Religious Market Theory
- Created by: rebeccamellors
- Created on: 16-02-17 13:03
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- Religious Market Theory
- Stark & Bainbridge (1986)
- Very critical of secularisation theory - see it as Eurocentric
- Argue there was no 'golden age' of religion in the past, as secularisation theory implies
- They propose the religious market theory
- This theory is based on two assumptions
- People are naturally religious & religion meets human needs
- Therefore overall demand of religion remains constant
- It is human nature to seek rewards & avoid costs
- When people make choices they way up costs & benefits
- People are naturally religious & religion meets human needs
- Compensators
- Religion is attractive because it provides compensators
- When real rewards are unobtainable, religion compensates by promising supernatural ones
- Non-religious ideologies don't provide credible compensators because they don't promise supernatural ones
- The Cycle of Renewal
- Concept of a cycle of religious decline, revival & renewal
- Describes a cycle where some religions decline & others grow
- Concept of a cycle of religious decline, revival & renewal
- Religious Competition
- Churches operate like companies selling goods in a market
- Competition leads to improvement in the quality of religious 'goods' on offer
- Churches that make their goods attractive will succeed in attractive more 'customers'
- Religion is attractive because it provides compensators
- America vs Europe
- Believe religion thrives in USA because there's never been religious monopoly there
- The Consitution guarantees freedom of religion & the separation of church & state - always been variety of religions to choose from
- Encouraged growth of healthy religious market
- The Consitution guarantees freedom of religion & the separation of church & state - always been variety of religions to choose from
- Most European countries have been dominated by official state church which has religious monopoly
- Competition has held back & lack of choice has led to decline
- Believe religion thrives in USA because there's never been religious monopoly there
- Criticisms
- Bruce (2011) rejects view that diversity & competition increase demand for religion
- Statistics show diversity has been accompanied by religious decline in in both Europe & America
- Norris & Inglehart (2011) shows that high levels of religious participation exist in Catholic countries where the church has a near monopoly
- Beckford criticises RMT as unsociological because it assumes people are naturally religious & fails to explain why they make the choices they do
- Bruce (2011) rejects view that diversity & competition increase demand for religion
- Stark & Bainbridge (1986)
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