Postmodernism and Religion Flashcards
What is the general post modernist view?
- Harrison: abrahamic religions have declined as individuals can now choose their lifestyle and beliefs
- People now practice religion in different ways e.g. online services
- Religion is now a commodity many consume as part of their identity - we’ve become ‘spiritual shoppers’ pick and mixing aspects of relgiions we choose to identify with
- Secularisation is a myth - religion is not declining but changing form
- We have lost faith in meta-narratives and look to construct our own religions
- There are no absolute truths
What is Davie’s view?
AO1
“I go to church because I want to but I have no obligation to attend”
- Attending religious services is no longer an obligation
- Before people felt pressure to attend for social desirability
- But now there is less pressure and engaging in religion is a choice
What are some examples of Davie’s point?
AO2
- Believing but not belonging: religion is not declining but becoming more privatised - people believe but may not attend a physical place of worship
- Vicarious religion: religion is practices by an active minority on behalf of the great majority who experience religion second hand e.g. via teachings on social media
- Spiritual health service: people now use religion as a public utility at times of need e.g. 90% of funerals are religious
How can we analyse Davie?
AO3
- Number of baptisms performed by CofE has decreased from 135,000 in 2009 to 55,200 in 2022
- When Princess Diana died church attendance increased for the following weeks. Similarly, in Norway - when Anders Breivik murdered 93 people, mostly teenagers in a there largest mass shooting to date, church attendance also increased
How can we evaluate Davie?
AO3
- Voas and Crockett: 5,750 respondents showed that both church attendance AND believing in God are in decline - people have stopped belonging because they stopped believing
- Bruce: if you don’t attend physical religious services your beliefs are weak
What is Hervieu-Leger’s view?
AO1/2
- In post-modern society there has been cultural amnesia - there is a lack of religious socialisation as less parents are raising their children into a traditional religion. This explains falling church attendance
- Individual consumerism has now replaced collective religion
- We are spiritual shoppers who pick and mix different beliefs from the global spiritual supermarket
- e.g. ‘pilgrims’ - people exploring new age movements
- e.g. ‘converts’ - people who join denominations that offer a sense of community
How can we analyse Hervieu Leger?
AO3
Many people combine different aspects of different religions into their own belief systems e.g. astrology has drastically risen in popularity even among religious people
What sociologists talk about the impact of globalisation on religion?
AO1/2
- Lyon: we are saturated with images and messages from around the world giving us access to beliefs and religion from remote places
- Baudrillard: as we live in a ‘media saturated society’ we can access a range of beliefs which we can pick and mix
This means that religious ideas are now disembedded/deinstitutionalised from their physical location and now available at any time and place
What is Helland’s view?
(Also globalisation on religion but more technologically focused)
AO1/2
- Religion online: virtual religious services that don’t involve interaction e.g. Kenneth Copeland’s televangelism
- Online religion: cyber religion - online religious communities that foster communication between members - often only exist online e.g. UFO cults
How can we analyse the impact of globalisation on religion?
AO3
During the COVID 19 Pandemic, many churches transitioned to being online due to lockdown. Many churches opted to remain this way even after lockdown rules were lifted as it gave a way to increase membership with global reach
How can we evaluate the impact of globalisation on religion?
AO3
Hoover: for most people, online religious services are a supplement rather than a replacement for traditional in person worship
What sociologists talk about new age movements?
AO1
- Bauman: ‘cisis of meaning’ - rejecting traditional metanarratives as people no longer see traditional religions as credible
- Lyon: the re-enchantment of the world has led to new age movements - people are adopting more unconventional beliefs and practices
NAMs are popular as they focus on personal development and subjectivity in one’s spiritual journey.
Detraditionalisation: postmodernity involves an erosion of traditional beliefs - people have new types of beliefs
What studies show examples of new age movements?
AO2
- Heelas and Woodhead: Kendal Project - concluded that new age movements would be able to compensate for the decline of organised religion. Evangelical churches are the most successful because they promote ideas of personal growth e.g. being ‘born again’. In 2000, 7.9% of people in Kendal were in the congregational domain (trad religion) whereas 1.6% took part in the holistic milieu (NAMs)
- Bellah: ‘Sheilaism’ - a PP in his study, Shiela Larson reported believing in God but not going to church or having a strict set of religious values. Just “my own little voice” that tells her to be kind to herself and others
How can we analyse new age movements?
AO3
Religion is now more personal and indivdual. Hence why people found the options for religion too restrictive and invasive in the Census and instead opted to put ‘Jedi’
How can we evaluate new age movements?
AO3
- Growth of NAMs cannot compensate for the decline in trad religion - in 1851 38% of Kendal were churchgoers, to be equivalent today NAMs woud need to have 14,500 members but currently only 270-3000 are in the ‘holistic milieu’
- Bruce: NAMs are not classed as important to people’s lives in the long-term in the same way trad religions are
