Secularisation Flashcards
Religious Practice - Evidence of Secularisation in UK
Less people attending churches, sunday schools & weddings & baptism all declining.
Secularisation
When religious thinking, practice & institutions lose signifcance
How do we know that secularisation is happening - Evidence FOR secularisation
> Popularity
Plausability
Power
Why has secularisation happened? Evidence FOR
> Rationalisation
Structural Differentiation
Social & Cultural Diversity
Religious Diversity
Rationalisation - Weber
> Due to industrialisation, people use science, logical and evidence based ways of thinking not religion & supernatural, move from medieval Catholic worldview to modern Protestant worldview
Disenchantment - Weber
> ‘Magical’ element of religion has disappeared
> People have stopped believing in ‘magical’ figures like angels
Technological Worldview - Bruce
> No longer see bad events as God’s punishment, but scientific explanations, reducing scope for religious explanations
> Religion only used when technology ineffective e.g prayer for incurable cancer
Parsons – Structural Differentiation
Church performed variety of functions eg. education, caring for sick & poor, but replaced by NHS & Education, provided by the state
Disengagement - Structural differentiation (Parsons)
> Church now disconnected from wider society
> People no longer engage with it on a daily basis
Privatisation - Structural Differentiation (Bruce)
> Religious belief privatised in home & family is now matter of personal choice
> Traditional rituals & symbols have lost meaning.
Controlled by State -Structural Differentiation (Parsons)
> Even where religion is involved in education/welfare, needs to conform to state controls
> e.g. teachers must have qualifications recognised by state
> Church lost political power, separate from state in modernity
Social & Cultural Diversity - Wilson
Decline of Community & Industrialisation
Diversity
Individualism
Decline of Community & Industrialisation - Wilson
Local communities shared rituals, reinforcing social solidarity. Industrialisation destroyed stability & religious basis for society.
Sacred Canopy
In pre-industrial society, Catholic Church had no competition, all lived under same unquestioned shared beliefs.
Plausibility Structure - Berger
> Plausibility of all religious views are undermined with multiple versions of the ‘’truth’’
> People fearful of choosing wrong truth so chosen none or create pick n mix of beliefs
Evidence Against Secularisation - Secularisation is not happening
> Cultural Defence
Cultural Transition
Fundamentalism
Resacrilisation & Reenchantment
Religious Market Theory
Existential Security Theory
Cultural Defence - Bruce
> Religion gives a focal point for defence of national identity in struggle with external forces e.g. hostile foreign power.
> Using religion to defend against a racist, hostile environment.
> e.g. the resurgence of Islam before the revolution in Iran in 1979.
Cultural Transition - Bruce
Gives sense of community and support for Black, Asian and minority ethnic people living in a different country & culture e.g. Muslims in UK
Fundamentalism
Taking the literal approach to following religious texts
Examples of growth of religious fundamentalism
New Christian Right in USA
Resacrilisation
A renewal and continuing vitality of religious beliefs - shifting from traditional religions to a more individualistic spirituality centered on the self.
Reenchantment
People are now starting to believe in the magical elements of some forms of new religious movements
Religious Market Theory
> Demand for religion increases when there are more different religions to choose from.
Where there is a religious monopoly, it leads to a decline in religion.
Existential Security Theory
> The presence of a strong welfare state acts as a safety net for them to turn to.
> When there is no such safety net, they turn to religion for comfort and support.
Belief without Belonging
Where people have religious views, but do not attend church/places of worship.
Vicarious Religion
Where a small number of professional clergy practice religion on behalf of a much larger number of people.
The Kendal Project
A study which found traditional religion is declining and spirituality is growing.
Sheilaism and Individualised Religion
Religion can be whatever you want it to be such as following the voice in your head in order to do right things.
Spiritual Shopping
A do it yourself belief to be able to pick and choose whatever religion is best suited for you.
