+

4 Strength of Religion in Society

+ The Secularization of Culture

Sociologists use the term secularization of culture to refer to a culture that, once heavily influenced by religion, has lost much of its religious influence

The only sphere of influence that religion retains in advanced societies is the family

It is no longer the primary cohesive force in societies, having been replaced by nationalism and other secular and political ideologies

2

+ Secularisation

Is religion becoming less important? Religious participation is declining Growth in some religions

Overall: Religion is changing rather than disappearing

+ Evidence FOR Secularisation

Within the church Attendance & membership figures decline Church less involved in immediate society

No longer a single religion New Age seems to have a lack of commitment and

depth Sociologist for:

Wilson (1976) & Bruce (1995;2002)

+ Evidence AGAINST Secularisation Reliability of statistical evidence? Rise of non-Christian religions (non-traditional

Christian) Growth of new religious movements and New Age

religions Sociologists against:

Martin (1978), Davie (1994;2000) Stark (1999) Heelas (a996;2005)

+ Religious Affiliation

Declining trend (chiefly, Anglicanism) Church congregations are often made up of older

members What happens if churches do not attract younger

members?

Source: British Social Attitudes Survey http://bsa-30.natcen.ac.uk/media/37580/bsa30_full_report.pdf

+ But … Statistics Are a Social Construction

Various potential issues: Methods of collection have changed, affecting responses

e.g. face-to-face inhibition, online disinhibition Norms about stating religion have changed

Used to be conventional to state “C of E”, regardless People may state religion as proxy for ethnic identity etc.

Consider: Reliability Validity Representativeness

+Modernisation

How does religion affect today’s society? Rational thought based on science replaces religious

thought (religious decline -Weber) Thus secularisation is inevitable

Structural and social differentiation Technology = more control

No longer reliant on superstition

Modernisation = economic growth where religion previously supported the poor

+ Church and Society Today

Modern society – geographical and social mobility (Bruce ‘95)

Structural changes - loss of education Structural changes - reduced care in community,

health care Social life no longer centred on the church

Community-based activities decreased

+ Is there religious disengagement? People still turn to the church to explain meaningless

events, early death, illness Church still has a voice in key debates in society

e.g. age of consent, contraception, abortions, homosexuality

Employment Forum UK – supports employment and regeneration initiatives

+ Religious Pluralism

No longer a single faith Religion no longer unifies people (Wilson ’76 Growth of sects (Bruce ‘02) Cultural transition Cultural defence New Age movement

+ Attendance

Historically attendance was an expression of upper/middle-class respectability Need to be ‘seen’ at church

Can religion be on the decline if it was not actually stronger in the first place?

+ Attendance

Attending means there is belief? Believing without belonging (secular)

Religious without attending church

71% claim to be religious but only 7% attend church on a Sunday

Tragedies bring people out Pilgrimages

+ Types of Christians (Day 2007)

Adherent – believe in God and attend church Natal – Christian due to families, place of birth,

baptised Ethnic – way to differential themselves Aspirational – to be good and respectable NRM – will disappear (Wilson ‘76) NAM – provides a spiritual need