Religion Vocab

Front 1

Social solidarity

Back 1

Belief of members in a society that they have things in common

Front 2

Ideology

Back 2

System of related beliefs

Front 3

Totemism

Back 3

Religion belief in an object as sacred or with supernatural power

Front 4

Sacred and profane

Back 4

Sacred = special or holy, profane= ordinary or from this earth

Front 5

Collective conscience

Back 5

Durkheim, expression of a societys 'collective will' that shapes individuals

Front 6

Rituals

Back 6

Constantly repeated aspects of religious beliefs

Front 7

Liberation theology

Back 7

Political philosophy that argues that the church should use it's power and resources to liberate the poor

Front 8

Protestant ethic

Back 8

Philosophy based in serving god through hard work, thrift and moral uprightness. Weber identified this as one of the main reasons for capitalism

Front 9

Civil religion

Back 9

Ideas and practices that while not overtly religious in content, perform the same function in society USA

Front 10

Millenarian movement

Back 10

Religious movements that believe in the end, an apocalypse, collective salvation

Front 11

Cultural transitions

Back 11

Neo-marxist,relatively small changes in the lives and positions of groups within society

Front 12

Asceticism

Back 12

Strict self discipline that uses abstinence and austerity for spiritual benefit

Front 13

Religious consumerism

Back 13

In postmodern societies religions behave like business organizations trying to sell a range of different beliefs

Front 14

Spiritual shopping

Back 14

In post modernity religious consumers more likely to "shop around" For a faith that suita individual needs

Front 15

Fundamentalism

Back 15

Advocates a strict observance of the 'fundamental beliefs'

Front 16

Atheism

Back 16

Belief there is no god

Front 17

Church

Back 17

Religious organizations characterised by relative size, power and influence over religious and secular matters

Front 18

Denominations

Back 18

Organised subdivision of major religion

Front 19

Religious pluralism

Back 19

People in contemporary society have wide range of religious beliefs and organizations from which to choose, no monopoly

Front 20

Sectarian cycles

Back 20

Cycles of religious conflict that lead a discriminated groups to separate and form a sect

Front 21

Sect

Back 21

Characterised by membership of collective feelings of deprivation. Charismatic leaders, innovative solutions

Front 22

Disenchantment

Back 22

Being let down by religion or beliefs weakening faith

Front 23

Cult

Back 23

Loose knit individualistic organizations

Front 24

NRM's

Back 24

New religious movement, alternative way if classifying sects and cults attempting to remove the stigma

Front 25

Rationalization

Back 25

Ideas used by powerful religious groups to justify their domination in society

Front 26

World rejecting

Back 26

Sect whose members reject secular world collectively withdrawing from contact

Front 27

World accommodating

Back 27

Sect that neither rejects nor promotes secular world simply co-exist

Front 28

World affirming

Back 28

Offers to unlock individuals hidden potential for success in secular world

Front 29

Secularization

Back 29

Making something not influenced by religion

Front 30

Religiosity

Back 30

Being religious

Front 31

Religious beliefs

Back 31

Belief in a deity or supernatural power that may have control over people's destiny

Front 32

Disengagement

Back 32

Withdraw from religious activity

Front 33

Religious diversity

Back 33

Existence of different forms of religion in one society

Front 34

Religious revival

Back 34

Contemporary growth in popularity of different religions

Front 35

Desacrilisation

Back 35

Self and society become less religious

Front 36

Agnosticism

Back 36

One cannot know that God exists and therefore neither believes or disbelieves

Front 37

Cultural defense

Back 37

Religious ideas are used by social groups as source of physical and psychological protection