Secularisation

Question 1

why is Britain becoming more secular

Answer 1

• christianity is losing its authority in society
• christian moral values have become so much part of everyone’s thinking that there is no longer any need for a specific religious reference
• secularisation is when society doest incudfr religion in the public sphere and it is instead focused on worldly ideas/approaches
• this developed in the uk from the enlightenment

Question 2

Gracie davie - belief without belonging

Answer 2

• people dont go to church on a regular basis but they do expect it to br there when they need it eg weddings and funerals
• Gracie davie highlights the impact of religious pluralism on individualisation - in diverse societies individuals are exposed to a plethora of religious options leading to a sense of religious autonomy
• belief without belonging shows how individuals maintain personal faith without active participation in organised religious communities
• vicarious religion: people expect religious institutions to do things on behalf of the population - this shows the secularisation of the UK - people dont expect religion to have a strong public role but its presence and position is still important

Question 3

describe vicarious religion

Answer 3

• vicarious religion refers to a situation where individuals may not actively participate in religious practices or attend religious services regularly, but they still expect religious institutions top play a role in significant life events and provide a sense of cultural and moral guidance - while people may not engage with religion on a day-today basis they rely on religious institutions to officiate important rituals and cereomioneis such as weddings, baptisms and funerals serving as markers of major life transitions and carry significant symbolic and emotional weight - people often turn to religious institutions during these times to provide a sense of tradition community support and spiritual confort
• Hillsborough disaster serves as an example of how religion continues to play a role in times of crisis and tragedy = in the aftermath of the disaster religious institutions provided support and consolation
• this underscores the enduring importance of religion ins moiety whilst it may not be expected to have a strong public role in shaping policy but not is still emotionally significant - thus it is still valuable

Question 4

Aquinas’s response to secularisiation

Answer 4

• he argued that human reason can grasp certain truths but only as a first step, doctrine and scripture are needed to see the whole truth
• works of Aristotle regarding NML - people reflected on the role of religion and saw how religion and rational thought seemed to work together to allow people o develop personal morality

Question 5

Conscience and secularisation

Answer 5

• during the protestant reformation the authority of scripture was challenged and the idea of interpretation through individual conscience and understanding was accpeted
• challenged the ideas of universal; truth and not confirming to the national religion
• the rise of scientific thinking led others to believe that god wasn’t necessary
• in the 19th century people came to see faith as a matter of personal commitment, schliermacher saw it as a way of seeing life as a whole, whereas philosophoers like marx/freud saw it as something functional

Question 6

Feurbacher and religion

Answer 6

• argued christisanityh was nothing more than the p[rojection of human hopes and aspirations
• it is a matter of cultivating a sense of self within the world in a way that is human
• finding peace with god is to become one with one’s true nature
• Feuerbach argued that religion was a human creation, not something divine or beyond us. he suggests that when people worship a god they are actually worshipping aspects of themselves projected onto a divine figure
• for feurbach, religion is. way of humans to understand and express their own humanity - when people find peacenwith god they are essentially finding peace within themselves, embracing their true nature

Question 7

Marx and religion

Answer 7

• viewed religion through the lens of social and economic structures, seeing it as a tool used by the ruling class to control and pacify the working class
• religion is an opiate of the masses, meaning it dulls the pain of oppression and exploitation by offering false hope and the promises of reward in the fterlide
• Marx believed that as society progresses and economic conditions improper, religion will naturally fade away as people no longer need it to cope with suffering

Question 8

Freud and religion

Answer 8

• from a physiological perspective he suggests that religion stems from deep-seated psychological needs and desires, particularly the need for security and comfort in the face of life’s uncertainties
• freud famously called religion a ‘universal obsessional neurosis’, implying that beliefs like these are akin to symptoms of mental illness
• religious ideas/rituals are mainfestation of subconscious desires and fears

Question 9

describe the relegation of religion to the personal sphere (individualisation)

