Deck 12: Religion: the Meaning of Sacred Meaning

Question 1

Which of the following systems would include the training and appointment of religious authorities?

A) Sacred system
B) Meaning system
C) Structural system
D) Friend list

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Diana attends Hebrew classes to learn more about her Jewish faith. The Hebrew classes are a(n) _________ means of religious socialization.

A) Personal
B) Impersonal
C) Formal
D) Informal

Answer 2

C

Question 3

According to the text, which of the following systems is most likely to be of interest to symbolic interactionists?

A) Structural system
B) Meaning system
C) Belonging system
D) None of the above

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following statements about the meaning system of a culture is not true?

A) It includes the ideas and symbols of religion.
B) It provides a "big picture" explanation for otherwise chaotic events.
C) It is a meso- and macro-level system.
D) It varies according to the needs of each culture.

Question 5

A statue of the Virgin Mary is a:

A) Myth
B) Ritual
C) Symbol
D) Orthodoxy

Question 6

Living a simple, restrained life is known in religion as:

A) Predestination
B) The calling
C) Self-denial
D) Individualism

Question 7

According to a Pew Foundation study, what percentage of current marriages in the United States involves spouses with different religious affiliations?

A) 57%
B) 47%
C) 37%
D) 27%

Question 8

According to Max Weber, which of the following is not one of the four elements in the Protestant faith that led to the growth of capitalism?

A) Predestination
B) Self-denial
C) Collectivism
D) A calling

Question 9

Conformity of behavior or ________________ is emphasized by a number of religions such as Islam.

A) Orthodoxy
B) Ortholaxy
C) Orthopraxy
D) Orthoandy

Question 10

The statement, "Thunder is the result of the angels in heaven having a bowling tournament" is a:

A) Myth
B) Ritual
C) Symbol
D) Orthodoxy

Question 11

A set of interpersonal relationships and friendship networks is referred to as a:

A) Meaning system
B) Belonging system
C) Sacred system
D) Structural system

Question 12

The statement, "Churchgoers are consumers who are out to meet their needs or obtain a 'product'" most closely reflects:

A) Rational choice theory
B) Conflict theory
C) Feminist theory
D) Functionalist theory

Question 13

Religious leaders who act in accord with what they say are God's wishes are a key feature of a:

A) Theocracy
B) State religion
C) Atheistic society
D) Civil religion

Question 14

Why can't sociologists empirically study which religion is true or not true?

A) Religion is not a social institution.
B) Religion is a matter of faith that is beyond objective evaluation.
C) Sociologists are not priests, rabbis, ministers, or nuns.
D) Sociologists do not believe in the metaphysical as a valid research topic.

Question 15

The Protestant ethic is most closely associated with:

A) Karl Marx
B) Émile Durkheim
C) Georg Simmel
D) Max Weber

Question 16

Which of the following sociologists is most closely associated with the concept of the sacred realm?

A) Auguste Comte
B) Émile Durkheim
C) C. Wright Mills
D) Peter Berger

Question 17

The U.S. Veterans of Foreign Wars and Daughters of the American Revolution are most likely to endorse a:

A) Theocracy
B) State religion
C) Civil religion
D) Not likely to support any religion

Question 18

Statistically speaking, what would your religion be if you were born in South America?

A) Hindu
B) Muslim
C) Catholic
D) Buddhist

Question 19

Kia's government does not require her to be Catholic, but the Catholic Church does receive money from tax revenues. Kia lives in a place with a(n):

A) Theocracy
B) State religion
C) Civil religion
D) Enforced atheism

Question 20

Group activities that reinforce ideas about the world through music, dancing, storytelling, and so on are:

A) Dogma
B) Rituals
C) Symbols
D) Orthodoxies

Question 21

Which of the following, if true, would provide evidence against the link between Protestantism and the capitalist economic system?

A) Protestants practice delayed gratification.
B) Protestants believe in group salvation.
C) Protestants believe that they should be doing God's work.
D) Protestants believe that their divine fate is predetermined.

Question 22

The Heaven's Gate group discussed in the text is an example of a(n):

A) Ecclesia
B) Denomination
C) Sect
D) New religious movement

Question 23

Timothy is conducting a qualitative study on the ways that particular religious practices bring families emotionally closer to one another. Timothy is most likely using a _____________ perspective.

A) Functionalist
B) Conflict
C) Rational choice
D) Symbolic interactionist

Question 24

The meaning system of a religion includes its ideas and symbols.

Question 25

Institutionalization is not necessary for a religion to survive past the death of a charismatic leader.

Question 26

Ana's religious group revolves around Terrance, a man who says God told him to start a church and help the members live by a certain set of principles. Ana's religious group is most likely a(n):

A) New religious movement
B) Ecclesia
C) Sect
D) Denomination

Question 27

Brian goes to mass but does not really believe in Catholic dogma. He goes to hang out with his friends, discuss his troubles with the priest, and participate in the weekly bingo night. To Brian, the church is a belonging system.

Question 28

Everyone who lives in country X is considered to be Buddhist. The religion in country X is a(n):

A) Ecclesia
B) Denomination
C) Sect
D) Cult

Question 29

Which of the following statements about women and religion is false?

A) Traditionally, women have been expected to be silent and obedient.
B) American preference for women pastors, priests, and rabbis has increased since 1977.
C) There have been recorded instances of gender inequality at the meso level when it comes to hiring female clergy.
D) Most Christian denominations have official guidelines against gender discrimination.

