Secularisation

Pregunta	Respuesta
Crockett estimates that in 1851, 40% or more of the adult population of Britain attended church on Sundays, which led some to claim that the 19th century was a 'golden age' of religiosity.	Secularisation in Britain
Wilson argues that western societies have been undergoing a long-term process of secularisation, where ' religious beliefs, Practices and institutions lose social significance'.	Secularisation in Britain
Only about 6% of the adult population attended church on Sundays in 2005, halving since the 1960's and likely to fall further. Sunday school attendance, Church weddings and baptisms are declining.	Secularisation in Britain (Church attendance today)
Overall, religious affiliation is declining. Since 1983, adults with no religion have risen from a third to a half, and those identifying as Christian have fallen by a third.	Secularisation in Britain (Church attendance today)
Some small organisations have grown. The number of Catholics has increased slightly, due to East-European immigration. Non-Christian religions have also increased, due to immigration and higher birth rates.	Secularisation in Britain (Church attendance today)
Evidence from 80 years of surveys shows a decline in belief in God, in Jesus as the son of God and in Christian teachings about the afterlife and the Bible.	Secularisation in Britain (Religious belief today)
Bruce agrees with Wilson that all the evidence on secularisation has shown that 'there is a study and unremitting decline'.	Secularisation in Britain (Religious institutions today)
The influence of religion as a social institution is declining. Religion once affected every aspect of life, but now is relegated to the private sphere of individual and family.	Secularisation in Britain (Religious institutions today)
The state has taken over many of the functions the church used to perform, e.g. schooling.	Secularisation in Britain (Religious institutions today)
The number of clergy fell from 45000 in 1900 to 34000 in 2000, while the population increased in size, reducing the church's local, day-to-day influence. Bruce predicts the Methodist church will fold by 2030 and the CoE will merely be a small voluntary organisation.	Secularisation in Britain (Religious institutions today)
Although there is an increasing number of 'faith schools' in the UK - implying continued religious involvement in education - they are mainly state-funded and must conform to the state's regulations.	Secularisation in Britain (Religious institutions today) Evaluations
Religion may have declined in Britain but not necessarily in America or elsewhere, so secularisation may not be universal.	Secularisation in Britain Evaluation
Secularisation and the decline of religion have often been linked to major social changes such as modernisation, industrialisation and its effects, and increased social and religious diversity. Sociologists have developed several explanations of secularisation.	Explanations of secularisation
This is the process by which rational ways of thinking and acting replace religious ones. Max Weber argues that Western society has undergone this in the last few centuries.	Explanations of secularisation (Rationalisation)
The 16th century protestant reformation undermined the religious worldview of the Middle Ages, replacing it with a modern rational scientific outlook.	Explanations of secularisation (Rationalisation)
The medieval Catholic worldview saw the world as an 'enchanted garden' in which God, angels etc. Changed the course of events through their supernatural powers and miracle-working interventions.	Explanations of secularisation (Rationalisation)
The protestant reformation brought a new worldview that saw God as existing above and outside the world, not as intervening in it. The world had become disenchanted, left to run according to the laws of nature	Explanations of secularisation (Rationalisation) Disenchantment
Events were thus no longer to be explained as the work of unpredictable supernatural beings, but as the predictable workings of natural forces.	Explanations of secularisation (Rationalisation) Disenchantment
This enables science to develop, giving humans more power to control nature, further undermining the religious worldview.	Explanations of secularisation (Rationalisation) Disenchantment
Through reason and Science, humans could discover the laws of nature, and understand and predict how the world works. Religious explanations of the world are no longer needed.	Explanations of secularisation (Rationalisation) Disenchantment
Bruce argues this has largely replaced religious explanations of why things happen. Religious worldviews only survive in areas where technology is least effective, e.g. praying for help if you are suffering from an incurable illness.	Explanations of secularisation (Rationalisation) A technological worldview
Parsons defines structural differentiation as a process that occurs with industrialisation as many specialised institutions develop to carry out the different functions previously performed by a single institution, such as the church.	Explanations of secularisation (Structural differentiation)
Religion dominated pre-industrial society, but with industrialisation it has become a smaller and more specialised institution.	Explanations of secularisation (Structural differentiation)
Bruce agrees that religion has become separated from wider society and privatised in the home an family. Religious beliefs are now largely a matter of personal choice, While traditional rituals and symbols have lost meaning.	Explanations of secularisation (Structural differentiation)