Answer 9

• historically religion wasn’t a matter of individual choice, but the gradual acceptance of religious freedom evolved as societies became more secular, shifting religion from a compulsory affiliation to a matter of personal choice - today, in the multi-faith society of the 21st century, choosing a religion is often seen as a personal decision

Question 10

Describe how religion is increasingly being seen as a personal matter

Answer 10

1) the number of people who choose not to belong to any religion is rising, others say they aren’t interested
2) those within a religious tradition may insist that it is not enough simply to attend worship or be baptised but rather a person. should eb personally convinced and committed to the religion
- religion is said to be relegated to the personal sphere when it is seen as entirely a matter of personal choice and conviction, suggesting that evangelisation is wrong/immoral because trying to persuade people to change their views goes against their personal autonomy

Question 11

evidence of religion in the public sphere

Answer 11

• many people accept and defend many aspects of the christian religion, preserving church buildings and cathedrals or having christian ceremonies for state occasions - religion contributes to culture in a. positive way
• CoFE remain the established religion in England, civic occasions are still mainly religious
• people may attend special religious memorial services
• national anthem

Question 12

describe militant atheism

Answer 12

• the view that all religion of any kind is a bad thing, a hostile stance to religion, seeing ti as something people need to fight against
  =- believes that religious beliefs eg god and LAD are irrational, believers are irrational and stupid
• focuses on the ‘literal sense’ of religious beliefs, seeing any form of religious claim to be the equivalent of believing in fairies or Santa
• blames religion for wars
• blames religion for dumbing down human thought
• sees involvement of religious groups ion education as propaganda, a religious upbringing is child abuse

Question 13

Richard Dawkins in the god delusion

Answer 13

• ‘one of the truly and effects of religion is that it teaches us that it is a virtue too be satisfied with not understanding’
• ‘the god f the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction’

Question 14

Give the criticism of militant atheisim

Answer 14

• it misrepresents mainstream christianity by focusing on their criticism of God as an ‘imaginary being’ and on. biblical literalism as if it was a mainstream christian beliefs
• they therefore challenge the same minority views that mainstream Theology challenges
• ignores influences where conflict has been waged by atheist regimes and disregard how religion has contributed to intellectual development and human flourishing
• arguably iy is based on ignorance of theology and a personal distaste for aspects of religion, militant atheists often deign religious beliefs in oversimplified terms or attribute minority views to the majority - thus is a philosophical fallacy known as a ‘straw-man’ argument - generally, despite minority views, mainstream christianity is complex and intellectually rigororous and christian belief is pshycologically and morally justified
• some religious people can be narrow-minded prejudiced and morally weak - simple belief in the supernatural and superstitious are out-of-date modes of thinking and incompatible with reason and science, but for some people this is how they chose to exercise their faith - militant atheism claims that religion makes people unreasonable and unpleasant, however recommending that everyone should be reasonable and ‘nice’ doesn’t start to do justice to human experience, including hope and a sense of purpose which feed religion

Question 15

christian response to religion as irrational

Answer 15

• there are undoubtedly non-rational elements to religion as by definition faith is ‘belief without proof’
• the richness of religious experience, the emotional and physical engagement in worship, meditative states, group celebrations all involve people in a way that goes beyond the simple exercise of their reason
• attempts to set out religious beliefs in terms of human reason so tis claims to truth could be acceptable to everyone have generally failed
• christianity argues that most peoples experience of life isn’t limited to the rational. this includes the experience of art, music, and poetry as well as religion - however, militant atheists go beyond recognising the non rational elements in religion, suggesting religion itself is irrational

