Religion Renewal And Choice Flashcards
Believing without belonging
Davie
Holding religious beliefs without going to a church or institution
Vicarious religion- small amount of people worship for half the population
Spiritual health service
Rejects secularisation- changing its form
Spiritual Shopping
Leger
Cultural amnesia
We now shop for religion like consumers. Pick and mix consumers.
Individual consumerism
Pilgrim - individual path to self discovery
Convert- join religious groups that offer a strong sense of belonging
Postmodernism
Religion is changing due to globalisation, the media, communications and consumerism.
Globalisation, the media and religion
Religious ideas have become disembedded- physically lifted out of the church and relocated, eg televangelism.
Online religion and religion online
Online religion- religion that has no existence outside the internet. Virtual worship and interests
Religion online- religion organisations use technology to hep benefit the system and communicate between church, members etc. electronic version of the church.
Religious consumerism
We construct our identities through what we consume.
Pick and mix identities
Loss of faith in meta- narratives
Dominant organisations lose their faith
Evolving into new forms
Re-enchantment
Lyon-
Period of re-enchantment whee unconventional religions and beliefs grow.
Self religions and the new age
New age reject obligation and obedience, emphasise personal development , autonomy and ones inner self.
Individualism and self- religions
Spiritual Revolutions
There is now a new age spirituality that emphasises personal development and finding yourself
Growing- can buy books on crystals and healing
For example- the Kendal project- traditional church losing support
Weaknesses of new age religions
Too weak to fill the gape of religion
Scale- too small
Socialisation- can over survive if it is passed through generations
Weak commitment serious commitment is rare
Structure; weakness- everyone is free to do what they want. No sense of octal cohesion
Religious market theory
Stark and Bainbridge
People are naturally religious and religion meets humans needs
People make rational choices based on costs and benefits of religious options
Religious is attractive - supernatural compensators
There is a historical cycle of religious decline and revival
Competition leads to improvement
Existential security theory
Religion meets need for security. People feel insecure and demand for religion. Poor people remain religious while people in western countries have become more secular.third old countries- religion stays
