Sociology 101 Chapter 15-2

a religious group that has broken away from an established religion

(somethimes called secular religion) practices in which citizenship takes on religious aspects

the term sociologists use (instead of profane) to characterize wordly rather than spiritual things

religious leader whom followers see as having exceptional or superhuman powers and qualities

the belief in the litereal meaning of a sacred text

anything that is not related to religion

(sometimes called a rite) a formal and repeated behavior in which the members of a group regularly engage

term unsed instead of cult by most sociologist

a process of removing instituitons such as education and government from the dominance or influence of religion