Religion And Secularisation Flashcards
How does Wilson define secularisation?
The process whereby religious beliefs, practices and institutions lose their social significance
What is rationalisation?
An idea created by Weber - where rational thinking and acting come to replace religious ones
He believes that western society had undergone mass rationalisation
Sees this society as ‘disenchanted’ as all the religious mysticism is taken out and we are left without the influence of any supernatural powers and religious thinking
What is a technological worldview?
It eintifiis where the world looks through a technological and scientific lense to explain things
Instead of using religious influences as an explanation
For example if a plane crashes it is looked at as a technical fault not the intervention of a higher power
Who came up with the idea of a technological worldview?
Bruce
What is structural differentiation?
a process of specialisation that occurs with the development of industrial society
Who used strut all differentiation?
Parsons
How does structural differentiation influence secularisation?
Disengagement of religion is an outcome of structural differentiation
This is because the functions of religion where passed onto the state
The church lost its influence of education, social welfare and the law
Privatisation has also occurred due to religious practice being moved to the home
How does social and cultural diversity contributed to secularisation?
Movement from a pre-industrial to an industrial society caused community to decline, as religion held its hold over society we moved to a more individualistic society
Social and geographical mobility has brought people from different backgrounds together and diversity of occupations, cultures and lifestyle undermine religion
Who uses the argument on social and cultural diversity?
Wilson
How has secularisation impacted church attendance in America?
Opinion polls found that a stable 40% of people attended church regularly in 1940
Had away studied church attendance in Ohio and found that the claims of church attendance were 83% higher than actual research estimates
How is religious diversity impacted in America?
Bruce
Indentifies a trend towards practical relativism among American Christian’s in how everyone is entitled to their own beliefs
In 1924, 94% of church goers believed that ‘Christianity was the one true religion’ - in 1977 only 41% agreed
2 church attendance statistics in the UK
In 2015 only around 5% of people regularly attended church on a Sunday
Only 30% of weddings happen in church (2012)
What 2 reasons do marginalised people use religion?
Cultural defence - to defend themselves or their culture
Cultural transition - to help them integrate into their new community
What 3 type of Christian did Day identify?
Natal Christians -people who affiliate because they were Christened and therefore state they are christian
Ethnicity Christians - immigrants who want to belong to British culture
Aspirational Christians - those who want to seem moral and responsible
