Secularisation

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  • Secularisation
    • Secularisation in Britain
      • Crockett estimates that in the 1981 Census of Religion, 40% or more of the adult population attended church on Sundays.
        • This fell to about 10-15% by the 1960s.
      • CHURCH ATTENDANCE TODAY
        • Wilson found that by 2015, about 5% of the adult population attended church on Sundays
        • Sunday school attendance has declines further and only a tiny proportion of children now attend.
        • Some small organisations have increased in population, however this does not make up for the decline in the larger ones.
      • RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION TODAY
        • A person's religious affiliation refers to their membership of or identification with a religion.
          • Evidence indicated a continuing decline in the number of people who are affiliated with religion.
        • Between 1983 and 2014, the percentage of adults with no religion rose.
          • The number of Catholics increased slightly due to East European immigration.
      • RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS TODAY
        • The state has taken over many of the functions that the church used to perform
          • The churches used to provide an education, but this is now provided by the state.
        • Institutional weakness has been measured by the decline in clergy which fell from 45,000 to 34,000 during the 20th century.
    • Explanations of Secularisation
      • A common theme is modernisation, the replacement of religion with rational and scientific ways of thinking.
        • In addition, the growth of social and religious diversity.
      • MAX WEBER: RATIONALISATION
      • DISENCHANTMENT
        • Weber believes the Protestant Reformation begins the ;disenchantment' of the world - it squeezes out magical and religious ways of thinking and starts off the rationalisation process.
          • This enables science to thrive and provide the basis for technological advances that give humans more and more power to control nature, further undermining the religious view.
      • A TECHNOLOGICAL WORLDVIEW
        • Bruce argues that the growth of the technological worldview has replaces religious or supernatural explanations of why things happen.
        • A technological worldview leaves little room for religious explanations in everyday life
          • Bruce concludes that although scientific explanations do not challenge religion directly, they have greatly reduced the scope for religious explanations.
      • STRUCTURAL DIFFERENTIATION
        • Parsons defines it as a process of specialisation that occurs with the development of industrial society.
          • He believes that with industrialisation, religion has declined.
        • Disengagement, individuals rely on the church less and less, we rely on the state alot more now for education and the church becomes disconnected from society.
        • Religion is now more about personal choice and religion has lost much of their influence on wider society,
      • SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
        • Wilson argues that in pre-industrial communities, shared values were expressed through collective religious rituals that integrated individuals and regulated their behaviour
          • Religion has now lost its vitality and hold over individuals.
        • Bruce sees industrialisation is undermining the consensus of religious beliefs, social and geographical mobility brings new people and more diversity.
      • RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY
        • Berger argues religious diversity has caused secularisation in which there is more than one religious organisation.
        • Society is no longer unified under the single sacred canopy provided by the church.
        • Berger argues that this created a crsis of credibility for religion, diversity undermines religions 'plausability structure'.
          • This makes people question their faith and religion becomes relative rather than absolute.
      • CULTURAL DEFENCE AND TRANSITION
        • Bruce identifies two counter-trends that seem to go against the secularisation  theory
          • Cultural defence is where religion provides a focal point for the defence of national, ethnic, local or group identity struggle against an external force.
          • Cultural transition is where religion provides support and a sense of community for ethnic groups such as migrants.
        • Bruce argues that religion survives in such situations only because it is a focus for group identity.
          • He argues that religion is more likely to survive where it performs functions other than relating to individuals to the supernatural.
    • Secularisation in America
      • In 1992, Wilson found that 45% of Americans attended church on Sundays, however, he argued that this was the 'American way of life'
      • DECLINING CHURCH ATTENDANCE
        • Hadaway studied church attendance in Ohio, he found that the level of attendance claimed by the interviewees was 83% higher than the researchers estimates of church attendance in the country.
        • Bruce concludes that a stable rate of self-reported attendance of about 40% has masked a decline in actual attendance in the Unites States.
      • SECULARISATION FROM WITHIN
        • The emphasis on traditional Christian beliefs has declined in America and religion has become 'psychologised'.
        • The purpose of religion has changed from seeking salvation in heaven to seeking personal improvement in this world.
      • RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY
        • Bruce identified a trend towards practical relativism.
          • This involves acceptance of the view that others are entitled to hold beliefs that are different to one's own.
        • The counterpart to practical relativism is the erosion of absolutism
          • People hold views that are different to our own, which undermines our assumption that our own views are absolutely true.
      • CRITICISMS OF SECULARISATION THEORY
        • Religion is not delining it is simply changing
        • Secularisation theory is one-sided and ignores the growth of religious revivals and the growth of new religions.
        • Secularisation is not universal, and doesn't apply to everywhere.
        • Religious diversity increases participation because it offers choice.

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