Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
P.20-21
Learning Objectives
Identify the key characteristics of sects and cults. Examine case studies/examples of sects and cults.
Recap
What is.. A Church? A Denomination? How can they be linked to a sect?
The relationship
Rejection of the church and or organised religion. Extremist groups. Often led by a charismatic leader.
Church
Sect
Denomination
A Sect is
A small religious group, often hostile to the outside world.
A Sect
A charismatic leader is
Someone who leads their group (sect) because of their powerful personality.
A Sect
Is usually headed by a charismatic leader.
Revd Jim Jones was the charismatic leader of the Peoples Temple or Jonestown where all the members followed his command for revolutionary suicide.
A Sect
A Sect
A Sect
A Sect
The government intervened with force, to try and dull the supposed threat from the Branch Davidians.
Sects
Troeltsch (1931) sees sects as almost totally opposite to churches. They have the following features: 1. They are smaller and more strongly integrated than other religious organisations. 2. They are connected more closely with lower classes and dont draw members from the whole of society. 3. They are generally in opposition to the world around them. 4. Members may be expected to withdraw from life outside the sect. 5. Deep commitment is required. 6. Young children are not usually allowed to be members. They should join voluntarily as adults. 7. They believe they have a monopoly on the religious truth. 8. They often have one charismatic leader, not a hierarchy of paid officials.
Sects come in vastly different sizes, with a wide variety of ideologies, contrasting attitudes to the outside world, varying degrees of control over their membership, and with or without a professional clergy and a charismatic leader.
Bruce (1996) believes that original sects were a product of the major upheavals of the reformation of the churches in the UK. People became dissatisfied with traditional religion and formed sects. Many sects evolved to become denominations as religious diversity became more tolerated. Bruce also notes that sects can prosper in modern society where people have the opportunity to form their own subcultures. Some sects still come into conflict with wider society even with greater tolerance of different religions. This can cause huge problems, a good example is Jim Jones and his Peoples Temple in the 1970s in the USA. In the 1990s there were a number of religious movements in which there were deaths of followers in violent circumstances e.g. The Branch Davidans, formed by David Koresh in Waco in Texas.
A Cult is
A spiritual association that emphasizes individualism.
A Cult will
A Cult will
A Cult will
A Cult will
Scientology promotes itself as one version of belief that works for members who choose it.
A Cult will
A Cult will
Cults
Bruce (1995) defined cults as a loosely knit group organized around some common themes and interests but lacking any sharply defined and exclusive belief system. A cult tends to be more individualistic than other organized forms of religion because it lacks a fixed doctrine. Cults tolerate other beliefs and often have very vague beliefs themselves. Cults tend to have customers rather than members. Rather than formally joining cults, people tend to subscribe to particular theories or forms of behaviour. They are similar to World Affirming New Religious Movements. The focus of cults tends to be on individual experience, bringing likeminded individuals together.
Group Presentations
1. The Branch Davidians- Fran & Holly 2. The Order of the Solar Temple Ben & Jess http://archives.cbc.ca/society/crime_justice/ topics/501/ 3. The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God (Uganda) Josh & Richard 4. The Unification Church (Moonies) Alex & Szymon 5. Scientology Kar yan & Liam
Key Facts
Who? What? When? Where? Information of Interest Links to the key features of a sect/cult.