CHAPTER 15 – ReligionFill in the BlankSelect the missing terms from each section and place them in the correct blank space.Section 165 and over Accommodate BizarreCharismatic leader Christians ChurchCult Denomination FewerMuslims New religious movement OfficeOrganized Practice services ProfaneReligion Religiosity SacredSect Secular SpiritualityStrong Supernatural WomenReligion is a social institution that that unites believers into a community and involves shared beliefs, values, and practices based on the supernatural. Sacred refers to anything that people see as mysterious, awe-inspiring, extraordinary and powerful, holy, and not part of the natural world. Profane refers to anything that is not related to religion. Contemporary sociologists typically use secular to describe worldly rather than spiritual things. Worldwide, the largest religious group is Christians, followed by Muslims. When sociologists examine religiosity, the ways people demonstrate their religious beliefs, they often find that religion and religiosity differ. Spirituality is a personal quest to feel connected to a reality greater than oneself. People who see themselves as spiritual may not be religious. People manifest their religious beliefs most commonly through organized groups. A cult is a religious group that is devoted to beliefs and practices that are outside of those accepted in mainstream society. Some sociologists prefer to use new religious movement (NRM) rather than cult because the latter term has been used by the media in pejorative ways to describe any unfamiliar, new, or seemingly bizarre religious movement. NRMs usually organize around a charismatic leader whom followers see as having exceptional or superhuman powers and qualities. A sect is a religious group that has broken away from anestablished religion. Like cults, some sects are small and disappear after a time, while others become established and persist. A denomination is a subgroup within a religion that shares its name and traditions and is generally on good terms with the main group. Denominations typically accommodate themselves to the larger society instead of trying to dominate or change it. A church is a large established religious group that has strong ties to mainstream society. Because leadership of the group is attached to an office rather than a specific leader, new generations of believers replace ones, and members follow tradition or authority rather than a charismatic leader.CHAPTER 15 – ReligionFill in the BlankSelect the missing terms from each section and place them in the correct blank space.Section 2Acceptance Altruistic Belonging Capitalism Civil or secular Comfort Consensus Control CooperationDominant Dysfunctional EconomicEmotional False consciousness FrugalityFundamentalism Hard work IncreasingKarl Marx Oppression Protestant ethic Secularization TextIndustrialized nations have been undergoing secularization, a process of removing institutions such as education and government from the dominance or influence of religion. Some sociologists maintain that secularization is increasing rapidly in the United States, but others contend that this claim is greatly exaggerated. Some point out that fundamentalism, the belief in the literal meaning of a sacred text, has increased in the United States and worldwide. The prevalence of civil (or secular) religion, practices in which citizenship takes on religious aspects, may indicate that religiosity remains strong.Religion fulfills a variety of functions on individual, community, and societal levels. The products of religious practice, according to functionalists, contribute to a society’s survival, stability, and solidarity, including: Belonging and identity; meaning, purpose, and emotional comfort; social service, and social control. The Protestant ethic is a belief that hard work, diligence, self-denial, frugality, and economic success would lead to salvation in the afterlife. Max Weber concluded that this belief system supported the dominance of capitalism in the Western world by the nineteenth century. Functionalists emphasize the benefits of religion, but they also recognize that religion can be dysfunctional when it harms individuals, communities, and societies.A conflict approach to religion reflects the work of Karl Marx, who argued that religion encourages passivity and acceptance of class inequality. Marx viewed religion as a form of false consciousness, an acceptance of a system of beliefs that prevent people from protesting oppression. Conflict theorists also see religion as a tool dominant groups use to control society and to protect their own interests. Functionalists may overemphasize consensus and harmony, but conflict theorists often ignore the role that religion plays in creating social cohesion and cooperation. For example, many religious people are altruistic, volunteering their time in low-income neighborhoods rather than seeking economic rewards at work or enjoying recreational
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