Question 1

Is the significance of religion increasing or decreasing in contemporary Australian society? Which of the following is NOT correct?

Accepted Answer

A) It's decreasing because church attendance has declined over the past 50 years 
B) It's increasing because daily newspapers regularly report on religious issues 
C) It varies with different definitions of religion; for example,Steve Bruce sees us as less religious,while Gary Bouma sees religions as thriving 
D) It varies with the type of religion; for example,witchcraft and paganism have declined in recent years 
A) It's decreasing because church attendance has declined over the past 50 years 
B) It's increasing because daily newspapers regularly report on religious issues 
C) It varies with different definitions of religion; for example,Steve Bruce sees us as less religious,while Gary Bouma sees religions as thriving 
D) It varies with the type of religion; for example,witchcraft and paganism have declined in recent years D

Question 2

Max Weber would disagree with which of the following:

Accepted Answer

A) Protestantism helped cause the rise of capitalism in Western Europe 
B) Without a religious belief system,secular capitalistic life is like living in an iron cage 
C) The holding of specific beliefs and meaning systems is more important than how such beliefs and meanings are interpreted by communities 
D) The process of Verstehen is a useful method for exploring how religious believers,such as Calvinists,may feel and behave 
A) Protestantism helped cause the rise of capitalism in Western Europe 
B) Without a religious belief system,secular capitalistic life is like living in an iron cage 
C) The holding of specific beliefs and meaning systems is more important than how such beliefs and meanings are interpreted by communities 
D) The process of Verstehen is a useful method for exploring how religious believers,such as Calvinists,may feel and behave C

Question 3

Functional definitions of religion can be critiqued because:

Accepted Answer

A) It obscures sociological analysis of the role of religion in society 
B) They fail to include a transcendental element 
C) Asking if society can operate without religion is their main focus 
D) They limit analysis to a narrow range of beliefs and practices 
A) It obscures sociological analysis of the role of religion in society 
B) They fail to include a transcendental element 
C) Asking if society can operate without religion is their main focus 
D) They limit analysis to a narrow range of beliefs and practices A

Question 4

Select the statement that is NOT part of Karl Marx's theory of religion:

Accepted Answer

A) Religion will not be necessary in post-capitalist society because there will not be injustice or inequality 
B) Religion legitimates the existing social order by making people think pain and suffering is natural 
C) Religion is a way to socially control individuals because it shifts their focus away from critiquing capitalism and creating social change 
D) Religion affects social change by providing the motivational basis for rational capitalism to emerge 
A) Religion will not be necessary in post-capitalist society because there will not be injustice or inequality 
B) Religion legitimates the existing social order by making people think pain and suffering is natural 
C) Religion is a way to socially control individuals because it shifts their focus away from critiquing capitalism and creating social change 
D) Religion affects social change by providing the motivational basis for rational capitalism to emerge

Question 5

In what context does Bauman argue that New Age religions have emerged?

Accepted Answer

A) The search for this-worldliness 
B) Rejecting ties with family and friends and the handing over of wealth 
C) The rise of individualism,consumerism and the search for identity 
D) An interest in social change and social justice 
A) The search for this-worldliness 
B) Rejecting ties with family and friends and the handing over of wealth 
C) The rise of individualism,consumerism and the search for identity 
D) An interest in social change and social justice

Question 6

New Age Wicca shares the characteristics of New Age religion because it:

Accepted Answer

A) Has a transformational experience as its focus 
B) Is more attractive to older participants 
C) Does not seek social change or social justice 
D) Rejects commodification 
A) Has a transformational experience as its focus 
B) Is more attractive to older participants 
C) Does not seek social change or social justice 
D) Rejects commodification

Question 7

Which is 'secularisation'?

