Deck 17: Religion in Modern Society

Question 1

Which characteristic of a religious group would a sociologist be most likely to identify as a mark of a cult?

A) Their rituals are unusual.
B) The group is loosely organized and transient.
C) Their beliefs do not harmonize with science.
D) Their leader is charismatic.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In the classification of religious organizations based on early theories of Max Weber, Ernst Troeltsch, and Richard Niebuhr, which religious organizations are considered to be the most established?

A) sects
B) new religious movements
C) churches
D) cults

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The definition of a religious group may vary by context. What may be considered _______ in one place may be seen as _______ in another.

A) a denomination; a theistic movement
B) a new movement; an established movement
C) animistic; polytheistic
D) a church; a cult

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The second-largest and fastest-growing religion in the world is:

A) Christianity
B) Islam
C) Judaism
D) Hinduism

Question 5

According to Karl Marx, religion is an expression of ________, diverting attention from inequalities and injustice and encouraging acceptance of oppression.

A) alienation
B) magic
C) enlightenment
D) salvation

Question 6

One limitation of the applicability of the classic theories of religion proposed by Karl Marx, Émile Durkheim, and Max Weber is that they based their approaches on:

A) societies in which a single religion prevailed
B) Eastern religions
C) only shamanic religions
D) people who participate in religious organizations

Question 7

Some researchers argue that people often "get religion" when:

A) economic hardship threatens their fundamental sense of social order
B) newfound optimism allows them to have faith in a higher order
C) they are calm enough to reflect on the world
D) they have established a sense of discipline that they can devote to religious practice

Question 8

A religious organization that forms by breaking away from an established church, relies on people joining rather than being born into the group, and generally rejects or tries to change the surrounding society would be termed a:

A) religious movement
B) denomination
C) church
D) sect

Question 9

Sociologists explain the appeal of religion in terms of:

A) the supernatural intervention of spirits or gods
B) the psychological experience of the person who is attracted to it
C) problems of the social order that threaten a person's sense of well-being
D) the relative importance of a single god

Question 10

A sociologist encounters a group of people and wants to study whether their group constitutes a religion. Which question incorporates a sociological definition of religion?

A) Does the group have a sacred text that requires specialized language or study?
B) Does the group associate with a historic tradition?
C) Does the group use symbols with a sense of awe?
D) Does the group not pay taxes?

Question 11

The largest religion in the world, with 2.3 billion followers, is:

A) Christianity
B) Islam
C) Judaism
D) Hinduism

Question 12

Why do sociologists see religions as a major source of social solidarity?

A) All religions are true, each in their own way.
B) Religions control people's behavior, which reduces deviance.
C) Religions are a major source of norms and values.
D) Religions usually prevent their adherents from revolutionizing the social order.

Question 13

Jorge says he is a theist, so it can be predicted that he:

A) attends religious gatherings regularly
B) believes there is only one god
C) believes in one god or numerous gods
D) is uncertain about the existence of a supernatural being but wishes to believe in one

Question 14

Why do sociologists use the term new religious movements instead of sect or cult?

A) The terms sect and cult are confusing because they refer to the same thing.
B) The terms sect and cult have negative connotations.
C) The term movement emphasizes social change.
D) These groups have only existed in recent history.

Question 15

The sacred text associated with Islam is the:

A) Bible
B) Torah
C) Koran
D) Old Testament

Question 16

Which of the following religious ideals expresses polytheism?

A) Spiritual forces are active in many elements of nature.
B) The Torah commands Jews to worship only Yahweh.
C) Islam and Christianity are traditions derived from Judaism.
D) Hinduism celebrates the powers of many gods.

Question 17

Why did Karl Marx call religion the "opium of the people"? Because religion:

A) is addictive, requiring people to come back to it over and over
B) soothes and hides the reality of economic oppression
C) must be experienced in a group setting
D) destroys people's lives before they even realize it

Question 18

Which of the following questions about religion is sociological?

A) Is it true or false?
B) What are its principal beliefs and values?
C) Is it good or bad?
D) Should I believe in it?

Question 19

A new convert joins a religion and expects to continue her belief in and worship of many gods. The new religion insists that she abandon that belief in favor of belief in a single, all-powerful god. This new religion is encouraging her to adopt:

A) totemism
B) animism
C) shamanism
D) monotheism

Question 20

Emily joined a religion for reasons that are personal and spiritual to her. A sociologist analyzing Emily's experience might say that she has joined a moral community. A moral community will provide her with:

A) theistic beliefs
B) shared beliefs and rituals
C) charismatic leadership
D) the opportunity to break away from an established religion

Question 21

Max Weber theorized that in its early phases, a given religion is likely to rely on the authority of charismatic leaders who:

A) are passive and caring
B) have the ability to capture people's imagination and the devotion of followers
C) have strong convictions and the ability to articulate these convictions in writing
D) are well educated with significant financial support

Question 22

An example of a world-affirming movement is the:

A) Protestant Church
B) Unification Church
C) Baptist Church
D) Church of Scientology

Question 23

Why did Émile Durkheim fail to deeply analyze the role of religion in causing conflict and change in society?

