beliefs - secularisation

Question 1

define secularisation

Answer 1

the extent to which society is becoming less religious.

Question 2

key points: decline in church attendance

Answer 2

• by 2015, 5% of adult population attended church on Sundays.
• the main decline has been in larger organisations, for example, Church of England or Roman Catholic Church.
• small religious organisations have not shown much decline (remain stable or grown).
• there is a decline in church weddings.

Question 3

reasons for decline in church attendance

Answer 3

• people are just too busy on Sunday mornings, for example, working parents.
  people may have only attended church because it was a socially expected thing.

Question 4

arguments against decline in church attendance

Answer 4

• GRACE DAVIE argues that it is a matter of personal choice to go to church and that people are religious but do not attend church (they believe without belonging).
• VOAS and CROCKET argue that church attendance and the belief in God are declining.
• ABBY DAY argues that people believe in belonging to an ethnic or national identity.

Question 5

key points: decline in religious affiliation

Answer 5

• this refers to people identification with a religion.
• between 1983 and 2014, the percentage of adults with no religious affiliation rose from around 1/3 and those identifying as Christian fell by a 1/3.
• however, people identifying as Catholic and Muslim increased (partly due to immigration and rise in birth rate).

Question 6

reasons for decline in religious affiliation

Answer 6

• as the world modernised after the industrial revolution, tradition declined and was replaced with more rational and scientific ways of thinking.
• STEVE BRUCE argues that a technological worldview has replaced religion and therefore there are now more scientific explanations instead of religious.

Question 7

arguments against decline in religious affiliation

Answer 7

• globalisation has allowed religious images and messages to become disembedded.

Question 8

key points: religious institutions are in decline

Answer 8

• this refers to the church losing its influence as a social institution.
• LINDA WOODHEAD identifies that during the 20th century, the number of clergy fell from 45,000 to 35,000 (professional leaders in all religious traditions)
• less convertors = less converted!

Question 9

arguments against religious institutions in decline

Answer 9

• DANIELLE HERVIEU-LEGER argues that this decline is due to cultural amnesia.
• people are now becoming spiritual shoppers and choose elements of religions that fit in with their life.
• religion is now individualised.
• pilgrims: in search of self discovery.
• converts: offer a sense of belonging.