Chapter 14 Sociology of Religion True or False 1. Sociologists do not agree as to what they mean when they describe "religion." Answer: True 2. No god or gods are part of the Buddhist belief system. Answer: True 3. All of the major religions had early periods in which geographically separated areas practiced somewhat different versions of the faith. Answer: True 4. The "Unity of the Three Religions" articulated by Chinese religious scholars combined elements of Buddhism, Taoism, and Chinese syncretism. Answer: False 5. The turban worn by Sikhs symbolizes devotion. Answer: True 6. In many older societies, shamans, rabbis, imams, and priests were also judges in the legal system. Answer: True 7. The Baptists are the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Answer: True 8. In the United States, it is estimated that only one-fifth of all people formally change their religions or denominations during their lifetimes. Answer: True 9. About 80 percent of all African Americans belong to traditionally black denominations. Answer: False 10. Leaders of the civil rights movement were mostly ministers from black churches located in cities up and down the East Coast, from Massachusetts to Florida. Answer: False 11. Karl Marx famously asserted that "religion is the opiate of the people." Answer: True 12. In the Hindu caste system, people born into the priestly, or Brahmin, caste are at the top of the social pyramid. Answer: True 13. Among Protestant denominations in the United States, Methodists are more likely than Anglicans/Episcopalians to be college graduates. Answer: False 14. Children of Orthodox Jews born in the United States seem to have less than a 50 percent chance of remaining Orthodox as adults. Answer: True 15. Most religious traditions support, or even mandate, traditional gender roles. Answer: True 16. Salat is a ritual visit to Mecca, which religious Muslims try to perform at least once in their lifetime. Answer: False 17. Generations born earlier are NOT more likely than generations born later to say they go to church. Answer: False 18. There is a tendency for people who have lost interest in religion to return to religion after they have had children. Answer: True 19. Muslims and Jews lived together fairly peacefully in British-controlled Palestine until the 1920s. Answer: True 20. The partition of India into India and Pakistan took place just before World War II. Answer: False 21. Americans look a lot like Europeans in terms of their religiosity. Answer: False 22. A relatively high rate of fertility among conservative Protestants helped fuel the post-1960s growth of this religious group. Answer: True 23. Surveys indicate that the fastest growing religion in the United States is Catholicism. Answer: False 24. Before modernization, all societies were mostly religious and all societies had high birth rates and high death rates. Answer: True 25. The largest megachurch in America is led by a minister who preaches the prosperity gospel. Answer: True Multiple Choice 1. What argument did Max Weber make in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism? A. that the spirit of capitalism was in danger of dying out B. that Protestantism was critical in the development of full-blown capitalism C. that the Protestant ethic developed as a reaction against capitalism D. that religion was the perfect metaphor for capitalism Answer: B 2. How does Emile Durkheim define religion? A. Religion is concerned with the supernatural; everything else is secondary. B. Religion is the way that societies deal with things that are sacred. C. Religion is a set of ideas describing the relations between the natural and the supernatural. D. Religion is a scientific approach to human affairs. Answer: B 3. Among the following, which conforms least to the definition of sacred (those things that are worthy of awe and special treatment)? A. the bible B. Jerusalem C. the Hajj D. a last will and testament Answer: D 4. Which of the following statements about Buddhism is false? A. No god is part of the Buddhist belief system. B. Most Buddhists do not believe in reincarnation. C. Buddhism has about 360 million adherents worldwide. D. Many practicing Buddhists pray to statues of the Buddha. Answer: B 5. We usually call political worldviews such as socialism __________. A. secular callings B. personal institutions C. practical alternatives D. ideologies Answer: D 6. How is communism most like a religion? A. The Communist Manifesto is required reading. B. The lives of Lenin and Marx are the subject of study and debate. C. Communism is a politically powerful worldview. D. The triumph of the working class is a mystical belief of communism. Answer: D 7. In the context of the sociology of religion, the worship of the U.S. Constitution or reverence for the sayings of Chairman Mao can be construed as __________. A. civil actions B. civil disobedience C. civil religion D. civil engagement Answer: C 8. In the context of sociology, the concept of civil religion makes all the following things sacred EXCEPT __________. A. the American flag B. The Communist Manifesto C. "Ground Zero" D. the Torah Answer: D 9. How is a sociologist most likely to define religion? A. as a doctrine or set of doctrines B. as the behavior, beliefs, and commitments of a group or society C. as a set of ideas that constitutes one's daily actions D. as goals pursued with religious fervor Answer: B 10. Ninety-eight percent of sexually active Catholic women in the United States __________ contraception A. have never used B. would never use C. have used D. almost never use Answer: C 11. Which religious sect controls religious matters in Saudi Arabia? A. the Sunni B. the Wahabbi C. the Shi'a D. the Tawhid Answer: B 12. The Japanese often celebrate births according to __________. A. Shinto traditions B. Christian rituals C. Confucianism D. Buddhist traditions Answer: A 13. Scientologists claim over __________ adherents although outsiders estimate the number as low as __________. A. 1 million; 70,000 B. 1 million; 80,000 C. 2 million; 70,000 D. 2 million; 80,000 Answer: C 14. __________ and __________, who consider themselves as Christian, have crucial additional beliefs that make them distinct from other Christian faiths. A. Roman Catholics and Spiritualists B. Baptists and the Druze C. Jehovah's Witnesses and Scientologists D. Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons Answer: D 15. Which religious faith has the most adherents worldwide? A. Buddhism B. Christianity C. Hinduism D. Islam Answer: B 16. The Chinese have long exhibited an approach to religion that __________. A. is essentially irreligious, by Western standards B. rejects past traditions C. excludes Buddhist beliefs and practices D. combines elements of different religions Answer: D 17. __________ is the combination of different forms of beliefs and practices A. constructivism B. relativism C. syncretism D. theocracy Answer: C 18. In "the Unity of the Three Religions" Chinese religious scholars taught that __________ were equivalent and complementary. A. Buddhism, Confucianism, and syncretism B. Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism C. Confucianism, syncretism, and Taoism D. Confucianism, Christianity, and Buddhism Answer: B 19. Which of the big five religions is the newest? A. Buddhism B. Christianity C. Hinduism D. Islam Answer: D 20. The spread of the big five religions came about mostly through __________. A. the expansion of farming and accelerated birth rates B. missionaries and the printed word C. missionaries and conquest D. war and conquest Answer: C 21. What are the two principal sects of Islam? A. Sunni and Shi'a B. Sunni and Wahabbi C. Shi'a and Wahabbi D. Wahabbi and Tawhid Answer: A 22. In which modern-day country did Buddhism originate? A. China B. India C. Indonesia D. Japan Answer: B 23. Which of the following texts do Mormons consider sacred that other Christians do not? A. the Book of Mormon B. the Gospel of Judas C. the Synoptic Gospels D. the Book of the Trinity Answer: A 24. Which Christianity-related religious faith believes that the Trinity is unbiblical? A. Copts B. Eastern Orthodox Catholics C. Jehovah's Witnesses D. Mormons Answer: C 25. By which name are members of the Unification Church known? A. Daoists B. Kami C. Moonies D. Myungyi Answer: C 26. Of the following religions, which are considered composites of major religions? A. Baha'i and Cao Dai B. Cao Dai and Falun Gong C. Falun Gong and New Age D. Wicca and Baha'i Answer: A 27. Which religious tradition originated in Iran? A. Baha'i B. Jainism C. Shi'a Islam D. Sikhism Answer: A 28. __________ ascribe human characteristics to animals, plants, and inanimate objects, such as rocks and mountains. A. Animists B. Pagans C. Scientologists D. Spiritualists Answer: A 29. Who coined the term "paganism"? A. Babylonians B. Christians C. Greeks D. Romans Answer: B 30. Which of the following statements about paganism is false? A. Pagan religions often created representations of gods in concrete forms. B. Pagan religions generally envision a set of gods and attendants who rule the world. C. Remnants of pagan religions do not survive in modern times. D. Pagan religions believe that gods can be appealed to through ritual, prayer, and sacrifice. Answer: C 31. From a Durkheimian perspective, the primary social function of the religious social institution is the promotion of __________. A. family life B. the interpretation of religious matters C. the omnipotence of God D. social order Answer: D 32. What became the state church in Sweden after the Protestant Reformation? A. Calvinism B. Lutheranism C. Presbyterianism D. Roman Catholicism Answer: B 33. A __________ is an organized group with at least a few different doctrines that distinguish it from other such groups that are also adherents of the "same" religion. A. religious branch B. religious denomination C. religious sect D. religious tradition Answer: B 34. __________ are the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. A. Baptists B. Episcopalians C. Methodists D. Presbyterians Answer: A 35. How many religious congregations in the United States are regularly attended by less than 100 people? A. one-quarter B. one-third C. one-half D. more than one-half Answer: D 36. The fastest-growing segment of the church world is __________ A. Catholic B. irreligious C. nondenominational D. syncretic Answer: C 37. Irreligion is the absence of __________ A. belief B. morality C. religion D. spirituality Answer: C 38. How many people in the United States formally change their religions or denominations in their lifetimes? A. 15 percent B. 20 percent C. 25 percent D. 30 percent Answer: B 39. More than 80 percent of African American church members belong to __________. A. denominations that are integrated B. integrated congregations C. religiously liberal congregations D. traditionally black denominations Answer: D 40. The biblical story of the Exodus (the escape of the Jews from slavery in Egypt) reflects what type of theology for traditionally black