Deck 13: Religion

Question 1

Fasting, sleep deprivation, drugs, and induction of physical pain are used in some religious rituals in order to produce:

A) a belief system.
B) loss of personal identity.
C) an appropriate emotional state.
D) commitment to the organizational structure.
E) a community of believers.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A large group of gods and goddesses within a religion is an example of:

A) polytheism.
B) mana.
C) totem.
D) shaman.
E) animism.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following major religions has the largest number of adherents in the world?

A) Protestant
B) Islam
C) Roman Catholic
D) Hinduism
E) Buddhism

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Religion is:

A) a system of beliefs, practices, and values shared by a group of people.
B) universally-shared wisdom deemed important.
C) absent in some primitive societies.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 5

Marxists see religion as:

A) a source of salvation.
B) a means of limiting education.
C) only for the ruling class.
D) a tool of the upper classes for dominating the lower classes.
E) the source of communism.

Question 6

Which of the following is a major characteristic of magic?

A) It tends to flourish under conditions of uncertainty and fear.
B) It is usually an end in itself.
C) It has scientific attitudes.
D) It depends on a text called the liturgy.
E) It originates in ancient Europe.

Question 7

Sociologically, one finds that all religions:

A) worship a god or gods.
B) utilize magic in their rituals.
C) promote social equality.
D) use some form of sensory-deprivation experience.
E) require some public and shared participation.

Question 8

Which of the following is a function of religion?

A) satisfies individual need
B) provides social cohesion
C) establishes world views
D) provides adaptive consequences
E) all of the above

Question 9

Members of a hunting-and-gathering band believe that a certain sacred spear has the power to draw the prey hunted by the band to its vicinity. Sociologically, one could say that the particular spear possesses:

A) mana.
B) animism.
C) abstract ideals.
D) profane power.
E) soul.

Question 10

Things that are awe inspiring and knowable only trough extraordinary experiences are:

A) profane.
B) sacred.
C) magic.
D) ritual.
E) belief.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT true of monotheism?

A) It has the greatest total number of believers of any type of religion.
B) It includes Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
C) It is centered on impersonal supernatural forces.
D) It is based on the belief in one single god.
E) It shaped the Western tradition.

Question 12

The belief that non-personal forces influence human events is termed:

A) totemism.
B) animism.
C) theism.
D) abstract ideals.
E) supernaturalism.

Question 13

With its focus on achieving a higher level of consciousness through correct ways of thinking and behaving, Buddhism is an example of what type of religion?

A) supernaturalism
B) animism
C) theism
D) religion based on abstract ideals
E) pure monotheism

Question 14

A sociologist would conclude that prayer:

A) is a means for individuals to communicate with supernatural forces.
B) is a free construction of individual beliefs.
C) is best understood when performed by a group in an event.
D) is a Western concept.
E) usually asks a supernatural force for forgiveness.

Question 15

During the Middle Ages, it was common to explain danger, misery, and how the world worked through the use of:

A) magic.
B) astrology.
C) scientific research.
D) priests and priestesses.
E) humans sacrifices.

Question 16

Which of the following concepts describes the belief in spirits or ghosts of ancestors that inhabit animate as well as inanimate objects?

A) supernaturalism
B) animism
C) polytheism
D) monotheism
E) deism

Question 17

In animistic religions, shamans are able to cure illness because they:

A) use powerful medicines.
B) manipulate the populace to believe in their power.
C) have the status of gods.
D) have developed a working knowledge of natural medicines.
E) have a special relationship with the spirits that cause illness.

Question 18

Magic is:

A) a passive activity.
B) in competition with the supernatural.
C) usually a means to an end.
D) more powerful than religion.
E) very effective in a company of true believers.

Question 19

Judaism is an example of a religion based on:

A) animism.
B) monotheism.
C) polytheism.
D) abstract ideals.
E) supernaturalism.

Question 20

Which of the following is an element of religion?

A) prayer
B) ritual
C) belief
D) organization
E) all of the above

Question 21

Which form of religious organization most typically prophesies the end of the world?

A) universal churches
B) ecclesia
C) sects
D) millenarian movements
E) revitalization movements

Question 22

Why does religion help to provide social cohesion in a society, according to the functionalists?

