Secularisation Debate

Question 1

Secularisation HAS happened - SSRR

Answer 1

-Structural Differentiation
-Social and Cultural Diversity
-Rationalisation
-Religious Diversity

Question 2

Structural Differentiation

Answer 2

• has happened
  -loss of functions/power
  -healthcare, education, benefits
  -privatised - confined to private sphere of home and family
  -lost its influence

Question 3

Social and Cultural Diversity

Answer 3

-has happened
-Bruce
-Diversity of jobs, cultures +lifestyles challenge religion
-Religion needs community- industrialisation destroys this.
-the diversity undermines the believability of religion
-rise of individualism=decline in community based religion beliefs
-society doesn’t have close knit community which promotes religious values anymore.

Question 4

Rationalisation

Answer 4

-has happened
-logical-based ways of thinking replace religious ones
-Weber-disenchantment-“magical” element gone
-Bruce-technological worldview- plane crash-scientific explanation.

Question 5

Religious Diversity

Answer 5

-has happened
-Bruce
-plausibility is challenged by diversity
-no longer a monopoly of truth - single sacred canopy-more believable
-protestant reformation
-Berger-crisis of credibility-trustworthy
-alternatives-people question beliefs-erodes trad religion
-makes people question authenticity of religion

Question 6

Secularisation has NOT happened - FCRR

Answer 6

-Fundamentalism
-Cultural defence & transition
-Resacrilisation & reenchantment
-Religious Market Theory

Question 7

Cultural Defence and Transition

Answer 7

• sec has not happened
  -Bruce
  -Defence-religion is used when under threat, focal point in hostile society, provides support-e.g, Iran becoming westernised-Shar tried to remove Islam law
  -Transition-religion is used for comfort-easing transition into new environment-social glue- unite- e.g, African Carribbeans-pentecostralism in UKo

Question 8

Resacrilisation & Reenchantment

Answer 8

-sec has not happened
-Heelas
-Kendall project
-shift from traditional to individualistic spirituality
-belief not disappearing, being reoriented
-Lyon- growth of unconventional beliefs
-growth of religiosity in media-e.g, london’s internet church.

Question 9

Religious Market Theory

Answer 9

-sec has not happened
-Stark & Bainbridge
-demand for religion remains constant-compensator
-Churches operate like companies selling goods in a market
-competition is good for religion
-demand for religion increases when there are different to choose from
-religion thrives in america-never a monopoly of truth
-pick + choose what religion fits your needs
-increases religiosity

Question 10

Fundamentalism

Answer 10

-sec has not happened
-straight from bible - NCR
-religion thrives under influence of fundamentalism
-increase in number of people who are traditionally religious
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