Deck 9: Religion

Question 1

The sociological study of religion is guided by

A)the assumption that no religion is false.
B)a conviction that there must be one true religion.
C)the assumption that the supernatural can ultimately be observed.
D)the belief that some religions are better for a society than others.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

'Our God is the sky and lives wherever the sky is.Our God is the sun and moon, too.' This idea of sacred can be classified as a

A)sacramental religion.
B)prophetic religion.
C)mystical religion.
D)civil religion.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Buddhism and philosophical Hinduism are two examples of religions in which the sacred is sought in

A)historical events.
B)sacred books.
C)states of being.
D)places, objects, and actions.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The term ______________ refers to compatible combinations of belief systems, such as Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and Shinto in Japan.

A)syncretism
B)profane
C)civil religion
D)ecclesia

Question 5

Which one of the following is not one of the three essential features of religion as identified by Durkheim?

A)Beliefs about the sacred and the profane
B)'Great' books such as the Bible, the Koran or the Torah
C)Rituals
D)A community of worshippers

Question 6

The sociological perspective on religion is one that is guided by

A)emotional involvement.
B)subjectivity and personal beliefs.
C)the scientific method.
D)personal conviction.

Question 7

When sociologists study religion, they investigate

A)whether God or some other supernatural force exists.
B)the validity of certain religious beliefs.
C)the social aspects of a religion.
D)which religion is the one true vision.

Question 8

The most predominant religion in the world (as measured by the number of people practising that religion) is

A)Judaism.
B)Catholicism.
C)Buddhism.
D)Islam (Shia).

Question 9

In mystical religions, the sacred

A)revolves around items that symbolise historical events.
B)is sought in states of being.
C)revolves around the lives, teachings, and writings of great people.
D)is sought in places, objects, and actions believed to house a god or spirit.

Question 10

__________ wrote 'To define 'religion', to say what it is, is not possible at the start of a presentation such as this.Definition can be attempted, if at all, only at the conclusion of the study.'

A)Karl Marx
B)Max Weber
C)Émile Durkheim
D)George H.Mead

Question 11

According to Max Weber, religion

A)gives meaning to the ultimate and inescapable problems of existence.
B)is the opiate of the masses.
C)is easy to define.
D)is a personal matter not suited to sociological study.

Question 12

In ________________ religions, the sacred revolves around items that symbolise historic events or around the lives, teachings, and writings of great people.

A)sacramental
B)prophetic
C)mystical
D)profane

Question 13

In sacramental religions, the sacred

A)revolves around items that symbolise significant historical events.
B)is sought in states of being.
C)is sought in places, objects, and actions believed to house a god or spirit.
D)revolves around the lives, teachings, and writings of great people.

Question 14

A western woman may look on the traditional Muslim women's head covering, the hijab, as a sign of sexual oppression.Muslim women may look on the American woman's style of dress as a sign of

A)sexual liberation.
B)oppression.
C)individual freedom.
D)empowerment for women.

Question 15

One of the most difficult tasks sociologists who study religion encounter is

A)determining the ways people use religion.
B)determining the purpose of religion.
C)defining religion.
D)getting people to talk about religion.

Question 16

In prophetic religions the sacred revolves around

A)the lives, teachings, and writings of great people.
B)states of being.
C)holy places.
D)the profane.

Question 17

A religion in which followers become involved in practices such as fasting or celibacy to separate themselves from worldly attachments can be classified as

A)prophetic.
B)mystical.
C)sacramental.
D)secular.

Question 18

Sacred things can include books, buildings, days, and places.From a sociological point of view sacredness stems from

A)the item itself.
B)an item's symbolic power.
C)the meaning assigned to it by God.
D)the Bible.

Question 19

In The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life, Émile Durkheim cautioned that sociologists who study religion must assume that

A)some religions are false.
B)there are no religions that are false.
C)a God does not exist.
D)all religions include notions of higher beings and that humans are made in their likeness.

Question 20

Some of the most well-known _________ religions include Judaism, Confucianism, Christianity, and Islam.

A)sacramental
B)prophetic
C)mystical
D)profane

Question 21

Durkheim used the word 'church' to designate a group whose members do all but which one of the following?

