4A

Question 1

Secular

Answer 1

From Latin saeculum, originally temporal. It evolved to mean non-religious or this-worldly.

Question 2

Secularism

Answer 2

An ideology advocating the separation of religion from public institutions like government and education.

Question 3

Secularisation

Answer 3

The process by which religion loses influence in society, particularly in areas like politics, education, and morality.

Question 4

Rationalisation (Max Weber)

Answer 4

Weber argued that increasing rational thinking and scientific understanding demystify the world, replacing religious explanations. As a result, religion becomes less central. Rational capitalism, particularly in Protestantism, also contributed to secularism by emphasizing individual success over divine intervention.

Question 5

Stadial Consciousness (Durkheim)

Answer 5

This theory views human societies as evolving from religious to secular stages. Religion is dominant in primitive societies but declines with modernization. However, new forms of spirituality may still emerge.

Question 6

Subtraction Theory (Taylor)

Answer 6

Taylor suggests the secular is what remains after religion is stripped away. Modern society no longer needs religious explanations or institutions to function. Religion becomes a personal, optional belief system.

Question 7

Disappearance Thesis (Bruce)

Answer 7

Bruce believed that religion will eventually fade from public life. Due to modernity, individualism, and scientific thinking, religion becomes privatized and socially irrelevant. Over time, only small, fragmented forms may persist.