christianity and the challenge of secularisation Flashcards
1
Q
what was britain like as a secular society
A
- in the 18th century, the emphasis on reason, evidence and scientific thought encouraged a more individualistic approach to religion. it was now possible to be openly atheist or agnostic
- after the world wars it decreases the amount of people attending church
- from the late 20th century, squabbles and scandals within the church have led to growing disillusionment within traditional christianity
2
Q
how has religion been replaced as the source of truth and moral values
A
- anthropologists saw concepts of right and wrong as affected by culture
- karl marx regarded religion and it’s views on morality as a social ad political tool wielded by those in power to control the masses
,- sigmund freud claimed that it satisfied a psychological need
3
Q
how does christianity still play a significant role in britain
A
- the CofE is the established church in england and in scotland it is the church of scotland
- the national anthem, sung on a wide range of occasions with great gusto, is essentially religious; its opening word is God
4
Q
how did materialism grow
A
- post reformation views on the value of family life led to a reassessment of attitudes to wealth; secure family life depended on possessions
- the expansion of britains power in africa, the americas and the far east created trading opportunities that led to the development of capitalism
- capitalism was reinforced by the industrial revolution. Great wealth was created in banking, businesses and trading
5
Q
what were new Jesus’ attitudes to wealth and possessions
A
- in the time of jesus, wealth was regarded as a sign of gods approval
- Jesus’ teaching challenged this
- he told the rich man that if he wished to
gain eternal life, he must give everything he
had to the poor - his parable of the rich man and lazarus
contained a warning of dire consequences
for those who enjoyed great wealth but
ignored the needs of the poor - jesus didnt condemn wealth itself just greed
- he told the rich man that if he wished to
6
Q
what were new testament attitudes to wealth
A
- in the early days of christianity people shared everything
- when there was famine in Jerusalem, christians in syria collected money to send to those in need
- the possession of wealth was not seen as wrong in itself; it was the attitude to it that mattered
7
Q
what is the relationship between christianity and wealth in modern society
A
- a minority of christians adopted the teachings and practices of jesus and the early christians, setting up communities that mirror the life of the early jerusalem community - the bruderhof
- the other extreme is the prosperity gospel
- mainstream christian denominations do not believe there is anything intrinsically wrong in having wealth but possession of it comes with responsibility
8
Q
what is the bruderhof
A
- it was set up in the early 20th century and its communities are now found in a number of countries, including three in the UK
- members of the bruderhof see materialism as one of the main reasons for the problems of the world today
- they live in communities, without any personal property
- they make certain vows, one of which is to live simply
9
Q
what is prosperity gospel
A
- this thinking developed in the mid 20th century in the US within the pentecostal tradition is now an international movement
- despite various scandals implicating some of their leaders, many churches have been set up, attracting thousands
- it teaches that christian beliefs and practices will be rewarded by god in terms of material prosperity and physical well being
- members are expected to give generously to evangelistic work and some churches are involved in social projects
10
Q
what is richard dawkins’ god delusion
A
- the god hypothesis is irrational and contrary to good science
- religion is primitive, harmful and has spread like a virus
- religion encourages discrimination and is a major cause of conflict
- teaching children religion is a form of mental abuse that threatens their development
- people can be morally good without religion
11
Q
what is mcgraths dawkins delusion
A
- it is not an attempt to show christianity to be true but to show that dawkins’ arguments are fundamentally flawed
- dawkins is wrong to assume that good science is bound to result in atheism
- religion and science are partially overlapping magisteria, they come at the world from two different but equally valid perspectives
- he shows a limited understanding of christianity by assuming all take a literal understanding of the bible
- dawkins is fundamentalist in his unquestioning acceptance of some atheist views and is biased and unscientific
12
Q
what is the fresh expressions movement
A
- it was set up in the CofE as a result of a 2004 report, which has now been adopted by other churches
- the movement has an evangelical aim in seeking to share christian thinking, but it is not aimed at drawing people into traditional church communities
- works alongside traditional churches, not replacing but supplementing them
- it shares with those who have no contact with church communities what it means to live in a secular society, so it starts from where people are
- it is about listening to the life experiences of ordinary people in their everyday situation and considering how the life and experiences of jesus might give meaning to those experiences
13
Q
what is the house church movement
A
- views secularisation as largely hostile to the church and sees a parallel in the circumstances of christianity in the first three centuries of its existence, when it suffered persecution by state authorities and by roman society in general
- a movement away from meeting in conventional church buildings with all the formality of worship associated with them
14
Q
what features do house churches also have
A
- the approach to the bible is often fundamentalist
- those who belong to house churches focus on their individual experience of god calling them to a particular lifestyle or form of worship
15
Q
how is christianity maintaining relevance in a secular society
A
- in times of major disasters, people often turn to the church to express their grief, find comfort and perhaps make sense of it
- more locally, the church often plays a significant part in helping local communities come to terms with a tragedy such as the murder of a child