로드니 스타크의 교회(Church), 분파(Sect), 이교(Cult) 이론 이해와 의의: 기독교의 사회적 형태에 대한 종교사회학적 이해 = The Understanding and Meaning of Rodney Stark`s Church, Sect, and Cult

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The purpose of this study is to understand the formation and process of Rodney Stark`s Church, Sect, and Cult. For this purpose, chapter I identifies foundational issues related to the formation of sociology of religion and surveys prior sociological approaches to the Church-Sect process, including those of Max Weber, Ernst Troeltsch, and H. Richard Niebuhr.
Chapter II describes these sociologists` theories about Church-Sect. Weber formed the word `sociology` first and identified the definition of church and sect. According to Weber, the church is a hierarchic, inclusive organization; the sect is democratic and exclusive. Troeltsch extended Weber`s theory by adding the additional criterion of the degree of religious accommodation or compromise with the values of society involved. Sects are negative, with respect to the dominant societal values; the church, meanwhile, achieves its social powers, by compromising crucial ethical or religious values. Niebuhr characterized the sect as a charismatic primary group in tension with the values of the larger society. Niebuhr stressed a dynamism by which sects become churches as they face the dilemma of recruitment and the incorporation of the children of sect members.
Chapter III delineates Stark`s position on church, sect, and cult. Stark criticizes the theories of prior sociologists. He describes the church-like dimension as the power of an individual or group which is positively associated with control of religious organizations and with gaining the rewards available from religious organizations and the sect-like dimension as the power of an individual or group which is negatively associated with accepting religious compensations, when the desired reward exists. For the sect-formation, Stark identifies the reasons behind the schism of religious groups, the social cleavage, and conflicts involved in this process, and issues relating to sect leadership, and external forces. He proposes that when some potential sect leaders expect to increase their rewards by leading a sect movement, they will form a new sect. For the formation of cult, he supplies three models: the psychopathology model, the entrepreneur model, and the subculture-evolution model.
Chapter VI of the present study concludes with an emphasis on the specific contribution of and a critical evaluation of Stark`s theory. This paper also emphasizes the urgent necessity of dealing with new sects in Korea.