churches? A. immigrant theology B. liberation theology C. preservation theology D. prosperity theology Answer: B 41. Sociologists theorize that the most important factor distributing people into congregations is __________. A. age B. personal piety C. place of residence D. family status Answer: C 42. Who said that "religion is the opiate of the people"? A. Durkheim B. Engels C. Marx D. Rousseau Answer: C 43. Which group is more likely than the others to be religious and to rely on religious institutions? A. the poor B. the wealthy C. the middle class D. the lower middle class Answer: A 44. Which caste, in Hindu doctrine, is at the top of the social hierarchy? A. Brahmin B. warriors C. traders D. dalits Answer: A 45. Theodicy is an explanation of __________. A. who achieves salvation B. how immigrants adopt new religious traditions C. how congregations form D. why bad things happen to good people Answer: D 46. ___________ famously said, "birth does not make one a priest or an outcaste. Behavior makes one either a priest or an outcaste." A. The Buddha B. Gandhi C. Jesus of Nazareth D. Mohammad Answer: A 47. Which religious denomination in the United States has the highest percentage of college graduates? A. Christians B. Hindus C. Lutherans D. Reform Jews Answer: B 48. Of the following, which Christian denomination in the United States has the highest percentage of adherents who have annual incomes above $75,000? A. Baptists B. Methodists C. Presbyterians D. Unitarians Answer: C 49. The percentage of Americans with college degrees across all religious denominations is __________ A. about 30 percent B. a little more than 35 percent C. a little less than 40 percent D. a little less than 45 percent Answer: A 50. Most religions seek to recruit, or proselytize, more members. Two notable exceptions to this rule are __________. A. Buddhists and Hindus B. Hindus and Jews C. Jews and Jehovah's Witnesses D. Jehovah's Witnesses and Sikhs Answer: B 51. Among the following groups, who is most likely to take up a "new religion"? A. men B. women C. teenagers D. tweens Answer: B 52. Which of the following religious founders gave women rights of protection, divorce, and property where before they had had no rights? A. Joseph Smith B. Jesus C. Mohammad D. Moses Answer: C 53. Which of the following statements about the status of Muslim women is false? A. Girls are not trained to memorize the Koran (although some may choose to do so). B. The number of women who pray at mosques is generally a fraction of the number of men. C. Muslim women consider themselves religious in more or in equal numbers as Muslim men. D. Women outnumber men at the Hajj by very large margins. Answer: D 54. What do most sociologists agree is the most important reason that older people tend to be more religious than younger people? A. Older people tend to fear death more than younger people. B. Older people lack the rebelliousness of youth. C. Older people were brought up in more religious times than younger people. D. Older people started going to church at a later age than younger people. Answer: C 55. What did the author of this chapter conclude about the religiosity of Americans over the life course? A. After people have children themselves, they tend to move to communities where churches are more important and to think that they should teach their children about religion. B. In the oldest part of the life course, church and the support of religion become less important to Americans. C. Americans in their twenties are slightly more religious than middle-age Americans. D. Parents, schools, and churches invest in children's religiosity somewhat haphazardly. Answer: A 56. How many Armenians are estimated to have been killed in the early twentieth century by the Turks and the Kurds? A. 10 million B. 5 million C. 1 to 1.5 million D. 500,000 Answer: C 57. When India was partitioned into India and Pakistan, in 1947, how many people crossed the border, moving from one state to the other in order to join the religious majority of that state? A. about 14 million B. about 18 million C. about 22 million D. about 26 million Answer: A 58. What is Hindutva? A. an Indian political party that stresses religious pluralism B. a political philosophy that asserts that India should be for Hindus C. the birthplace of the mythical god Rama D. a Hindu holy man Answer: B 59. What do sociologists usually mean by secularization? A. that the world is becoming less mystified B. that people are becoming more superstitious C. that people are abandoning religion as unscientific D. the religion has less and less authority over parts of people's lives Answer: A 60. Which of the following countries looks least like Europe in terms of its conventional religiosity? A. Australia B. Canada C. Israel D. the United States Answer: D 61. Which of the following attributions about the rise in the number and power of evangelical, conservative, and fundamentalist Protestants is false? A. Conservative Protestants have had a relatively high fertility rate in contrast to the declining fertility of mainline Protestants. B. Conservative Christian churches have been able to retain their young people as members more than other religious denominations. C. In the United States, many different religions compete with conservative churches. D. Conservative Americans have flocked to conservative churches, which share their vision of and commitment to "traditional family values." Answer: C 62. Which of the following arguments about why religion thrives in America