Deck 16: Religion

Question 1

Any set of coherent answers to the dilemmas of human existence that makes the world meaningful is called:

A) a church
B) a cognitive map
C) an ideology
D) a religion

Answer 1

a religion

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of religion?

A) It focuses on activities and questions that are not dealt with by other cultural institutions.
B) It is a set of coherent answers to the dilemmas of human existence that make the world meaningful.
C) It is a system of beliefs and rituals that serves to bind people together into a social group.
D) It meets the spiritual needs of individuals.

Answer 2

It focuses on activities and questions that are not dealt with by other cultural institutions.

Question 3

Which of the following terms describes phenomena that are regarded as extraordinary, transcendent, and outside the everyday course of events?

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

Answer 3

the sacred

Question 4

A holy person, religious texts, and places of worship are examples of:

A) religiosity
B) ritual
C) the profane
D) the sacred

Question 5

The term used to describe phenomena that are not considered sacred is:

A) holy
B) mundane
C) profane
D) secular

Question 6

Baseball, science and technology, and amusement parks are all examples of the:

A) mundane
B) profane
C) sacred
D) secular

Question 7

A formal pattern of activity that expresses symbolically a set of shared meanings is a:

A) belief
B) denomination
C) religion
D) ritual

Question 8

Confirmation, bar mitzvah, baptism, and the Fast of Ramadan are all examples of religious:

A) creeds
B) dogma
C) rituals
D) sacrifices

Question 9

A theocracy is characterized by which of the following:

A) religious leaders have the power to control elected officials
B) the executive branch of the government is the only one controlled by religious leaders
C) secular states have been transformed into theocracies
D) church leaders cannot be elected.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of a theocracy?

A) Iran
B) China
C) South Africa
D) United States

Question 11

In early agrarian societies, the priests were powerful because:

A) people were extremely superstitious
B) they controlled the military
C) they owned a great deal of land
D) they were the only literate group

Question 12

The process by which the dominance of religion over other institutions is reduced is termed:

A) entropy
B) hypertrophy
C) ritualization
D) secularization

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT an indicator of the process of secularization?

A) a decrease in the importance of religion in the arts
B) an increase in the number of religious programs on television
C) removal of education from the control of religious institutions
D) separation of church and state

Question 14

All of the following historical events have been identified as important in the differentiation of cultural institutions from the church EXCEPT the:

A) development of capitalism
B) Enlightenment
C) Renaissance
D) revolutions of the eighteenth century

Question 15

Which of the following belief systems was not included in Weber's list of "world religions"?

A) Confucianism
B) Hinduism
C) Islam
D) Taoism

Question 16

A religion characterized by a belief in the power of an impersonal supernatural force, where all natural phenomena are part of a single force is called:

A) animism
B) deism
C) rationalism
D) simple supernaturalism

Question 17

An example of simple supernaturalism is:

A) "May the force be with you!"
B) the belief that all aspects of the earth are inhabited by gods or supernatural powers
C) the religious pantheon of the Greeks and Romans
D) Transcendental Meditation

Question 18

Buddhism and Confucianism take the religious form of:

A) abstract ideals
B) theism
C) animism
D) supernaturalism

Question 19

Animism is a form of religion in which:

A) gods are separate from humans
B) all forms of life are inhabited by gods
C) there are numerous gods
D) beliefs are outside religious institutions

Question 20

A religious system that believes all forms of life and all aspects of the earth are inhabited by gods or supernatural powers is called:

A) animism
B) deism
C) pantheism
D) simple supernaturalism

Question 21

All of the following are examples of people with animistic religious systems EXCEPT:

A) jungle Indians of South America
B) Native Americans
C) the Aborigines of Australia
D) the ancient Hebrews

Question 22

A religious belief system conceiving of gods as separate from humans and other living things on earth but yet responsible for them is termed:

A) agnosticism
B) atheism
C) simple supernaturalism
D) theism

Question 23

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have in common:

A) a common heritage with Hinduism
B) a quest for the experience of godliness through meditation and awareness
C) the belief in one god
D) the belief in simple supernaturalism

Question 24

Religions focusing on a quest for the experience of godliness within the self through meditation and awareness are termed:

A) abstract ideals
B) animism
C) simple supernaturalism
D) theism

Question 25

Buddhism is an example of:

A) abstract ideals
B) animism
C) simple supernaturalism
D) theism

Question 26

Certain collections of social and political beliefs and the rituals for communicating those beliefs that exist outside traditional religious institutions are termed:

A) abstract ideals
B) animism
C) civil religion
D) patriotism

Question 27

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the relationship between religious systems and social change?

A) Religion is always an agent fostering social change.
B) Religion sometimes impedes and sometimes encourages social change.
C) Religious systems have little or no effect on the processes of social change.
D) The character of religious institutions is an outgrowth of changes in the economy.

Question 28

Marx said that religion was "the opiate of the people." By this he meant that:

A) people use drugs as a part of their worship
B) people use religion to justify their behavior
C) religion deludes people into accepting their situation
D) religion is an unimportant pastime

Question 29

Which of the following statements best reflects Weber's view of the relationship between religion and social change?

