An Alternative to Church-Sect

Abstract

Criticism of the church-sect typology leads to the conclusion that a multidimensional model of analysis needs to replace the typological method. A proposed alternative is founded on the proposition that religious institutions organize religious experience into structures of authority, which can be analyzed along four dimensions-symbolism, structure, intensity, and pervasiveness. Various uses of this method are suggested and two cases are evaluated by it. An argument is advanced that the method may have the cross-cultural applicability which church-sect theory has lacked.