Lesson 4.2.5.2

4.2.5.2 Social change, social stability and religious belief Quiz: AQA Sociology, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.2.5.2, Social change, social stability and religious belief: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Sociology (7192), Unit 2: Topics in Sociology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. According to functionalist sociologists, religion acts primarily as a force for what?

    • Social stability
    • Secular change
    • Social revolution
    • Class conflict

  2. According to Karl Marx, religion acts primarily as what type of substance for the oppressed?

    • An opiate
    • A catalyst
    • A shield
    • A remedy

  3. Which Christian movement in Latin America used religious doctrine to oppose poverty and political oppression?

    • Liberation theology
    • Calvinism
    • Pentecostalism
    • Fundamentalism

  4. Which theory argues that modernisation leads to a decline in the social significance of religion?

    • Existential theory
    • Defence theory
    • Market theory
    • Secularisation theory

  5. Which key trend is used as evidence for secularisation in the United Kingdom?

    • Falling church attendance
    • Increased religious broadcasting
    • Growing clergy numbers
    • Rising church construction

  6. Which sociologist introduced the concept of the 'sacred canopy' to explain religion's role in creating order?

    • Peter Berger
    • Emile Durkheim
    • Max Weber
    • Karl Marx

  7. Which form of Christianity has grown most rapidly in the Global South in recent decades?

    • Orthodoxy
    • Lutheranism
    • Pentecostalism
    • Catholicism

  8. Which concept describes a non-sectarian faith that unites a nation through shared national symbols and rituals?

    • Religious pluralism
    • Secular humanism
    • Civil religion
    • Disenchantment

  9. Which sociologist coined the phrase 'believing without belonging' to describe modern British religious practice?

    • Steve Bruce
    • Bryan Wilson
    • Eileen Barker
    • Grace Davie

  10. According to Max Weber, which belief system contributed directly to the rise of modern capitalism?

    • Calvinism
    • Methodism
    • Lutheranism
    • Catholicism

  11. Which American social movement relied heavily on Christian churches to drive major legislative change?

    • Temperance Movement
    • Suffragette Movement
    • Chartist Movement
    • Civil Rights Movement

  12. What main criticism is made against the secularisation thesis?

    • Denying religious history
    • Overstating religious decline
    • Promoting state religion
    • Ignoring secular laws

  13. According to rational choice theorists, what drives vitality in a religious market?

    • Inter-religious competition
    • Monopolistic religious control
    • Decreased consumer choice
    • State financial subsidies

  14. How do stable social communities help maintain high levels of religious belief?

    • Enforcing legal compliance
    • Eliminating traditional beliefs
    • Sustaining intergenerational practice
    • Encouraging rapid innovation

  15. What determines whether a religion acts as a force for stability or change?

    • Universal holy texts
    • Biological factors
    • Specific social context
    • Economic wealth alone

  16. What global trend challenges the claim that modernisation inevitably causes secularisation?

    • Universal atheist adoption
    • Complete state control
    • Religious growth worldwide
    • Decline of technology

  17. According to functionalists, how does rapid social change affect religious belief?

    • Destroys moral values
    • Causes immediate secularisation
    • Eliminates religious practice
    • Increases integration needs

  18. According to secularisation theorists, what process causes religious institutions to lose social authority?

    • Structural differentiation
    • Totalitarian control
    • Religious revival
    • Cultural sacralisation

  19. Which concept did Max Weber link to the rationalisation of modern Western society?

    • Magical worldview
    • Religious fundamentalism
    • Monastic isolation
    • Disenchantment of world

  20. Which survey indicator is commonly used to measure religious decline in the UK?

    • Religious book sales
    • No religious affiliation
    • Church building counts
    • Number of clergy

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