YR2 BELIEFS: religion, renewal & change Flashcards
what theory is RENEWAL + CHANGE a counterargument to ?
secularisation theory
name the 4 groups / theories of renewal & change of religion
- post modern theory of religion (+ Spiritual Revolution)
-Religious market theory - Existential Security theory
name the 3 key POST MODERNISTS regarding religion, renewal and change.
- Davies (2013)
- Hervieu-Leger (2006)
- Lyon (2000)
what is Davies’ post modern theory of religion called?
BELIEF WITHOUT BELONGING
name the analogy that Davies uses in his belief without belonging theory.
the iceberg analogy
summarise Davies’ belief without belonging theory.
-religion is no longer forced upon us, where the Church forces you to attend, religion not inherited as much.
-religion is now a matter of personal choice. People go to Church cuz they WANT to.
-religion isn’t declining, just changing form + becoming more PRIVATISED
-people more reluctant to belong to organisations (church) but still hold the beliefs.
-VICARIOUS RELIGION
What did Davies mean by vicarious religion?
religion being practiced by an active minority on behalf of a great majority, who experience religion second hand.
explain Davies’ iceberg analogy - belief without belonging
the top of the iceberg - visible to everyone above water = the active minority that still attend church / religious organisations.
however underneath is a mass of people who hold the religious beliefs but do not attend church.
where does Davies believe his belief without belonging theory applies to?
Britain
explain 1 criticism of Davies’ post modern theory of belief without belonging
-Voas & Crockett (2005): gathered evidence from 5700 respondents which showed that both Church attendance + belief in God were declining at the same rate
-Day (2007): interviewed people who identified as Christian, but very few of them mentioned God. Suggested that their reasons for identifying themselves as Christian was in order to also identify as White British
What is Hervieu-Leger’s postmodern renewal and change theory called?
SPIRITUAL SHOPPING
summarise Hervieu-Leger’s spiritual shopping theory
-fewer + fewer people are attending Church - partly due to ‘cultural amnesia’ : a loss of collective memory
-we have now lost the religious belief that used to be handed down by older generations. collective tradition has been replaced by individual consumerism.
-we now have a choice of religion as consumers - ‘spiritual shoppers’
-DIY beliefs. that match our own interests. we choose our own elements of religions to believe in - spiritual journey
what 2 religious types does Hervieu-Leger’s theory of spiritual shopping create?
1) PILGRIMS - follow an individual path for self discovery
2) CONVERTS - join a religious group for a sense of strong belonging
give 1 criticism of Hervieu-Leger’s spiritual shopping theory
-important to question whether or not people USE the choice they now have and if they are still involved in religion to the extent that Leger believes
what is Lyon’s postmodern theory of religion, renewal and change called?
RE-ENCHANTEMENT.
summarise Lyon’s postmodern theory of re-enchantment
-traditional religion is giving way to a variety of new forms
-post modern society has key characteristics that are changing the nature of religion: globalisation, growth of consumerism, importance of media / communications
-led to religion becoming disembbeded from physical Churches to different forms.
-for example, the ‘electronic Church’ + ‘televangelism’ relocate
religion
what is a ‘spiritual revolution’ ?
where traditional Christianity is being replaced by a ‘holistic spirituality’ / New Age of spiritual beliefs. Spiritual Revolution emphasises personal development + subjective experience
give 1 criticism of Lyon’s postmodern theory of re-enchantment
-Hoover et al (2004): online religion isn’t the new radical alternative to traditional religion. For most users, online religion is a supplement to an individual’s Church-based activities, rather than a substitute for them. People are adding to the traditional ways in which they already practice
NAME the case study that investigated the ‘spiritual revolution’ + sociologists
Heelas and Woodhead (2005) the KENDAL PROJECT
what 2 groups did Heelas and Woodhead identify + investigate for the Kendal project?
congregational domain - traditional religion
holistic milieu - spiritual / New Age religion
what methods did Heelas and Woodhead use? Kendal project
- congregational questionnaire
- holistic questionnaire
- mapping (observing Church services)
- street surveys, semi structured interviews
summarise Heelas and Woodhead’s findings of the Kendal project
- the new age is not yet replacing traditional religion because: the rise in the new age was not equal to the decline of tradition.
-growth of spiritual movements
What sociologists argue for the religious market theory?
STARK AND BAINBRIDGE (1985)
What is the main point argued by religious market theory?
that religion is in a continuous cycle of decline and renewal.
what two assumptions is religious market theory based on?
- people are naturally religious
- it is human nature to seek rewards + avoid consequences
How do Stark & Bainbridge explain how / why religion actually renews?
-religious organisations operate like companies
-when they face competition from other ideologies they improve the quality of their goods to attract more believers. Renews people’s interests
give an example of how a religion may improve their services to prevent decline and renew peoples’ interests.
MEGA-CHURCHES
can hold 2000 + people. lavish resources. offer extra services such as cafes, book shops, nurseries etc to meet customers’ needs
Lakewood Church (Texas) has 43,500 weekly attendance. + their services are watched on TV by 7million people
give 2 criticisms of religious market theory
1)assumes people are naturally religious
2)diversity doesn’t necessarily lead to increased demand (Europe has religious diversity but secularisation)
3)some countries with little diversity still have high demand
What sociologists argue for the existential security theory?
NORRIS AND INGLEHART (2004)
what is meant by existential security?
refers to feeling secure about your survival.
high existential security = feel secure about survival
what does existential security theory argue?
religion makes people feel secure, therefore areas of low existential security have high levels of religiosity.
give some examples of areas / groups that may have low existential security
- areas of poverty
- oppressed groups
- war torn areas eg Ukraine, Palestine
- areas prone to natural disasters
- areas of high crime rate
Using existential security theory, why is Western Europe becoming increasingly secular?
- the societies are amongst the most equal + secure in the world
- well developed welfare states offering comprehensive healthcare, pensions etc. reduces poverty + protects those at the bottom. higher existential security
Using existential security theory, why does America still have high levels of religion?
- USA = the most unequal of the rich societies
- inadequate welfare safety net
individualistic ‘dog eat dog’ values - creates high levels of poverty + insecurity
how does Gill and Lundegaarde support Norris and Inglehart’s existential security theory
found that the more a country spends on welfare, the lower the levels of religious participation
the state now provides welfare for the poor instead of religion
who mainly criticises existential security theory?
VASQUEZ (2007)
give 2 of Vasquez’s criticisms of existential security theory
1) relies on quantitative data
2) only sees religion as a negative response
3) ignores positive reasons people may turn to religion
4) doesn’t examine individual ideas of existential security
