Defining secularisation The classical theorists Bryan Wilson ‘the process whereby religious thinking, participation and institutions lose social significance’ Steve Bruce – there is not one secularisation theory – but a ‘cluster of descriptions & explanations’ Jose Casanova – notes 2 approaches to defining secularisation: (a) Structural level (institution) (b) Individual level (personal belief) Glock & Stark – multi-dimensional and no general agreement on what a truly religious society is David Martin – ‘an intellectual holdall’ that should be abandoned The classical theorists Rise of science + industrialisation = secularisation Marx – communism = no classes = no religion needed Durkheim – industrialisation = organic solidarity = shared beliefs from other sources – education replace religion Weber – rationalisation = control of environment/efficiency – rise of science = bureaucratic organisation = actions driven by rational goals

Secularisation – the big picture Decline in participation belief religious institutions Less and less people attending church Crockett – church attendance in 1851 (40%) – ‘Golden Age’ (Victorian UK) Only 6.3% attend church on Sunday today Sunday schools, church weddings, baptisms all declined Belief without belonging Gill – big drop in belief in a personal God/ ideas about the afterlife Many people claim to belong to a religion Hard to measure ‘authentic’ belief in surveys (ie, 390’000 claimed to be Jedi in census) Changes in social attitudes – sex outside of marriage, cohabitation, divorce, less marriage, rise in crime etc Bruce notes: Religion losing influence State performs many roles that the church once did, ie) welfare Clergy/population ratio has dramatically fallen

Support for Secularisation Evidence/Explanation In brief Decline in Religious Participation Decline in beliefs Religious pluralism Disengagement/ differentiation Disenchantment Disneyfication/loss of meaning Fewer people attend church/less ceremonies Changing attitudes on issues Less belief in God Many faiths = no universal faith in society Fragmented – less influence Church withdrawn from society Less power and influence Church not focal point of community Rational attitude – faith in science Man control of the world Marketisation of religion has lessened its authenticity in a postmodern age

Studies/Evidence Evaluation Crockett – low attendance Participation Crockett – low attendance Drop in baptism, church weddings, Sunday school etc Golden age? Unreliable stats in past – motives Diff. religs measure member in diff ways Believing without belonging (Davie) Identity/cultural defence – ethnic min. Not all countries have low participation Brierley – non-christ. Religions increased Pluralism Wilson – 1 faith = strong (Durkheim) Decline of community (Bruce) – diversity and bonds decline Immigration – many faiths = waters down impact of single faith Religion can’t support all values..no monopoly on truth (Berger) Greater choice and diversity Different beliefs = greater commitment Faith not dictated by tradition but by true/meaningful choice Disengagement and Diffentiation Bruce – church has less power and influence in wider society Specialisation of church’s roles by other institutions (Parsons) Church‘/spirituality marginalised in society – not focal point of community Religion still source of education and welfare (nationally and globally) Education Trusts linked to religions Church - more effective in role Civil religious experiences/media coverage Generalisation of relig. Values (Parsons) Casanova – religion in public life still Disenchantment Rationalisation = scientific outlook Desacrilisation – less driven by mystical/supernatural beliefs (Weber) Technology = greater control of world (Bruce) Significant interest in ghosts, UFOs, spoon bending, ESP, mediums…still Recent growth in alternative beliefs and a ‘spiritual revolution’ Pomo – rejection of metanarratives

Challenges to Secularisation Evidence/Explanation In brief Resacrilisation & the spiritual revolution Believing without belonging Rise of fundamentalism Existential security theory Cultural defence/transition Structural differentiation (the flip side) Pluralism (the flip side) A religious revivalism – more individualist spirituality Growth in NAMs and sects Private sphere = religion No longer need ‘collective worship’ People turning to fundamentalism rather than traditional faiths Certain people/places have a greater need for religion, ie) poorer societies Richer countries are more ‘secure’ so have less need = certainty Religion can be important source of identity Religion provides support/community for migrants Religion specialises role now/more effective in spiritual matters Greater diversity and choice – not dictated by tradition links to resacrilisation)

