Notes: Sects & Cults | Sociology Mains Optional for UPSC 2024 PDF Download

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Sects and Cults 
Sects 
They are a religious group and stand for those who dissent from the established doctrine. 
 
Stark and Bainbridge- sects are formed as an offshoot of existing religion as a result of division or schism within that 
religion. 
Stark and Bainbridge - Sects can be seen as a possible response to relative deprivation.  
 
Ray Wallis defined sects as deviant groups that see themselves as uniquely legitimate. 
Ray Wallis –people seek salvation in the sense-of-community offered by sects 
Example in the early 1916 the Black Muslim sect provided a possible solution to the problem of poverty and 
unemployment in broken family. 
 
Troeltsch – sects are connected with the lower classes or those who are opposed to state and society 
 
Peter Berger - sects openly reject many of the norms and values of the world and Society. Therefore it is in tension 
with the larger society and closed against it  
 
Max Weber – Sects are most likely to form within groups which are marginal in society and this marginalisation is 
justified through “theodicy of disprivilege” where theodicy means a religious explanation.  
(When marginalized stand up against religious explanations justifying their marginilisation) 
 
Sects tend to arise during a period of rapid social change.  
In this situation traditional norms are disrupted and traditional universe of meaning is undermined.  
Example - Bryan Wilson sees rise of Methodism as a response to rapid social change by the New working class. 
 
Reinhold Niebuhr - Sects could be short lived or could convert into dominant or full-fledged religion depending upon 
the prevailing social condition.  
Rejected by Bryan Wilson- sects do survive for a long time without becoming denominations 
 
Conclusion  
Thus, sects emerge as a contradiction, try to seek remedies, create Counter Culture and alternate ideologies. 
 
Example – Lutheranism, Calvinism, Buddhism, Jainism. 
  
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Sects and Cults 
Sects 
They are a religious group and stand for those who dissent from the established doctrine. 
 
Stark and Bainbridge- sects are formed as an offshoot of existing religion as a result of division or schism within that 
religion. 
Stark and Bainbridge - Sects can be seen as a possible response to relative deprivation.  
 
Ray Wallis defined sects as deviant groups that see themselves as uniquely legitimate. 
Ray Wallis –people seek salvation in the sense-of-community offered by sects 
Example in the early 1916 the Black Muslim sect provided a possible solution to the problem of poverty and 
unemployment in broken family. 
 
Troeltsch – sects are connected with the lower classes or those who are opposed to state and society 
 
Peter Berger - sects openly reject many of the norms and values of the world and Society. Therefore it is in tension 
with the larger society and closed against it  
 
Max Weber – Sects are most likely to form within groups which are marginal in society and this marginalisation is 
justified through “theodicy of disprivilege” where theodicy means a religious explanation.  
(When marginalized stand up against religious explanations justifying their marginilisation) 
 
Sects tend to arise during a period of rapid social change.  
In this situation traditional norms are disrupted and traditional universe of meaning is undermined.  
Example - Bryan Wilson sees rise of Methodism as a response to rapid social change by the New working class. 
 
Reinhold Niebuhr - Sects could be short lived or could convert into dominant or full-fledged religion depending upon 
the prevailing social condition.  
Rejected by Bryan Wilson- sects do survive for a long time without becoming denominations 
 
Conclusion  
Thus, sects emerge as a contradiction, try to seek remedies, create Counter Culture and alternate ideologies. 
 
Example – Lutheranism, Calvinism, Buddhism, Jainism. 
  
 
Cults  
 
With rapid changes taking place in the Industrial society leading to increased individualism, heterogeneity, alienation, 
powerlessness has contributed to the emergence of many voluntary organisations in the metropolitan centres. 
 
One such voluntary organisation is a cult. 
 
Cult is a small group of religious activists whose beliefs are typically esoteric and individualistic. 
 
Ray Wallis – cults are deviant religious organizations that do not claim to have a monopoly on truth.  
(Pluralistically legitimate) 
 
Stark and Bainbridge –cults are new religions or at least new in a particular society (cultural innovation or cultural 
importation).  
Three types  - 
Audience cults- least organized and have little face to face interaction,  
Client cults- more organized and offer services to their followers,  
Cult Movements- more followers and try to satisfy all the religious needs of their followers. 
 
Cult practices appear to satisfy the needs of alienated sections of urban middle class youth. 
 