Question 16

Implications of taking religious belief literally

Answer 16

• many beliefs eg miracles, resurrection are irrational because they go against the assessment of evidence using reason
• eg Hume’s argument about the lack of evidence to prove that a miracle has taken place
• but if they aren’t taken literally those who believe them aren’t necessarily being irrational - if a person takes the views that the resurrection of Jesus is a dramatic way of presenting the idea that the spirit of Jesus is alive and active within the church, then that isn’t irrational
• it doesn’t depend on any physical evidence about what happened to Jesus’s body, but rather in the sense that people are inspired to live in a way that embodies his life and all that it stood for.
• the humanist emphasis on the role of reason and evidence may be naive in terms of human nature, as people do not generally, if ever, fully operate on the basis of reason in evidence alone, and intuitions in the raise of human emotions go beyond or bypass reason and evidence, and some branches of chrisianoty place emphasis on the fallen nature of humankind and therefore theblimitationsof human reason

Question 17

Jesus and wealth

Answer 17

• Jesus reversed some of the usual expectations of his day, particularly about wealth and possessions, arguing the poor were blessed because their situationnwas about to be reversed with the coming of the kingdom of god
• One of Jesus’s parables contrasts a rich man and a beggar, when they die, the poor man enjoys comfort in heaven - thus Jesus is arguing that the importance is in HOW a person chooses to use their wealth
• Jesus seems to deal with rich and poor alike but also applauds those who are charitable not because they are keeping a religious rule but because they choose to share their wealth and care for others
• Jesus doesn’t condemn wealth in itself but argues that it is extremely difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven and therefore that riches can era. distraction from the more important aspects of life
• ## someone who is rich is concerned with preserving and increasing their wealth on earth rather than focusing on building up what Jesus calls treasure in heaven , virtuous behaviour and charitable attitudes

Question 18

christian approaches to wealth

Answer 18

• in the early church people shared everything as they believed the end of the wold was near - but biblical letters also show communities divided b economic differences - this shows that attitudes to the ownership of wealth varied even in the earliest church, there was never a time when all christians rejected materialistic values
• corinthians 11:18-22 - Paul addresses economic divisions, criticising behaviour during communal meals where some ate lots whilst others starved
• in the letter of James there is a wearing against showing favouritism to the wealthy, reflecting a tension between materialistic values and the principles of equality and justice advocated by the early church
• the development of a monastic tradition where some gave up everything to live in communal or solitary existence in simplicity - in the middle ages this was seen as a superior spiritual state to the of the householder
• living family life in the secular world meant using and owning money an dproportyy, voluntary poverty no longer offered moral superiority so there was no spiritual advantage to monastic life - charity giving and responsible use of wealth continued to be religous duties

Question 19

Christian attitudes to wealth today - prosperity theology

Answer 19

1) Beliefs: prosperity theology is a belief system which associates material wealth and success with God’s favour and blessings, suggesting that financial property is a sign of god’s approval, and that adherents can claim prosperity through faith and positive confession
2) It emphasises the accumulation of wealth and material possessions as evidence of spiritual well-being, adherents are encouraged to pursue financial success as a reflection of their faith
3) Individual prosperity - the emphasis is often on individual prosperity and personal gain, with the belief that god rewards faithful followers with material blessings
4) Tithing: while some adherents of prosperity theology may practice tithing, it is seen more as a means to unlock blessings or increase one’s wealth rather than primarily as a way to alleviate poverty or support community needs

Question 20

Christian attitudes to wealth today - Bruderhof

Answer 20

1) Simple living: the bruderjof community follows a lifestyle characterised by simple and communal living, recounting private property and prioritising sharing everything within the community
2) focus on the community: rather than focusing on personal wealth and success, the bruderhof emphasis communal welfare and support. members live in close-knit communities where resources are shared equally among members
3) renunciation of wealth: unlike prosperity theology which sees wealth as a sign of god’s favour, the bruderhof values simplicity and views renunciation wealth as a means of spiritual fulfilment
4) tithing and sharing: instead of tithing for personal gain, members of the brduerhof community contribute their resources to support the community - including providing fir the needs of the community as well as reaching too alleviate poverty and distress in the wider world

