CHURCH AND SECT



DEFINING “A RELIGION”

Defining what “a religion” is rather than what “religion” is

What is “a religion”?

If a religion is defined from the perspective of its adherents, a religion might be defined in terms of the following characteristics

Uniqueness: A group of adherents who profess what they deem to be a unique set of beliefs
   
Loyalty: A group of adherents who give their primary religious loyalty to that religion
   
Autonomy: A group of adherents who independently manage their own affairs without reliance on other religions
   
Coherence: A group of adherents who use their own culture, traditions, forms of organization in their religious practice

Continuity: A group of adherents who acknowledge a common historical lineage 

Contemporary major religions have all emerged from earlier religions. The problem with strictly historical classification schemes is that they end up grouping denominations together which share a common ancestry, but which are now quite different.

The major world religions are not unified bodies that hold identical doctrines and engage in identical ritual practices. All of the major world religions have experienced at least a  few (Baha’i, Zoroastrianism) and often many schisms and divisions (Christianity). Therefore major religions have various subgroups (branches, denominations, schools, movements, sects). While these subgroups may trace a common historical lineage, they also may have little else in common with one another and may be more similar to subgroups in other religions in many respects.

Most religions also have  some type of associational unit. Sometimes there are more elaborated levels of organization

Religions use different titles for their associational units

Congregation or Church (Protestant)

Parish (Catholic)

Ward (Latter-day Saints)

Synagogue or Temple (Jewish)

Coven or Circle (Wiccan)

Local Assemblies (Baha’i)

Gurdwara (Sikh)


 

DIVISIONS WITHIN THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION

Religion (Christianity)

Branch (Protestantism)

A subdivision of a religion

Denominational Family (Presbyterianism)

An alliance of denominations that at an earlier point in history were a single movement or religious body

Denomination or Body (Presbyterian Church, USA)

An administrative organization that represents (by serving or orchestrating) participating congregations

Congregation (Oakview Presbyterian Church)

An associational unit of adherents who gather as stipulated by doctrines and rituals


Source: www.Adherents.com

 

 

CHRISTIANITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



GLOBAL STATUS OF MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS
(RANKED BY MEMBERSHIP SIZE)


Religionists                      WORLD                              UNITED STATES
                                            (2000)                    (1970)             (2000)             (2025)

    Christians                 1,999,564,000        191,182,000    235,741,000    266,348,500   

    Muslims                    1,888,243,000               800,000        4,131,910        5,290,000   

    Hindus                          811,336,000               100,000        1,031,677        1,500,000

    Buddhists                      359,982,000              200,000        2,449,570        5,000,000

    Ethnoreligionists           228,367,000                 0,000            434,851           500,000

    Sikhs                                23,258,000                 1,000            233,820           310,000

    Jews                                 14,434,000          6,700,000         5,621,339        6,100,000

    Confucianists                     6,299,000                    ***               ***                 ***

    Babi and Baha'i                 7,106,000             138,000            753,423        1,150,000

    Jains                                   4,218,000                    000                6,959               7,000

    Shinto                                  2,762,000                    000              56,220             70,000

    Zoroastrians                        2,544,000                    000              52,721             84,000

Nonreligionists                    918,249,000        10,070,000       25,077,844      40,000,000

    Agnostics                         768,159,000                ***                  ***                   ***
(Nonreligious)

    Aetheists                          150,090,000              200,000        1,149,486        1,600,000
(Anti-religionists)


The term “major world religion” generally applies to groups that are of major historical and cultural significance. Precisely what should be deemed a major world religion is a matter of some disagreement. Baha'ism may be omitted because it is a recent tradition or mis-classified as an Islamic sect. Zoroastrianism and Shinto may be omitted because they are relatively small and geographically limited. Confucianism and Taoism may be omitted because they are defined as ethical systems rather than religions and have few formal adherents with a primary loyalty to them.


