New Religious Movements
- Created by: Anjalee
- Created on: 04-01-13 16:41
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- New Religious Movements
- Roy Wallis categorises the New Religious Movements into three groups based on their relationship with the outside world.
- World-Rejecting
- Religious organisations with a clear notion of God. They are highly critical of the outside world and expect or seek radical change. Members must make a break with their former life and have restricted access to the outside world. Examples include: The Moonies and The Children of God
- World-Affirming
- These groups may lack conventional features of religion, such as collective worship. However, like religions, they offer their followers access to spirityal or supernatrural powers. Examples include Scientology and Human Potential
- World-Accommodating
- These often break away from mainstream churches such as Neo-Pentecostalists who split from Christianity. They believe that other Christian religions have lost the Holy Spirit. Members tend to lead conventional lives.
- Evaluation
- -Wallis offers a useful way of classifying NRM's. -He ignores the diversity of beliefs which may exist in a NRM. -Wallis recognises that real NRM's will rarely fit into his typology and some, such as the 3HO may have features of all three.
- Sects and Cults
- Stark and Bainbidge identify that sects and cults are in conflict with wider society. -Sects result in schisms -Cults are new religions
- Stark and Bainbridge see sects as promising other-worldly benefits to those suffering economic or ethical deprivation.
- In contrast, cults offer this-worldly benefits to more prosperous individuals suffering psychic deprivation (normlessness) and organismic deprivations (health problems)
- -Audience Cults: Least organised, no formal membership, =Astrology -Client cults: Client, consultant relationship, promise personal improvement =Spiritualism -Cultic Movements: Most organised, higher level of commitment =Moonies, Scientology
- The idea of using the degree of conflict is similar to Troeltsch's ideas. Some examples don't fit neatly into one category.
- -Audience Cults: Least organised, no formal membership, =Astrology -Client cults: Client, consultant relationship, promise personal improvement =Spiritualism -Cultic Movements: Most organised, higher level of commitment =Moonies, Scientology
- Stark and Bainbidge identify that sects and cults are in conflict with wider society. -Sects result in schisms -Cults are new religions
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