Even where religion is involved in education or welfare education or welfare, it must conform to secular controls; e.g. teachers in faith schools must hold qualifications recognised by the state.	Explanations of secularisation (Structural differentiation)
Church and state are usually separate in modern society, so the church loses political power.	Explanations of secularisation (Structural differentiation)
Wilson argues that in pre-industrial society, local communities shared religious rituals that expressed their shared values, but industrialisation destroys these stable local communities and so destroys religion's base.	Explanations of secularisation (Social and cultural diversity)
Bruce sees industrialisation creating large, impersonal, loose-knit urban centres with diverse beliefs, values and lifestyles. This diversity undermines the believe-ability of religion.	Explanations of secularisation (Social and cultural diversity)
The rise of individualism leads to a decline in community-based religious belief and practice.	Explanations of secularisation (Social and cultural diversity)
Aldridge points out that a community does not have to be in a particular locality. Religion can be a shared source of identity on a worldwide scale, e.g. Jewish communities. Also, Pentecostal and other groups often flourish in supposedly 'impersonal' urban areas.	Explanations of secularisation (Social and cultural diversity) Evaluation
Berger argues that another cause of secularisation is the trend towards religious diversity.	Explanations of secularisation (Religious diversity)
In the middle Ages, the Catholic Church held an absolute monopoly and had no challengers. Since the 16th century Protestant Reformation, the number and variety of religious organisations has grown, each with a different version of the truth.	Explanations of secularisation (Religious diversity)
Berger argues that this religious diversity undermines religion's 'plausibility structure' - its believability. Alternative versions of religion enable people to question all of them and this erodes the absolute certainties of traditional religion.	Explanations of secularisation (Religious diversity)
Bruce sees the trend towards religious diversity as the most important cause of secularisation, because it is difficult to live in a world containing a large number of incompatible beliefs without concluding that none of them is wholly true.	Explanations of secularisation (Religious diversity)
Cultural defence: Religion provides a focus for the defence of national or ethnic group identity in a struggle against external force, e.g. Catholicism in Poland before the fall of Communism.	Explanations of secularisation (Cultural defence and cultural transition) Bruce counter-trends
Cultural transition: Religion Provides a sense of community for ethnic groups living in a different country and culture.	Explanations of secularisation (Cultural defence and cultural transition) Bruce counter-trends
Bruce argues that cultural defence/transition don't contradict secularisation theory, since religion only survives in these situations as a focus for group identity and not as an expression of religious faith; e.g. once communism had fallen in Poland, church attendance fell.	Explanations of secularisation (Cultural defence and cultural transition) Bruce counter-trends Evaluation
In 1962, Wilson found that 45% of Americans attended church on Sundays, but this was more an expression of the 'American way of life' than of religious beliefs. For Wilson, America is a secular society, because religion the has become superficial.	Secularisation in the USA
Opinion Polls asking people about church attendance suggest it has been stable at about 40% of the population since 1940. However, this figure may well be an exaggeration.	Secularisation in the USA (Bruce's evidence) Declining Church attendance
Hadaway et al found that in one county in Ohio, the attendance level claimed in opinion polls was 83% higher than researchers actually counted going into church. Evidence suggests this tendency to exaggerate churchgoing is a recent development.	Secularisation in the USA (Bruce's evidence) Declining Church attendance
Bruce argues that in America, the emphasis on traditional Christian beliefs and glorifying God has declined. Instead, religion has become 'psychologised' - a form of therapy	Secularisation in the USA (Bruce's evidence) Secularisation from within
American religion has remained popular by becoming less religious - it has become secularised from within. Its purpose has changed from seeking salvation in heaven to seeking personal improvement in this world.	Secularisation in the USA (Bruce's evidence) Secularisation from within
Bruce identifies practical relativism among American Christians - i.e. accepting that others are entitled to hold beliefs different to one's own.	Secularisation in the USA (Bruce's evidence) Religious diversity and relativism
Lynd and Lynd found in 1924 that 94% of churchgoing young people agreed with the statement 'Christianity is the one true religion'. By 1977 only 41% agreed.	Secularisation in the USA (Bruce's evidence) Secularisation from within
Absolutism has been eroded -we now live in a society where many people hold views that are completely different to ours, Undermining our assumption that our own views are absolutely true.	Secularisation in the USA (Bruce's evidence) Secularisation from within

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