Beliefs and Society: Topic 4- Religion, renewal and choice Flashcards
New forms of religion
What are the explanations for the new forms of religion?
- From obligation to consumption
- Spiritual shopping
- Postmodern religion
- A spiritual revolution
New forms of religion: From obligation to consumption
What does Davie argue about obligation to choice?
- She argues religious engagement is less of an obligation and more a choice
- People can believe without belonging, they’re attached to the beliefs but dont attend
New forms of religion: From obligation to consumption
What does Davie argue about believing without belonging?
She argues people are reluctant to belong to organisation or may not have time to go to church in general but people hold beliefs
New forms of religion: From obligation to consumption
What does Davie argue about vicarious religion: the spritiual health service?
- Like the NHS, people go to churches when needed. E.g. weddings, funerals, baptisms
- Compared to the tip of the iceburg, evidence of believing without belonging
- They go to church when needed for support
- Davie argues there are multiple modernities- In Canada 25% attendees while 80% believes
New forms of religion- From obligation to consumption
What are the criticism: Neither believing nor belonging?
- Bruce: if people dont invest time in church, it reflects the declining strengths of their beliefs
- More believing than belonging: 5750 respondents shows both attendence and belief are declining
New forms of religion
What does Hervieu-Leger argue about spiritual shopping?
- Argues theres a decline due to cultural amnesia, religion is no longer passed down generations
- Young people are not socialised with religion
- People have become spiritual shoppers
2 religions are now emerging:
* Pligrams: Flolloeing a path for self-discovery
* Converts: Join religious groups that offer a strong sense of belonging and community
New forms of religion
What are the factors for postmodern religion?
- Globalisation, the media and religion
- Selfreligious and the new age
- Online religion and religion online
- Re-enchantment of the world
- Religious consumerism
New forms of religion: Postmodern religion
What is the argument for globalisation, the media and religion?
- Due to globalisation, religion has become ‘disembedded’ and are relocated to the internet
- Can express faith without attending
- Religion has become de-institutionalised
New forms of religion: Postmodern religion
What does Hellband argue about online religion and religion online?
Theres 2 internet activity:
* Online religion: ‘Cyber religion’ that has no existence outside the internet
* Religion online: Top-down communication religions use internet to address members
New forms of religion: Postmodern religion
What is the arguement for religious consumerism? What does Ammermans argue about this?
- We construct our identities through what we consume
- Emphasised by Hervier-Leger: Spiritual shopping
- We dont have to sign up to religions
- Religion has relocated to the sphere of consumption
- Ammermans study shows a family using different churches for different things. E.g. daycare, counselling
New forms of religion: Postmodern religion
What does Lyon argue about self-religions and the new age?
- He argues new age spirituality rejects obidience from external authority
- Emphasises life is a journey of discovery
- Individualism links these features- everyone can decide for themselves
New forms of religion: Postmodern religion
What does Lyon argue about re-enchantment of the world?
- He argues secularisation assumes religion is declining and replaced by logic
- Were in re-enchantment with growth of unconventional beliefs, practices and spiritualisation
- Declined in Europe
New forms of religion- A spiritual revolution?
Explain the ‘Kendal project’ case study. What does Heelas and Woodhead argues?
- They found in tthe 2000, in a week, 7.9% of the population attended church, 1.6% took part in holistic milieu
- The new age has grown due to a shift from obeying ecternal authority to exploring inner self, causing traditional religions to decline
- Evangelic churches are popular because it demand dicscipline and duty but emphasises personal growth
- According to H & W, the winners are those who appeal to personal experience as the genuine source of fulfillment
New forms of religion
What are the criticisms of the new age?
- Weak commitment: Very few said the practices were important in their lives
- Socialisation of next gen: Only 32% of parents involved said their children shared interest
- Its has a small scale
Religious market theory
What does Stark & Bainbridge argue about the religous market theory?
- People are naturally religous and religion meets human needs
- Its human nature to seek reward and avoid costs
Religious market theory
What are the factors to religion changing due to a religious market?
- Compensators
- America vs Europe
- Supply-led religion
Religious market theory
What is the argument for compensators?
- Religious compensators is when real rewards are scarce, religion compensates by promising supernatural ones
- Religious competition leads to improvements in the quality of the religious ‘goods’ on offer
- More attractive=more custoemrs
Religious market theory
What is the argument for America vs Europe?
- Demand increases when there is multiple choices
- In America: Religion thrives because theres no religous monopoly- encouraged by growth
- In Europe: countires have been dominated by an official state church (religious monopoly). E.g. church of england
Religious market theory
What is the arguement for supply-led religion? What does Hadden and Shupe argue?
- Growth at evengelic megachurches, they have lavish resources ad can offer vast range of activities for diversity
- H & S argue that the growth of ‘televangelism’ shows that the level of religious parcicipants is supply-led. Commercial funding opened competition
Religious market theory
What are the criticisms for the explanations for religion changing due to religious market? What does Beckford and Bruce argue?
- Beckford: unsocilogical because it assumes people are ‘naturally’ religiousm fails to explain why they make certain choices
- Bruce: Stats show that diversity has been accompanied by religious decline in Europe & America
An alternative view: secularisation and security
Explain the existential security theory. What does Norris and Inglehart argue?
- In poor societies, they face life-threatening risks and insecurities, thus are more religious
- In richer societies have a higher standard of living and less at risk, thus lower religiosity
- N & I argues population undermines trends of secularisation
An alternative view: secularisation and security
What does Norris and Inglehart argue about Europe vs America?
- In Europe they’re going towards secularisation. Europe is equal and secure- reducing insecurity
- America is becoming more religious. Americal is unequal of rich societies, inadequate welfare- creating insecurity
An alternative view: secularisation and security
What does Gill argue about state welfare and religiousity?
- Found the more a country spends on welfare, the lower religious participation. Europe spends more on it
- In past, religion used to provide welfare for the poor but now the state in the west provides welfare, causing decline
- Religion wont disappear as welfare doesnt answer ‘ultimate’ questions of the meaning of life like religion does
An alternative view: secularisation and security
What is the criticism of the explanations for religious participations in Europe and USA? What does Vasquez argue?
He argues:
* They only use quantitative data about levels of income, not examining peoples own definition of ‘existential security’
* Only see religion as a negative response, ignoring positive reasons why people have religious participations and wealth people appealing to religion
