The major forms of religious organizations are
churches, denominations, sects, and cults.
Religiosity—the ways people express their
religious beliefs and convictions—can be
analyzed in terms of five dimensions: belief,
ritual, intellect, experience, and consequences.
Which is NOT a major form of
religious organization?
A. Denomination
B. Church
C. Cult
D. Sunday
0%
A
A. A
B. B
C.0% C
B
0%
C
Religious Organization
• Church—a life-encompassing religious
organization to which all members of a
society belong.
• This exists when religion and the state are
intertwined.
Religious Organization (cont.)
• Denomination—one of several religious
organizations that most members of a
society accept as legitimate.
• Membership is voluntary and competition
for members between them is acceptable.
• Do 14-3 Interactive 1
Religious Organization (cont.)
• Sect—a religious
organization formed
when members of an
existing religious
organization break
away in an attempt to
reform the “parent”
group.
• Cult—a religious organization whose
characteristics are not drawn from existing
religious traditions within a society.
The Amish are a religious ______?
A. Sect
B. Cult
C. Denomination
0%
A
A. A
B. B
C.0% C
B
0%
C
• Do 14-3 Interactive 2
Religiosity
• Religiosity refers to the types of religious
attitudes and behaviors people display in
their everyday lives.
Public Charities
Religiosity (cont.)
• The 5 dimensions:
– Belief—what a person considers to be
true
– Ritual—a religious practice that
members are expected to perform
Religiosity (cont.)
– Intellectual dimension—knowledge of
one’s faith
– Experience—feeling attached to
religious expression
– Consequences—decisions and
commitments made because of their
religion
Which is NOT a dimension of
religiosity?
A. Ritual
B. Experience
C. Academic
D. Belief
0%
A
A.
B.
C.
0%
D.
B
A
B
C
0%
D
C
0%
D
• church
• denomination
• sect
• cult
• religiosity
Percentage of Americans Saying Religion is Very Important in
Their Lives: 1952–2005
Source: The Gallup Organization, Gallup polls on
religion.
Membership in Selected Religious Organizations in the
United States
Source: World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2005.
American Church Membership Trends: 1990–1999
Source: Yearbook of American and Canadian
Churches, 1999.
Public Charities
Source: National Center for Charitable
Statistics, 2004.
Religions of the World
Adapted from The State of Religion Atlas, New
York: Simon & Schuster, 1993.
Gender Inequality in Religion
Adapted from The State of Religion Atlas, New
York: Simon & Schuster, 1993.
church
a life-encompassing religious organization
to which all members of a society belong
denomination
one of several religious organizations that most
members of a society accept as legitimate
sect
a religious organization that arises out of
a desire to reform an existing religious
organization
cult
a religious organization whose
characteristics are not drawn from existing
religious traditions within a society
religiosity
ways in which people express their
religious interests and convictions