Accepted Answer

A) A universal global trend widely accepted by societies since the Reformation 
B) A process whereby religions change 
C) A fundamental concept in the sociology of religion that is used as a benchmark for gathering data on religiosity 
D) The declining significance of religion in modern society 
A) A universal global trend widely accepted by societies since the Reformation 
B) A process whereby religions change 
C) A fundamental concept in the sociology of religion that is used as a benchmark for gathering data on religiosity 
D) The declining significance of religion in modern society

Question 8

Possamai argues New Age spiritualities are not alternatives,but part of the mainstream of contemporary society and relevant to the:

Accepted Answer

A) Religious history of Australian society 
B) The pluralist population of Australian society 
C) Freedom of choice in democracy 
D) Conditions of late capitalism 
A) Religious history of Australian society 
B) The pluralist population of Australian society 
C) Freedom of choice in democracy 
D) Conditions of late capitalism

Question 9

Definitions that focus on the actions and beliefs of religion are known as:

Accepted Answer

A) Functional definitions 
B) Sociological definitions 
C) Substantive definition 
D) Theoretical definitions 
A) Functional definitions 
B) Sociological definitions 
C) Substantive definition 
D) Theoretical definitions

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT one of Hanegraaff's (1998: 514)five basic elements of New Age religion?

Accepted Answer

A) Evolutionism 
B) Psychologisation 
C) Communalism 
D) Wholism 
A) Evolutionism 
B) Psychologisation 
C) Communalism 
D) Wholism

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT one of Emile Durkheim's key elements of religion?

Accepted Answer

A) Religion as beliefs and practices 
B) Religion as sacred 
C) Religion as making objects sacred via sacralisation 
D) Religion as a personal and individual experience 
A) Religion as beliefs and practices 
B) Religion as sacred 
C) Religion as making objects sacred via sacralisation 
D) Religion as a personal and individual experience

Question 12

Choose one New Age religion as an example.Undertake background research to critically investigate the ways that this example meets Hanegraaff's five basic elements of New Age religion.

Accepted Answer

Student response could describ

Question 13

Visit a place of worship nearby and observe the religious service.After your visit,describe the ways that this religion performs the necessary functions that Durkheim puts forward in his perspective on religion - which are: social integration; a source of emotional support and meaning for individuals; and reinforcement of norms by moral legitimation.(Note,this exercise may pose ethical issues,and it is advisable to check your university ethics policy.)

Accepted Answer

Student response could include a descrip

Question 14

Which theorist defines religion as 'a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things … [which] unite into one single moral community called a Church,all those who adhere to them'?

Accepted Answer

A) Max Weber 
B) Karl Marx 
C) Emile Durkheim 
D) Pierre Bourdieu 
A) Max Weber 
B) Karl Marx 
C) Emile Durkheim 
D) Pierre Bourdieu

Question 15

Review data on religious affiliation in Australia from 1892 to 2011 - see Table 12.1 on page 286.Provide a one-page analysis of the information in the table.What conclusions can be drawn about religion in Australia from this table? What further research needs to be undertaken in order to understand the table better?

Accepted Answer

Students could outline what the figures

Question 16

Secularisation is one of the most clearly defined terms in the sociology of religion.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

What are two reasons for the increase in Australia of non-Christian religious affiliation?

Accepted Answer

A) Australian's devotion to sport//Australia's mass postwar immigration program 
B) Australia's mass postwar immigration program//Trends in the globalisation of religious and spiritual practices 
C) A decline in religious affiliation in the Australian population//Australian's devotion to sport 
D) Trends in the globalisation of religious and spiritual practices//A decline in religious affiliation in the Australian population 
A) Australian's devotion to sport//Australia's mass postwar immigration program 
B) Australia's mass postwar immigration program//Trends in the globalisation of religious and spiritual practices 
C) A decline in religious affiliation in the Australian population//Australian's devotion to sport 
D) Trends in the globalisation of religious and spiritual practices//A decline in religious affiliation in the Australian population

Question 18

Which of the following best describes the meaning of Weber's term 'Verstehen'?

Accepted Answer

A) Placing oneself in the position of someone else in order to better understand how they see the world 
B) Understanding the importance of Protestantism in relation to the rise of capitalism 
C) The belief that we are all predestined to go to Heaven 
D) The affinity that exists between capitalism and Protestantism 
A) Placing oneself in the position of someone else in order to better understand how they see the world 
B) Understanding the importance of Protestantism in relation to the rise of capitalism 
C) The belief that we are all predestined to go to Heaven 
D) The affinity that exists between capitalism and Protestantism

Question 19

What does Bouma (1992: 60)argue is the core of fundamentalism?