is less plausible than the others? A. America's diverse ethnic groups cling to their religions as a means of preserving their community and culture. B. In America, many different religions compete, giving Americans more choice about which religion to support. C. In America, religion is marketed like a commodity, with expenditures on promoting religion being much, much higher than elsewhere. D. The presence of highly developed welfare systems in America makes churches more crucial. Answer: D 63. The fastest growing religion in the United States is __________. A. Catholicism B. Protestantism C. Mormonism D. no religious preference Answer: D 64. What percentage of immigrants in the United States is Catholic? A. about 20 percent B. about 40 percent C. about 60 percent D. about 80 percent Answer: D 65. Which of the following statements is more likely than the others to be uttered by a minister who preaches prosperity theology? A. The Lord works in mysterious ways. B. God wants pious Christians to have a house. C. Aim at pleasing God more than yourself. D. The Lord requires of you only to walk modestly with your God. Answer: B Scenario Multiple Choice 1. Nailah is writing a research paper on the concept of religion as a social institution. She is interviewing religious leaders from a wide variety of faiths. What kinds of questions should she ask the leaders to help her address the topic? A. questions to find out what has changed in terms of how people practice their faith over the last few decades B. questions to find out what has changed in terms of theology over the last few decades C. questions to find out how people incorporate religious beliefs into their everyday lives and community organizations D. questions to find out how people rely on their faith in times of crisis Answer: C 2. Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies the social function of religion? A. Alex and her friends wear crucifixes every day, as a reminder of the importance of their faith. B. Claire and her children take great comfort in their religious faith when they remember their father, who died six months ago. C. Rajesh and his wife meticulously adhere to the tenets of their faith, practicing all of its rituals. D. Teresa and her friends place flowers at sites where people were killed in a tornado that ripped through their town and attend a candlelight vigil in honour of all the victims. Answer: D 3. Applying what you know about religious choice and social status, which of the following persons is more likely than the others to be religious? A. Jake, who has enjoyed a higher degree of worth relative to most people in his tight-knit community who have suffered during the economic downturn B. Kay, who feels fortunate to have won the lottery several years ago and is happy to live in an upscale neighbourhoods C. Liz and her husband, who work 60 hours a week at jobs that require a fair amount of travel D. Max, who has always been an independent person and is eager to venture out on his own but is also a little nervous about moving to a new city Answer: A 4. Of the following people, who would be more likely than the others to be attracted to or to convert to a new religious movement? A. Jorge, who dropped out of high school and works sporadically as a laborer B. Lydia, who has never considered herself to be religious but who enjoyed studying world religions in college C. Manny, who was born into a somewhat poor but very religious family D. Sasha, who enjoys driving customers to and from religious services in his taxi but who has never completely understood what religion is all about Answer: B 5. Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies the relationship between gender and religion? A. Anna and Laila are of different faiths, but both women think of themselves as religious persons. Their husbands attend weekly services but don't talk too much about their faith. B. Brad and Taj are of different faiths, but both men think of themselves as religious persons. Their wives attend weekly services but don't talk much about their faith. C. Norah and her husband are both always eager to talk openly about their religious beliefs, but neither attends services regularly. D. Ron and his wife both dislike openly discussing their religious beliefs, but both attend weekly services regularly. Answer: A 6. Which two factors are more relevant than the others when studying the relationship between age and religiosity? A. educational level and occupation B. generational differences between age cohorts and gender C. residential pattern and ethnicity D. socioeconomic status and race Answer: B 7. Why is it often difficult to distinguish between a purely religious conflict and a conflict mired in ethnic or class issues? A. Even when religious factions clash, underlying issues such as power and land rights are often equally involved. B. Few people can clearly identify the differences between religions, let alone identify outside factors. C. Historians often misrepresent the true reasons behind global conflicts. D. Most religions do not want to be identified as being involved in conflicts. Answer: A 8. Molly's sociology of religion class is discussing the following issues: the incompatibility of religion with modern life, the lessening of authority that religion has over people's lives, and the cantering of people's lives around nonreligious factors. What concept is the class studying? A. American exceptionalism B. different sociological definitions of secularization C. liberation theology