A) Capitalist economic systems were crucial in the rise of the Protestant Reformation.
B) Generally speaking, religious systems are stubbornly resistant to change.
C) Religious systems are the outcome or reflection of changes in other institutions.
D) The Protestant Reformation was an important influence on the development of capitalist economic systems.

Question 30

Sister Gertude Morgan's art was

A) a form of private communication between herself and her God
B) an expression of African-American family structure
C) a vehicle to promote her celebrity
D) a means of expressions of southern religiosity

Question 31

Which of the following terms is used by Robert Bellah to refer to a collection of beliefs and rituals that exist outside religious institutions?

A) civil religions
B) private religions
C) social religions
D) temporary religions

Question 32

In the United States the Pledge of Allegiance, reverence for the flag, and standing up for the National Anthem are elements of the nation's:

A) civil religion
B) secular religion
C) social religion
D) temporary religion

Question 33

Max Weber defined world religions as those that:

A) bind people together into a coherent group
B) determine systems of life-regulation
C) make a distinction between the sacred and the profane
D) offer an explanation for human pain and suffering

Question 34

Religion as a fully differentiated institution developed in which of the following societies?

A) agrarian
B) horticultural
C) hunting-gathering
D) horticultural.

Question 35

What is meant by the statement, "Religion in the United States is increasingly voluntaristic"?

A) People are more likely to choose their religion just because their parents did.
B) People are more likely to join a group that upholds their particular moral standards.
C) People who engage in volunteer activities are more likely to be religious.
D) Religious people are more likely to be community volunteers.

Question 36

A religious organization that has strong ties to the larger society is a:

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

Question 37

A religious organization that rejects the beliefs and practices of existing churches is a:

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

Question 38

Which of the following statements about sects is NOT true?

A) They form when a small group of church members splits off to form a rival organization.
B) They reject the religious beliefs of the more institutionalized churches.
C) They require strong commitment on the part of their members.
D) They tend to be highly bureaucratized.

Question 39

The major difference between a church and a sect is that:

A) A church permits less religious freedom among its members.
B) A sect tends to have a larger membership than a church.
C) Church members have a greater sense of religious commitment.
D) Sects draw their membership from a smaller social pool than do churches.

Question 40

A religious organization that is on good terms with the institution from which it developed but must compete with similar organizations for members is:

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

Question 41

A major difference between a sect and a denomination is that denominations:

A) are more isolated from other religious organizations
B) demand greater commitment from their members
C) have fewer members
D) tend to remain on good terms with the religious institutions from which they developed

Question 42

An entirely new religion whose members hold beliefs and engage in rituals that differ from those of existing religions is a:

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

Question 43

Christianity began as a:

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

Question 44

Established religions often absorb cults and sects through the process of:

A) amalgamation
B) assimilation
C) co-optation
D) hypertrophy

Question 45

According to Max Weber, churches tend to justify the presence of inequality because:

A) inequality is essential to social stability
B) members of the clergy are recruited from the upper class
C) they must appeal to people of all classes
D) they are controlled by the members of the upper class

Question 46

Sects generally are formed for any of the following reasons EXCEPT:

A) appeal by a charismatic leader
B) class conflict
C) corruption on the part of church leaders
D) dissatisfaction with the interactions that occur in more established organizations

Question 47

The Branch Davidians' beliefs were found to be a

A) a part of the Roman Catholic Church
B) an unconventional variant of the Seventh-Day Adventist church
C) a brainwashed group led by radical religious leaders
D) a branch of the Church of Scientology

Question 48

The depth of a person's religious feelings is termed:

A) moral commitment
B) religiosity
C) religious commitment
D) religious internalization

Question 49

When Americans are asked their religious affiliation, the most frequent response is

A) Jewish
B) None
C) Protestant
D) Roman Catholic

Question 50

Over the last two generations, the number of people who identify themselves as Protestants has declined as a result of:

A) conversion to other religions
B) governmental encouragement of secularization
C) the high divorce rate
D) upward mobility

Question 51

In the United States, the increasing proportion of people who identify themselves as Catholics can be attributed largely to:

A) a decrease in the identification with other religions
B) increased intermarriage between Catholics and Protestants
C) increased rates of conversion from Judaism
D) the growing Hispanic population

Question 52

Which of the following statements about religious affiliation in the United States over the past fifty years is correct?

A) The number of people who identify themselves as Roman Catholic has decreased.
B) The percentage of people who identify themselves as Protestants has increased.
C) There has been an increase in church attendance.
D) There has been no change in religious affiliation in the last two decades.

Question 53

Jews tend to be found in the greatest numbers in:

A) major metropolitan areas
B) medium-sized cities
C) the South
D) the suburbs of smaller cities

Question 54

Which of the following statements about church attendance is TRUE?

A) Data on church attendance support the increasing secularization of American society.
B) For some major religions, church attendance has been increasing for four decades.
C) Jews have the lowest weekly attendance rate.
D) Protestants have a higher weekly attendance rate than Catholics.

