SOC 101 Chapter 12 Religion

Jonestown November 1978 –918 members committed suicide in Guyana, South America

Branch Davidians April 1993 –79 members were killed in the siege at the Mount Carmel compound

Aum Shinrikyo March 1995 –12 people died and over 5,000 were injured in the Tokyo subway attack

Solar Temple October 1994 & March 1997 –Over 50 members died in fires set by the group

March 1997 –39 members committed suicide at a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, CA Heaven’s Gate

Questions Why do Religions emerge & develop? Why do people join Religions?

Introduction Rodney Stark defines religion as: –“socially organized patterns of belief and practices that concern ultimate meaning and assume the existence of the supernatural” Nobody knows when humans first acquired religion All known societies have some type of religion Religion has influenced societies in enormous ways

Religion in the United States Other 6% None 5% Jewish 2% Mormon 1% Protestant 59% Catholic 27% Source: Gallup Poll 1994.

Functionalist Perspective Religion has 3 important functions: 1.Providing meaning and purpose to life 2.Promoting social cohesion and a sense of belonging 3.Providing social control and support for the government

Religion can be dysfunctional too….

The Crusades

Taliban(Muslims) vs. Buddhists A 175-foot Buddhist monument, believed to be the world's largest standing Buddha was destroyed by Taliban Muslims in Afganistan.

Conflict Perspective According to Karl Marx, religion is the "opiate of the people" Max Weber argued that religion could be a catalyst to produce social change

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Religion serves as a reference group to help people define themselves Women’s versions of a certain religion usually differ from men’s versions

Secularization “The process by which particular religious organizations become more worldly and offer a less vivid and less active conception of the supernatural”

The Secularization Thesis (The Old Paradigm) Suggests that as society becomes more industrial and technological, religion is replaced by science

Secularization: Two Views The Old Paradigm –Peter Berger & Thomas Luckmann –Assumptions Religion has become an individual choice (privatization) We have been exposed to new cultures and religions from which to choose (pluralism) –This leads to the relativism of all religions Secularization leads to the eventual decline of religion

The New Paradigm –R. Stephen Warner –Roger Finke, Rodney Stark & William Bainbridge –Assumptions Secularization leads to religious revival or innovation

An Alternate View (The New Paradigm) Others suggested that secularization leads to religious revival and/or innovation –Religion will not be replaced by science

Has Religion Been Displaced by Science? Seems to be the case in Europe, but not in the U.S. –Churches receive more money than any other charity –Over 90% say they believe in God –Around 57% say they pray on a regular basis –Around 70% report that religion is “very important” in their lives –Church membership has increased over the years, not decreased

Rates of Church Affiliation, U.S., Percent of Church Membership Year

Why Does Religion Remain Relevant In The U.S. ? 1. Cultural Compatibility –Early churches emphasized self- government and voluntary affiliation Fits well with cultural values about freedom of choice and individual initiative 2. Social Identity –Churches help those who move around find a sense of community

3. Disestablishment & Competition (Finke, Stark & Bainbridge)Disestablishment –Separation of church and state ensures that no one religion or denomination is funded by the government Thus, religious monopolies are prevented due to competition –This wasn’t the case in many European countries This creates an environment that encourages competition between churches –Churches have to adapt to meet the needs and wants of “the marketplace” »a.k.a. “a religious economy”

First Ammendment (1791): "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof

Church/Sect Theory Formulated by H. Richard Niebuhr Tried to explain why there were so many denominations He distinguishes between two types of religious organizations, churches & sects

Church-Sect Theory Churches intellectualize religious teachings and restrain emotionalism in their services. Characterized by low degree of tension with society Churches intellectualize religious teachings and restrain emotionalism in their services. Characterized by low degree of tension with society Churches Sects stress emotionalism and individual mystical experiences and tend toward fundamentalism. Sects are based on intense local networks. Characterized by high degree of tension with society Sects stress emotionalism and individual mystical experiences and tend toward fundamentalism. Sects are based on intense local networks. Characterized by high degree of tension with society Sects

Churches and Sects Degree of Tension With Society Attitude Towards Other Institutions and Religions Type of Authority Organization Membership Churches Low Tolerant Traditional Bureaucratic Establishment Sects High Intolerant, Rejecting Intolerant, Rejecting Charismatic Informal Alienated

Rankings on the Church-Sect Continuum Church Sect Expert Rankings of Selected Denominations on the Church-Sect Continuum Episcopal United Church of Christ Unitarian Presbyterian Methodist Disciples of Christ American Baptist Evangelical Lutheran Reform Catholic Missouri Synod Lutheran Southern Baptist Quaker Nazarene Assemblies of God Mormon Seventh-Day Adventist Jehovah’s Witness

The Process of Church/Sect Formation Sects –Dense social networks –Members who are predominately lower in social status Churches –Cosmopolitan social networks that are not as dense –Members who are higher in social status

The most important variable is social class –As the sect grows it attracts members from higher social classes These members are more likely to want trained leadership, intellectual teaching, etc. Eventually, class schism results between the upper and the lower social classes

Church-Sect Formation Church Sect

Expanding The Theory Niebuhr limited his theory to religious organizations Stark and Bainbridge have expanded it –They link church-sect theory with their concept of religious economies –They argue that secularization creates either revivals or innovations (nrms)

The Evidence? In the 1960s & 70s many social scientists predicted that religion would be replaced by science –They noticed that the largest established denominations were losing members

Market Shares of Mainline per 1,000 Church Members, Denomination Percentage loss or gain United Methodists % Presbyterian, U.S.A % Episcopal % Christian (Disciples) % United Church of Christ %

Yet, these scientists neglected to look at other non-mainline denominations

Market Shares of Evangelicals per 1,000 Church Members,

The Geography of NRMs NRM’S typically arise in those areas where sects and churches have failed to satisfy the religious market What are NRMs? –“The beginning phase of an entirely new religion” Differs from a sect in that sects attempt to purify or return to elements of an established religion

Research has shown that NRMs are more successful in areas where “secularization” has occurred –The unchurched belt in the Western U.S.unchurched belt

Church Membership Rates Per 1,000 Values: To To To To To399.18

2006 Church Attendance Rates

Studying Group Solidarity: Solomon Asch

Group 1 X Group 2 A B C

Group 1 X Group 2 A B C

Group 1 X Group 2 A B C

Response Rates

Why Do People Join NRMS?: Studying Religious Conversion The brainwashing thesis –Based on psychology –Members are thought to be: Young Lacking strong social attachments From lower socioeconomic classes Uneducated Weak minded and thus highly suggestible The social network thesis –Based on sociology –John Lofland & Rodney Stark studied religious conversion to the Unification Church

Research Findings Empirical research suggests the following generalizations –Those who are deeply committed to a faith do not go out and join another faith Seekership precedes many conversions but…. –Converts don’t have to have a favorable opinion of the NRM before they join, and they don’t initially agree with the NRM’s ideology Conversion is an act of conformity –Recruitment and conversion to NRMs happens primarily through pre-existing social networks with family and friends –Strong ties to others in the NRM are important for recruitment –Sustained intensive interaction is also important for retention Members who are heavily involved have fewer and weaker ties to non-members

Conclusions –Conversion Is A Matter Of Conformity –Secularization contributes to the emergence of religious revivals and NRMs