Question 21

the views of most christians to wealth

Answer 21

• responsible wealth is important, capitalism shouldn’t exploit people, most christian accept wealth is acceptable but it should be shared generously and those in need should be helped, this can be seen in the work of charities such as christian aid
• some rich industrialists eg Cadbury brothers’ christian values have led them to provide generously
• Not all christians have enough wealth to give some to others, many churches and faith schools therefore operate r work closelynwith charities like fo0d banks and voluntary aid agencies eg CAFOD help those in poverty
• the catholic church teaches ‘preferential treatment for the poor’

Question 22

Richard Dawkins’s key points in the god delusion

Answer 22

• religion depends on belief in god (THE GOD HYPOTHEISS)
• the god hypothesis is flawed so god doesn’t exist
• religion is a primitive error which has spread like a virus, people can be morally good without the influence of religion
• religion undermines science and promotes fanaticism and bigotry, it is a bad influence on society because it causes division
• teaching religion by parents is mental ahuse
• peoplemshould turn to science
• Dawkins makes a fundamental distinction between supernatural religion (belief in the existence of a god or gods, miracles, life after death) and the natural sense of awe and wonder
• this distinction depends on a very shallow view of god as a supernatural wonder-worker
• in the ‘god delusion’, Dawkins is attacking very specific beliefs in a supernatural realm and religion based on it, assuming that most people find meaning in life and aim to develop moral principles without reference to religion or a supernatural god - Dawkins assumes science leads to atheism
• however, Amy christians share the view that god, understood as the reality within which ‘we live, move and have our being’, or as Tillich argues ‘the ground of being’ is in no sense a supernatural magician

Question 23

Alister McGrath’s response to Dawkins

Answer 23

• the christian theologian Alister McGrath argues that science isn’t in a position to adjudicate on matters of religion, whether or not a god exists, and that both science and religion must therefore keep to its own sphere of operation. Science is limited to those things that are discoverable through reason and experience
• in the broader context of secularisation, the god delusion raises another important set of issues, attitudes to homosexuality, abortion, inclusiveness and freedom of choice in matters of religion or religious education
• McGrath seeks to counter Dawkins’ position by showing that christianity is compatible with science - not by trying to refute Dawkins’ arguments point by point, but by exploring the overall viewpoint from which Dawkins writes
• McGrath points out that Dawkins assumes that science leads automatically to atheism, this suggests that scientists who accept the possibility of god, or see value in religion, must be deliberately going against what they know to be the case - by giving examples of distinguished scientists who accept the possibility of god, McGrath shows that Dawkins’ view is very narrow
• there are limits to what science can demonstrate, it cannot demonstrate the ‘true’ nature orf reality because there are no tests or observations that can show where truth lies.
• Stephen Jay Gould has proposed a ‘middle way’ arguing that science and religion each deal with their own sphere of human experience. dawns opposes this by arguing that there is only one sphere, the physical sphere, which is understood by science - McGrath opposes both Gould and Dawkins because he thinks that religion and science do have some areas of overlap, so they can therefore enrich each other
• McGrath criticises how Dawkins deliberately chooses to oppose supernaturalist fundamentalism, which is an easy target for reason and evidence - Dawkins ignores the ‘liberal’ approach to religion, complaining that supernatural religion isn’t open to argument, but holds to its beliefs unquestioningly
• However, ti is clear that he himself holds some basic atheist views unquestioningly, refusing to believe that anyone can genuinely come to a different conclusion, even someone with a distinguished background in science - in other words, he opposes one form of fundamentalism with another

Question 24

Weaknesses of McGrath’s arguments

Answer 24

• suggests that atheism may be a response to the human need for ‘moral autonomy’ and that atheism is an excuse for immorality: atheists do argue that humans should take responsibility for their own moral decisions but that is not primarily the reason why people claim to be atheists.

