Religion, renewal and choice

Question 1

New forms of religion

Answer 1

Some sociologists argue that there is actually not a decline in religon and there is simply just more to choose from due to changes in society such as increased consumerism and choice

Question 2

Obligation to Consumption

Answer 2

• Eng and France, baptism was seen as compulsory obligation and now people have the choice, contrasting this there has been a rise in adult baptisms
• DAVIES religion is no longer inherited its simply personal choice
• DAVIE people are still believing but are just reluctant to belong to an organisation, just become more privatised
• VICARIOUS RELIGION refers to religion practiced by an active minority of the population that allows others to experience it second hand.

Question 2

Obligation to Consumption

Answer 2

• Eng and France, baptism was seen as compulsory obligation and now people have the choice, contrasting this there has been a rise in adult baptisms
• DAVIES religion is no longer inherited its simply personal choice
• DAVIE people are still believing but are just reluctant to belong to an organisation, just become more privatised
• VICARIOUS RELIGION refers to religion practiced by an active minority of the population that allows others to experience it second hand.

Question 3

Vicarious religion

Answer 3

When the majority of population practice a religion in order for people to second hand identify with it.

Question 4

Major national churches

Answer 4

Seen as public utilities or a spiritual health service
- NHS
- Using churches for rites of passage or national mourning
- DAVIES BELIEVING WITHOUT BELONGING

Question 5

Neither beleiving nor belonging

Answer 5

Crockett and Voas do not accept davies claim of there being more believing then belonging and simply see both church attendance and beleif in god are declining together - if DAVIE was right we would also see more belief
- BRUCE if people were not willing to invest time in church it just reflects their declining beliefs
- DAY found that many christians identified w christianity just to have a mark of their ethnic or national background

Question 6

Spiritual shopping

Answer 6

HERVEIU LEGER continues the theme of personal choice - agreeing w decline in institiutional religion
CULTURAL AMNESIA - loss of passing down religion as more parents now let their children decide for themselves,
Religion has now become consumerised with a do it yourself mentality and allow us to cater religion to our own needs.
HERVIE LEGER sees pilgrims and converts resulting from this
- Pilgrims follow a personal paths
- Converts join grps that offer strong sense of belonging

Question 7

Postmodern religion

Answer 7

LYON agrees with DAVIE that believing wihtout belonging is popular. He argues that traditional religion is giving way to new religious forms
Postmodern society has features such as increased importance of the media and comms that effect this

Question 8

Globalisation, media and religion

Answer 8

Refers to the interconnectedness of society leading to increased movements of ideas and beliefs across boundaries
People can now use electronic church and disembed religion from locality and now worship without having to even physically attend a church

Question 9

Online religion and Religion online

Answer 9

Religion online is a form of top down communication where a religious organisation uses the internet to address members and potential converts, theres no feedback or dialogue between the parties.
Online religion is a form of religion online that may not exist irl eg the PAGANS 2005 had feelings of self worth feeling like they belonged to a global network

HOOVER said its just a supplement not a substitute.

Question 10

Religious consumerism

Answer 10

We act as spiritual shoppers and we choose what we like from religion.
Religion and spirituality dont disappear but just simply evolve and take on new forms fitting consumerism.

Question 11

Self religions and the new age

Answer 11

Many of the new form of religions that Lyon refers to are new age movements
The individual is free to worship how they like

Question 12

Re-enchantment of the world

Answer 12

Lyon is against secularisation and argues instead we are simply just developing more un conventional beliefd and practices.
Theres a growing of non traditional religion

Question 13

A spiritual revolution?

Answer 13

A spiritual revolution is taking place in which traditional christianity is giving way to holisitic spirituality
Theres a growth in the spiritual market - courses and therapies such as crystal healing

Question 14

Congregational domain
V
Holistic Milieu

Answer 14

Heelas and Woodhead investigate whether traditional religion has declined
- Congregational domain is traditional and evangelicial christianity
- Holistic Mileiu of spirituality and new age
- Spirituality has grown due to a massive change in todays culture Theres been a shift away from doing your duty which now focuses on finding your own path

Question 15

The weakness of the new age

Answer 15

• Problem of scale Even if new age religions were springing up this would have to be on a large scale to make up for the decline
• Soc of the next gen : only 32% of ppl with new age religion had children who followed their beliefs.
• Weak commitment Bruce found that those who identified as spiritual didnt actually have strong religious beliefs.

Question 16

Religious Market Theory

Answer 16

• people are naturally religious and religion meets human needs
• its human nature to seek reward and avoid cost

Question 17

Religious Market Theory
Compensators

Answer 17

The cycle of renewal - when churches decline they make a gap for sects and cults to grow.
Religious competition - STARK and BAINBRIDGE churches operate like selling goods in a market, competitions lead to improvements in quality of goods

Question 18

Religious Market Theory
America Vs Europe

Answer 18

Stark and Bainbridge say that in the USA religion thrives as there has always been a freedom of religion and religions always been held away from the state meaning there is opportunity for religions to either grow or decline dependant on consumer demand

In Europe this is totally different as competition has been held back thus having a lack of choice, leading to a decline,

Question 19

Supply not demand

Answer 19

Stark and Bainbridge, conclude that the main factor is supply not demand as where there is an ample flow of religions there is choice and where the supply is restricted, theres secularisation

Question 20

Supply led religion

Answer 20

• FINKE lifting of asian immigration, led to establishment of asian religious organisations.
• STARK free market in japan has stimulated participation

Question 21

Religious Market Theory
Criticisms

Answer 21

Bruce rejects the idea of supply not demand as he finds stats that show the decline of religion comes with more choice
Beckford criticises this as unsociological as it assumes everyone is naturally religious which is not true.

Question 22

An alternate view : secularisation and security
Existential security theory

Answer 22

NORRIS AND INGLEHART Religion helps provide security and therefore places that already have high levels of security have low demand for religion so religions more likely to be helpful to those in poor societies

Question 23

An alternate view : secularisation and security
Europe vs America

Answer 23

WESTERN EUROPE - low religious demand which makes sense
USA - still religious as its the most unequal and is insecure

Question 24

State welfare and religiosity

Answer 24

The more a country spends on welfare- the lower the religiosity

gill and lundegaarde found religion provides welfare
welfare provision doesnt account for ultimate qs