D. religious pluralism Answer: B 9. Which of the following statements best answers the question of why the United States is more religious than other developed nations? A. Other developed nations are more technologically and scientifically advanced than the United States. B. Other developed nation's political parties claim no religious affiliation. C. The United States is home to many diverse and competing ethnicities and religions and lacks a strong educational and welfare system. D. The United States was founded on the strong religious belief system of its founders. Answer: C 10. What are the main contributing factors to the increasing religiosity levels in parts of the world besides the United States, especially in the Middle East and Russia? A. All countries with rising religiosity levels have state-mandated religions. B. All countries with rising religiosity levels teach religion in the schools and universities. C. Religious people and societies have more children than the irreligious; also, the influence of religion is rising among political and military forces. D. Religiosity levels in other parts of the world are not really on the rise; they just appear to be rising because of growing secularization in the rest of the world. Answer: C Short Answer 1. How did Durkheim define religion in The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912)? Answer: Durkheim defines religion as the way that societies deal with things that are sacred—those things that are worthy of awe and special treatment and are not just mundane or everyday parts of life: sacred objects like the Torah, sacred behaviors such as the communion ritual, sacred places like Mecca, sacred times like Easter day, and sacred people such as monks or the Dalai Lama. In other words, religion creates symbolic boundaries between certain people, objects, times, places, and other things and events in the world. And the object that is most sacred, on which everyone depends, and for which god is a symbol, is the community of which they are a member. 2. Give an example of the fluidity of the religious practices and traditions in East Asian Societies. Answer: In Japan, Korea, China, much of Indonesia, and elsewhere, people seem to feel free to combine elements from different religions. For example, in Korea, Confucian prayers for one's ancestors may be combined with Christian prayers for God's help or grace. The Japanese often celebrate births according to Shinto (Japanese folk religion) traditions, marry in Christian rituals, bury their dead with Buddhist ceremonies—and call themselves nonreligious. 3. Briefly describe Sikhism and Jainism. Answer: Sikhism and Jainism are related to Hinduism. Sikhism was founded in 1500 in India and has 23 million adherents. Sikhs believe salvation consists of escaping the cycle of reincarnation and uniting with god. The religion emphasizes moderate living and distinctive dress, including the turban, which symbolizes devotion. Jainism was also founded in India, in 550 BCE. It has 4 million adherents. Jains believe that the soul is eternal, uncreated, and can attain divinity. They practice complete nonviolence, including towards animals, and asceticism, and they meditate through chanting mantras. 4. What is animism? Has it died out? Answer: Animism refers to religions that ascribe human characteristics to animals, plants, and inanimate objects such as rocks and mountains. Animists see spirits as present and active in the world and believe in some underlying force that animates everything from the weather to human activity. Animism seems to be common in tribal cultures all over the world, although in wildly varying forms. Although it no longer dominates the world, animism has not died out. What are generally called "folk" religions such as those in China or Shinto in Japan, have large elements of animism, and various major religions such as Islam are combined with folk animistic elements in places like Indonesia, as is Christianity with animism in parts of South America. 5. What is religious pluralism and why is it so important and so unique to the American experience? Answer: Pluralism is accepting many different religions, or all religions, as legitimate. Pluralism and the principle of the separation of church and state were unique at the time America was founded because the tradition in Europe had been quite different. After the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation, the Anglican Church became the state church of England, the Lutheran Church became the state church in Sweden, and so on throughout those states of Europe where Protestantism had won definitive victories (not, for example, in France and Germany, where Catholics and Protestants were still both entrenched). Separation of church and state allowed many flowers to bloom in the U.S. religious garden. In the United States, for example, Roman Catholicism is just one denomination among many. 6. In what ways do churches serve the needs of the community? Answer: In most churches, membership qualifies you for help with all kinds of problems and for a variety of other services. The large congregations, attended by more than half of all churchgoers, are much more than religious institutions. They often provide alternatives to public schools, counseling for troubled parishioners, sports and social programs for teenagers, financial counseling, and help with elderly parents, nursing homes, and even graveyards. Even small churches will help members in trouble, with visits to the sick and personal support when needed. Many churches and denominations do extend their charity beyond their membership. 