Question 25

Strengths of McGrath

Answer 25

- Argues Dawkins suffers from 'cognitive bias', favouring evidence that supports the point of view he has already chosen, however it is a key feature of science that it attempts to eliminate such bias - thus Dawkins ceases to think as a scientist when he considers religion - he isn't setting out to prove that christianity is true - however wheat he effectively argues is that Dawkins' attempt to show that belief is a delusion isn't persuasive

Question 26

Describe how Fresh Expressions is a way the church has re-invented itself

Answer 26

- grew out of the 2004 General Synod of the Church of England report 'Mission-shaped Church' - it is a term used for Christina groups that operate alongside conventional churches, sometimes building an alternative kind of church, but also mixing with people who aren't conventionally religious, as Jesus did - it doesn't replace a church community but rather supplements it - These movements have an evangelical aim - Unlike the approach to religion criticised by Dawkins, fresh Expressions explores the concerns and views of ordinary people and then aims to see how christian ideas and teachings may be relevant, dealing with religious values and expressions in ordinary, secular situations - Although the language and approach of the fresh Expressions movement is quite different from that of the older theological traditions, it has parallels with Paul Tillich's idea of god as 'being itself' and 'our ultimate concenr' - fresh expressions draws out meanings and values from a situation rather than trying to impose them from outside. It works with secular life rather than against it, putting the life and teachings of Jesus into practice rather than persuading people that god exists - rather, it starts by listening ro people's needs and interests rather than simply preaching to then, - it operates in a secular context for those who are not church members.

Question 27

Describe the evangelical aim of fresh expression

Answer 27

- lots of these movements sen to work alongside people who wouldn't normally see themselves as belonging to a christian church - in sharing in the lives and interests of others, christians can share their own beliefs - this is seen as 'outreach' with the aim of leading people to join the church - sometimes this outreach isn't done with this aim st all, it might be intended to nurture an alternative kind of church community - it is an expression of the ministry of Jesus who often mixed with those who weren't conventionally religious

Question 28

Describe the House Church movement

Answer 28

- another way that some christians have responded to the pressures of secularisation - it sees modern secular society as largely hostile to christianity, aiming to re-establish the practices of the early church, the roman society was hostile to christianity, and people drew strength from worshipping together in private homes - The movement started in the 1960s, ti developed particularly in the evangelical and charismatic traditions - house churches tended to meet in private homes, but the British new church movement aims to set up new church communities and meets in larger buildings - they focus on the holy spirit calling individuals to a way of life or worship based on a specific understanding of the bible, which involves healing the sick and casting out demons - it is like healing therapy - it is separated from the control , structures and doctrines of organised churches, so is in some ways a secular experience - focus on community and healing. new individuals welcomed, teachings are acted out in the context of the activities of the community - The language is more like 'healing therapy' than a discussion about the philosophy of religion. They don't discuss whether god exists or not but rather focus on individual experience - many experience a sense of god 'calling them' into a particular kind of lifestyle or worship, and the good feeling they get from being part of this HC community acts as a confirmation that the experience is real - members feel stronger in themselves, and are able to cope with stress and anxiety - however it is based on a specific understanding of the bible which includes healing of the sick through casting out demons - a language which is quite different from that of secular Therapies

Question 29

How does christianity attempt to respond to secularisation suggesting it is decreasingly relevant

Answer 29

- it has tried to demonstrate that it is still socially relevant by showing 1) The teachings of christianity can engage within the lives of people in society today 2) The actions of christians can engage with the lives of people in society today 3) these teachings and actions can work for change within society - christianity must also be politically relevant

Question 30

quietist prspective

Answer 30

- if a christian takes the view that the 'kingdom of heaven' is primarily about another world, then there is a tendency to simply accept the sinful and distorted nature of society - this resignation leads to inaction - a quietist approach arguing that everything should be left in god's hands and that christians should'nt engage in social and political action

Question 31

What do the evangelical and house church traditions place emphasis on

Answer 31

- the transforming power of the christian gospel - individual lives are changed by becoming christian and adopting Christian beliefs and values - at an individual, social level, but these people still conform to social and political norms - this reflects the change in status if religion from something imposed by the state to an individual choice