Cult membership is typically transitory and irregular. People often have different cult memberships  
 
In western societies cults have proliferated in the post war period and often associated with Counter Culture  
 
Weber and Troeltsch - Differentiated between Sect and Cult  
 
Sect Cult 
Strict Membership Voluntary 
Dissent Not necessarily 
Not necessarily in modern societies In modern societies 
Attracts large crowds Smaller in size 
 Often have magico-relogious character 
Uniquely Legitimate Pluralistically Legitimate 
 
Ray Wallis -  
 Respectable Deviant 
Uniquely Legitmate Church Sect 
Pluralistically Legitmate Denomination Cult 
 
 
Page 3


 
Sects and Cults 
Sects 
They are a religious group and stand for those who dissent from the established doctrine. 
 
Stark and Bainbridge- sects are formed as an offshoot of existing religion as a result of division or schism within that 
religion. 
Stark and Bainbridge - Sects can be seen as a possible response to relative deprivation.  
 
Ray Wallis defined sects as deviant groups that see themselves as uniquely legitimate. 
Ray Wallis –people seek salvation in the sense-of-community offered by sects 
Example in the early 1916 the Black Muslim sect provided a possible solution to the problem of poverty and 
unemployment in broken family. 
 
Troeltsch – sects are connected with the lower classes or those who are opposed to state and society 
 
Peter Berger - sects openly reject many of the norms and values of the world and Society. Therefore it is in tension 
with the larger society and closed against it  
 
Max Weber – Sects are most likely to form within groups which are marginal in society and this marginalisation is 
justified through “theodicy of disprivilege” where theodicy means a religious explanation.  
(When marginalized stand up against religious explanations justifying their marginilisation) 
 
Sects tend to arise during a period of rapid social change.  
In this situation traditional norms are disrupted and traditional universe of meaning is undermined.  
Example - Bryan Wilson sees rise of Methodism as a response to rapid social change by the New working class. 
 
Reinhold Niebuhr - Sects could be short lived or could convert into dominant or full-fledged religion depending upon 
the prevailing social condition.  
Rejected by Bryan Wilson- sects do survive for a long time without becoming denominations 
 
Conclusion  
Thus, sects emerge as a contradiction, try to seek remedies, create Counter Culture and alternate ideologies. 
 
Example – Lutheranism, Calvinism, Buddhism, Jainism. 
  
 
Cults  
 
With rapid changes taking place in the Industrial society leading to increased individualism, heterogeneity, alienation, 
powerlessness has contributed to the emergence of many voluntary organisations in the metropolitan centres. 
 
One such voluntary organisation is a cult. 
 
Cult is a small group of religious activists whose beliefs are typically esoteric and individualistic. 
 
Ray Wallis – cults are deviant religious organizations that do not claim to have a monopoly on truth.  
(Pluralistically legitimate) 
 
Stark and Bainbridge –cults are new religions or at least new in a particular society (cultural innovation or cultural 
importation).  
Three types  - 
Audience cults- least organized and have little face to face interaction,  
Client cults- more organized and offer services to their followers,  
Cult Movements- more followers and try to satisfy all the religious needs of their followers. 
 
Cult practices appear to satisfy the needs of alienated sections of urban middle class youth. 
 
Cult membership is typically transitory and irregular. People often have different cult memberships  
 
In western societies cults have proliferated in the post war period and often associated with Counter Culture  
 
Weber and Troeltsch - Differentiated between Sect and Cult  
 
Sect Cult 
Strict Membership Voluntary 
Dissent Not necessarily 
Not necessarily in modern societies In modern societies 
Attracts large crowds Smaller in size 
 Often have magico-relogious character 
Uniquely Legitimate Pluralistically Legitimate 
 
Ray Wallis -  
 Respectable Deviant 
Uniquely Legitmate Church Sect 
Pluralistically Legitmate Denomination Cult 
 
 
 
Therefore cult addresses the sociological, psychological needs of man in an expansionist capitalist modern society, that 
is, it is a new age phenomena. 
Andrew Dawson--due to rapid and large scale industrialization. 
Bruce – due to modernization and urbanisation 
Example Theosophical Society, Osho cult of Rajneesh. 
 
Reasons of Cults in Modern Societies- 
Insecurity – Crisis of social and psychological security 
Conflict – Between traditional and modern social orders.  
Change – Perpetually changing modern societies 
Prevalent inequalities 
“Free-Lunches” offered by cults 
Political Patronage offered owing to populist politics 
Because of Social Media, challenging mainstream religion is becoming easier. 
Gurus seen as middlemen between God and humans 
High levels of illetracy in countries like India