Source: World Christian Encyclopedia


HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF TERMS

 

Weber

Emphasis is on internal structure of organization

Church is an inclusive group in which membership is open and commitment and conformity is limited

Sect is an exclusive group in which membership is adult and voluntary and commitment to doctrine and practices is extensive


Troeltsch

Shifts emphasis to relationship to society

Church accepts the secular order and compromises Christian values

 More open, accepting expression of faith
 Membership primarily through birth
 Emphasis on religious education rather than conversion
 Membership is inclusive and may concide with national boundaries
 Acceptance is formalized and not closely guarded
 Salvation is granted through grace and transmitted by the church
 Deviation does not normally produce expulsion
 Professionally trained leadership
 Social structure of church mirrors that of secular world
 Doctrine not limited to original revelation but vary by historical era
Sect rejects secular order and maintains a prophetic ministry
Fundamentalist theology
Primarily adult, voluntary membership
Membership primarily through conversion
Membership is exclusive and antagonistic toward outsiders
Conversion experience required for membership
Salvation is achieved through personal perfection or moral worthiness
Violation of moral precepts can lead to expulsion
Priesthood of all believers with spirituality as basis for status
Social structure of sect stands in opposition to that of secular world
Regeneration of original faith


Niebuhr

Identifies the social conditions associated with each type of group and adds concept of denomination

Primary distinction between church and sect is compromise

Church represents a deterioration of Christian ethics and sect as attempt to recapture strong ethical stance

Traces denominational differences to race, class, nationality, and region

Argues that sectarian form rarely lasts longer than a generation before moving toward denominationalism

Religious education programs supplants conversion
Religious knowledge supplants conversion experience
Members experience social mobility
Clergy receive professional training


CHURCH VERSUS SECT

1. Theology

2. Membership 3. Salvation 4. Leadership 5. Relationship to society



TYPES OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS



CHURCH

A religious group designated as a church is accorded uniquely legitimacy as a religious organization with the society

Is church is positively aligned socially and culturally with other societal institutions

Examples: The Catholic Church in Europe before the Protestant Reformation, state churches, (Mormonism in Utah)


DENOMINATION

A religious group designated as a denomination is one among a number of religious groups within a society that accepts the legitimacy of other religious organizations and is accepted by them

A denomination is positively aligned socially and culturally with other societal institutions

Examples: Episcopalians, Baptists, Presbyterians


ETHNIC CHURCH

A religious group designated as an ethnic church is one among a number of religious groups within a society that is defined by itself and other churches as the legitimate representative of a non-domestic religion

An ethnic church is positively aligned socially but negatively aligned culturally with other societal institutions

Examples: Buddhist and Hindu religious groups in the United States


SECT

A religious group designate as a sect is one among a variable number of religious groups within a society that defines itself as the uniquely legitimate representative of the dominant religious tradition and rejects the legitimacy of other religious organizations

A sect is positively aligned culturally but negatively aligned socially with other societal institutions

Examples: Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, Amish, Jewish Hassidimv


CULT

A religious group designated as a cult is one among a variable number of religious groups within a society that may or may not regard itself as uniquely legitimate and may or may not accept the legitimacy of other religious organizations.

A cult is negatively aligned socially and culturally with other societal institutions

Examples: New Age groups, Nation of Islam, Christian Science

 
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS) DEFINITION OF A CHURCH


Because of First Amendment religious freedom concerns, Congress has never passed any statute anywhere which defines what a church is beyond saying that it is a "a church or convention or association of churches."

The IRS has established criteria which, in its view, define a church for tax exempt status purposes:

   1.     A distinct legal existence

   2.     A recognized creed and form of worship

   3.     A definite and distinct ecclesiastical government

   4.     A formal code of doctrine and discipline

   5.     A distinct religious history

   6.     A membership not associated with any other church or denomination

   7.     An organization of ordained ministers

   8.     Ordained ministers selected after completing prescribed studies

   9.     A literature of its own

10.     Established places of worship

11.     Regular congregations

12.     Regular religious services

13.     Sunday schools for religious instruction of the young

14.     Schools for the preparation of its ministers.


Not all of the 14 criteria must be met by every individual church



 LIBERAL/CONSERVATIVE DENOMINATIONAL RANKING

Liberal Protestants

Moderate Protestants Conservative Protestants


Black Protestants

Others No Religious Preference