Secularisation

Question 1

Why has church attendance dropped?

Answer 1

Crockett 1998 40% were churchgoers but has dropped
- Less churchgoers
- Increased age of churchgoers
- Decline in baptisms
- Decline in beliefs
- New religions

Question 2

Bogus baptisms

Answer 2

Refers to people being baptised in order to get into high acheiving faith schools - ticket to entry not an actual christian commitment

Question 3

Long term secularisation

Answer 3

Wilson, the UK has gradually undergone a phase of long term secularisation

Question 4

Church attendance today

Answer 4

dropped tremendously, in 2015 it was 5%
church weddings have dropped from 60 to 30
Infant baptims have dropped - bogus baptisms

Question 5

Religious afillication today

Answer 5

Atheism - 1/3 to 1/2
Increase in catholocism due to east europe immigration and also an increase in non christian religions, mainly islam.
1983 4/5 identified w a grp now 1/5 do

Question 6

Religious institutions today

Answer 6

church has lost control
Clerhy is aging workforce and dont really have control meaning the religion loses its day to day influence../

Question 7

Explanations of secularisation
Rationalisation

Answer 7

Weber proposes this idea, saying that religious ideiology has now been replaced with that of rational thought.
- The protestant reformation of the 16th cent started the process.
The view in the middle ages was that the world was an enchanted garden however the protestsant reofrmation changed this and began a process of disenchantment.

Question 8

Explanations of secularisation
Technological world view

Answer 8

We dont instantly blame bad spirits for bad things now we look for rational thought as to how it happened.

Question 9

Structural differentiation

Answer 9

Parsons says that now multiple institutions perform the role that one used to.
Disengagment - church loses influence and this may account for why state now has more control over education welfare and law.
Privatisation - religon is now a very personal choice for the indiviudal and is practiced in the private family sphere.

Question 10

Explanations of secularisation
Social/Cultural diversity

Answer 10

• decline of community
• diverse cultures and life
• industrialisation (soc/geog mobility)

Question 11

Explanations of secularisation
Religious diversity

Answer 11

Berger says its the fact there are too many religions.
SACRED CANOPY refers to how in the middle ages there was only one religion so all stuck to it
PLAUSABILITY STRUCTURE creates a crisis of plausability because when theres so many options you dont know whats true

Question 12

Explanations of secularisation
Religious diversity CRITICISMS

Answer 12

BERGER 1999 added that the wide range may actually be striking an interest in religion

Question 13

Explanations of secularisation
Cultural defense

Answer 13

Where religion is used in order to protect a group in struggle against a political force

Question 14

Explanations of secularisation
Cultural transition

Answer 14

It supports groups in times of struggle.