Assess the view that cults and sects are only fringe organisations and are inevitably short lived and of little influence in contemporary society
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rjp909 (student)
Asses the view that cults and sects are only fringe organisations and are inevitably short lived and of little influence in contemporary society
Pro-secularisation theorists such as Bruce and Wilson claim that the existence of NRM’s are not a challenge to the secularisation theory as these NRM’s are fringe organisations that are inevitably short lived and of little significance. They are just the dying embers of established religion. However anti secularisation theorists such as Stark and Bainbridge believes that these religious organisation (Cults, sects, NRM’s)are the begging of new religions – Phoenix like, rising from the ashes of old religions. Religion is changing not declining. So basically there is a debate as to the significance and longevity of these organisations.
A sect is a small religious group that has branched off a larger established religion. Sects have many beliefs and practices in common with the religion they have broken off from, but are differentiated by a number of theological differences. Sociologists use the word sect to refer to a religious group with a high degree of tension with the surrounding society, but whose beliefs are largely traditional. A cult, by contrast, also has a high degree of tension with the surrounding society, but its beliefs are new and innovative. Sects, in the sociological sense, are generally traditionalist and conservative, seeking to return a religion to its religious purity. NRM’s can be broken down into three groups, World rejecting, World affirming and World accommodating. World rejecting NRM’s are similar to the old typology sects. Examples include, the Moonies, children of god and the Manson family. They can vary greatly in size, ranging from a handful of members to hundreds of thousands. They are all religious organisations with a clear notion of God. They are highly critical of the outside world and they seek radical change. World accommodating are usually breakaways from existing mainstream churches or denominations, such as neo-Pentecostals who split from Catholicism. They prefer to focus on religious matters rather than worldly matter, such as seeking to restore the spiritual purity of the religion. World affirming differ from the other two groups and may lack some of the conventional features of a religion, such as collective worship, and some are not highly organised. But they do offer their followers access to spiritual or supernatural powers. Examples include scientology, Soka Gakkai and TM.
