Niebuhr (1929) argues sects are world rejecting organisations that are the result of schism, where there is a split from an established church because of disagreement over doctrine. Niebuhr argues sects are short lived and within a generation they die out, compromise with the world or abandon their extreme ideas and become a denomination. Niebuhr identifies several reasons for this; the second generation lack the fervour of their parents who consciously rejected the world and joined voluntarily. The “protestant ethic” effect meant that sects that practiced ascetism tended to become prosperous. Members will tend to want to compromise with the world with their new found wealth and thus abandon world rejecting beliefs. Sects with a charismatic leader either collapse on a leader’s death or a more formal bureaucratic leadership will take over; thus transforming the organisation into a denomination.
Stark and Bainbridge (1985) see religious organisations moving through a cycle. The first stage is schism, where there’s tension between the needs of the deprived and privileged members of the church. Deprived members break away to form a world rejecting sect. The second phase is one of initial fervour with a charismatic leadership and tension between the sect’s beliefs and those of wider society. The third phase is denominationalism, where the fervour disappears because of the coolness of the second generation and protestant ethic effect. The fourth stage is establishment, where the sect becomes more accepting and the tension with wider society reduces. In the final stage a further schism results where more zealous or less privileged members break away to found a new sect true to the original message.
However Wilson (1966) argues not all sects follow the sectarian cycle. He argues whether they follow the cycle depends on how they answer the question “How shall I be saved?” Conversionist sects such as evangelicals, whose aim is to convert large numbers of people, are likely to grow rapidly into larger, more formal denominations. Adventist sects such as Jehovah’s witnesses await the second coming of Christ. To be saved they believe they must hold themselves separate from the ungodly world around them. This separatism prevents them compromising to become a denomination. Wilson argues sects such as the Amish and Pentecostalism have survived many generations. Instead of becoming denominations he argues they become established sects. Contrary to Niebuhr’s argument many succeed in socialising children into high commitment, largely by keeping them apart from the world. However Wilson argues globalisation will make it harder for sects to keep themselves separate from the outside world.
On the other hand globalisation will make it easier to recruit in the third world where large numbers of deprived people will be attracted to the message of sects. Success of Pentecostalism is evidence of this. This further shows the growth of religious organisations today.
Since the 1980s there has also been growth of the new age. Heelas (2008) estimates there are 2000 such activities and 150,000 participants in the UK. Many are loosely organised audience or client cults. They are very diverse and put new unconnected ideas together in new combinations. . They include belief in crystals, aliens, yoga and alternative medicine. Heelas (1996) argues there are two common characteristics of the new age. One is self spirituality where new agers seeking the spiritual have turned away from the traditional external religions such as churches and look into themselves to find it. The second characteristic is detraditionalisation where the new age rejects the spiritual authority of external traditional sources such as priests or sacred texts. They instead value personal experience and believe we can discover the truth for ourselves and within ourselves. New age beliefs vary beyond these common features. They can include world affirming qualities that help people succeed in the outer world and world rejecting qualities that allow individuals to achieve enlightenment in their inner world. However, Heelas argues most new age organisations offer both.
The popularity if the new age has been examined by sociologists. John Drane (1999) argues the appeal is a part of the shift to post modern society. A feature of post modern society is a loss of faith in meta-narratives or claims of the monopoly of truth. Science promised a better world but instead gave war and pollution. Thus people lose faith in experts such as scientists and are disillusioned with the churches failure to meet spiritual needs. Resultantly they turn to new age ideas that each of us can find the truth by looking within ourselves.
Contrastingly Bruce (1995) argues the growth of the new age is a feature of the latest phase if modern society, and not post modernity. Modern society values individualism which is a key value to new age beliefs. It’s also an important value among the expressive professions that are concerned with human potential such as social workers. The new age appeals to these groups the most. Bruce notes new age movements are often softer versions of more demanding religions such as Buddhism. It explains why new age movements are often audience or client cults as they make few demands on followers. Bruce sees this new age eclectism or pick and mix spiritual shopping as typical of religion in late modern society. It reflects the consumerist ethos of capitalist society.
Heelas (1996) sees the new age and modernity linked in four ways. They’re a source of identity; in modern society the individual has many different roles, such as work, the family friends ECT. There is little overlap between these roles which results in a fragmented identity. New age beliefs can offer an authentic source of identity. Consumerist culture creates dissatisfaction as it never delivers the promises it offers; the new age offers alternative ways to achieve perfection. Rapid social change in modern society disrupts established norms and values which results in anomie. The new age provides a sense of certainty and truth in the same way as sects. The decline of organised religion in modernity leads to secularisation which removes traditional alternatives to the new age. For example the new age is strongest where church going is the weakest, in California.
In conclusion, sociologists widely argue that the growth of spiritual organisation is down to change. Since the change of the protestant reformation where alternative religions grew in competition with the Catholic Church to modern day social change where consumerism leads to the growth of new ageism. The growth and demise of new religious organisations also depends on people’s needs, when old organisations no longer meet the needs of society, new religions grow as people turn to them seeking fulfilment for their needs.