Secularization

Question 1

Wilson’s description of secularization

Answer 1

‘the process whereby religious thinking, practices and institutions lose social significance’

Question 2

Problems with measuring secularization

Answer 2

• It is common for people to ‘believe without belonging’
• common for peoples relationship with religion to fluctuate through their life

Question 3

census 2001- 2011

Answer 3

percentage of people who reported to be christian
2001- 71.7%
2011- 59.3%

Question 4

3 arguments for ‘for’

Answer 4

• disengagement
• rationalization
• Religious pluralism

Question 5

Disengagement

Answer 5

Religious institutions becoming less involved in political and social life

Question 6

Example of disengagement

Answer 6

• In the 16th century, religion and the government were close through the ‘divine of the kings’
• Whereas in today’s society laws are being made which go against christian values and practices e.g.

Question 7

Divine of the kings

Answer 7

In the 16th century, the king couldn’t be judged by anyone but God

Question 8

Example of laws going against christian beliefs

Answer 8

people aren’t allowed to foster if they are christian and believe that homosexuality is wrong

Question 9

Argument against disengagement

Answer 9

New religious right in the USA

Question 10

rationalization

Answer 10

following the enlightenment, the power of the church was questioned and replaced by more scientific/rational ways of thinking triggering the process of ‘disenchantment’

Question 11

enlightenment

Answer 11

scientific methods

Question 12

disenchantment process

Answer 12

role of magic, religion and superstitions becoming less prominent

Question 13

Argument against rationalization

Answer 13

Steve Bruce identified how people still rely on religion when science fails e.g Malinowski

Question 14

Religious Pluralism

Answer 14

In postmodern societies, there is no longer one dominant religion: there are a plurality of religions

Question 15

How does Steve Bruce state that religious pluralism began

Answer 15

through the modernization and industrialization in northern Europe and american

Question 16

other causes of religious pluralism

Answer 16

• Caused by the Growth of sects and cults
• Increase in the ethnic diversity in religion in societies

Question 17

What are religiously plural societies characterized by?

Answer 17

‘weak religion’

Question 18

weak religion

Answer 18

• allows for personal choice and doesn’t dominate every aspect of people’s lives
• Accepts that there is room for other religious belief systems

Question 19

2 examples of a weak religion

Answer 19

• new age
• Protestantism