Secularisation

Question 1

What is Secularisation?

Question 2

How does Rationalisation (Weber) suggest that Secularisation is happening?

Answer 2

• People are now using evidence based explanations
• e.g. the Protestant reformation vs Catholicism
• “disenchantment” people no longer believe in the magical elements (e.g. angels)

Question 3

How does Bruce’s Technological Worldview link to Rationalisation, suggesting that Secularisation is happening?

Answer 3

• People are turning to science and technology for answers instead of religion

Question 4

How would Malinowski’s idea of religion providing comfort criticise the view of Rationalisation leading to Secularisation?

Answer 4

• People still pray in times of crisis
  (e.g. illness, plane disasters)
• Therefore, science doesn’t answer everything

Question 5

How does structural differentiation (Parsons) suggest that Secularisation is happening?

Answer 5

• Church is now a specialised industry
• It no longer has to power to appear how it used to do (e.g. in schools, same sex marriage laws)
• Religion is privatised to the family due to cultural amnesia

Question 6

How does the rise of Faith Schools criticise the view that Structural differentiation leads to Secularisation?

Answer 6

• They have been Increasing since 1997
• Therefore, religion isn’t strictly privatised
• There are also 26 bishops in the House of Lords

Question 7

How does increased religious diversity (Bruce) suggest that Secularisation is happening?

Answer 7

• The plausibility of religion is undermined by the existence of others
• e.g. denominations of Christianity, Abrahamic religions
• Berger: Leads to a “crisis of credibility”

Question 8

How does Religious Market Theory (Stark and Bainbridge) criticise the idea that Religious diversity leads to Secularisation?

Answer 8

• There are so many religions, you are bound to find one that suits you
• Links to spiritual shopping ()

Question 9

How does Social and Cultural diversity (Wilson) suggest that Secularisation is happening?

Answer 9

• Industrialisation has led to the breakdown of stable, tight-knit communities
• Decrease in shared rituals (e.g. less of the totemism observed in __)
• Bruce: “loose-knit urban centres” undermined believability

Question 10

How does pentecostalism criticise the view that Social and Cultural diversity leads to Secularisation?

Answer 10

• Pentecostalism has been on the rise in these urban areas

Question 11

How does Cultural Transition and Cultural Defence (Bruce) suggest that Secularisation isn’t happening?

Answer 11

• Religion is used to ease the move into a new culture
• Religion is used to maintain identity in hostile environments (e.g. Rastafarianism)
• Religion is still used for these 2 purposes

Question 12

How does Davie’s belonging without believing criticise the view that Cultural Transition and Cultural Defence suggest that Secularisation isn’t happening?

Answer 12

• People attend religious places without actually being religious so they can settle in
• e.g. attendance to Irish Catholic churches 📉

Question 13

How does Religious Market Theory (Stark + Bainbridge) suggest that Secularisation isn’t happening?

Answer 13

• 📈 in the number of religious
• 📈 in choice options
• 📈 in religiosity
• Churches “compete” to attract “customers”
  
  • e.g. Easter services

Question 14

How does Berger’s view on religious diversity criticise the idea of Religious Market Theory suggesting that Secularisation isn’t happening?

Answer 14

• Leads to a “crisis of credibility” which leads to Secularisation

Question 15

How does Resacrilisation (Heelas) and Reenchantment (Lyon) suggest that Secularisation isn’t happening?

Answer 15

• Resacrilisation = continuing vitality of religion
  
  • traditional religion is shifting to individualistic spirituality
• Reenchantment = the growth of new, unconventional religions
• e.g. the London Internet Church

Question 16

How do Glendinning and Bruce criticise the idea that Resacrilisation and Reenchantment suggest that Secularisation isn’t happening?

Answer 16

Only ⅓ people take part in these new age religions

Question 17

How does Almond et al.’s data about Fundamentalism show that Secularisation isn’t happening?

Answer 17

• There is increased “unwavering obedience”
• Muslims in Pakistan, Christians in USA (NCR)

Question 18

How does Bruce use the New Christian Right to criticise Fundamentalism?

Answer 18

• NCR only stopped Christian secularisation

Question 19

How do Norris and Inglehart use the Existential Security Theory to argue that Secularisation isn’t happening?

Answer 19

• Demand for religion is higher in low-income areas
• More religion in 3rd world countries (weaker welfare state)

Question 20

How does Vasquez criticise the idea that Existential Security Theory leads to secularisation?

Answer 20

• Quantitative data, more religiosity but we don’t know why

Question 21

How does Davie’s “Believing without Belonging” suggest that religion is changing?

Answer 21

• Religion is now a privatised and personal choice
• People now use it as a “spiritual health service” when they want (often vicariously, LIC)

Question 22

How does Bruce use Weak Religion to criticise Believing without Belonging?

Answer 22

Members aren’t showing the same level of commitment as the rest of the clergy

Question 23

How does Heelas and Woodhead’s Kendal Project suggest that religion is changing?

Answer 23

• Congregational domain vs holistic milieu
• Only 7.9% attended church, 1.6% were part of H.M.

Question 24

How do Glendinning and Bruce criticise
the Kendal Project suggesting that religion is changing?

Answer 24

Only 1 in every 50 people, not a sign of big change

Question 25

How does Bellah's explanation of Sheialism and Individualised religion suggest that **religion is changing?**

Answer 25

- Each person has their own beliefs, "there should be 3 mil, one for each person" - Demonstrates the new personalised approach

Question 26

How would Durkheim suggesting that Religion Unites People criticise the idea that Sheilaism is a sign that **religion is changing?**

Answer 26

- It brings people together through celebrations (e.g. Christmas, Eid), regardless of individual beliefs

Question 27

How does Hervieu-Lager's idea of Spiritual Shopping suggest that religion is changing?

Answer 27

- There has been a decline in traditional religions due to parents not teaching it (cultural amnesia) - Now, pilgrims follow their own path, converts seek group belonging