A)Hold the same beliefs with regard to the sacred and the profane
B)Behave in the same way in the presence of the sacred
C)Gather together to affirm commitment to beliefs and practices
D)Adhere to the belief that the religion members follow is one of many true religions

Question 22

Contact between the sacred and profane is viewed as

A)dangerous and sacrilegious.
B)appropriate.
C)powerful and significant.
D)spiritually enlightening.

Question 23

A woman covering her head or a man removing his hat during worship are acts meant to

A)distinguish between orthodox and commoners.
B)separate the sacred from the profane.
C)distinguish between males and females.
D)inspire spirituality.

Question 24

The Afghanistan constitution declares the country an Islamic Republic, makes Islam the official religion, and announces that 'no law can be contrary to the sacred religion of Islam'.Based on this information, Islam in Afghanistan can be classified as a(n)

A)ecclesiae.
B)denominations.
C)sect.
D)cult.

Question 25

In ________________, membership is not voluntary; it is the law.

A)an ecclesiae
B)a denomination
C)a sect
D)a cult

Question 26

__________ include(s) everything that is not sacred.

A)Powerful symbols
B)Evil
C)The profane
D)Exorcism

Question 27

A(n) __________________ is a hierarchical organisation led by a professionally-trained clergy in which church and state remain separate.

A)ecclesiae
B)denomination
C)sect
D)cult

Question 28

Durkheim wrote: 'Sometimes it embraces an entire people … sometimes it embraces only a part of them … sometimes it is directed by a core of priests, sometimes it is almost devoid of any official body.' Durkheim was describing a

A)church.
B)ecclesiae.
C)cult.
D)denomination.

Question 29

Confession, immersion, and fasting are examples of

A)mystical acts.
B)ecclesiae.
C)rituals.
D)sacraments.

Question 30

In Islam the most pronounced split occurred after the death of Prophet Muhammad over the issue of Muhammed's successor.That split is between

A)Sunni and Shia.
B)Hezbollah and Druze.
C)Iranian Sunni and Iraqi Shia.
D)Muslims and Jews

Question 31

In _______________, membership is composed of people who broke away from a denomination.

A)an ecclesiae
B)a denomination
C)a sect
D)a cult

Question 32

In a(n) ______________, leaders may require members to break all ties with the outside world.

A)ecclesiae
B)denomination
C)sect
D)cult

Question 33

_____________ are rules that govern how people must behave in the presence of the sacred to achieve an acceptable state of being.

A)Religious laws
B)The Ten Commandments
C)Rituals
D)Beliefs

Question 34

Buddhism, Christianity and Judaism are among the religions classified as __________.

A)ecclesiae
B)denominations
C)sects
D)cults

Question 35

Codes of religious conduct aimed at governing the performance of everyday activities are

A)prophetic acts.
B)ecclesiae.
C)rituals.
D)sacraments.

Question 36

Durkheim maintained that rituals are

A)elaborate sequences of activities that must be followed closely.
B)enacted only in sacred places.
C)not applicable to everyday activities.
D)behaviours shared by a community of worshippers.

Question 37

__________________ is a small community of believers who broke away from a denomination and are led by a lay ministry, with no formal governing body.

A)An ecclesiae
B)A sect
C)A cult
D)A church

Question 38

In ______________ a charismatic leader plays a central role in attracting members.

A)an ecclesiae
B)a denomination
C)a sect
D)a cult

Question 39

__________________ are very small, loosely organised groups, usually founded by a charismatic leader who attracts people by virtue of his or her personal qualities.

A)Ecclesiae
B)Sects
C)Cults
D)Churches

Question 40

A(n) ____________________ is a professionally trained religious organisation governed by a hierarchy of leaders which claims everyone in a society as its member.

A)ecclesiae
B)denomination
C)sect
D)established sect

Question 41

Conflict theorists focus on ways in which religion

A)unifies diverse populations.
B)turns people's attention away from social and economic inequality.
C)provides comfort in times of crisis.
D)is an integrative force.

