A Formal Model of Church and Sect

The sociology of religion is an area rich in generalizations but poor in theory. Against this background, economic models offer the hope of better theory and more precise predictions. Previous work has failed to deliver on this promise because of its narrow focus on time and money. This paper gives center stage to normative conduct, an entirely different aspect of religious activity. Churches and sects emerge as analytically distinct modes of religious organization rather than ad-hoc categories. The theoretical consequences of a sectarian orientation include strict behavioral standards, definite conversions, resistance to social change, high levels of religious participation, and lower-class and minority appeal.

[1]  A. Field.  The Future of Economic History , 1987 .

[2]  Myles Wallace,et al.  Women's Work Force Status and Church Attendance , 1984 .

[3]  B. Wilson,et al.  Religion in Sociological Perspective. , 1983 .

[4]  B. Reimer,et al.  Participation Rates in New Religious and Para-Religious Movements , 1982 .

[5]  M. Mcguire,et al.  Religion, the social context , 1982 .

[6]  J. Edwards.  The Social psychology of reading , 1981 .

[7]  Robert W. Balch.  Looking Behind the Scenes in a Religious Cult: Implications for the Study of Conversion , 1980 .

[8]  W. Bainbridge,et al.  Towards a Theory of Religion: Religious Commitment , 1980 .

[9]  J. R. Earle,et al.  The Conception of Sectarian Religion: An Effort at Clarification , 1978 .

[10]  S. H. Long,et al.  Household Allocation of Time and Church Attendance: Some Additional Evidence , 1977, Journal of Political Economy.

[11]  Ronald G. Ehrenberg,et al.  Household Allocation of Time and Religiosity: Replication and Extension , 1977, Journal of Political Economy.

[12]  W. H. Swatos.  Weber or Troeltsch?: Methodology, Syndrome, and the Development of Church-Sect Theory , 1976 .

[13]  J. Hirshleifer.  Price theory and applications , 1976 .

[14]  Ronald G. Ehrenberg,et al.  Household Allocation of Time and Church Attendance , 1975, Journal of Political Economy.

[15]  M. Grossman,et al.  The Demand for Health: A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation , 1974 .

[16]  S. M. Sales.  Economic threat as a determinant of conversion rates in authoritarian and nonauthoritarian churches. , 1972, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[17]  Clifford S. Hill.  FROM CHURCH TO SECT: West Indian Religious Sect Development in Britain , 1971 .

[18]  B. L. Warren.  Socioeconomic Achievement and Religion: The American Case , 1970 .

[19]  P. Hammond,et al.  Religion in social context , 1969 .

[20]  Fritz Dumermuth.  Religion in Sociological Perspective , 1968 .

[21]  Allan W. Eister.  Toward a Radical Critique of Church-Sect Typologizing: Comment on "Some Critical Observations on the Church-Sect Dimension" , 1967 .

[22]  E. Goode.  Some Critical Observations on the Church-Sect Dimension , 1967 .

[23]  R. Stark,et al.  Christian beliefs and anti-Semitism , 1967 .

[24]  Roberta Ash,et al.  Social Movement Organizations: Growth, Decay and Change , 1966 .

[25]  L. T. Wilkins,et al.  Social Deviance: Social Policy, Action, and Research. , 1965 .

[26]  N. Demerath,et al.  Social class in American Protestantism , 1965 .

[27]  L. T. Wilkins.  Social Deviance : Social policy, action and research , 1965 .

[28]  G. F. Jong,et al.  Religious Fundamentalism and Denominational Preference in the Southern Appalachian Region , 1965 .

[29]  C. Glock,et al.  The Religious Factor. , 1962 .

[30]  Benton Johnson,et al.  Sects and society , 1961 .

[31]  B. Johnson.  A Critical Appraisal of the Church-Sect Typology , 1957 .

[32]  A. Downs.  An Economic Theory of Democracy , 1957 .

[33]  R. Dynes.  Church-Sect Typology and Socio-Economic Status , 1955 .

[34]  S. H. Hobbs,et al.  Millhands and Preachers. , 1942 .

[35]  W. R. Forrester,et al.  The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism , 1937 .

[36]  E. Troeltsch.  The social teaching of the Christian churches , 1931 .

[37]  H. Hotelling.  Stability in Competition , 1929 .