Secularisation in America Flashcards
(4 cards)
1
Q
Describe the declining church attendance
A
- Opinion poll research asking people about church attendance suggests it has been stable at 40% since 1940, but there’s evidence of a tendency to exaggerate church attendance
- e.g. a study of attendance at Catholic mass in San Francisco found that in 1996 opinion polls exaggerated attendance by 101%
- The widening ‘attendance’ gap may be due to that it’s still seen as socially desirable to go to church
2
Q
Describe what is meant by secularisation from within
A
- Bruce argues that American religion has adjusted to the modern world through secularisation from within
- In America religion has turned into a form of therapy. This change has enabled it to fit in with a secular society, so American religion has remained popular by becoming less religious
- The purpose of religion has changed to seeking personal improvement
3
Q
Describe how religious diversity has contributed to secularisation from within
A
- Bruce identifies a trend to practical relativism among American Christians, involving acceptance of the view that others are entitled to hold different beliefs. e.g. Lynd and Lynd found that by 1977, only 41% agreed that ‘Christianity is the one true religions and all people should be converted to it.’
- Also the erosion of absolutism (where we live in an society where other hold views that are completely different to ours) undermines our assumption that our own views are absolutely true
4
Q
Give criticisms of secularisation theory
A
- Religion isn’t declining but simply changing in its form
- Secularisation ignored religious revivals and the growth of new religions
- Evidence of falling church attendance ignores people who believe but don’t go church
- Religion may have declined in Europe but not globally