Question 30

The statement, "Religion helps individuals feel a sense of belonging and unity with others" most closely reflects:

A) Symbolic interaction theory
B) Functionalist theory
C) Conflict theory
D) Rational choice theory

Question 31

Groups that believe that there can be more than one path to truth are known as:

A) Atheists
B) Agnostics
C) Liberal theologians
D) Fundamentalist groups

Question 32

According to the text, which U.S. region or state has the highest sect membership per population?

A) New England
B) Florida
C) Tennessee
D) Wyoming

Question 33

The sacred realm helps "naturalize" class systems, making them somewhat unquestionable.

Question 34

Tia is studying the different meanings that religion serves for African American and white women. She is most likely using a ___________ perspective.

A) Symbolic interactionist
B) Functionalist
C) Rational choice
D) Conflict

Question 35

Formal teaching in most religions takes place primarily in the home.

Question 36

Which of the following is true about secularization?

A) Secularization is all encompassing in a society at the micro, meso, or macro levels.
B) Secularization is consistent across the three levels of analysis.
C) There is a trend toward secularization, but religion is still important in most societies.
D) Secularization is almost totally complete on the global level.

Question 37

Which of the following do functionalists not view as a social function of religion?

A) Social cohesion
B) "Blessing" social values and norms
C) Distracting individuals from their own status in life
D) Maintaining or changing the status quo

Question 38

A religious group that forms in protest against its parent religion is known as a(n):

A) Ecclesia
B) Sect
C) Denomination
D) Cult

Question 39

The statement, "Religion serves different purposes for people based on their positions in society" is a tenet of which perspective?

A) Functionalist
B) Conflict
C) Symbolic interactionist
D) Rational choice

Question 40

Which of the following statements about religion in North America is true?

A) Over half of Americans currently claim no affiliation with any religious tradition.
B) Atheism in the United States has increased significantly in the past decade.
C) Less than 10% of U.S. Christians identify themselves as born-again.
D) The number of Protestants in the United States has declined in the past three decades.

Question 41

Religion is not separated from other institutions in traditional societies.

Question 42

Generally, new religious movements gain legitimacy, become established, and survive for several generations to become denominations.

Question 43

Iran is considered an example of a theocracy.

Question 44

Sects form in protest against their parent religion.

Question 45

In the United States, the sectarian religions tend to attract upper-level worshippers.

Question 46

New religious movements are often short-lived.

Question 47

Rituals that emphasize conformity to beliefs or doctrine are referred to as rituals of orthodoxy.

Question 48

Sociologists are primarily concerned with verifying the basic principles that guide any religion for their value and validity.

Question 49

According to the text, there are more than 400 sects in the United States.

Question 50

When rational choice theorists study religion, they tend to focus on how symbols influence people's perception of reality.

Question 51

A Pew Foundation study has found that 74% of Americans will change their religious affiliation in their lifetime.

Question 52

Praying five times a day while facing Mecca, as mandated for the Islamic faithful, is an example of orthopraxy.

Question 53

Few countries in the world have official state religions.

Question 54

Disenfranchised groups are likely to join the ecclesia.

Question 55

According to functionalist theory, a civil religion is most likely to emerge in societies with multiple competing religions.

Question 56

Myths, symbols, and rituals are all interrelated.

Question 57

The theory most concerned with the meaning system is functionalist theory.

Question 58

While Max Weber argued that religion kept workers in their places and allowed the capitalists to exploit the system, Karl Marx focused on the change brought about in the economic system as a result of religious beliefs.

Question 59

Religiosity is associated with people who are involved in their church, temple, or mosque.

Question 60

According to the text, American civil religion is overwhelmingly Christian.

Question 61

What did Marx mean by "Religion is the opiate of the masses"?

Question 62

Church membership in the United States has declined over the past 300 years.

Question 63

What is the rational choice theory of religion? Under this theory, what types of religious groups should be most successful and why?

Question 64

Among whites in the United States, active church members display more prejudice than inactive church members or the unchurched.

Question 65

What did Weber mean by "elective affinity"? Provide examples.

Question 66

Elective affinity is the pattern of belonging to religious groups that espouse values compatible with one's social status.

Question 67

Briefly explain what is meant by the routinization of charisma.

Question 68

What are the differences between a denomination and a sect?

Question 69

Briefly describe what is meant by a civil religion. Provide examples.

Question 70

In the United States, the current movement is toward religiosity at the micro level and increasing secularism at the macro level.

Question 71

Fundamentalist religions in the United States are losing members, while mainline religious groups are growing.

Question 72

Three decades of polls indicate that about 50% of the population in the United States believes in God or a universal spirit or higher power.

Question 73

Liberal theologians believe that their own path to God is the most complete and correct path.

Question 74

Provide at least two explanations for the process of secularization presented in the text.

Question 75

According to the text, opposition to homosexuality is lowest among U.S. Muslims.

Question 76

Briefly describe how individuals learn to become religious. How would a symbolic interactionist view this change?

Question 77

Opposition to homosexuality is especially low among religious fundamentalists.

Question 78

Briefly explain what Émile Durkheim meant by the sacred realm. Provide examples.

Question 79

The Internet has had no impact on religion.

Question 80

Explain the three components of religion and their purposes.