Secularisation

• What evidence is there to support the idea of secularisation?

  Church attendance has dropped. From 40% of adults attending church every Sunday in 1851 to just 4% today. In 1971 59% of weddings were held at church as opposed to 20% today. In 1983 the proportion of adults with no religion was 33%, which has rose to 50% today. Churches influence has severely dropped in law making and education. The number of of clergy have dropped, and it it an ageing workforce with the average age of a clergy member rising.
• What is Webers theory to explain secularisation?

  Rationalisation. The idea that rational ways of thinking are coming to replace religious ones. The Protestant reformation bought about disenchantment, god was seen as transcendent not an interventionist meaning events weren’t caused by supernatural beings but instead were predictable workings of natural forces.. Using reason and science humans could understand the laws of nature and control it with technology, undermining the religious worldview.
• How does Bruce add to Webers theory of rationalisation?

  The growth of a technological worldview leaves little room for religious explanations in everyday life and only survive where science is least effective, for example when family members are suffering an illness with no cure. Thus, scientific knowledge doesn’t turn people into atheists but instead encourages people to take religion less seriously.
• What is Parsons explanation of secularisation?

  Structural differentiation. Separate specialised institutions develop to carry out functions that were previously performed by a single institution. He believes this happened to religion. this led to the disengagement (its functions are transferred to other institutions) and privatisation (separated from wider society and confined to the private sphere of the family) of religion
• What are other explanations of secularisation?

  -Decline of community [Wilson, in pre industrial communities, shared values were expressed through collective religious rituals]

  -Industrialisation [Bruce, industrialisation undermines the consensus of religious beliefs that hold small rural communities together. social and geographical mobility breaks up communities and brings about more diversity]

  -diversity of lifestyle and occupations undermines religion [Bruce, the plausibility of beliefs is undermined by alternatives and individualism]
• Criticisms of other explanations of secularisation?

  Aldridge; a community doesn’t have to be in a particular area, as it can be a source of identity worldwide, and Pentecostal groups flourish in impersonal urban areas.
• What is Bergers explanation of secularisation?

  Religious diversity. Previously, there was a sacred canopy where the Catholic Church held a monopoly meaning everyone lived under a single set of religious beliefs, giving greater plausibility because there were no challengers and the truth was unquestioned. However, with the protestant reformation the number and variety of religious organisations continued to grow meaning no church held a monopoly, causing a crisis of credibility for the church as diversity undermined religions plausibility structure.
• Criticisms of Bergen’s explanation of secularisation?

  Beckford; opposing views can sometimes cause a strengthening effect on a religious groups commitment to its existing beliefs
• What is Bruces theory that opposes the secularisation theory?

  Cultural defence and transition.

  Defence [where religion provides a focal point for the defence of national, local or group identity against an external force such as hostile foreign power]

  Transition [religion provides support and a sense of community for ethnic groups such as migrants to a new country and culture.

  Bruce argues that religion survives where it performs functions other than relating individuals to the supernatural
• What is Wilsons view of secularisation in America?

  Churchgoing was more of and expression of the American way of life rather than of religious beliefs. America was an increasingly secular society because religion there has become superficial.
• What three sources of evidence does Bruce give to support Wilsons claim?

  -Declining church attendance [Hadaway; 40% of Americans claimed to attend church but headcount’s from churches found this to be false]

  -Secularisation from within [the emphasis f traditional Christian beliefs and glorifying gods has decreased and religion in america has become a form of therapy.]

  -Religious diversity [we now live in a society where people hold beliefs that are different to our own, undermining our assumption that ours are correct]
• What are the criticisms of secularisation theory?

  -religion isn’t declining but changing

  -secularisation theory is one sided as it only focuses on on the declines but ignores religious revivals and the growth of new religions

  -assumes that there was a golden age of religion in the past and that the future will be an age of atheism