Church and Sect Revisited
Sociologists continue to disagree on how to define the church-sect distinction. Some have expanded Troeltsch's historically based typology by adding new types based on a study of modern Christian bodies in the English-speaking nations. Others have tried to broaden the typology by defining it in...
| Published in: | Journal for the scientific study of religion |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
[1971]
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| In: |
Journal for the scientific study of religion
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| Further subjects: | B
Methodism
B United States History B Catholicism B Faith B Sectarianism B Christian History |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | Sociologists continue to disagree on how to define the church-sect distinction. Some have expanded Troeltsch's historically based typology by adding new types based on a study of modern Christian bodies in the English-speaking nations. Others have tried to broaden the typology by defining it in terms of one or more analytical properties that can be applied to all religious bodies. There is little agreement on how the typology should be defined, but most sociologists do agree that a religious body's attitude toward its social environment should be a part of the definition. Some have argued that the typology serves no useful purpose, but in fact it has generated some useful theory concerning the process of sect development. The main shortcoming of this theory is its assumption that sect growth always leads to the compromising of religious purity and distinctiveness. It is rarely suggested that successful sects may have a strong impact on their environment. This assumption is reflected in the way sociologists treat churches and denominations, particularly in contemporary society. Sociologists are urged to abandon this assumption and to take a clearer look at how religious bodies actually adapt themselves to their environments. |
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| ISSN: | 1468-5906 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for the scientific study of religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/1385301 |