Postmodernism

Question 1

Davie

Answer 1

• Believing without belonging - people have a belief system that doesn’t belong to a church
• Multiple modernities - different modern, developed countries showing a variety of patterns of religion
• Vicarious religion - people living religion through others

Question 2

Criticisms of Davie

Answer 2

• religious belief is also declining
• evidence shows less people are marrying in church and having their children christened
• in surveys belief in God is decreasing
• questionnaires aren’t always accurate …

Question 3

Hervieur Leger

Answer 3

• religion is about personal choice
• less people engage with institutionalised religions
• there has been a loss of collective memory - ‘cultural amnesia’
• religion is not ‘passed on’ as it used to be
• consumerism has replaced tradition e.g. shops open on Sundays
• ‘spiritual shopping’ - taking favourite elements of religions and combining them

Question 4

Lyon

Answer 4

• religion is adapting to postmodern features of media and consumerism
• globalisation means religion crosses boundaries and uses media sources for communication
• religion has become ‘disembedded’ - lifted out of church settings into entertainment venues
• can be connected to any place anytime - Jesus in Disneyland
• ‘Televangelism’ shows how multimedia platform is used for religious/consumer purposes

Question 5

Critique of Hervieur Leger + Lyons

Answer 5

1 - it could be argued that these are all signs of religion weakening
2- Has to attract and treat members like consumers
3- Church attendance drops and loyalty to any belief system is changeable
4- Bringing the church to Disneyland is a capitalist move - more about making money than faith - Marxists

Question 6

Stark and Bainbridge - 1985

Answer 6

• ‘Religious market theory’
• They criticise the idea that religion is in decline
• the view is too ‘euro-centric’ - different in other places
• people are naturally religious and it remains important in places where it is needed more
• not disappearing but changing, goes through ‘decline, revival and renewal’

Question 7

Norris and Inglehart - 2004

Answer 7

• ‘Existential security threat’
• religion depends on how secure people feel, if a country feels secure (us) religion declines, if it is insecure, conflicted or unstable, religion will strengthen and sometimes become fundamental
• They feel that where societies have other comforts to meet their needs (education,wealth) religion is less essential, countries where risk and need is high (poor, low health, lack of education) need religion and here it will be strong and important