Question 32

Activist perspective

Answer 32

- if the 'kingdom' is regarded as something which christians are to build in this world and live it out in their individual and communal lives there is more likely to be an engagement with society and a direct attempt to change it - 'activists' argue that the gospel requires individuals and the churches to engage with the world particularly in helping the poor and the sick, this many involve direct social and political action on their behalf - This involves people like 'street pastors'

Question 33

secular ownership of christianity

Answer 33

- one way of measuring secularisation is through measuring attendance at public acts of worship, on this measurement, society would look like it is becoming more secular. - however even to people who dont regularly attend church they may feel a sense of attachment and wonsership of the church building, possibly indicating that society is less secular than expected - to some extent christianity is. naturally secularising religion - Jesus taught that caring for the poor and healing the sick both take priority over obedience to religious rules

Question 34

Liberationist approach to social relevancy

Answer 34

- liberation theology emerged from the context of social deprivation in South America, it argued that christians should act in the secular world, following the teaching of Jesus, on behalf of the poor and oppresed - this may involve becoming active within education, trade unions political parties, and even revolutionary movements - it involved christianity in these areas to make it socially relevant - it started from a practical engagement with poverty and political action, and in this sense it was a necessary secularising of the gospel in order to mean it relevant to the lives of ordinary working people - Latin American theologians believed their faith meant they needed to take action and force change, as they believed the Bible revealed GOd showing a 'preferential option for the poor' - Jesus, the son of god, worked to liberate the poor, persecuted and marginalised. Liberation theologians belief that this meant the church needed to work to liberate the poor, persecuted and marginalised in 20th century Latin America, putting faith into action and following in Jesus's revolutionary footsteps

Question 35

why do liberation theologians believe christianity should work within secular society on behalf of the poor and oppressed

Answer 35

- this is the best way to challenge 'sinful' social structures which contribute to the oppression and persecution of the poor and marginalised - the focus is on 'orthopraxis' (action) over 'orthodoxy' (belief' - the church needs to be involved in action in this world, it must be therefore prepared to engage with secular society in order to bring about transformation - reflecting Jesus' concern for the poor, persecuted and marginalised - he didn't just promise eschatological salvation, but worked for earthly liberation and called for social transformation - 'on earth as it is in heaven' - christians should work to bring about the kingdom of heave, not just attending church and praying for eschatological salvation - they believed that one key role of the church was to educate people to recognise the difference between their own lives and real justice as described in the gospel, and help them find ways to challenge the forces that oppress them

Question 36

describe the split concerning the role of the church

Answer 36

- liberationists wanted to change society to promote justice and give power to the poor and powerless - it saw this as the natural and practical application to the teaching of Jesus - traditionalists believed that the primary concern of the church was to support the poor by offering spiritual aid to individuals - this Was therefore fundamentally a question about the church and secularisation - should the church be involved with the secular world of social injustice and politics, ro should it offer only spiritual help, bringing individuals into a new relationship with god - this was never a completely either/or choice - liberationists didn't deny the value of spirituality, neither did traditionalists deny concerns about exploitation and poverty - rather it was more a matter of balance and of methods of working

Question 37

Why do some christians criticise the liberation theology approach

Answer 37

- conservative catholic theologians including the then Pope John Paul 11, strongly criticised liberation theology for being too political - liberation theologians place too much of their focus on political or physical liberation, allowing liberation from sin to become secondary, or even ignore - rather than focusing on changing structures wr are encouraged to emphasiser evangelism to save hearts and convert those who participate isn oppressive structures - criticised liberation theologians as being naive purveyors of Marxism and left-wing activists, they believed that the church must stay out of politics, transcending worldly political affairs - engaging in this way turned the4 church into a secular institution - they rejected the understanding of Jesus as a political revolutionary - he is the incarnate son of god, who offers salvation to everyone - he is not a sociopolitical figure - christianity should focus on the spiritual rather than becoming too politically involved - pope Francis however was more accommodating of liberation theology, declaring he wants a 'poor church for the poor'