Bio: (1926-2004) British sociologist. Bryan Wilson received his Ph.d. from the London School of Economics and taught at the University of Leeds and Oxford. Wilson studied sociology of religion, mostly sects and new religious movements, as well as the process of secularization. Wilson believes that the definition of religion should contain a list of as many as twenty-seven characteristics.

                                         Secularization

In Religion in a Secular Society (1966), he defines the process of secularization as "the fact that religion—seen as a way of thinking, as the performance of particular practices, and as the institutionalization and organization of these patterns of thought and actions— has lost influence" (Wilson, 1966). This process of secularization happens, at the same time, on three levels - societal, individual, and institutional. Secularization leads to more and more people looking at the world around them in rational and empirical categories. In that sense, Wilson believes that a rational approach to life and the world is an essential enemy of religion.

He singles out three factors that led to increased rationalization and declining influence of religion: 1) ascetic Protestantism that promoted rational and pragmatic ethics, 2) rational organization of society, state, and organization (this process Wilson calls societalization), 3) development of social and natural science, 4) the rise of rational ideologies, 5) the development of technology and industry, 6) the rise of cities and their importance.

Wilson views religion, above all, as a social phenomenon, and therefore, even when personal religiosity survives to a significant extent, the process of secularization is not stopped because the importance of the social aspects of religion are declining. He states that the statistical data on the reduction of church attendance is proof of the process of secularization of society. Wilson believes that in the United States, where church attendance is still high, secularization has also taken hold because in this country, going to church is more a reflection of the commitment to American values ​​and the local community than a purely religious act.

                                   Sects and Denominations

In the same book (1966), he connects the way of salvation, which a sect preaches, with the developmental path of that sect. If a sect preaches salvation by excluding an individual from the wider world, as Seventh-day Adventists or Jehovah's Witnesses do, that sect cannot grow into a denomination without losing its essential nature. On the other hand, sects that promote salvation through proselytism, seek to gather as many members as possible, and do so within the wider society, have the potential to transform into denominations (the main example being evangelical sects in the United States).

In Patterns of Sectarianism (1967) Wilson introduces a typology of sects, based on their relationship to the outside world, so he singles out the seven types of sects. 1) Conversionist - believers focus on the corruptness of the world which is driven by the corruptness of humans, hence they seek a supernatural transformation, through ritual initiation, of his/her self to change the world. Examples are Salvation Army and Pentecostal movements. 2) Revolutionist or Adventist - believers hold that the entire world or existing social order must be destroyed to save humans. Examples are Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses. 3) Introversionist - believers view the world as evil and their response is to withdraw from the outer world as fully as possible. Examples are the Hutterites and Amish. 4) Gnostic-manipulationist – proponents believe that salvation comes through long-term mastering of the right means and techniques to overcome their problems. Examples are Christian Science and Scientology. 5) Taumaturgical – members are clients of gurus, mediums, sorcerers, healers, and miracle workers. An example is spiritualism. 6) Reformist - People must seek supernaturally-bestowed insights that enable them to help people and do charitable work. An example is the Quakers. 7) Utopian – believers create communes that represent a model for social change and renewal. An example is Bruderhof communities.   

Wilson, in his book Religious Sects (1970), gives precise definitions of sect and denomination. The sect has the following characteristics: it is a closed religious organization, membership in the sect is based on a voluntary approach, joining the organization requires an act of conversion, great commitment is expected from members, violating members can be easily expelled, each sect believes it has the only true learning, it has no contact with the wider society, and there is no professional clergy. The denomination has voluntary membership, but there is no formal way to expel it from membership. The denomination is less isolated from the wider society, has good relations with other churches and denominations, and does not claim to have a monopoly on religious truth. They have professional clergy. Wilson states that sects develop in periods of sudden social change in which there is a transformation of traditional moral norms, patterns of behavior, and social structures. He points out that circumstances such as wars, and economic and natural disasters, can contribute to the marginalization of some groups, which creates fertile ground for the rise of sects. In problematic periods, as well as in periods of social transformation, sects offer individuals the protection of a tightly integrated community, they give them new values ​​and ways of understanding the world, as well as the path to salvation. Wilson believes that sects offer immediate satisfaction of needs.

Wilson connects the processes of secularization and the emergence of sects in the book Religion in Sociological Perspective (1982). In societies, where the importance of religion has declined, the influence of sects is growing because they represent a reaction to secularization, and hence become the last refuge of religiosity. Wilson believes that earlier sects, such as Methodism, offered new forms of integration in changed social circumstances, while new religious movements created small, isolated, and closed communities that turned to themselves and hedonism. New religious movements, such as Krishna consciousness, do not create the moral integration of society and do not have the potential to stop the process of secularization.

Main works

Sects and Society: The Sociology of  Three Religious Groups in Britain (1961); 

Religion in Secular Society (1966);

Patterns of Sectarianism (1967);                                                        

Religious Sects (1970); 

Magic and the Millennium (1973); 

Contemporary Transformations of Religion (1976); 

The Social Impact of the New Religious Movements (1981); 

Religion in Sociological Perspective (1982); 

Scientology: An Analysis and Comparison of its Religious System and Doctrines (1990);

The Social Dimensions of Sectarianism (1990);

A Time to Chant: The Soka Gakki Buddhists in Britain (1994).