Chapter 2: Historical Development of the Sociology of Religion

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. What major event brought about significant economic and social changes in society?

A. the Industrial Revolution

B. secularization

C. the Modern Revolution

D. urbanization

2. Which of the following theorists argued that religion would eventually disappear?

A. Robert Bellah

B. Emile Durkheim

C. Max Weber

D. Karl Marx

3. According to Durkheim, as societies expand and modernize, they move from more ______ to more ______.

A. religious; spiritual

B. spiritual; religious

C. collective; individual

D. individual; collective

4. Weber’s understanding of modern society and religion centers is on ______.

A. secularization

B. rationalization

C. moral individualism

D. exploitation

5. Why did Karl Marx refer to religion as the “opium of the people?”

A. Religious participation simulates the feeling of being high.

B. Religion gives everyone important meaning.

C. Religion affected all social classes the same way.

D. Religion kept the working classes subdued.

6. Which theorist argued that religious pluralism increases anxiety about the meaning of life?

A. Peter Berger

B. Robert Bellah

C. Mark Chaves

D. Emile Durkheim

7. According to Berger, which of the following is a consequence of secularization?

A. Religion becomes less visible while becoming more ingrained in social institutions.

B. More people will create their own religion.

C. Religion must be marketed as a commodity.

D. Societies become less religiously diverse.

8. Which of the following reinforce(s) the taken for grantedness of society?

A. plausibility structures

B. nomos

C. modernity

D. collective consciousness

9. On what do Bellah and Berger agree when it comes to secularization?

A. Religious symbols are becoming more complex over time.

B. Religious institutions have less direct influence on the secular world.

C. As a result, people are likely to make their own religion.

D. As a result, people find more meaning in science.

10. Robert Bellah views secularization as ______.

A. the loss of sacredness as social unity declines

B. the emergence of rationalism in religion

C. religious evolution resulting in greater complexity

D. an increase in supernaturalistic beliefs

11. According to Bellah, what does the rise of “Sheilaism” tell us about religion in the United States?

A. Individuals are reverting back to premodern forms of religion.

B. Individuals believe in themselves, not religious authority.

C. Individuals are engaging in self-worship.

D. Individuals are now creating their own systems of meaning.

12. When did new religious movements begin increasing in prominence?

A. 1920s

B. 1940s

C. 1960s

D. 1980s

13. Why did the rise of new religious movements challenge secularization theorists?

A. They mostly consisted of scientists.

B. These new movements were least likely to accommodate modernity.

C. They recruited people from established religious traditions

D. These new movements embraced modern advancements.

14. Warner’s new religious paradigm focused on which country or geographic area?

A. Europe

B. Latin America

C. Africa

D. the United States

15. What is the central hypothesis of the religious economies model?

A. Religious participation will become more privatized over time.

B. Religious participation will become more public over time.

C. Religious pluralism will lead to lower levels of religious participation.

D. Religious pluralism will lead to higher levels of religious participation.

16. Which paradigm argues that religions will thrive in the absence of government involvement?

A. rational choice theory

B. neosecularization theory

C. strong program

D. the new paradigm

17. The strong program of religion argues that religion should be treated as ______.

A. a measure of individual identity

B. a measure of collective identity

C. a dependent variable

D. an independent variable

18. Which of the following is a dimension of secularization for some neosecularization theorists?

A. the spread of religious norms

B. the declining scope of religious authority

C. the decreased differentiation of religion from other institutions

D. the collapse of plausibility structures

19. Many neosecularization theorists argue that in the modern world, society is differentiating and as a result, religion is ______.

A. disappearing

B. becoming more powerful

C. privatizing

D. becoming more collective

20. The decline of Sunday statutes in the United States provides evidence for which concept?

A. institutional differentiation

B. plausibility structure

C. religious economies model

D. Sheilaism

21. What do the future prospects for sociology of religion tell us about the current state of the field?

A. Most sociologists rely on practices over beliefs when studying religion.

B. Most sociologists focus on Western and Christian ideas about religion.

C. Most recent research studies everyday forms of religion.

D. Most recent research focuses on the rise of religious nones.

Essay

When it comes to essay questions, students sometimes write poorly because they are guessing about what the instructor wants, even if the question seems to be perfectly clear. For that reason we strongly recommend provision of an audience (so students know how much to assume in use of sociological vocabulary as well as how much must be made explicit) and criteria for evaluation (which is information that any writer needs to know.) Below are two sample statements that might be used as part of an essay question.

A. This essay calls for presentation and defense of an informed opinion. You should write for a well-educated reader, but one unfamiliar with sociological approaches to the study of religion. You will be graded on (a) provision of a clearly stated thesis, (b) the clarity and sophistication of your rationale, and (c) the ability to support your argument with strong evidence. Sophistication of rationale refers to awareness of the complexity of the issues. The side of the argument that you support is irrelevant to the grading criteria.

B. Your audience for this essay should be senior sociology majors who know sociological vocabulary, but have never specifically studied the sociology of religion. The criteria for evaluation will be 1) accuracy of explanation, (2) clarity of illustrations or examples, and (3) thoroughness in exploring all dimensions of the issue.

Since some of these questions call for careful reflection, you might consider giving students a list of these and other essay questions in advance.

1. How did the industrial revolution transform society? What are the consequences of these transformations for religion?

2. How has religion adapted to the larger social context in which religious groups new exist? Focus your discussion specifically on secularization and its impact on religion.

3. Using insights from sociologists discussed in this chapter, support or refute the following statement: “Secularization is occurring in North America.”

4. Compare and contrast, Marx’s, Weber’s, and Durkheim’s arguments about modernity and religion.

5. How is neosecularization distinct from traditional theories of secularization?

6. Define differentiation, and explain how differentiation could occur at the macro-, meso-, and microlevels of society.

7. Explain what Berger means by the sacred canopy and how it connects to his argument about secularization.

8. Summarize potential directions sociologists of religion could go in this post–paradigmatic era. Which direction do you think will be most relevant in the 21st century, and why?