7.2.1

Religious Organisations

Test yourself

Churches and Denominations 

Religious organisations can be defined as churches, denominations, sects and cults.

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Churches  

  • Large, worldwide memberships. 
  • Long life spans; often centuries or even millennia.
  • Have professional clergy. 
  • Have a multi-layered hierarchy structure. 
Illustrative background for Churches cont.Illustrative background for Churches cont. ?? "content

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 .
Illustrative background for  Denominations Illustrative background for  Denominations  ?? "content

 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.  
Illustrative background for  Denominations  cont.Illustrative background for  Denominations  cont. ?? "content

 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

Religious organisations can be defined as churches, denominations, sects and cults.

Illustrative background for SectsIllustrative background for Sects ?? "content

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.
Illustrative background for CultsIllustrative background for Cults ?? "content

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.
Illustrative background for Cults cont.Illustrative background for Cults cont. ?? "content

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. 

Jump to other topics

1Theory & Methods

2Education with Methods in Context

3Option 1: Culture & Identity

4Option 1: Families & Households

5Option 1: Health

6Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare

7Option 2: Beliefs in Society

8Option 2: Global Development

9Option 2: The Media

10Crime & Deviance

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