RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES
Religion shows in many different shapes and dimensions. Some religious movements require a huge commitment from of their members, others have a very loose structure. Some religious movements operate smoothly in society, others are in constant conflict with the rest of society. And while a few movemnets grow into global movements, most of them come and go without being hardly noticed by the society at large.

The major and the minor
A dominant religion is called a majority religion, and a non-dominant religion is called a minority religion. Majority religions may be dominant because they constitute a majority in terms of the number of members, or because their members belong to society's power elite. In contrast, minority religions are often small or have members belonging to the lower classes of society. The majority religion, such as the established Church of Denmark, is often an integral part of society and exercise a noticeable impact. Majority religions often have special privileges such as financial support and influence on the school system. Minority religions, rarely have any influence on society.

That majority religions are more of an integrated part of society adds to their prestige, and power.  However, they may at the same time be severely affected by secularization. In contrast, minority religions are often persecuted, discriminated against or ignored, but they may be considerably less affected by secularization. The reason is that public pressure has caused the members to move close to each other because they do not have others to lean on. Where sometimes a majority religion is only a religious supplement to the members’ lives, a minority religion often is the focal point of all aspects of its members' lives, which is another reason why minority religions can survive despite discrimination and persecution.

RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION
Religious communities are flexible and grow over time as well as in terms of geography. Due to globalization, for example, religions, before belonging to a specific geographic area, are now found all over the world. It also means that the relationship of the religion to society at large can change. 
Religious organizations can be categorized according to their relation to the surrounding society. For Max Weber, it was crucial that people become members of a church without even asking for it, i.e. through baptism, while it takes an active step to join a sect. It means that churches are big and something anyone can join, while sects are often small because only a special few can join.
The church-sect-typology has been developed over time (and by Western scholars, which explains why the terms are influenced by Christianity), and as it is particularly a question of the extent to which a religious group is accepted or not, this parameter is used for categorization: A “church” thus is a religious organization in harmony with the surrounding society and in support of it.  A “cult”, however, is in conflict with society, and rejects contact with it. The Catholic Church is a good example of a church because it supports the community and anyone can join, while ISCKON (Hare Krishna) is a good example of a sect, as it rejects society and requires active enrolment.
When we categorize religious movements, we must be aware that the categorization is not an end in itself. In some contexts, religious communities can be supportive of society and in other contexts in conflict with society. Similarly, the individual members of a religion may vary from a sectarian approach to a church approach to the outside world.

INDIVIDUAL OR SOCIAL RELIGION?
An individual’s religion is shaped and influenced by many things. Religion never comes in one package as one 'thing', and both historically and today, it varies a lot what kind of religious ideas an individual takes to heart. When questionnaires or field work examine the religion or religiosity of individuals, they therefore need to ask about and examine several different aspects.
Individual members of a religious group are also not just individuals. They are also social agents. The individual's attitudes, feelings, thoughts, and actions are given meaning by the individual himself. But we must be aware that the individual's attitudes, feelings, thoughts and actions are also created in a social context and maintained or amended in a social context. The first, and probably most important, source of religious beliefs is the upbringing in a family. Knowledge of religious rituals and festivals, knowledge of religious norms, acquisition of certain religious ideas, is usually taken care of during the child's upbringing. The sense of identification with a particular religious tradition is thus often closely linked to the individual's upbringing. In post-modern society, where the family plays a minor role, there are a number of other important sources for religious beliefs. Friends, colleagues, lovers and spouses also play a role in individual religious beliefs. When it comes to conversion (conversion from one religious worldview to another), it is mostly the social circles that are decisive for the individual’s change of religious affiliation.

 

INDIVIDUAL RELIGIOSITY
Religious ideas: beliefs in gods, angels, ancestors, demons, ghosts etc.
Religious affiliation: being a Buddhist, a Muslim, a Scientologist
Religious knowledge: knowledge of sacred scriptures, doctrines, rituals, traditions
Religions practices: praying, sacrificing, going to church, participating in festivals
Religious experience: Having experienced visions of angels, felt the presence of a god, communication with diseased people
Religious background: degree of socialization, type of upbringing and instruction, socializing with peers

LIVED RELIGION
The more scholars interview religious individuals, the more it becomes clear that the idea of ​​a given religion as an orderly and nicely defined entity does not match reality. Although many religions have creeds, dogmas and rules defining one as “a real" Jew/Hindu/Buddhist/Muslim/Christian, post-modern society does not have one single institution that has the power to determine 'correctness' of the individual’s religious concepts. The question is also whether the idea of past religious uniformity has been exaggerated. Presumably, medieval people also had quite different ideas about their religion. In Denmark, it is now common to be a member of the Church of Denmark, while also attending hatha yoga classes, reading horoscopes, having a Buddha figurine on the coffee table and a dream catcher by the bed. The mix of Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Native American religion is, in principle, impossible, if we stick to the official version of a religion, but in reality, mixed religious traditions are unproblematic for the individual practitioners.

