Religion Renewal Choice - Postmodernity + Religion Flashcards
Davies - ‘believing without belonging’
Argues religion not declining just taking more privatised forms; people no longer go to church. People now holding religious beliefs but not going to church. Trend towards vicarious religion = small number of clergy practice religion on behalf of much larger number of people.
Criticism - if people not willing to invest time in going to church this just reflects declining strength of their beliefs
Herview-Léger
Supports theme of personal choice + believing without belonging. Cultural amnesia - loss of collective memory people lost the religion that used to be handed down from gen to gen. Young people no longer inherit fixed religious identity. However while traditional institutional religion has declined, religion contributes through individual consumerism people now become spiritual shoppers - religion now individualised
Lyon - ‘Jesus in Disneyland’
Argues postmodern society has several features that are changing the nature of religion - globalisation, the increased importance of the media + consumerism. Result= traditional religion giving way to new religious forms + these demonstrate its continuing strength.
Relocation of religion - media gives images/messages from around the globe giving instant access to ideas/beliefs of previously remote religions.
Religious consumerism - we now construct our identities through what we consume. spiritual shoppers choosing religious beliefs to meet out individual needs.
Re-enchantment of the world - growth of unconventional beliefs + practices. Traditional religion decline in EU - growth of non-traditional religion in W etc
Criticism- Bruce argues consumerist religion of sort Lyon describes is weak religion - it has little effect on the lives of its believers
Religion Market Theory - Stark + Bainbridge
Advocate RMT, criticise secularisation theory for distorted view of past/future, no past golden age.
2 assumptions; people naturally religious/meets human needs. Make rational choices based on costs + benefits of available religious options
Religion attractive as provides us with supernatural compensators when real rewards unobtainable.
Historical cycle- as established churches decline leaves gap in market for sects + cults
Competition - leads to improvements in quality of religious ‘goods’ on offer
Criticism - criticises RMT as unsociological as it assumes people naturally religious + fails to explain why they make the choices they do
Postmodern view
Reject secularisation theory + argue religion is simply changing rather than declining