A) Durkheim's theory was designed to contrast with Karl Marx's theory.
B) He focused on how religion functions to stabilize society.
C) He was a devout religious person and didn't want to see religion doing damage to society.
D) His theory was based only on Christianity.

Question 24

Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, U.S. citizens attended church in tremendous numbers as a way to experience solidarity. This exemplifies the understanding of religion offered by:

A) Karl Marx
B) Harriet Martineau
C) Max Weber
D) Émile Durkheim

Question 25

The theorist most likely to assert that "capitalism and industrialization expanded faster in those countries where Protestantism, rather than Catholicism, dominated the country" was:

A) Karl Marx
B) Émile Durkheim
C) Max Weber
D) Pippa Norris

Question 26

Max Weber considered the source of the capitalistic outlook found in the modern West to be:

A) the profit motive
B) money
C) Protestantism
D) Catholicism

Question 27

Max Weber regarded Christianity as a salvation religion in which human beings can be "saved" if they follow its moral tenets. According to him, Eastern religions differ from Christianity in that they:

A) tend to lack emotional dynamism and cultivate an attitude of passivity or acceptance
B) demand a constant struggle against sin and therefore lead to revolt
C) focus on economic progress rather than moral tenets
D) focus on true spiritual concerns and so require that followers accept all of the beliefs of the religion

Question 28

Which of these research questions comes from a distinctively Weberian framework, that is, from the theory of Max Weber?

A) What was the role of Christianity in the American civil rights movement?
B) Why are some religions monotheistic and others polytheistic?
C) How did Hitler use religion to legitimate his role as Führer?
D) Why are poor people so often attracted to religion?

Question 29

According to Émile Durkheim, the social function of religion is that it:

A) provides justification for those who are in power
B) strengthens solidarity by people meeting regularly to affirm common beliefs and values
C) contributes to the process of social transformation
D) provides people with the truth about all human existence

Question 30

Mae just joined a religious group that holds weekly support groups for divorced people, has workshops on bringing spirituality into everyday life, and provides life coaches who help members set and maintain goals. This religious group is an example of a:

A) New Age religion
B) world-accommodating religion
C) world-affirming religion
D) denomination

Question 31

Religion, according to Émile Durkheim, is based on a distinction between which two categories?

A) people and the supernatural world
B) religion and science
C) good and bad
D) sacred and profane

Question 32

For a religious movement to survive after its leader dies, usually the:

A) followers find another charismatic leader
B) followers join another religious organization
C) new leaders establish regulations and formalize structures
D) new leaders impose their version of religious ideology on the followers

Question 33

Kia joins a world-rejecting religious movement. Which requirement most fits with the world-rejecting model? Kia may be expected or required to:

A) compartmentalize her work life from her religious life
B) quit her job in order to live and work with the religious community
C) share her work skills with society, such as volunteering with a job training agency
D) continue in her job so she can donate 10 percent of her income to the group

Question 34

A sociologist notices that in Italy, a traditionally Roman Catholic nation, people are becoming more concerned with worldly than with spiritual matters, and religious organizations have diminished influence over social life. The sociologist labels this trend:

A) charisma
B) secularization
C) profanity
D) religious economy

Question 35

Dr. Le is a sociologist studying secularization in Western Europe. Accordingly, he looks for:

A) an understanding of how the world works through science
B) the diminished influence and power of religion in society
C) the use of rational thought in everyday thinking
D) the close relationship between religion and the state

Question 36

Émile Durkheim's theory of religion, which connected religion with the overall nature of the institutions of a society, is an example of sociological theory that is:

A) polytheistic
B) Marxist
C) functionalist
D) symbolic interactionist

Question 37

The theorist who saw religion as a potential source of social transformation was:

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Karl Marx
C) Max Weber
D) Friedrich Nietzsche

Question 38

The religious economy model is adapted from:

A) anthropology
B) business
C) political science
D) literature

Question 39

According to Karl Marx, religious beliefs can provide legitimation for people who are:

A) revolutionaries
B) in positions of power
C) teachers
D) responsible for a group of practitioners

Question 40

The New Age religious movement is one example of a new religious movement. Accordingly, sociologists would predict that it will likely display:

A) an exclusive basis in medieval Christianity
B) rigid dogmatism
C) a narrow, inflexible organizational structure
D) an eclectic openness to diverse practices and beliefs from all over the globe

Question 41

Sociologists notice that despite teachings of nonviolence and peace, religion is often linked to violence because:

A) Western religions, such as Christianity and Judaism, do not engage in violent activity; they focus only on compassion and understanding
B) violence exists in most religions and is couched in terms of the forces of good against the forces of evil
C) religion promotes ideals that are rarely practiced
D) religion is about belief and controlled action but violence is irrational and instinctual

Question 42

The most loosely knit and transient type of religious organization is the church.

