Which of the following is a difference between churches and denominations sociology?

A church: is a religious group that accepts the social environment in which it exists. In more plain language, a church is widely accepted by the host culture in which it resides. In America, Protestantism would be a church. It is generally accepted by the whole and is consistent with the culture's values (maybe not traditional Protestantism, but what forms we have of it today). Church may have denominations which are small changes made in the church that are still accepted by the host culture.

A sect: is a religious group the rejects the social environment in which it exists. Now, it's not as extreme as that definition makes it seem. A sect doesn't necessarily share…show more content…
Like churches and sects, Cults are also much more likely to be led by charismatic leaders than are other religious groups and the charismatic leaders tend to be the individuals who bring forth the new or lost component that is the focal element of the cult. Cults, like sects, often integrate elements of existing religious theologies, but cults tend to create more esoteric theologies manufactured from many sources. Cults tend to emphasize the individual and individual peace.
Cults, like sects, can develop into denominations. As cults grow, they bureaucratize and develop many of the characteristics of denominations. Some scholars are hesitant to grant cults denominational status because many cults maintain their more esoteric characteristics. But given their closer semblance to denominations than to the cult type, it is more accurate to describe them as denominations. Some denominations in the U.S. that began as cults include Christian Science Christian and the Nation of Islam.

The difference among these groups is how well the religious group and host culture accept one another. Personally, I do not see much distinction between all these religious groups because they all use a belief system as their common base. Their belief system could be standard

The main difference between denomination and sect is that denominations have a larger membership, a longer history and a wider acceptance than sects.

Both denominations and sects are subgroups of a religion. Many mainstream religions have denominations and sects. A denomination is a subgroup within a religion that has a common name, tradition, and identity, while a sect is an offshoot of a religion or denomination.  Moreover, a denomination can start as a sect, and become a religion over a long period of time.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is a Denomination 
     – Definition, Characteristics, Examples
2. What is a Sect
     – Definition, Characteristics, Examples
3. What is the Difference Between Denomination and Sect
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Church, Denomination, Religion, Sect

What is a Denomination

A denomination is a subgroup within a religion that has a common name, tradition, and identity. Most importantly, it is an established group and has been in existence for many years and is geographically widespread. In religion, the term denomination generally refers to Christian denominations like Eastern Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, and the varieties of Protestantism (Methodist, Baptist, and Episcopalian). Moreover, a religious denomination has slightly different beliefs from other groups that share the same religion. However, they also share many common characteristics.

Figure 01: Main Religions and Denominations in the World

Like Christianity, many religions have denominations. The four branches of Judaism (Orthodox, Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist), as well as the branches of Islam (Sunnism, Shi’ism, Quranism, Sufism, Ibadism, etc.), are all denominations. In the Hindu religion, denominations differ according to the major deity or philosophical belief; these denominations also have distinct cultural and religious practices. Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism are the four major Hindu denominations. Furthermore, Sunni Islam and Roman Catholicism are the two largest denominations in the world.

What is a Sect

A sect is typically an offshoot of a religion or denomination. There are different sociological definitions to describe sects. According to Max Weber and Ernst Troeltsch, who proposed the theory of ‘church-sect typology’, sects are new religious groups that form to protest elements of their parent religion or denomination.

Figure 2: Church-Sect Continuum

Sects are usually break-away groups from religions and tend to be in tension with society. While many beliefs and practices of a sect will overlap with those of the main religion or denomination, some beliefs and practices will be different enough to cause a schism (a formal split within a religious body). For example, the Palmarian Catholic Church, Community of the Lady of All People, the Philippine Independent Church, the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church, and Most Holy Family Monastery are some sects within the Roman Catholic Church.

Furthermore, sects can be a mechanism by which denominations form. Over time, a sect may gain a larger membership, wider acceptance, and larger geographic distribution. However, most sects die out very quickly. It is also important to note that most people view the word sect in a negative light.

Difference Between Denomination and Sect

Definition

A denomination is a subgroup within a religion that has a common name, tradition, and identity, while a sect is an offshoot of a religion or denomination. 

Membership

A denomination has a larger number of members than a sect.

Acceptance

Furthermore, a denomination is more accepted and geographically wider spread than a sect.

Time Period

Denominations usually have a longer history than sects. Although most sects die out quickly, a sect may reach the status of a denomination if it gains more members and receives acceptance among people.

Examples

Eastern Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, and the varieties of Protestantism (Methodist, Baptist, Episcopalian etc.) are denominations of Christianity whereas Community of the Lady of All People, the Philippine Independent Church, the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church, and Most Holy Family Monastery are some sects within the Roman Catholic Church.

Conclusion

In brief, a denomination is a subgroup within a religion that has a common name, tradition, and identity while a sect is an offshoot of a religion or denomination. The main difference between denomination and sect is that denominations have a larger membership, a longer history and a wider acceptance than sects.

What is the difference between church and denominations?

Which of the following is a difference between churches and denominations sociology quizlet?

What is the difference between religion and denominations?

What does denomination mean in sociology?