Accepted Answer

A) Its origins in the US post-World War I when evangelical Protestants protested liberal interpretations of Scriptures 
B) The Hillsong Protestant church in Sydney's Northwest suburb whose high technology approach attracts young people 
C) Opposition to homosexuality,abortion,using the pill for birth control,and women holding non-traditional roles 
D) Devotion to a belief system which is taken as the only valid system 
A) Its origins in the US post-World War I when evangelical Protestants protested liberal interpretations of Scriptures 
B) The Hillsong Protestant church in Sydney's Northwest suburb whose high technology approach attracts young people 
C) Opposition to homosexuality,abortion,using the pill for birth control,and women holding non-traditional roles 
D) Devotion to a belief system which is taken as the only valid system

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the current situation of religion in Australia?

Accepted Answer

A) Strong affiliation with Christian religions 
B) A high level of religious pluralism 
C) Increasing numbers attending religious schools 
D) A low level of religious pluralism 
A) Strong affiliation with Christian religions 
B) A high level of religious pluralism 
C) Increasing numbers attending religious schools 
D) A low level of religious pluralism

Is the significance of religion increasing or decreasing in contemporary Australian society? Which of the following is NOT correct?

Max Weber would disagree with which of the following:

Functional definitions of religion can be critiqued because:

Select the statement that is NOT part of Karl Marx's theory of religion:

In what context does Bauman argue that New Age religions have emerged?

New Age Wicca shares the characteristics of New Age religion because it:

Which is 'secularisation'?

Possamai argues New Age spiritualities are not alternatives,but part of the mainstream of contemporary society and relevant to the:

Definitions that focus on the actions and beliefs of religion are known as:

Which of the following is NOT one of Hanegraaff's (1998: 514)five basic elements of New Age religion?

Which of the following is NOT one of Emile Durkheim's key elements of religion?

Choose one New Age religion as an example.Undertake background research to critically investigate the ways that this example meets Hanegraaff's five basic elements of New Age religion.

Which theorist defines religion as 'a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things … [which] unite into one single moral community called a Church,all those who adhere to them'?

Secularisation is one of the most clearly defined terms in the sociology of religion.

What are two reasons for the increase in Australia of non-Christian religious affiliation?

Which of the following best describes the meaning of Weber's term 'Verstehen'?

What does Bouma (1992: 60)argue is the core of fundamentalism?

Which of the following best describes the current situation of religion in Australia?

What Is Sociology

Class

Aboriginality and Australias Indigenous Peoples

The Uses of Gender

Ethnicity and Immigration: Challenging the National Imaginary

The Knowledge Generation

Illness,health and the Pursuit of Wellbeing

Personal Lives

Deviance or Difference

The Working Environment

Power and the State

Globalisation and the City

From Mass Media to Social Media

Changing the Climate: Modernity at Its Limits

Sociological Theory

Filters

Exam 12: Religion and Spirituality

Is the significance of religion increasing or decreasing in contemporary Australian society? Which of the following is NOT correct?

Max Weber would disagree with which of the following:

Functional definitions of religion can be critiqued because:

Select the statement that is NOT part of Karl Marx's theory of religion:

In what context does Bauman argue that New Age religions have emerged?

New Age Wicca shares the characteristics of New Age religion because it:

Which is 'secularisation'?

Possamai argues New Age spiritualities are not alternatives,but part of the mainstream of contemporary society and relevant to the:

Definitions that focus on the actions and beliefs of religion are known as:

Which of the following is NOT one of Hanegraaff's (1998: 514)five basic elements of New Age religion?

Which of the following is NOT one of Emile Durkheim's key elements of religion?

Choose one New Age religion as an example.Undertake background research to critically investigate the ways that this example meets Hanegraaff's five basic elements of New Age religion.

Which theorist defines religion as 'a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things … [which] unite into one single moral community called a Church,all those who adhere to them'?

Secularisation is one of the most clearly defined terms in the sociology of religion.

What are two reasons for the increase in Australia of non-Christian religious affiliation?

Which of the following best describes the meaning of Weber's term 'Verstehen'?

What does Bouma (1992: 60)argue is the core of fundamentalism?

Which of the following best describes the current situation of religion in Australia?

What Is Sociology

Class

Aboriginality and Australias Indigenous Peoples

The Uses of Gender

Ethnicity and Immigration: Challenging the National Imaginary

The Knowledge Generation

Illness,health and the Pursuit of Wellbeing

Personal Lives

Deviance or Difference

The Working Environment

Power and the State

Globalisation and the City

From Mass Media to Social Media

Changing the Climate: Modernity at Its Limits

Sociological Theory

Filters