7. How are religious services and concerts alike? Answer: Both bring the community together participate in ritual (that is, in scripted collective activity that employs certain cherished symbols), and both generate collective effervescence that produces long-lasting solidarity among participants. 8. Why is it no accident that 44 percent of the people living in Palisades Park, New Jersey, are of Korean ancestry? Answer: Throughout history, immigrants, and hence ethnic groups (such as Korean Americans), have tended to move into areas where people they know already reside, particularly relatives and friends from home towns. They get help and a sense of comfort. The already beaten path is the way to helpful information and to safety. It is also the way to relevant churches. 9. What evidence can be cited for the unwillingness of some Indians to accept the strictures of caste? Answer: Defiance of caste is one of the reasons for the popularity of so many different religions in India. Although he accepted reincarnation, the Buddha (an Indian) was strongly opposed to caste. Sikhism was partly founded in rejection of caste. Although Baha'i was developed in Persia, the largest Baha'i community in the world—2.2 million—is in India. There are an estimated 2.4 million Christians in India. All of these religions were and are particularly attractive to members of lower castes and the "untouchables" who sought to escape their karmic fate. 10. Why are denominations in the United States comprised of surprisingly different kinds of people? Answer: Because they come from such different backgrounds—educationally, geographically, and in other important characteristics—different denominations in the United States contain surprisingly different kinds of people. 11. Why do women take up new religions? Provide several plausible explanations and explain why Islam was a liberating revolution for women at the time. Answer: Women take up new religions perhaps because they are treated so badly by the old religions. Unsurprisingly, most religious traditions support, or even mandate, traditional gender roles. They bar women from most positions of authority, restrict their dress, and sometimes blame them for the evils in the world. Most Westerners seem to think of Islam as backwards in its treatment of women. In fact, Mohammad prescribed a liberating revolution for women in the context of his time. In the Arab world before Islam, women were chattel, the property of their fathers and then of their husbands and then of anyone their husbands gave them to. They had no rights. Mohammad gave them rights of protection, divorce, and property, among other advances. 12. Provide several examples from world history of the paradox of people killing each other in the name of religion. Answer: History is replete with religious war. In the first century after Mohammad's death, Islam was primarily spread by the sword. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Christians launched the Crusades against Muslims. In the sixteenth century, Protestants and Catholics fought the Thirty Years' War over control of various parts of Europe. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries Jews were slain in pogroms by Russian Orthodox Cossacks. In the first two decades of the twentieth century, Muslim Turks and Kurds probably killed from 1 to 1.5 million Christian Armenians. 13. What kinds of conflicts are often described as religious conflicts, when, in fact, they may be something else? Answer: Class resentments, ethnic drives for control of land or governments, long memories of past or imagined injuries, and excessive nationalism are rationales for conflict that may frequently have religious overtones. 14. Why is the number of people in the United States who identify themselves as having no religious preference likely to grow? Answer: Currently, surveys indicate that the fastest growing religion in the United States is "no religious preference." Because young people are much more likely to think of themselves as not religious, the number is likely to increase. 15. Why is the theology of prosperity so popular in Africa? Answer: For many of the newly urbanized people of the world who see the wealth of Christian America and are finally in position to dream of success for themselves, the prosperity gospel, born in America, and convincingly American, seems to be the answer. Christianity with a prosperity theology has been most explosive in Africa. In its 2006 survey of African religion, the Pew Foundation asked participants if God would "grant material prosperity to all believers who have enough faith." About 90 percent of Kenyan, South African, and Nigerian Pentecostals said yes. Essay 1. What did sociologist Christian Smith observe about the most common religious pattern of today's American youth? How does the pattern compare with your own beliefs and religious upbringing? Answer: Smith calls the most common religious pattern among today's youth moralistic therapeutic deism (MTD), which he describes in terms of five key beliefs. (1) A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life (2) God wants people to be good to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most religions. (3) The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself. (4) God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to solve a problem. (5) Good people go to heaven when they die. Smith