In religion, for instance, denominations may be considered sects. Other academic definitions of the term tend to look at a socio-cultural definition, in that what is it that the group, the sect, is in tension with and why did it believe it had to separate (e.g. The Episcopalians separating over the ordination of a gay Bishop) (Wilson, 1992, 5-9).
Sects also occur in political, social, and cultural groups and, like religious sects, are splinter groups who leave a party or organization because of disagreement on some level. The early International Communist Parties of 1915-1935, for instance had numerous sects. All these were based on the doctrine of Marx & Engles, but took on a slightly different thrust based on location (Russia, China, United States, Great Britain), and whether they believed the 1917 Revolution was carried out properly. One additional definition says that sects, "lay claim to possess unique and privileged access to the truth or salvation and their committed adherent typically regard all those outside the confines of the collectivity as 'in error'" (Wallis, 1975).
At times in history, the term had a negative meaning, at least in Christianity. At times, even though early Christianity began as a Jewish sect, it referred to a group or movement with heretical beliefs that deviated from orthodoxy (Wilson, 1982, 89).
Eschatology -- Eschatology is a part of philosophy and theology that is concerned with initial beliefs, archetypal subjects, and the ultimate destiny of humanity. In theology, this is focused more on a study of Revelations, or the four last things: death, judgment, heaven, and hell (OED, 2010). Within Christian philosophy, eschatology also studies the idea of free will and asking for God's help regarding sin and help with the many issues of daily life traverses thoughts back to the historical Sermon on the Mount, and the resulting Lord's Prayer. It is well documented that the young Augustine was influenced by the writings of Origen, whose writings and commentaries on the availability of God...
This is however untrue because unlike cults, the denomination is neither secret nor does it practice elaborate and questionable rituals. Cults also have fanatic beliefs and like I have pointed out above, are ritualistic in nature. These characteristics of cults are not present in the Jehovah's Witnesses denomination. A look into these wrongly conceived assumptions has led me to the conclusion that Jehovah's Witnesses as a denomination is neither a
Religion the Church of Scientology The first pre-publication excerpt, entitled "Dianetics, A New Science of The Mind," from a new speculative non-fiction work by L. Ron Hubbard appeared in the May 1950 issue of the pulp magazine Astounding Science Fiction. It was prefaced by a note from the magazine's editor stating "I want to assure every reader, most positively and unequivocally, that this article is not a hoax, joke, or anything
Religion and Politics All religions aim to provide a code of life for mankind. Apart from other tenets, this code establishes laws that govern all areas of man's life. Thus the laws established by the religion Islam are termed as Shariah. The term Shariah means all of the Islamic Laws and is derived from four basic sources. These sources are The Holy Quran, Sunnah, Ij'ma (consensus) of the Companions (Sahabah) and
Roman Religion Although the ancient Roman religion might seem a far cry from today';s contemporary context, in reality Roman religion continues to inform and shape Western culture to this day (the celebration of Christmas being one example). While there are a number of literary sources which provide contemporary scholars with information about Roman religions, both in terms of belief and practice, this religions information is encoded into the landscape and physical
An Eclectic Path Although Manly P. Hall is hardly a household word, nor the Philosophical Research Society he helped to found, he was clearly instrumental in showcasing the value of comparative religions. Now that the entire world is interconnected via new media, aware of the vast array of beliefs and religions that characterize human societies, it is more important than ever to recognize the value of people like Manly P. Hall. Hall
Brown’s Cult of Saints The Author’s Argument The argument that Peter Brown makes in The Cult of the Saints: Its Rise and Function in Latin Christianity is that the “cult of saints” was essentially promoted by the cultural leaders of the time—the bishops and elites of society who had a hand in shaping the perceptions of others. Through them, the Church expressed the idea that Heaven and Earth could be joined through
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