Studies/Evidence Evaluation Resacrilisation Heelas – move from trad. religion Religious renewal – individualistic spirituality ‘self religions’ (World Affirming NRMS/NAMs) Personalised – hybrids – pick n mix Spiritual market is growing.. Personal choice/less demanding Evangelic faith’s appeal = healing and self improvement Bruce – very few into ‘New Age’ Wilson – ‘sects = last gasp for religiosity’ Wilson – NRMs etc = middle class indulgence – ‘meditation & sushi’ Believing without belonging Davie – privatised faith Less community focused nature Voas & Crockett – continual decline in believing as well as belonging Attendance = commitment Rise of fundamentalism (see Fundamentalism slides) Almond – global rise in fundamentalism Need for certainty/tradition Roof & McKinney – USA – New Christian Right = Conservatives – tradition/morality Bruce – slowed down secularisation but lack power/influence and impact Only gained attention because they are so ‘extreme’…in a secular world Existential security theory Norris & Inglehart – 3rd world religion is strong = high risks and need for security (compensation) Vasquez – over reliance on income data See religion as a negative response Ignore positive appeal to wealthy too Cultural defence/ transition Bruce – focal point for identity for some groups – under threat (cult. defence) Help migrants/eth, min. with support and community (cult. Transition) Bruce – religion only survives because of identity role (not about spirituality) Structural differentiation Parsons – religion more specialised and generalisation of values Are values so generalised today? Pluralism Greater choice/diversity – religiosity = more meaningful More diversity = fragmented and weak Ecumenicalism is proof of weakness of faiths (Wilson)

Different social groups Problems measuring secularisation Secularisation – Other considerations International comparisons USA – high religiosity Most Europe – 40% Brierley (only small drop in Christianity globally) Islam increasing globally Christianity in Ireland USA – New Christian Right/Televangelism It is not a single process equal to all societies (Martin) Martin Strength of religion depends on : link to identity (ethnic, national and regional) Link between church/state Degree of pluralism Kepel Religious revivals around the world (Islamization, Christian fundamentalism) Reactions to ‘secular’ governments & modernity Different social groups Ethnic minorities maintain religiosity (although 2nd generation less so) Women more religious than men Different groups = different needs, ie) cultural defence/transition, compensation etc Problems defining secularisation Shiner – at least 6 definitions of secularisation in use Glock and Stark – multidimensional Martin – ‘abandon the term’ This theory underestimates the level of diversity in practice/belief ‘inclusive’ definitions are vague and allow religiosity to ‘trap’ more religiosity How far religious institutions are religious? (Herberg/Bellah) – ‘secularisation from within’ (Bruce) Sects/Cults/NRMS/NAMS Greeley – renewed interest in spiritual in the West Brierley – rise in non-trinitarian christian churches/other faiths Heelas & Woodhead – spiritual revolution – New Age rise – meet personal choice/self-religions/suit lifestyle/hybridity/self-improve. Bruce ‘irrelevant with little impact in society’ – new age beliefs are weak/personal Berger ‘islands in a secular sea’ Problems measuring secularisation Church participation Under-estimates/over-estimates Self collected data issues Using different definitions/criteria People attending in past for ‘social’ reasons/status/pressure (Martin) Problem defining ‘golden age’ Opinion polls Measuring belief =problem – abstract Interpretation of questions How far do actions match beliefs? (Haddaway et al)

Secularisation – top tips for angles in questions Look out for those 18 markers (that look at a small part of the debate) remember these 18 markers give ‘big marks’ for blending different ideas together Those short questions on ‘problems with using statistics on belief’ Essays on ‘there is a spiritual revolution’ ( where you look at evidence of resacrilisation/NRMs/evangelical churches/fundamentalism etc and then evaluate in a secularisation capacity with Pomo considerations) Essays on ‘secularisation only in the USA/Europe’ (explore the secularisation argument but pay clear focus to international comparisons/globalisation/ resacrilisation / fundamentalism/existential security etc) Religion no longer = shared values/universe of meaning A kind of role of religion meets elements of secularisation + postmodernity Q Church of England declining..other religions getting popular Resacrilisation question/focus on participation evaluation/cultural defence/ pluralism/fundamentalism