argues that MTD is moralistic because young people believe the basic job of religion is to help us be good people—to have good morals. They also tend to think that most people are intrinsically good and that all religions help people to stay good, mostly because all religions teach some version of the golden rule. MTD is also therapeutic because most young people believe that religion in moderation is generally, if not always, good for people. It helps people be happier and healthier. It gets them through crises. It gives them groups to belong to and share with. It makes for closer families with shared memories and feelings. Established religions are seen as often unreasonable in their repressive rules, unscientific beliefs, and overbearing organizations. Many young people are suspicious of organized religion. They attend church rarely, if at all, except to be with their families. Although some students will identify themselves with conventional religious traditions (Catholic, Baptist, Jewish), many more responses are likely to parallel Smith's research. Typical responses: I believe in God, but don't go to church; If following a particular religion makes people happy, I'm not going to look down on them; when you get down to it, I think all religions are really about the Golden Rule—treat others the way you want to be treated. 2. Explain what is meant by civil religion. Answer: Durkheim defined religion as the way that societies deal with things that are sacred. Things that are worthy of awe and special treatment and are not just mundane or everyday parts of life are considered sacred. The "sacredness" definition of religion has led sociologists to recognize a common form of religion that they call civil religion. The way Americans feel about the Constitution as a sacred text or about the flag as a sacred symbol or about July 4 as a day of ritual and worship is indicative of civil religion. Other examples of civil religion include sporting events such as the Olympics, where athletes are, it seems, worshipped as gods, where the medal awarding ceremonies are highly ritualized, and where impressive sporting venues are like houses of worship and community. Music and concerts are also like religions. Many describe them in frankly mystical terms. From a Durkheimian perspective, the civil religion that makes these things sacred is the same as all religions—it is the worship of the community and society, from which all good things eventually flow and on which we are completely dependent. 3. Explain what religious scholars mean by "Chinese Syncretism." Why is it difficult to classify and in what ways does it mirror moralistic therapeutic deism? Answer: Chinese Syncretism is perhaps the most complicated of the major religious traditions. The Chinese have long exhibited a highly syncretic approach to religion, that is, one that combines elements of different religions, making their beliefs and practices difficult to classify. At one point, Chinese religious scholars taught that Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism were all ultimately equivalent and complemented each other. Thus, people could mix the three traditions. The Chinese emperor typically employed Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian religious figures in his court simultaneously. Similarly, today many Chinese turn to a diverse set of sources, including folk religion and practices we might consider superstition to attempt to manipulate luck and secure favourable circumstances. In a way, Chinese Syncretism is like moralistic therapeutic deism because both systems of belief recognize that different religious traditions complement each other. 4. What is paganism and explain why radical Protestants have frequently called Catholics pagans. Answer: Paganism is a term coined by early Christians to refer to the other, no monotheistic religions of their times, with Roman, Greek, and Babylonian paganism being their major referents. I use the term to refer to religions that generally envision a set of gods and attendants who rule the world (polytheism) and can be appealed to through ritual, prayer, and sacrifice. Pagan religions often created representations of these gods in concrete forms, or idols, which were central to their rituals. Paganism generally reflected the more centralized ideas of the empires and large societies that integrated and conquered tribal societies. It survives today in consciously "neopagan" religions such as Wicca, and perhaps most prominently in the large and varied collection of Hindu gods and avatars. Radical Protestants frequently disparaged Catholicism as "pagan" because of its "excessive" reverence (idolatry) for Mary, its many saints, and its omnipresent statues and religious images. 5. Explain the difference between denominations and congregations. Answer: A denomination is an organized religious group with at least a few different doctrines that distinguish it from other such groups that are also adherents of the same religion. Denominations usually are combinations of a few to many specific congregations. The local congregation is the specific church or temple or mosque that people actually attend. Denominations are where we find much of the organization in what we call organized religion. Denominations train and ordain priests, ministers, rabbis, and imams. They may assist churches in financial trouble. They frequently, if not always, determine the correct doctrine. They provide model liturgies to be followed and lessons to be taught in the church sanctuary and religious education programs. With the possible exception of the Catholic Church, denominations are not the key organizational aspect of American religion. Instead, the most important level of organization is the local congregation. 