A) Solidarity depends on monetary contributions.
B) It is a vehicle for reaffirming basic shared values.
C) It works as a form of mind control so that people are unaware of alternatives.
D) Time is measured in a group.
E) Leaders insist on state religions.

Question 23

A major criticism of Weber s theory is that:

A) Protestants do not believe in predestination.
B) the work ethic was also found in other contemporary religions.
C) religion has no relationship to the social order in the modern world.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 24

The Church of England, or Anglican Church, is the official church of that country, and its titular head is the King or Queen of England. This would make the Anglican Church a(n):

A) ecclesia.
B) denomination.
C) universal church.
D) sect.
E) officially sanctioned church.

Question 25

Which form of religious organization is most likely to represent and promote the interests of the ruling class?

A) ecclesia
B) denomination
C) sect
D) millennium
E) church

Question 26

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism was written by:

A) Sigmund Freud.
B) Max Weber.
C) mile Durkheim.
D) Karl Marx.
E) Peter Berger.

Question 27

Durkheim asserted that religion:

A) arises from society.
B) arises from outside the society.
C) is the result of natural forces.
D) essentially structures society.
E) will become less important with the modernization of society.

Question 28

A totem is:

A) the spirit of an ancient ancestor.
B) an abstract representation of a god or gods.
C) a special object that supposedly can be traced to the gods.
D) an ordinary object that has become a sacred symbol.
E) an object not understood by most of the community of believers.

Question 29

According to Karl Marx:

A) religion makes humans, humans do not make religion.
B) religious doctrines justify ruling class authority, thus preventing opposition and revolt.
C) religious doctrines can be used to expose ruling class hypocrisy, thus stimulating revolt.
D) religion fails to even provide comfort to the oppressed.
E) religion can be used as an effective tool in the restructuring of society.

Question 30

Lutheranism, Methodism, and Judaism can best be understood as examples of:

A) ecclesia.
B) sects.
C) denominations.
D) cults.
E) state-level churches.

Question 31

Marx maintained religion:

A) greatly reduced alienation among the masses.
B) had little or no impact on society.
C) overestimated the quality of life in a society.
D) encouraged social change.
E) was one of the most alienating influences in a society.

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT a major dysfunction of religion according to conflict theorists?

A) It hinders needed change by justifying the status quo.
B) It conceals the human causes of social problems.
C) It helps to reduce alienation, thereby blocking social change.
D) It limits independent thinking and the search for new knowledge.
E) It can set aside certain groups for persecution.

Question 33

A reason for lack of growth in the Jewish community in the United States is:

A) emigration to new countries where there are more market opportunities.
B) declining birth rates.
C) immigration to Israel.
D) high congenital birth defects.
E) epidemics.

Question 34

How do sects differ from denominations?

A) They are less tolerant of other religious groups.
B) They participate less in secular society.
C) They have beliefs that are less conventional.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 35

Calvinists believed that people could demonstrate that they were among those predestined to be saved by:

A) becoming successful and living in a grand style.
B) becoming successful and saving their money.
C) engaging in frequent prayer and meditation.
D) giving extensive alms to the poor.
E) being stricter in the following of their sacred rituals.

Question 36

Durkheim saw religious ritual as useful in:

A) cementing the social bond between society and the individual.
B) preventing group cohesion.
C) eliminating anxiety from people s lives.
D) counterbalancing legal restrictions imposed on individuals.
E) being the opiate of the masses.

Question 37

Weber said that capitalism:

A) helped Protestantism flourish.
B) contradicts the Protestant ethic.
C) flourished because of Calvinism.
D) promoted polytheism.
E) could not develop except in Protestant countries.

Question 38

Marvin Harris has shown that the Hindu taboo against eating beef ensures:

A) a large supply of cow dung that is a source of fertilizer and fuel.
B) that people eat healthier foods.
C) a large supply of beef for the future, when it will be needed to feed a growing population.
D) that cows do not have to be fed.
E) the continuance of their religion.

Question 39

The Ghost Dance of the Plains Indians is an example of a:

A) millenarian movement.
B) revitalization movement
C) religious sect
D) universal church.
E) cult movement.

Question 40

What is the term for the process by which people lose control over the social institutions they themselves have created?

A) predestination
B) denomination
C) anomie
D) alienation
E) integration

Question 41

Supernaturalism is the belief that non-personal forces influence human events.

Question 42

The belief in divine beings that intervene and shape human affairs is referred to as theism .

