Types of religious practices: animism, monism, pluralism, sects, cults.

Supernaturalism postulates the existence of non-personalized supernatural forces that influence human events. These non-personalized forces are called mana, which exist in certain objects. Other objects have religious taboos against touching or even looking upon.

Animism: R. Marett put forth the theory of Animatism, which refers to the belief in anything or anybody animate or endowed with life, and that life is considered to have a supernatural power or force.

Naturism: According to Max Müller, the earliest form of religion was probably the worship of nature. The prayers in the Rig Veda convey worship of natural objects in Vedic times. Expressions such as "clouds send rains," "the sun rises and sets," "the moon orbits the earth," and "trees yield fruits" convey the belief in some inherent power in clouds, sun, moon, and trees.

Religious organization: Early theorists like Marx and Weber said religious organizations fall along a continuum, with churches at one end, cults at the other, and sects somewhere in between. But the applicability is doubtful in non-Christian religions. Example: Bhatt in India religious groups - mat, marg, sampradaya, sangh, panth, samaj, ashram, akhara, etc. Usually out of a charismatic leader, leadership vacuum filled by institutionalization.

Church:

• Large well-established religious body, normally formal bureaucratic structure, hierarchy of religious officials, tend to represent conservative face of religion.
• Along with spirituality, develops interests in wealth and temporal power.
• Also establishes interest in social order which legitimizes power, possessions, privileges, and interests.
• Involvement of church in secular matters often led to conflicts in secular-political world.
• Church accommodates itself into secular world and more socially inclusive unlike sects.

Denominations: Grow out of sect and sect grows out of Church. Howard Becker - a denomination is a sect which has cooled down and become an institutionalized body rather than an active protest group. Johnson - line between Church and Denomination is not very clear. Denomination is when sect becomes respectful and becomes large in terms of members, includes middle and upper class. Macionis - Denomination is a Church independent of State - Example: Baptists, Lutherans. Uniquely Legitimate Church Sect Pluralistically Legitimate Denomination Cult Some cults also help in utilitarian needs - example: Osho guided people in their business.

Religious Movements: Roy Wallis Respectable Deviant

Religious pluralism: Steve Bruce - religious pluralism results from a variety of sources and it has undermined the communal basis of religious orthodoxy as well. Peter Berger has linked the growth of pluralistic beliefs to the growing trend of modernization and secularization as pluralistic beliefs undermine the one absolute truth. Bryan Wilson - with pluralization of society, religious values become personal values and no longer remain community values. Atul Kohli - the earlier notion that pluralism breeds tolerance is not correct.