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Question 1

Marx proclaimed that religion would disappear when:

a) a new trend of moral individualism became established

b) a socialist revolution removed the need for capitalist ideology

c) church attendance dropped below 15%

d) people came to believe more in science and technology

Question 2

In Durkheim's work, the term 'collective representations' refers to:

a) effervescent ceremonies that create a feeling of belonging

b) images of gods or totems that are widely recognized

c) shared ideas and moral values, often symbolized by an object or figurehead

d) ideological tools used to obscure class divisions

Question 3

Weber said that the 'spirit of capitalism' could be traced back to:

a) the movement towards religious pluralism

b) inspirational Protestant groups who revived religious ideas

c) new religious movements who rejected traditional forms of labour

d) Calvinists who engaged in ascetic practices to gain signs of salvation

Question 4

Secularization involves the two related ideas of:

a) disappointment and disproportion

b) disbelief and disintegration

c) disengagement and disenchantment

d) distribution and distillation

Question 5

An ecclesia is:

a) a religious organization that claims total spiritual authority over its members

b) a church organized around voluntary rather than compulsory membership

c) a sect or cult with a very small following

d) a hierarchy of priests or other spiritual leaders

Question 6

A sect is organised around:

a) beliefs that can be challenged by members, a charismatic leader, and openness to new recruits

b) tolerance towards other religions and the separation of church and state

c) voluntary membership, democratic leadership, and high levels of emotional commitment

d) the idea of the secular world itself as being sacred

Question 7

Herberg's (1955) study of religion in America suggested that:

a) ethnic minorities practised religion to achieve social acceptance in the culture

b) mainstream faiths were becoming increasingly identified with national identity

c) the moral teachings of the main religions were becoming relatively similar

d) all of the above

Question 8

The shift from 'civil religion' to 'common religion' means that:

a) the increasing bureaucracy of the state has made religion only a marginal part of our lives

b) despite the weakening of traditional authority, our everyday lives and 'common sense' remain shaped by religious beliefs and values

c) religious participation in collective worship may have declined, but people still practise their faiths in private

d) people are much more likely to discuss their religious beliefs in public, informal settings

Question 9

World-affirming religions:

a) embrace conventional cultural values but offer new means of achieving them

b) react against the loss of any meaningful religious content in the teachings of churches

c) adopt an attitude of mild disapproval towards mainstream social values

d) reject both the goals and means of conventional society and provide utopian alternatives

Question 10

The Nation of Islam group appealed to:

a) British-born second generation immigrants from the Asian subcontinent

b) White Americans who wanted to convert to Islam

c) African-Americans who felt excluded from the 'ethnic melting pot' in the USA

d) African-Caribbeans who lived in the inner cities and had a distinctive youth culture

Oxford University Press, Online Resource Centre, Chapter 11.

Chapter 11

Instructions