Sociological Methods
2Education with Methods in Context
2.1Role & Function of the Education System
2.2Educational Achievement
2.3Relationships & Processes Within Schools
3Option 1: Culture & Identity
3.1Conceptions of Culture
3.2Identity & Socialisation
3.3Social Identity
3.4Production, Consumption & Globalisation
4Option 1: Families & Households
4.1Families & Households
4.2Changing Patterns
4.3The Symmetrical Family
4.4Children & Childhood
5Option 1: Health
5.1Social Constructions
5.2Social Distribution of Healthcare
5.3Provision & Access to Healthcare
5.4Mental Health
6Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare
6.1Poverty & Wealth
7Option 2: Beliefs in Society
7.1Ideology, Science & Religion
7.2Religious Movements
7.3Society & Religion
8Option 2: Global Development
8.1Development, Underdevelopment & Global Inequality
8.2Globalisation & Global Organisations
8.3Aid, Trade, Industrialisation, Urbanisation
9Option 2: The Media
9.1Contemporary Media
9.2Media Representations
10Crime & Deviance
10.1Crime & Society
10.2Social Distribution of Crime
Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring
Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home
Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs
30+ school subjects covered