decline of religious thinking and belief

Question 1

list 3 reasons for a decline in religious thinking and belief

Answer 1

-desacralization of consciousness
-decline of meta-narratives + a growth of do-it-yourself spirituality
-declining religious knowledge

Question 2

list the reasons against a decline of religious thinking and belief

Answer 2

-many people still show signs of religiosity
-secularisation and resacralization
-traditional religious beliefs remain strong

Question 3

(FOR)
explain what is meant by desacralization of consciousness

Answer 3

-Bruce - scientific growth has undermined it
-Weber - growing disenchantment creates it (the capacity to experience a sense of sacredness)
-Eurobarometer 2010 - only 37% of the UK believe there is a God (60-70% in 1980)
-2011 consensus - 1/4 of england and wales are non-religious

Question 4

(FOR)
explain what is meant by decline of meta-narratives and a growth in do-it-yourself spirituality

Answer 4

-Lyotard - metanarratives have lose their influence
-emphasis in new age spirituality is on the quality of the experience not the truth of the doctrine
-Bruce - ‘much of the new age is not an alternative to traditional religion, but is an expansion of the doctors surgery, the gym and the beauty parlour’

Question 5

(FOR)
explain what is meant by declining religious knowledge

Answer 5

-IPSOS MORI poll 2011 - only 1/3 of christians could identify matthew as the first book of the new testament
–60% hadn’t read the bible independently by choice in the past year (1/3 in the last three years)

Question 6

(AGAINST)
explain what is meant by many people still showing signs of religiosity

Answer 6

-around 70% of people still claim to believe there is a soul
-Eurobarometer 2010 - although only 37% believed in a God, 33% believed in some sort of life force/spirit

Question 7

(AGAINST)
explain what is meant by secularisation and resacralisation

Answer 7

-people still search for meaning
-Heelds et al 2004 - used data from the Kendal project to find there was a ‘spiritual revolution’
-people shift from traditional religion to more individualistic spirituality

Question 8

(AGAINST)
explain what is meant by ‘traditional beliefs remain strong’

Answer 8

-pentecostalist denominations are growing
-evangelical christianity is the fastest growing form and is a strict religion so can’t be seen to have watered-down their beliefs
-Eurobarometer 2010 - almost 4/5 EU citizens had religious/spiritual beliefs