what is the changing trend in church attendance in Britain between 1998-2020?
1998: 40%
2020: 4%
Define bogus baptisms.
when parents baptise their older children so they can be accepted into high performing schools which only accept baptised children.
describe the religious institutions today in Britain.
loss of functions e.g. education and healthcare.
confined to the private sphere - individuals and the family.
the clergy has become an ageing workforce.
define rationalisation
the process which rational ways of thinking and acting replace religious ones.
Describe Weber's theory on rationalisation.
argues the protestant reformation in C16th started rationalisation.
it undermined the religious view of the middle ages and replaced it with a scientific modern view.
the PR saw God as transcendent - existing above the world and despite creating the world he left it to run according to its own laws of nature and didn't intervene.
Describe Weber's theory on rationalisation (2)
the catholic medieval view saw the world as enchanted where God, angels, etc were present and altered the course of events.
using science humans discovered these laws of nature.
weber argues the protestant reformation led to disenchantment.
How has technology caused secularisation?
Bruce argues the growth of tech has replaced religious and supernatural causes.
For example, when a plane crashes it is unlikely to be associated with evil spirits instead it'll be scientifically explained.
Religious explanations only survive in areas where tech is less effective e.g. when someone is suffering from an illness with limited scientific medication or no cure e.g. cancer, covid 19.
Define structural differentiation.
Process of specialisation which occurs with the development of industrial society. Specialised institutions develop to carry out institutions which were previously performed by a singular institution.
Parsons' structural differentation explanation.
industrialisation has caused religion to become smaller and specialised.
structural diff leads to disengagement of religion, where it's functions are transferred to other institutions such as the state and becomes disconnected from wider society e.g. loss of influence on education, social welfare, etc.
leads to privatisation according to Bruce, confined to the private sphere of the home and the family hence rituals and symbols have lost meaning.
how does social and cultural diversity lead to secularisation?
Wilson argues the move from pre-industrial to industrial society led to a decline in community as shared values expressed through religious rituals were lost as communities became less stable.
Bruce argues social and geographical mobility creates diversity which leads to plausibility in beliefs being undermined by alternatives.
Individualism can lead to a decline in a practising community and therefore belief declines.
Critic of Bruce's social and georgraphically idea on religion.
Aldridge argues that community doesn't have to be in a particular area e.g. religion can be a source of identity on a worldwide scale such as judaism
Berger's view on religious diversity.
The catholic church had an absolute monopoly where there was no competition. this led to greater plausibility.
The protestant reformation resulted in a variety of religious organisations who all had a different version of the truth.
Now no church could claim a monopoly and as a consequence society was no longer unified on the basis of religion.
People began to question the plausibility and eroded the certainties of traditional religion.
Criticisms of religious diversity explanations for secularisation.
Berger changes his views and argues diversity actually stimulate interests e.g. the growth of evangelicalism in latin america.
Beckford argues that yes religious diversity will lead to questions but it isn't inevitable.
Define cultural defence.
where religion provides a focal point for the defence of national, ethnic or group identity in a struggle against an external force e.g. a hostile foreign power such as catholicism in poland before the fall of communism.
Define cultural transitions.
where religion provides support and a sense of community for ethnic groups such as migrants to a different country and culture.
Why is American less secular than Britain?
religion is seen as apart of the americanway of life.
Hadaway's study on declining church attendance.
opinion polls said church attendance was at 40%, however Hadaway argued if this was true churches would be full and they weren't.
they studied church attendance in ohio.
they carried out headcounts at services and interviewed ppl asking if they attended church. claimed attendance was 83%.
they found there was a tendency to exaggerate churchgoing and the attendance gap has widened.
the widening gap may be due to the fact that it is still seen as the american way of life hence people exaggerated and gave right answerisms.
How has american religion adjusted to the modern world?
Bruce argues that emphasis on traditional christian beliefs and glorification of God has declined.
Religion in america has become psychologised, turned into a form of therapy.
Purpose has changed from seeking salvation to personal improvement.
Overall Bruce argues american religion has remained popular by becoming less religious.
Bruce defines this as secularisation within.
How has religious diversity led to secularisation from within?
Bruce says there has been a trend towards practical relativism among americans where they're accepting of others holding beliefs that are different to their own.
What is the counterpart of practical relativism?
Erosion of absolutism, which is where we live in a society where many people hold views that are different to ours and this undermines our assumptions that our own views are true.
criticisms of secularisation theory.
the theory is one sided and ignores the growth of new religions.
evidence of falling church attendance ignores people who believe but don't go to church.