Religious organisations

Troeltsch disringuished between two types of religious organisations: the church and the sect.

Churches (e.g. Catholisicm and Islam)

• Large organisations, oftens with millions of members
• Members are usually born into the organisation
• Run by a bureaucratic hierarchy of professional priests
• Claim to have a monopoly of truth 
• Universalistic - Claim to include the whole of society
• Tend to be ideologically conservative and are linked to the state
• Tend to make very few demands upon their members

Sects (e.g. Westboro Baptist Church)

• Small
• Exclusive 
• Hostile to wider society
• Expect high levels of commitment from…