1. When Max Weber referred to "ideal types," he meant
a. the best or preferred pattern of social organization, in the opinion of sociologists.
b. the best or preferred pattern of social organization, in the view of the members of the society.
*c. conceptual classification of social phenomena into categories in order to make comparisons and contrasts.
d. the modal or most frequently observed social pattern found in a given society.

2. According to Troeltsch and Niebuhr, universalism is a characteristic of
a. a new religious movement.
b. a sect.
*c. a church.
d. an audience cult.
e. a client cult.

3. Niebuhr contends that the denomination stage of organization occurs
a. after sect and before cult stage.
b. after cult and before sect stage.
c. after the cult and before the church stage.
*d. after the sect and before the church stage.
e. none of the above; these are not "stages" but permanent modes of organization.

4. The major contribution of Yinger's typology over earlier formulations for church-sect models is that
a. it includes far more variables than any previous typology.
*b. it emphasizes the dynamic process of evolution while stressing that the change may be multilinear.
c. it limits the defining characteristics of church, denomination, and sect to theological ones, making for greater clarity.
d. it proves that sects are not always in conflict with the values of the larger society.
e. all of the above.

5. A main, long-standing criticism of the church/sect typology is that
a. the basic idea is more than 100 years old and, thus, outdated.
*b. the typology tends to incorporate a wide range of characteristics, mixing theological and social elements and confusing defining characteristics with causal and consequential variables. Thus there is no consensus about the meaning of the concepts.
c. the entire approach is fundamentally flawed because "ideal types" are useless.
d. the model is incapable of showing that change can occur in a religious group.
e. all of the above.

6. Yinger created a typology that attempted to simplify the church-sect construct, using fewer variables. Yinger's model stresses
a. fundamentalist vs. modernist theology, formality of worship, and exclusiveness of membership.
b. size of the group, formality of worship, and exclusiveness of membership.
c. fundamentalist vs. modernist theology, formality of worship, and extent of institutionalization.
d. only extent of institutionalization.
*e. exclusiveness or openness of membership, conflict with or accommodation to the larger society's values, and extent of institutionalization.

7. A sect is a religious group that
*a. attempts to renew early principles of a religious tradition, but finds itself in tension and conflict with core values of the dominant society.
b. has an heretical ideology.
c. compromises the traditional values of the faith in order to accommodate to contemporary social values and ideas.
d. is small and is headed by a charismatic leader.
e. has a more complex organizational structure than a denomination.

8. In terms of open systems theory, which of the following is the most closed type of social system?
a. Ecclesia
b. Church
*c. Sect
d. Denomination
e. All of the above are very closed systems.

9. Niebuhr identified four elements that he believed contributed to the break-off of sects from denominations. Which of the following is NOT one of these?
a. Some sects are expressions of ethnic values and national loyalties, with ethnicity separating Christians into different groups.
b. Some sects are expressions of a desire for religious groups that are smaller, more informal, and less under the control of a professional clergy and bureaucratic organization.
c. Sectarian movements may be spawned by a desire for more spontaneity and more emotional expression in worship, with less routinization and less intellectualizing.
*d. Sectarian movements are usually internal arguments among religious people over theological matters and interpretations of doctrine.
e. Some sects arise in response to socioeconomic inequality, with churches and denominations serving the self-interests of the affluent, and sects responding to the needs and concerns of the poor.

10. A central issue in defining a NRM or cult is
a. the social class of the membership.
b. group size.
c. the style of worship.
d. whether the group has an autocratic leader who uses mind control techniques.
*e. whether the group is initiating a new religious tradition rather than renewing a long-standing religion in that society.

11. Social characteristics (of groups and of the larger society in which the groups exist) can influence the likelihood of religious schisms and the character of each group's evolution. All of the following are identified in your textbook as factors that can influence the nature of religious schisms EXCEPT
a. how the larger society responds to this new group.
b. whether the host society has a policy of separation of church and state.
c. the internal belief system of the group regarding the nature of good and evil.
d. whether the economy of the host country is expanding or stagnant.
*e. whether the leader of the group has the same ethnicity as the majority of the members.

12. The early Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints) were an example of a
*a. NRM.
b. denomination.
c. church.
d. sect.
e. ecclesia.

13. Which of the following would be an example of a sect-like group in contemporary North America?
a. Roman Catholicism
b. Reformed Jews
c. United Presbyterians
*d. Jehovah's Witnesses
e. Episcopalians

14. Loosely-knit quasi-religious movements based on mass media appeals to "consumers" (such as astrology promoters) are referred to Bainbridge and Stark as
a. established sects.
b. charismatic sects.
c. client cults.
d. institutionalized cults.
*e. audience cults.

15. Sects and NRMs are alike in a number of ways. The one statement listed below that is NOT true is
a. both rebel against some predominant cultural values.
b. both typically lack formally trained professional leaders.
c. both lack a bureaucratic structure.
*d. both draw their membership overwhelmingly from the lower classes.

16. Despite similarities, sects and NRMs have somewhat different forces that shape their development. Which of the following is NOT supported by evidence regarding these two types of groups?
a. Sects are more likely to form in regions where traditional forms of religion are well established.
b. NRMs are likely to form in geographical areas where traditional forms of religion are weak.
*c. The desire for legitimacy may pull a sect toward becoming New Religious Movement.
d. Hostile, stigmatizing forces that are directed toward a sect may push the group toward becoming an NRM.

17. Which of the following is necessary for sects and NRMs if they want to survive beyond the lifetime of the group’s founder?
a. Trained professional leaders.
b. Stringent membership policy.
*c. Institutionalization.
d. Appeal to the middle and upper classes.

18. Which of the following is NOT true about NRMs, denominations, and ecclesia (churches)?
*a. Churches tend to be exclusive groups with a highly selective membership.
b. Churches tend to adjust to, compromise with, and support existing values of society.
c. If they survive over time, NRMs are likely to evolve into new religions rather than into denominations.
d. Sects and NRMs both tend to be less institutionalized than denominations or churches.
e. The general movement from sect toward ecclesia is multi-linear, with several different paths of evolution possible.

19. Which of the following is NOT a factor leading to the evolution of sects into “established sects” rather than into denominations?
a. Whether the sect’s definition of evil is considered to be at the individual level or at the societal level.
*b. The resources that are available to the group.
c. How closely the group’s belief system coincides with the dominant belief system of the host society.
d. The state of the economy.
e. Whether or not the group encourages an ascetic lifestyle.

20. Which of the following is NOT a reason why it is difficult for outsidersincluding researchersto gain access to information about the culture of an NRM?
*a. NRMs are afraid that they may convert outsiders by sharing their viewpoints with them, and they want their group to remain small and personal.
b. Journalists who gained access to their culture have betrayed the trust of the members of NRMs in the past.
c. Members of the NRM think outsiders will not understand them and will ridicule them.
d. NRMs perceive themselves to be involved in a world-saving mission, and speaking with social scientists may be a very low priority.

21. A key point of Roberts's Three-dimensional or "Cube" Model of religious group evolution is that
*a. sect and cult evolution occur along parallel tracks, and social forces may even impel a group to move from one track of evolution to another (i.e. from sect to NRM).
b. sects are more likely to be led by charismatic leaders than are cults.
c. cults are more likely to be hostile to society and are more inclined to be dysfunctional to the mental health of members.
d. religious groups are more usefully analyzed as stable types (i.e. "sects" or "cults") rather than as ever-changing adaptations which can never be definitively pinned down.
e. all of the above.