Question 43

Muslim women in Turkey experience a high degree of freedom and equality.

Question 44

If Iranian writer Jalal al Ahmad predicted the factor most likely to increase Islamic revivalism in the future, he would say:

A) secularization that is occurring in all major world religions
B) "westoxification," or the overwhelming presence of Western culture and beliefs
C) the liberalization of the Iranian state
D) the influx of Hindu immigrants in traditionally Muslim nations

Question 45

Sociologists argue that the United States has a set of religious beliefs through which it interprets its own history in light of some conception of ultimate reality, and is known as:

A) secularizing religion
B) theism
C) nontheistic religion
D) civil religion

Question 46

The original source of the world's two largest religions is:

A) Christianity
B) Judaism
C) Islam
D) Buddhism

Question 47

How can we describe the patterns in liberal Protestant and conservative Protestant denomination membership since the 1960s?

A) Liberal Protestant membership has declined; conservative Protestant denomination membership has not changed.
B) Liberal Protestant membership has declined; conservative Protestant denomination membership has increased.
C) Liberal Protestant membership has not changed; conservative Protestant denomination membership has increased.
D) Liberal Protestant membership has increased; conservative Protestant denomination membership has declined.

Question 48

Sociologists who have studied the decline in religious service attendance by Catholics attribute this decline to:

A) the church's stance on birth control
B) too much competition in the religious economy
C) secularization
D) the appeal of evangelicalism

Question 49

The religious denomination that has the highest percentage of college graduates in the United States is:

A) Judaism
B) Hinduism
C) Islam
D) Protestantism

Question 50

The major world religion that contains elements of polytheism is:

A) Islamism
B) Judaism
C) Hinduism
D) Buddhism

Question 51

The spread of Islamic fundamentalism is best understood as:

A) a liberalization of gender and sexual norms
B) a disavowal of the Koran and a movement toward a more secular society
C) an unpredictable rise in irrational violence
D) a political movement that is reacting against Western beliefs

Question 52

Dr. Sannah wants to study the sociological dimensions of Christianity in a context where Christians are a very small minority. Which location will be best for his study?

A) Asia
B) Africa
C) South America
D) Bosnia

Question 53

The United Methodist Church is considered a denomination in the United States today.

Question 54

Relative to those who practice other religions, very few people practice Judaism. It has exercised a greater worldly influence than its numbers would indicate because:

A) its sacred texts are read and appreciated beyond the bounds of the religion
B) Jews have played a role in the arts, science, and business disproportionately to their numbers
C) its religious teaching promote worldly success
D) Jews have suffered a great deal of persecution

Question 55

Evangelicalism is:
a. a new religious movement that relies more on charismatic authority than on institutional structures
b. the process of converting individuals to become part of Islamic religions
c. a form of Protestantism characterized by a belief in spiritual rebirth (being "born again")
d. considered by its followers as a church but by sociologists as a cult

Question 56

While the "Arab Spring" of 2011 promised greater freedoms and democratic movements in several countries, ultimately these countries experienced a rise in ________ fundamentalism.

A) Islamic
B) Christian
C) Sikh
D) Hindu

Question 57

Before the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil was carried out by an individual whose religion was:

A) Islamism
B) Hinduism
C) Judaism
D) Christianity

Question 58

MATCHING
a. The linking of strongly held religious convictions with beliefs about a people's social and political destiny
b. Worldly thinking, particularly as seen in the rise of science, technology, and rational thought in general
c. Fragmentary religious groupings to which individuals are loosely affiliated but that lack any permanent structure
d. The argument that religions can be fruitfully understood as organizations in competition with one another for followers
e. A religious sect that has lost its revivalist dynamism and has become an institutionalized body, commanding the adherence of significant numbers of people
f. An activist Catholic religious movement that combines Catholic beliefs with a passion for social justice for the poor
Liberation theology

Question 59

The use of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance is an aspect of:

A) political religion
B) civil religion
C) separation of church and state
D) fundamentalism

Question 60

A sociologist wants to study the dynamics of religion and politics in the country that exhibits the least degree of separation between mosque and state, so the sociologist studies:

A) Iran
B) Turkey
C) Egypt
D) Algeria

Question 61

Take a stand on this sociological debate: Is America experiencing secularization or religious revival? Justify your view with evidence from the text.

