Religion, Renewal + Choice Flashcards
Religion, Renewal + Choice - Is Religion Declining - Davie
• Whilst Secularisation theories argue Religion is Declining other sociologists argue it isn’t
• Davie –> modern religions based on consumption rather than obligation
- people don’t feel obliged to attend church/baptise child
- People believe without believing –> Religion is personal + private choice
- religions are now vicarious - Minority active for the majority
Religion, Renewal + Choice - Is Religion Declining - Hervieu - Leger
• Traditional Religion declined due to cultural amnesia
- young people ignorant of history + tradition so reject traditional religions
• Indiv consumerism has replaces tradition
- people are ‘spiritual shoppers’ picking elements of Religion that works for them
- Pilgrims –> select to discover self in new age groups (yoga/meditation)
- Converts –> seek Religion for community
Religion, Renewal + Choice - Postmodern Religion - Globalisation + The media - Lyon
• Globalisation has led to increased movement of ideas + beliefs across boundaries
• Media plays central role
- saturates us with images + messages from worldwide
• Religion has become disembedded
- media lifts them out of physical churches to diffrent time = Electronic church + televangelism –> express faith without physically attending chut h - blurred boundaries
• Religions deindustrialosation floating in cyber space
- e.g. pastafarianism
Religion, Renewal + Choice - Postmodern Religion - Online Religion + Religion Online - Hellen
•2 kinds of Internet activity
- Religion Online–> top down communication
• Religion uses Internet to address members
• Electronic version of traditional, hierarchical Religion
- Online Religion –> cyber Religion
• Non-hierarchical relationships
• community where they can visit virtual worship/meditation spaces
• E.g Pagons
Religion, Renewal + Choice - Postmodern Religion - Religious Consumerism - Hervieu - Leger, Lyon + Berger
• Hervieu - Leger –> act as spiritual shoppers
- choose beliefs to meet indiv needs
- pic n mix elements of different faiths
• Lyon –> Religion relocated to sphere of consumption
- Choice about useful elements of Religion
- Loss of faith in metanarratives - worldviews claiming to have absolute truth
• Berger –> Weakens traditional Religion
- Exposed to competing truths
Religion, Renewal + Choice - Postmodern Religion - Self-Religions + New Age - Lyon
• New Age spirituality rejects obligation + obedience
- emphasises life as journey of personal dev + connecting with inner self
• Individualism –> free to choose (spiritual shoppers)
Religion, Renewal + Choice - Postmodern Religion - Re-Enchantment of world - Lyon
• Criticises Secularisation
• Now in a period of re-enchantment
- growth of unconventional beliefs + spirituality
• Traditional forms decline but growing vitality of non-traditional Religion in West (e.g. witchcraft)
Religion, Renewal + Choice - Postmodern Religion - Evaluations
• Problem of scale
- not many people follow New Age Religion as attend traditional churches
• Socialisation of young
- married + cohabiting have conflicting religious views
- more childless couples - beliefs not passed down
• Weak commitment
Religion, Renewal + Choice - Postmodern Religion - Bruce Evaluates
• Most people show no interest in New Age Religions, they cause Secularisation
- Not based on idea of god
• Lack power structures to demand commitment
• Can’t gain consensus on meaning of spiritual instruments
• Enlightenment comes from within –> can’t recruit new members
Religion, Renewal + Choice - Right Realists - Rational Choice Theory - Stark + Bainbridge
• Rational Choice Theory (choose religion)
1) People naturally religious asbit meets human needs
- evedyone in search of answers
2) It’s human nature to seek rewards + avoid costs
- people weigh up costs + benefits of options
Religion, Renewal + Choice - Right Realists - Religious Market Theory - Secularisation is wrong - Cycle of Religious Decline
• Historically all religions follow cycle of religious decline
1) Religion declines
2) Cults + Sects created attracting new members
3) New popular religions created through denominations
Religion, Renewal + Choice - Right Realists - Religious Market Theory - Religions are in Competition
• Religions operate like businesses competing with each other + sell beliefs in market
- Religions change product to appeal to largest amounts of people
• Those successful grow, those who aren’t collapse
• Lesds to higher quality religion
Religion, Renewal + Choice - Right Realists - Religious Market Theory - Evaluations - Bruce + Beckford
• Bruce –> religion diversity has matched religious decline
• Beckford –> Everhone being naturally religious doesn’t explain religious choices
