Topic 3 secularisation Flashcards
What does Wilson say about the changes since the 19th century?
Western society has been undergoing long term secularisation.. Attendance has fallen
What percent of the population attend church and what proportion of church weddings are there today?
6.3% of adult pop attend church on a Sunday (2006)
Attendance of large organisations has declined
In 71 3/5 weddings church, now 1/3
Belief is declining with attendance
What has happened to the influence of religion as a social institution? Name 2 statistics
Religion as a social instruction has also declined
Churches use to provide education but this is now done by the state even faith schools led by state
Collective worship wasn’t kept up by 1/2 of schools in Wales
Number of clergy has fallen from 45,000 to 34,000 in last 100 years
What does Bruce say about religious Instiutions today?
Evidence of secularisation in every aspect of religion, if trends continue, Methodist church will fold by 2030
What does Weber say about rationalisation and the Protestant reformation?
Secularisation due to rationalisation.
Protestant reflation rationalised life as process under,knee religion world view of medieval catholic eg enchanted angel, Devils etc and changed to scientific outlook
God created world but not intervened , events are predictable workings of natural forces
What’s Bruce’s technological view?
Bruce argues the technological view has replaced religion. Eg. Plane crashes we don’t think of evil spirits we look for scientific explanations, no room for religious explanations
Only used as lasts resort eg. When there’s no cure we pray
What do parsons and Bruce say about structural differentiation?
Parsons defines SD as specialisation in development industry, religion dominated pre industrial society but is now more smaller and specialised institution.
Bruce agrees religion become separate form wider society, traditional rules and symbols have lost meaning because of personal choice
What does Berger say about religious diversity?
It’s the cause of secularisation. Instead of 1 religious organisation there are many.
Catholic Church use to hold monopoly, after Protestant reformation, p churches and sects broke always and new organisations grew, no church can claim unchallenged monopoly of the truth (lead to crisis of credibility)
What do Wilson and Bruce say about the industrial society?
Wilson argues pre industrial shared values expressed groggy collective religion that integrated individuals
Bruce sees industrialisation as undermining consensus of all beliefs that hold Sam,l rural communities together
What is a spiritual revolution and has it happened?
Christianity is giving way to holistic spieituality that emphasises personal development and subjective experience.
- 9% attend church
- 6% holistic milieu
Traditional loosing support
Evangelical successful as disingenuous duty and spiritual healing and personal growth
Holistic milieu is growing but spiritual revolution hasn’t taken place as grow hadn’t compensated for decline in traditional religion
What do Wilson and Hadaway say about secularisation in America?
Wilson found 45% of Americans attended church on Sunday’s, more expression of way of life
Hadaway found 40% attendance however is didn’t match churches statistics as churches would have been full and they are not. Carried out head counts and exaggeration was by 47%
Critics of secularisation?
Religion isn’t faded,inning but changing form
Secularisation theory ignores religious rivals and growth of new ones
Ignores people who believe without belonging
Some religious communities are on global media
Pentecostal, and others flourish in urban areas
What are some main changes in religion since the 19th century?
Decline in proportion of population going to church
Increase average age of church goers
Fewer church weddings
Greater religious diversity
Who are the main theorists in secularisation?
Wilson Bruce Weber Parsons Berger Heaelas and Woodhead Hadaway