Question 62

Why are sociologists not concerned with whether religious beliefs are true or false?

Question 63

MATCHING
a. The linking of strongly held religious convictions with beliefs about a people's social and political destiny
b. Worldly thinking, particularly as seen in the rise of science, technology, and rational thought in general
c. Fragmentary religious groupings to which individuals are loosely affiliated but that lack any permanent structure
d. The argument that religions can be fruitfully understood as organizations in competition with one another for followers
e. A religious sect that has lost its revivalist dynamism and has become an institutionalized body, commanding the adherence of significant numbers of people
f. An activist Catholic religious movement that combines Catholic beliefs with a passion for social justice for the poor
Religious nationalism

Question 64

Briefly describe a sociological study you could conduct about Hinduism that uses a religious economy approach. Include a research question and a justification of how this fits a religious economy approach.

Question 65

What is the difference between an evangelical and a fundamentalist?

Question 66

Define civil religion, and offer an example of how it is present in the United States.

Question 67

You are a sociologist working from Mark Juergensmeyer's theory of religion and violence. You are conducting a study of warning signs within fundamentalist religion that may predict violence. What is one of these warning signs, and how does it link to possible violence?

Question 68

MATCHING
a. The linking of strongly held religious convictions with beliefs about a people's social and political destiny
b. Worldly thinking, particularly as seen in the rise of science, technology, and rational thought in general
c. Fragmentary religious groupings to which individuals are loosely affiliated but that lack any permanent structure
d. The argument that religions can be fruitfully understood as organizations in competition with one another for followers
e. A religious sect that has lost its revivalist dynamism and has become an institutionalized body, commanding the adherence of significant numbers of people
f. An activist Catholic religious movement that combines Catholic beliefs with a passion for social justice for the poor
Denominations

Question 69

What is religious nationalism, and how it is present in Islam today?

Question 70

Describe one key difference between the theories of religion of Karl Marx and Émile Durkheim. How would this difference matter in a contemporary sociological study of religion?

Question 71

Using sociologist Janja Lalich's framework, explain one key distinction between cults and new religious movements.

Question 72

Which theory do you find most compelling, as an overall way of looking at how religion functions in society: Marx, Weber, or Durkheim? Why? If you were to use this theory to conduct a sociological study, what would your research question be?

Question 73

MATCHING
a. The linking of strongly held religious convictions with beliefs about a people's social and political destiny
b. Worldly thinking, particularly as seen in the rise of science, technology, and rational thought in general
c. Fragmentary religious groupings to which individuals are loosely affiliated but that lack any permanent structure
d. The argument that religions can be fruitfully understood as organizations in competition with one another for followers
e. A religious sect that has lost its revivalist dynamism and has become an institutionalized body, commanding the adherence of significant numbers of people
f. An activist Catholic religious movement that combines Catholic beliefs with a passion for social justice for the poor
Religious economy

Question 74

How do sociologists define religion? Why would a sociologist say that Judaism is a religion but a bowling league is not?

Question 75

MATCHING
a. The linking of strongly held religious convictions with beliefs about a people's social and political destiny
b. Worldly thinking, particularly as seen in the rise of science, technology, and rational thought in general
c. Fragmentary religious groupings to which individuals are loosely affiliated but that lack any permanent structure
d. The argument that religions can be fruitfully understood as organizations in competition with one another for followers
e. A religious sect that has lost its revivalist dynamism and has become an institutionalized body, commanding the adherence of significant numbers of people
f. An activist Catholic religious movement that combines Catholic beliefs with a passion for social justice for the poor
Cults

Question 76

Compare and contrast two world religions (choose from Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism). Offer two points of comparison and two points of contrast.

Question 77

Give an example of a religious group that is a church and not a cult. Explain why it is not a cult.

Question 78

MATCHING
a. The linking of strongly held religious convictions with beliefs about a people's social and political destiny
b. Worldly thinking, particularly as seen in the rise of science, technology, and rational thought in general
c. Fragmentary religious groupings to which individuals are loosely affiliated but that lack any permanent structure
d. The argument that religions can be fruitfully understood as organizations in competition with one another for followers
e. A religious sect that has lost its revivalist dynamism and has become an institutionalized body, commanding the adherence of significant numbers of people
f. An activist Catholic religious movement that combines Catholic beliefs with a passion for social justice for the poor
Secular thinking

Question 79

Take a stand on the secularization debate: Is religion diminishing in power and importance in the modern world, or is religion still a significant force in the modern world? Justify your stand with evidence from the text.