Exam 13: Religion

Which perspective assumes that life has "no ultimate meaning" without human participation?

Wendy had watched a documentary that discussed the religious traditions of, and the many gods worshiped by, the citizens of the Aztec cities of Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco. She asserted to a friend "No wonder their civilization failed; everyone knows there's only one true god." How would Wendy's religious belief be classified?

What would distinguish a sect at an early stage of development from a church?

Samir administered a questionnaire to 100 high-school students. The first question asked if religious involvement was important to them. What number would reply yes, if the results replicated the study discussed in the text?

What trend is found among Canadians claiming to have no religion?

A television interviewer has a mullah of the Muslim faith debating with a priest of the Catholic faith. The two disagree on the basic concept of God. The mullah claims that the Catholic church worships many gods, as embodied in the Holy Trinity, whereas Muslims have only one God. What religious concept is at the heart of this debate?

In Canada, we have no effective "moral majority" as is found in the United States.

Ibrahim was a religious man, but not a rich man. He would sometimes give money to people in the street, and then have no money left to buy food for his dinner. According to Weber, in order to understand why Ibrahim gave away his money, what approach would a researcher have to take?

An ambitious Pentecostal minister starts out with a small congregation, and develops a business plan to grow his congregation. Over time, this dynamic leader builds his church into a mega-faith venture with a converted stadium that holds 16,000 faithful. While the overall rate of church attendance in his community has declined, he has greatly increased attendance. What concept best explains his church's growth?

Given a market model understanding of religion, what would the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox churches represent?

In comparison to Canada, the United States is seen as being ostentatiously nationalistic. Americans ritualistically perform pledges of national allegiance, troop the colours, wave the flag, sing the national anthem, and celebrate national holidays. What term best helps us distinguish their fervour and national pride from Canadian's more modest displays of national pride?

Jason had very devout Catholic parents, went to catechism lessons, and received the sacraments, but when he moved out on his own he rejected his religious habits and claimed to be an atheist. What does this say about socialization and religion?

According to the text, which of the following formed part of Marx's thinking about religion?

A novice born-again Christian attends a charismatic prayer group. The small group stands to pray, then someone starts to speak in tongues, and the whole group starts singing in unison. The novice feels a transcendent presence. Which of the following terms applies to this social phenomenon?

According to the text, what must religious groups do to achieve their formal goals?

A religious group found two items in a basement. One was a book of "rules to live by," which they put in their prayer room and read from at meetings. The other item was a picture of a past member, which they threw out. According to the text, how did they categorize the picture?

Damian loved going to church because it made him feel part of something larger than himself. Which theorist's approach to religion explains why Damian felt this way?

What are the five features of religious groups that would be examined in a general organizational approach?

Abimbola's father refused to attend church services with his family, since he believed that church goers were the most racist and prejudiced group of people in society. Utilizing the research of Gorsuch and Aleshire, which of the following would Abimbola assert?

Which of the following was used as a measure of religiosity in much of the early work in the sociology of religion?