Question 42

_________________ reflects a long-standing ideology that the United States, by virtue of its moral superiority, was destined to expand across the North American continent to the Pacific Ocean and beyond.

A)Manifest destiny
B)Secularism
C)Fundamentalism
D)Civil religion

Question 43

Critics of conflict theory point to _____________ as an example of religion taking an active role to bring about political and economic justice.

A)civil religion
B)secularisation
C)liberation theology
D)Calvinism

Question 44

Marx maintained that religion is

A)a positive force.
B)not necessary.
C)similar to a sedative.
D)a liberating force.

Question 45

Durkheim argued that _______________ is a reality from which everything that matters to us flows.

A)religion
B)the sacred
C)society
D)the profane

Question 46

Marx focused on the __________ of religion.

A)humane qualities
B)comforting qualities
C)functional qualities
D)exploitive qualities

Question 47

People embrace religion in the face of uncertainty and draw on religious doctrine and rituals to comprehend the meaning of life and death and to cope with misfortunes and injustices.From a functionalist perspective, these are examples of

A)the legacy of manifest destiny.
B)civil religion.
C)the social functions of religion.
D)the sacred nature of religion.

Question 48

During the Cold War, the economic and political beliefs central to US and Soviet life assumed a sacred quality that unified and motivated each side to sacrifice millions of human lives at home and abroad in the name of those principles.Sociologists would argue that these economic and political beliefs qualify as a

A)church.
B)civil religion.
C)sect.
D)ecclesiae.

Question 49

Durkheim concluded that

A)religion is a disruptive force.
B)the 'something out there' that people worship is society.
C)the 'something out there' must be God.
D)religion is the 'opiate of the people.'

Question 50

Renegades from denominations or ecclesiae that have existed long enough to acquire a large following and widespread respectability are known as

A)ecclesiae.
B)denominations.
C)sects.
D)established sects.

Question 51

Critics of the functionalist perspective on religion maintain that it

A)overemphasises religion's unifying, bonding and comforting functions.
B)overemphasises religion's repressive, constraining and exploitative qualities.
C)defines religion as ultimately problematic.
D)overlooks the order and stability functions.

Question 52

Sunni and Shia branches of Islam are known as

A)denominations.
B)established sects.
C)sects.
D)cults.

Question 53

Marx argued that religion would be unnecessary in a ___________________ society.

A)utopian
B)truly classless or propertyless
C)secular
D)faith-based

Question 54

Durkheim maintained that for the individual, society is the reality from which everything that matters to us flows.He used this argument to support his belief that

A)people embrace religion in the face of uncertainty.
B)it is impossible to define religion.
C)the something out there that people worship is actually society.
D)there are no religions that are false.

Question 55

Critics of Durkheim's definition of religion argue that

A)he was an atheist and not qualified to study religion.
B)his underlying assumptions about how to approach the study of religion are wrong.
C)the combination of characteristics Durkheim attributed to religious activity can be found in many 'nonreligious' activities.
D)he failed to make a clear distinction between the sacred and the profane.

Question 56

The major criticism of the conflict perspective is that religion should not be viewed as an opium if only because of

A)liberation theology.
B)civil religion.
C)secularisation.
D)modern capitalism.

Question 57

Functionalists maintain that religion must serve some vital social function because

A)there are very few atheists in the world.
B)all people turn to religion in times of deep distress.
C)some form of religion has existed as long as humans have been around.
D)people who communicate with their God find extraordinary strength.

Question 58

If religion were truly an integrative force

A)there would be no conflict or tensions among religious groups within the same society.
B)everyone would have the same religion.
C)there would be fewer struggles between the political and the religious.
D)everyone would be a member of a religion.

Question 59

In his State of the Union Address on 07 January 1991, President George Bush said, 'We know why the hopes of humanity turn to us.We are Americans; we have a unique responsibility to do the hard work of freedom.And when we do freedom works.' His statement appeals to sentiments associated with

A)civil religion.
B)cults.
C)secularisation.
D)mystical religion.

Question 60

The belief that the United States has a divine mission to serve as a democratic model to the rest of the world is part of the political doctrine known as

A)shock and awe.
B)divine power.
C)manifest destiny.
D)profane ideology.