6. Analyze Durkheim's arguments about religion as a crucial social function for people and society. Answer: Durkheim thought that religion served a crucial social function for people and society by (1) bringing the community together to participate in ritual, that is, scripted collective activity that employs certain cherished symbols; (2) generating the collective effervescence by successful ritual, in which the individual is overcome by the feeling of being one with the community; and (3) producing long-lasting solidarity, or a feeling of belonging together, that will sustain the community until the ritual is repeated. The range of activities in which people participate provides opportunities for the formation of social ties and communities in the home setting, at work, in religious communities, and, of course, online. 7. Why are American churches so segregated? Answer: In the United States, Sunday remains the most segregated day of the week, and church the most segregated place in the country—and not just by race. It is also segregated by class and lifestyle and various forms of preferences. Adults attend churches voluntarily, so birds of a feather are permitted to flock together, and they do so even more than they do in other institutions (which are also segregated, although not as fully). Perhaps the most important ingredients of American church segregation, besides religion itself, are area of residence and social status. 8. How does researcher Rodney Spark explain who is drawn to new religions? Answer: Start theorizes that "people must have a degree of privilege to have the sophistication needed to understand new religions and to recognize a need for them. This is not to say that the most privileged will be most prone to embrace new religious movements, but only that converts will be from the more, rather than the less, privileged classes " He points out that Christianity was once just such a movement—a Jewish "Jesus cult"—and its converts tended to suffer from "relative deprivation"—that is, resentment among the somewhat privileged that they actually deserved even more privilege and respect. On the other hand, Stark argues, sect movements that seek to purify existing traditions, that is, to make them more like the "old-time," "true," "essential," "authentic," version of the religion, appeal to the lower classes. Stark also asserts irreligious people are the most likely to join new religious movements and concludes that this reflects a deep desire for some spiritual connection among those who do not accept traditional faiths. Who is drawn to these new religions? Rodney Stark 9. What is the relationship between conventionality and the religiosity of women? Answer: In virtually all societies (with the possible exception of contemporary Scandinavia), being religious is conventional. At the same time, in almost all societies we know of, including most seemingly modern societies, control over women, particularly their sexuality, is more important than control over men—so the training of women for compliance and conventionality is a central concern of almost all cultures. Furthermore, women in traditional societies are kept at home much more than men. For conventional Christian women, the church is a safe and acceptable place to be in public and with other adults. They do not go to bars, or sports clubs, or places of work. For all women, often denied education or economic opportunity, being pious is one of the few means by which they can be just as good as, or better than, other people. Men can gain respect by earning money, by being good at sports, by doing well in scholarship, or by seducing women. Religion and motherhood are the key bases of self-validation available to most traditional women, including those in the developed world. 10. Why are religious issues like abortion, homosexuality, public support for religious education, and prayer in schools are often central issues in American politics? Answer: These issues have become so important primarily because of the rise in power and numbers of evangelical, conservative, or fundamentalist Protestants, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s. These conservatives consistently describe themselves as highly religious, consistently report higher church attendance, and otherwise are considered more religious than adherents of mainline Protestant denominations. Changing gender roles and sexual liberation also fuelled the post-1960s rise of conservative Protestantism—a profound reaction to the revolutionary social changes of the time. Repelled by these changes, many conservative Americans sought to defend a more stable commitment to traditional family values, especially for their children, and turned to those churches that they saw as sharing this conservative vision. As part of this reaction the prominence of conservative Protestantism was further boosted by the entrance of evangelical ministers into politics, with organizations such as the Moral Majority, culminating in the election of the conservative evangelical George W. Bush. Test Bank for The Sociology Project : Introducing the Sociological Imagination Jeff Manza, Richard Arum, Lynne Haney 9780205949601, 9780205093823, 9780133792249
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