Question 43

Although it was old-fashioned, Chris believed that some individuals are predestined for heaven, while others are damned. He worked hard for his business success in hope that he would be one of God s chosen, or at least help the Church carry out God s intentions on earth. Which theorist would talk about how Chris s beliefs shaped his social actions?

A) Marx
B) Durkheim
C) Weber
D) Toby
E) Gross

Question 44

About 25% of American Muslims are African American.

Question 45

Magic has historically been an important part of the Christian religion.

Question 46

Catholics are 25% of the population in the U.S., and have the youngest demographic profiles in membership. Identify one of the forces that helps to account for their growth.

A) immigration from Catholic countries
B) emigration from Catholic countries
C) a high birth rate due to their rejection of birth control
D) a high birth rate due to better medical care in the U.S.
E) conversions from other denominations that have lost members

Question 47

The third largest religion in the United States is Muslim.

Question 48

Robert and Jane believe that the spirit of the Lady of the Lake will return Lancelot s sword to the rightful next king of the country. They visit the lake as a sacred place and look for signs that the lake will give up the sword. This is:

A) animism.
B) deism.
C) sexism.
D) goddess worship.
E) abstract ideals.

Question 49

Formalized social rituals characterize all religions.

Question 50

Religion is a universal human institution.

Question 51

Rituals are patterns of behavior or practices that are related to the sacred.

Question 52

Nidia learned Santeria, a spiritualist religion from Hispanic countries, from her aunt in a popular practice in Brooklyn, New York. People who grew up in the community consult her for remedies to their social, medical, and spiritual problems. She feels that her practice is an important part of her community. Which theorist would talk about the functions of her religion in the community?

A) Marx
B) Weber
C) Toby
D) Durkheim
E) Gross

Question 53

Drug use plays a central role in some religions.

Question 54

A ritual is a practice related to the sacred.

Question 55

Magic involves the ritualistic worship of a god or gods.

Question 56

The overwhelming number of societies practicing theism are monotheistic.

Question 57

All religions provide a means for communicating with supernatural beings or forces.

Question 58

The belief in spirits that inhabit inanimate objects is referred to as polytheism .

Question 59

Although outlawed by the Vatican within the Catholic church, small groups of Catholics hold mass in Latin because they believe it is the language of the true church. They form a(n):

A) millenarian movement.
B) new denomination.
C) animist cult.
D) sect.
E) group of apocalyptic true believers.

Question 60

Functionalists view religion as a way of maintaining or increasing social cohesion.

Question 61

The Catholic Church officially condemns artificial means of birth control, and most American Catholics support this ban.

Question 62

Karl Marx says religion makes man.

Question 63

For many Jews today, identification with the state of Israel has come to be a secular replacement for religiosity.

Question 64

Muslims tend to be socially conservative and support religious education.

Question 65

Among the five most populous countries in the world, the United States has the fewest number of Muslims.

Question 66

Marx s view that the dominant religion of a society is the religion of the dominant class has been borne out by historical evidence.

Question 67

A revitalization movement is a powerful religious movement that seeks to return to the traditional religious values of the past.

Question 68

The United States exhibits much greater religious tolerance than most other societies.

Question 69

The form of religious organization which extends itself to all members of a society and represents all members interests equally is termed an ecclesia.

Question 70

Religion pervaded the social and political goals of the early English-speaking settlers of North America.

Question 71

Not only has church attendance declined since 1960, but today the vast majority of Americans say they have no religious beliefs.

Question 72

Ecumenism refers to the growing trend of religions in the United States to go their separate ways.

Question 73

The transformation of an ordinary object into a sacred symbol was referred to by Durkheim as anomie .

Question 74

More than half of all religiously-affiliated Americans are Protestant.

Question 75

In complex societies, a universal church incorporates only those willing to subscribe to its universal principles.

Question 76

Alienation is the process by which people lose control over the social institutions they themselves have created.

Question 77

Today, religion is less important in the lives of Americans, as can be seen by the fact that only about 22% maintain religious affiliations.

Question 78

Durkheim argued religion was a universal institution found across all societies and cultures.

Question 79

Unlike in Europe, ecumenism has flourished in the United States because the boundaries between denominations here are less rigid and more fluid.

Question 80

The American public has a more favorable view of Muslim Americans than Islam as a religion.