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...

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Détails bibliographiques
Publié dans:Journal for the scientific study of religion
Auteur principal: Johnson, Benton 1928- (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
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Publié: Wiley-Blackwell [1971]
Dans: Journal for the scientific study of religion
Année: 1971, Volume: 10, Numéro: 2, Pages: 124-137
Sujets non-standardisés:B Methodism
B United States History
B Catholicism
B Faith
B Sectarianism
B Christian History
Accès en ligne: Volltext (Resolving-System)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Résumé: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.
ISSN:1468-5906
Contient:Enthalten in: Journal for the scientific study of religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2307/1385301