1. RMT vs EST (secularisation)
Religious market theory vs existential security theory

2. Religious market theory: stark and Bainbridge (USA focused only)
Religious market theory is based on two assumptions:
People are naturally religious and religion meets human needs
It is human nature to seek rewards and avoid costs
Alternatives to secularisation theory:
Stark and Bainbridge: the cycle of renewal
Stark and Bainbridge: religious competition

3. Stark and Bainbridge
They are critical of the secularisation theory, which they see as Eurocentric- it focused on the decline of religion in europ and fials to explain its continuing vitality elsewhere
Secularisation theory only gives us a partial view that’s only focused on European communities- doesn’t mean secularisation is happening globally
There was no ‘golden age’ of religion in the past, nor is it realistic to predict a future end-point for religion when everyone will be an atheist
No point predicting if everyone will loose religion, they think everyone is natural religious

4. Religious market theory is based on two assumptions
People are naturally religious and religion meets human needs
It is human nature to seek rewards and avoid costs

5. People are naturally religious and religion meets human needs
The overall demand for religion remains constant, even though the demand for particular types of religion may vary
Will turn to religion but might not stick to the same religion forever

6. It is human nature to seek rewards and avoid costs
When people make choices, they weigh up the costs and benefits of different options available
Religion offers us rewards, punishments if necessary
Another reason why we turn to religion
People turn to religion for compensation-> religion acts as a compensator

7. Alternatives to secularisation theory
Stark and Bainbridge: the cycle of renewal
Stark and Bainbridge: religious competition

8. Stark and Bainbridge: the cycle of renewal
Religious decline, revival and renewal – some religions decline and others grow and attract new members
Eg Pentecostalism: growing, nam: Kendal project, nrms

9. Stark and Bainbridge: religious competition (a03 to burgers religious diversity)
Religious market theorists take the opposite view
Competition leads to improvements in the quality of the religious ‘goods’ on offer
Religion thrives in the usa because the constitution guarantees freedom of religion
This offers individuals with a great variety to choose from
Hence, main factor influencing religious participation is not the demand for religion, but the supply
Burger argues that religious diversity has led to secularisation as people find it difficult to live in a world where there are a number of incompatible beliefs without coming to suppose that there is no truth
By contract, rmt suggests that the demand for religion increases when there are different ‘religious goods’ on offer. When you don’t offer a variety of religions that is when religion will decline-> opposite to what berger is arguing (how it leads to secularisation)

10. Stark and Bainbridge conclude that the main factor influencing the
level of religious participation is not the demand for religion, but the supply
participation increases when there is a supply of religious groups
This could explain why religion thrives in the usa, but declines where one church has had a monopoly (europe)

11. A03 evaluation of rmt

12. Beckford:
Not sociological to assume that people are ‘naturally’ religious and fails to explain why they make the choices they do
Norris and inglehart:
Countries with religious pluralism such as Holland and Australia, often have low levels of participation

13. Existential security theory: Norris and inglehart (look globally)

14. Norris and inglehart show that high levels of religious participation exist in catholic countries where the church has a near monopoly such as Ireland
By contrast, countries with religious pluralism, such as Holland and Australia, often have low levels of participation
The reasons for variations in religiosity between societies is not degrees of religious choice (s&b) but different degrees of existential security (n&i)
Existential security: the feeling whether or not survival is secure enough
Therefore, societies where people already feel secure have low levels of demand for religion
Societies where people already feel secure have a low level of demand for religion
Poor societies: feel less safe- turn to religion
Rich societies: already feel safe, don’t need religion

15. Eu vs usa
By comparison with Europe, the usa remains much more religious because America is also the most unequal of the rich societies
This creates high levels of poverty and insecurity which creates a greater need for religion
This is because the distribution of wealth is so unequal. More poor than rich so turn to religion as don’t feel safe/secure in the unfair society

16. Similarities and differences between RMT and EST

17. Similarities
Both argue that secularisation theory is Eurocentric

18. Differences RMT EST Only focus on america
Looks at global scale eg 3rd world countries not just the west/europe
Religious because of diversity of religion- religious choice
Are religious because they’re unsafe, poor security
‘natural’ to be religious
Us more religious than Europe as distribution of wealth highly unequal, number of poor people who feel unsafe/not secure and so turn to religion
Religion higher in us as accepting of diverse beliefs. Lower religiosity in Europe where one church has had a monopoly
Argue that demand declines in richer societies as people feel secure and therefore the demand is not constant is it declines in richer countries
Argues that demand for religion is constant

19. Possible exam style questions
Evaluate the view that secularisation has been a feature only of modern European societies (20 marks) Evaluate the nature and extent of secularisation in society today (20 marks)