Question 55

One result of the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of religion, is:

A) increased religious conflict
B) religious pluralism
C) secularization
D) separation of church and state

Question 56

The Bible Belt is dominated by which denomination?

A) Presbyterian
B) Methodist
C) Baptist
D) Catholic

Question 57

In west Texas communities, there is a transition to higher levels of membership in which denomination?

A) Baptist
B) Lutheran
C) Catholic
D) Mormon

Question 58

The Black church in the U.S. is undergoing a transformation triggered by:

A) the urbanization of blacks
B) the migration of blacks to the north
C) changes in the class structure
D) integration by blacks into American society

Question 59

In the United States, the rise of religious fundamentalism is part of an effort to:

A) change the religious thoughts of the nation
B) compensate for those seeking more and more freedom
C) make spiritual sense of their world
D) challenge those in the secular part of society

Question 60

In the United States, major religions and denominations are facing conflict and controversy over issues of:

A) divorce
B) sexuality
C) rapidly increasing congregations
D) decline in attendance at worship services

Question 61

Religious believers and their leaders who are devoted to the strict observance of ritual and doctrine are called:

A) devout
B) extremists
C) fanatics
D) fundamentalists

Question 62

Which of the following was NOT a consequence of the emergence of the black church in the United States, according to E. Franklin Frazier?

A) It became a vehicle for expressing intense feelings.
B) It served as an arena in which blacks learned how to compete for power.
C) It served to organize the black community.
D) It served to reinforce the institution of slavery.

Question 63

Urbanization has had several effects on the organization of black religion. Which of the following is NOT among those effects?

A) The church became more secular.
B) Many middle-class blacks became members of Presbyterian, Episcopalian, and Congregational churches.
C) Storefront churches grew in number and popularity.
D) The church became more important in the lives of blacks.

Question 64

Ammerman's research on Baptist fundamentalists found all of the following to be characteristic of most of this group EXCEPT:

A) had moved from farm to city
B) high school or less education
C) middle income people
D) mostly blue collar workers

Question 65

Members of the Islamic faith reside primarily in:

A) China
B) Arab States of the Middle East
C) North Africa
D) India

Question 66

Social change in Islam countries is attributed to:

A) old fashioned ideas
B) traditional values
C) lack of exposure to technology
D) all of these

Question 67

The marriage form found in Islam is:

A) monogamy
B) polygamy
C) cenogamy
D) polyandry

Question 68

Which of the following is NOT one of the most popular world religions (based on size)?

A) Christianity
B) Islam
C) Judaism
D) Hinduism

Question 69

The two most popular religions in Africa are:

A) Christianity and Judaism
B) Islam and Sikhism
C) Judaism and Islam
D) Christianity and Islam

Question 70

The number of world religions with at least 1 million members is:

A) less than 5
B) 5-10
C) 10-15
D) 15-20

Question 71

Marxism-Leninism is an example of which form of religion?

A) simple supernaturalism
B) theism
C) civil religion
D) abstract ideals

Question 72

What percentage of the U.S. has no religion?

A) 50%
B) 30%
C) 20%
D) 15%

Question 73

Which of the following explains the slow pace of change in the Islamic world?

A) lack of knowledge about the world
B) women's subordinate status
C) lack of economic wealth
D) constant warfare

Question 74

Which of the following statements about the relationship between Islamic orthodoxy and life chances is most true?

A) Women experience high standards of living in Islamic countries because of the equal rights they enjoy.
B) Women in Islamic countries have low life expectancy because they are treated poorly.
C) Sociologists find that while Islamic teachings matter in determining fertility rate and child mortality, the economic conditions of a society matter more.
D) Societies with the most strict versions of Islam have lower life chances regardless of economic conditions.

Question 75

Which of the following is a central tenet of the original teachings in the Quran and the prophet Mohammad according to the Islamic Center of Southern California?

A) Women and men are equal
B) Certain rules and Islamic laws apply only to women
C) A woman must change her name at marriage.
D) Islam allows for multiple different family forms.

Question 76

When analyzing questionnaire responses, sociologists often create _____________ to arrive at a composite score for a particular variable.

A) a response set
B) a scale
C) a table
D) an interview guide

Question 77

A set of statements that fit together conceptually in that they deal with aspects or examples of the same attitude or behavior is called a

A) response set
B) variable
C) scale
D) sample

Question 78

____________ refers to the tendency of respondents to answer all grouped items similarly without giving them much thought.

A) Response set
B) Scaling
C) Sampling
D) Variable

Question 79

Nancy Ammerman's composite score of Fundamentalist Beliefs is known as a

A) response set
B) variable
C) interview study
D) scale

Question 80

Which of the following statements about religion in the U.S. is NOT true?

A) People are less likely to practice a religion simply because their parents did so.
B) People are more likely than ever to join a religious group that appeals to their desire for membership in a community of like minded peers.
C) People are more likely to participate in an unofficial religion.
D) People disapprove of pluralism in general.