Secularisation

    Cards (29)

    • What does rationalisation refer to in Weber's theory?

      It refers to the process by which rational ways of thinking and acting replace religious ones.
    • How did Weber view the impact of rationalisation on Western cultures?

      He believed that Western cultures have undergone mass rationalisation.
    • What term does Weber use to describe society after rationalisation?

      He describes it as ‘disenchanted’.
    • What does Weber mean by 'disenchanted' society?

      It means that all religious mysticism is removed, leaving no influence of supernatural powers.
    • Who proposed the concept of a technological worldview?

      Bruce proposed the concept of a technological worldview.
    • What does Bruce argue about the technological worldview in relation to religion?

      He argues that it completely replaced the religious view by providing logical explanations.
    • What is the effect of the technological worldview on the seriousness of religious beliefs, according to Bruce?

      The religious scope has declined dramatically and is taken less seriously.
    • What is structural differentiation according to Parsons?

      It is a process of specialization that occurs with the development of industrial society.
    • What is one outcome of structural differentiation as described by Parsons?

      The disengagement of religion from wider society.
    • How did the functions of religion change due to structural differentiation?

      They were passed to institutions like the state.
    • What example does Parsons provide to illustrate the loss of influence of the church?

      The church lost influence over education, social welfare, and the law.
    • What does privatisation of religion refer to in the context of structural differentiation?

      Religion is now kept within the private sphere of the home and family.
    • Who argues that the decline of community is a result of moving from a pre-industrial to an industrial society?
      Wilson.
    • How does Wilson relate the decline of community to secularisation?

      He argues that when religion lost its hold over society, we became a more individualistic society.
    • What social changes caused by industrialisation does Wilson mention?

      Social and geographical mobility brought people from different backgrounds together.
    • How does diversity of occupations, cultures, and lifestyles affect religion according to Wilson?

      It undermines religion.
    • What point does Aldridge make about community and religion?

      Community doesn’t have to be concerned with a particular area; religion can be a source of identity not influenced by location.
    • What are the main outcomes of structural differentiation according to Parsons and Wilson?

      • Disengagement of religion from wider society
      • Loss of church influence over education, social welfare, and law
      • Privatisation of religion to the home and family
      • Decline of community due to industrialisation
      • Increased individualism and diversity of backgrounds
    • What was the sacred canopy in the Middle Ages?

      The sacred canopy was the shared set of beliefs held by everyone.
    • How did the sacred canopy affect people's beliefs in the Middle Ages?

      It gave greater plausibility to people's beliefs by eliminating conflict or questions.
    • What was the impact of the Protestant Reformation on religious truth?

      It ended the unchallenged monopoly of truth, leading to varied interpretations.
    • What is meant by the term 'plausibility structure' in relation to religion?

      A plausibility structure refers to the framework that supports the credibility of beliefs.
    • What crisis did the plausibility structure create for religion?

      It created a crisis of credibility for religion.
    • How did religious beliefs change as a result of the crisis of credibility?

      Religious beliefs became relative rather than absolute.
    • What percentage of people attended church regularly in America in 1940?
      40%
    • What did Hadaway's study in Ohio reveal about church attendance claims?

      It found that claims of church attendance were 83% higher than actual estimates.
    • What does Hadaway's study suggest about the reliability of self-reported church attendance?

      It suggests that self-reported church attendance may be significantly inflated.
    • Religious diversity in America - Bruce
      • Identifies a trend towards practical relativism among American Christians in how everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. 
      • In 1924 94% of churchgoers believed that ‘Christianity was the one true religion, in 1977 only 41% agreed.
    • Evaluation to Secularisation
      • Religion isn’t declining, just changing.
      • Secularisation theory is one-sided (it doesn’t consider the religious revivals and the growth of new religions.
      • Religion may have declined in Europe not globally.
      • Religious diversity only causes an increase in choice not a decline in belief overall.
      • Lyon criticises secularisation for assuming that religion is declining, he argues that we are actually in a period of re-enchantment with the growth of unconventional beliefs, practices and spirituality. 
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