Therefore, one can distinguish between official religion and unofficial religion. In the official religion, there are rules for where and how a ritual may be performed, how a particular god is to be worshipped, and what it is allowed to believe. Most often, it has been the religious elite, who at some point in history have decided creeds, established rituals, and decided what is required to perform the rituals. However, many religions require extensive knowledge and long education before the individual can meet the standards of the official religion. Unofficial versions of religions have always existed. Beliefs in demons and ghosts, the use of amulets, including for example the use of the Bible as a magical protection, has also been common earlier. In unofficial versions of a religion, everything that has not been written down and defined as “real religion” may be included. Therefore, they are often referred to as “popular religion”, “folk religion” ' or “superstition”. Nevertheless, they are practiced as much - or maybe more - than the official versions of religions. When we examine lived religion, religion, as it is described and practiced by ordinary people in their daily life, then we get another picture of what a religion may be about than if we read the classical texts written by religious experts. Robert Orsi (1953) emphasizes that the two forms of religion exist side by side. When the goal is to find out what a religion 'is', it is important to consider both dimensions.

Didactical comments and proposals
Task A are meant to contribute to the students' knowledge of the difference between major and minor religions in society and of official and unofficial religion.

As a final exercise for the whole module, the students can try to investigate the relationship between individuals, society and religion by making their own observations in the field (Task B - below).

Task B:

1. The students investigate a local religious community (e.g. Christian church). The students are divided into groups and each group makes one of the following exercises (be aware to guide the students to behave correctly when interviewing or observing people – see below):
   • Make a questionnaire asking a greater number of the community about their belief.
   • Make an interview with the religious leader (e.g. priest) about his/her belief.
   • Make an interview with one or more members of the community about their belief.
   • Observe a religious ritual (e.g. a service) and make notes about what is happening, who is participating etc.
2. The groups present their observations at class and compare the results:
   (the following questions are only examples – find others or more)
   • What are the differences relating to the methods?
   • What is your impression of e.g. the organization, belief and rituals of the community?
   • Are there any differences between the ordinary members and the religious leader according to belief, and if so what are the differences?
   • Discuss what the results tell about official and unofficial religion.
   • Etc.

The benefits of supplementing the use of written sources with participant observation, interviews and questionnaires are many. We see how people actually behave, both on a daily basis and in special situations. We also learn what importance people attribute to their religious beliefs and acts. We learn something that covers the entire population. Last, but not least, we get the opportunity to deal with both “ordinary” people as well as with the religious experts who usually writes the texts used for analysis.

Before trying some of the methods, the students should be given some methodological tips – as suggested below:

TIPS TO PARTICIPATION OBSERVATION
• Make an appointment with whomever you wish to study. Do not show up uninvited.
• Respect your hosts: Adhere to dress codes, be sensitive to unwritten rules
• Sit in a quiet corner to allow a comprehensive view of as much as possible.
• Take notes as unobtrusively as possible.
• When something happens, be sure to note what happens, where it happens, who does what, who says what, and what the surroundings look like.    
Notice the mood. How do you experience it?
• If you have any questions, do talk to participants afterwards. Often, they will be able to explain the details to you

TIPS FOR INTERVIEWS
• Prepare questions in advance, make priorities, learn the by heart
• Ask first on general subjects, and then about specific /sensitive topics.
• Remember to ask clarifying questions so you can get thorough explanations to your questions.
• Interview people a place where they feel safe and they reply more willingly to your questions.
• Listen to what is being said and what is not being said - please also note the body language.
• Dress discreetly and behave politely. All focus should be on the questions.

TIPS FOR QUESTIONNAIRES
• Do not make the questionnaire too long, or people do not bother to reply.
• Make the questions short and easily understood by everybody.
Keep your language neutral, i.e. no expletives or technical terms.
• Remember that a question consists of the actual question as well as the answer options.
• Make sure that the answer options are as comprehensive as possible; if not people may feel that they have been misunderstood.