Secularisation in America
- Created by: Anjalee
- Created on: 26-12-12 10:48
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- Secularisation in America
- Wilson found that 45% of Americans attended Church on Sundays. He argued that churchgoing was an expression of the 'American way of life.' America was a secular society because religion was superficial.
- Bruce (2002)
- Declining Church Attendance
- A stable rate of self-reported attendance of about 40% has masked the actual decline. It is seen as socially desirable or normative to attend church.
- Secularisation From Within
- Religion has turned psychological and into a form of therapy. The purpose of religion has changed to self-improvement. Churchgoers are now less strict.
- Religious Diversity
- Bruce identifies a trend towards practical relativism. Lynd and Lynd's study found that most people in 1924 agreed that Christianity is the one true religion. However in 1977 only 41% agreed.
- The counterpart to practical relativism is the erosion of absolutism. Religious diversity undermines the assumption that our own views are absolutely true.
- Declining Church Attendance
- Criticisms of Secularisation theory
- -Religion is simply changing its' form. -Ignores religious revivals and growth of new religions. -Evidence ignores those who believe without belonging. Secularisation is't universal. -Religious Diversity increases participation because it offers choice.
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