Chapter 6: Organized Religion: Churches, Sects, Denominations, and “Cults”

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following is true of charismatic authority?

A. It is intrinsically stable.

B. People believe it reflects supernatural qualities.

C. It usually reflects the status quo.

D. People believe charismatic authority is evil.

2. Charismatic authority usually lies in the ______.

A. individual

B. group

C. denomination

D. divine

3. Which of the following best characterizes the relationship between charismatic leadership and the existing social order?

A. Charismatic authority is used to uphold the existing order.

B. Charismatic authority is usually antithetical to the established order.

C. Charismatic authority, together with existing norms, motivate people to act.

D. Charismatic leaders, together with elected leaders, profoundly shape the social order.

4. If a new religious group is to survive the death of its founding leader, it must reorganize and institutionalize, a process known as ______.

A. revitalization

B. transdenominationalism

C. routinization of charisma

D. transformation to traditional authority

5. What is the key challenge of a group’s institutionalization process?

A. determining leadership succession

B. writing a new religious text

C. keeping members happy

D. assimilating to society

6. A secondary matter may take on primary importance for some members of a religious group, thus subverting the original sense of mission. O’Dea refers to this as the dilemma of ______.

A. mixed motivation

B. administrative order

C. delimitation

D. power

7. Some religious groups become so caught up in rules and regulations that they lose sight of the ideals and values on which their religion was originally founded. This describes the dilemma of ______.

A. expansion

B. mixed motivation

C. delimitation

D. administrative order

8. Which dilemma of institutionalization encompasses the development of an efficient and rational organizational structure?

A. the dilemma of delimitation

B. the dilemma of mixed motivation

C. the symbolic dilemma

D. the dilemma of administrative order

9. Members being born into a group rather than becoming members through conversion or spiritual experience contributes to which of the following dilemmas of institutionalization?

A. cConversion versus coercion

B. concrete definition versus substitution of the letter for the spirit

C. claboration of policy versus flexibility

D. cationalized structure versus communalism

10. When Max Weber referred to “ideal types,” he meant ______.

A. the best form of social organization, as identified by sociologists

B. the most frequently observed types in a given society

C. a classification found in the realm of ideas

D. a classification found and reflected in reality

11. According to Weber, which of the following is a key characteristic of a sect?

A. One is born into membership.

B. Membership is voluntary.

C. People make a minimal commitment.

D. All are encouraged to join.

12. According to Troeltsch and Niebuhr, universal or inclusive acceptance of people in the larger society into the religious organization is a characteristic of a ______.

A. new religious movement

B. sect

C. church

D. denomination

13. The church ______ the social order, and the sect ______ it.

A. rejects; also rejects

B. accepts; also accepts

C. rejects; accepts

D. accepts; rejects

14. A major critique of the church/sect typology is that ______.

A. the premise was developed over 100 years ago and is outdated

B. it applies primarily to Western Christianity

C. this model does not account for changes

D. this model is an ideal type and does not accurately reflect reality

15. Most splits in American denominations have been due to ______.

A. the problem of leadership succession

B. changing government regulations

C. disagreement over social issues

D. theological differences

16. Which of the following is an example of a transdenominational movement?

A. the Unification Church

B. evangelicalism

C. the Church of the Latter Day Saints

D. Catholicism

17. Subcultural identity theory can be used to explain the persistence of groups with ______.

A. indistinct but impermeable boundaries

B. indistinct and permeable boundaries

C. distinct and impermeable boundaries

D. distinct but permeable boundaries

18. According to the text, many ______ are connected with nondenominationalism.

A. megachurches

B. sects

C. new religious movements

D. mainline Protestants

19. A key difference between a cult and a sect is that a cult ______.

A. is more likely to be stable

B. is more likely to become a denomination

C. claims to establish a new faith

D. claims to reestablish an authentic faith

20. The early Unification Church (led by Rev. Sun Myung Moon) was an example of a ______.

A. New Religious Movement

B. denomination

C. sect

D. church

21. Which of the following would be an example of a sect-like group in contemporary North America?

A. United Presbyterians

B. Reformed Jews

C. Episcopalians

D. Jehovah’s Witnesses

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 your 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. What is distinctive about charisma and charismatic leadership? Give some examples of contemporary charismatic leaders, and explain your reasoning.

2. What is meant by the routinization of charisma? Explain why it occurs and how it affects the group and/or the religious faith.

3. What are the dilemmas of institutionalization? Provide an illustration of each.

4. Refute or support the following statement: “When religion becomes ‘organized religion,’ it ceases to be real religion.” [Note: If you use this type of question, it is especially important to add a statement indicating what the grading criteria will be.]

5. Refute or support the following statement: “Charismatic leaders are always dangerous and unhealthy for society and for their followers.” [Note: If you use this type of question, it is especially important to add a statement indicating what the grading criteria will be.]

6. Discuss the concepts of sect, denomination, and church. In doing so, give a brief definition of each and describe the social processes that contribute to their formation.

7. Discuss the concept of cult or new religious movement (NRM) by explaining how it differs from a sect or a denomination. What social factors contribute to the formation of an NRM?

8. In what ways is religion in the United States moving beyond denominations? In what ways do you see denominations remaining salient?