Question 61

For the most part, Muslims in the Middle East associate secularisation with

A)an increase in scientific understanding.
B)modernisation.
C)exposure to the most negative of western values.
D)fundamentalism.

Question 62

__________________ emphasises the basic illusory character of worldly life and regards the highest religious aspirations to be released from the material demands of the everyday world.

A)Islam
B)Confucianism
C)Buddhism
D)Judaism

Question 63

Which one of the following is not a characteristic of fundamentalist thought?

A)A belief in the timeless truth of sacred writing.
B)History is a process of decline from an original ideal state.
C)Religious behaviour and beliefs should not interfere with the secular aspects of society.
D)Sacred writings provide a blueprint for how to live life.

Question 64

The statement 'For the individual, society is the reality from which everything important flows' is most closely associated with

A)Karl Marx.
B)Émile Durkheim.
C)Max Weber.
D)W.E.B.DuBois.

Question 65

The belief that __________ placed great pressure on Calvinists to find some sign of salvation.

A)people have free will
B)people could change their fate if they worked hard enough
C)God foreordained all things
D)not everyone could be saved

Question 66

Weber maintained that the Protestant ethic

A)caused capitalism to come into being.
B)led to the rise of fundamentalism.
C)was a significant force in the emergence of capitalism.
D)must be present in a society if it is to achieve economic success.

Question 67

The statement 'The true object of religious worship is society' is most closely associated with

A)Karl Marx
B)Émile Durkheim
C)Max Weber
D)W.E.B.DuBois

Question 68

Critics of the conflict perspective on religion argue that religion

A)is the sigh of an oppressed creature.
B)is an opiate.
C)has been used as a vehicle to protest inequalities.
D)can be twisted to serve the interest of the dominant group.

Question 69

__________ is the belief that God has preordained all things.

A)This-worldly asceticism
B)Religion
C)Fatalism
D)Predestination

Question 70

The 'X' in the name Malcom X signifies

A)danger.
B)the rejection of a slave name.
C)resistance to white power.
D)the tenth person.

Question 71

Weber maintained that once capitalism became established, religion would become a(n) ________________ factor in maintaining the system.

A)necessary, but not sufficient
B)increasingly insignificant
C)sufficient
D)increasingly important

Question 72

Siphiwe believes that God has foreordained all things including the salvation or damnation of individual souls.This belief is known as

A)liberation theology.
B)secularisation.
C)predestination.
D)fundamentalism.

Question 73

__________ is a process by which religious influences on thought and behaviour are reduced.

A)Secularisation
B)Fundamentalism
C)Predestination
D)This-worldly asceticism

Question 74

Max Weber was interested in understanding the role of religious beliefs in the origins and development of

A)the Protestant ethic.
B)liberation theology.
C)modern capitalism.
D)socialism

Question 75

The statement 'A belief in the doctrine of predestination created a crisis of meaning among Calvinist adherents' is most closely associated with

A)Karl Marx.
B)Émile Durkheim.
C)Max Weber.
D)W.E.B.DuBois.

Question 76

In his book The Protestant Ethnic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Weber asked

A)what are the function of religion for human existence?
B)why did modern capitalism emerge and flourish in Europe rather than China or India?
C)why did Islam, Christianity and Judaism originate in the Middle East?
D)why were India and China dominant civilisations at the end of the 16th century?

Question 77

The statement 'Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the sentiment of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions' is most closely associated with

A)Karl Marx.
B)Émile Durkheim.
C)Max Weber.
D)W.E.B.DuBois.

Question 78

__________ was a vehicle of protest or change as people protested against apartheid.

A)Liberation theology
B)African Traditional Religion
C)The Dutch Reform Church
D)Islam

Question 79

________________ is a belief in the timeless nature of sacred writings and the belief that such writings apply to all kinds of environments.

A)Fundamentalism
B)Predestination
C)Secularisation
D)Subjective secularisation

Question 80

According to The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, the calculating orientation among Calvinists grew out of

A)ideas about the sacred and profane.
B)doctrines of this-worldly asceticism and predestination.
C)modern capitalism and specialisation.
D)alienation and false consciousness.