1. Checklist and revision
Secularisation
Checklist and revision

2. 1.Definition/Measurement
2. Participation figures
3. Disengagement &
Differentiation
4. Pluralism
5. Religious Organisation (watering down)
6. Disenchantment
(desacrilisation)
7. International Comparisons
8. Postmodernism
9. Deeper thinking

3. Definition and Measurement
Wilson definition
Dying or transforming
Classical theories (Comte/Durkheim/Marx/Weber)
Initial problems with theory – golden age?/variations between societies/different definitions and meanings

4. Focus 1: Participation (stats)
Attendance/membership/ceremonies
Wilson/Bruce/Davie
Problems
Many are estimates
Membership calculated in different ways
Figures can be distorted
Social pressure to attend in past (Martin)
When was the golden age of religiosity?
Rise in membership for some religions – sects/fundamentalism
Individuation
Brierley – change is slow
Belief without belonging (see Surveys of belief)

5. Focus 2: Disengagement
Church power/close to state (see Medieval times)
Martin
Bruce – church critical of state
Martin – religion now focus on specific role
Casanova – deprivatisation
Differentiation (Parsons) – specialised functions – efficient
Structural differentiation
Generalisation of core values
Steve Bruce critique (no single moral universe, limited involvement in public sphere)
Bruce – Societalization process

6. Focus 3: Pluralism One faith = religion strong
See Durkheim and functions (totemism etc)
Bruce – impact of union/industrialisation/migration /modernisation/fragmentation
State not support one faith in multicultural society
Roof & McKinney – USA - Religion ‘has lost force as an integrative influence’.
May be due to ethnic diversity/immigration/globalisation
Maybe pluralism = tolerance = thriving diversity of beliefs and faiths.
ECUMENICALISM

7. Focus 4: Religious Organisations
Will Herberg – watered down message - Religious beliefs have been compromised and adapted to ‘fit in with wider society’.
They reflect the ‘American way of life’ rather than the word of God.
Church-going is more about ‘being American’ than about being religious
Roof and McKinney - Not all religious groupings seem to
have turned their back on ‘authentic religion’ – New
Christian Right/Fundamentalism
Steve Bruce (1988) argues that - British mainstream churches have abandoned, or watered down a number of religious convictions

8. Focus 5: Descacrilisation
Sacred has no place in modern life – rational action
Disenchantment – Weber
Wilson agrees with Weber – rationalisation
Berger – loss of magic/mystery
Man has control of his world
Evaluation
The development of new age beliefs
Rise of Eastern mysticism in the west.
Religious revivalism on a global scale (fundamentalism)
Postmodernist arguments about moving beyond scientific thinking.
Was pre-industrial society so spiritual? (Shiner/Douglas)

9. Popularity of ‘scientific based’ religiosity – UFOs, ESP, spoon-bending etc
Resacrilisation
Growth of NRMs/NAMs (reasons)
Growth of fundamentalism (reasons)
PoMo and revival of religiosity

10. International Comparisons
Martin – different countries have different experiences
Note the factors that strengthen religion in society
Be aware of variations globally – Sweden, UK, USA
Third world trends
Keppell – revivalism as a change to secularisation

11. Implications of Postmodernism
Grand-narratives are ‘overarching’ belief systems that claim universal authority…declining
Local traditions eroded – religion not bound to culture/society…globalisation (Giddens)
Meanings have become individualised – personalised and not following organised religion
Signs/symbols lost meaning..consumed as commodities
Blending parts of faiths – choice – variety? Pick and mix
Religion no longer a source of identity (Bauman)
Self-orientation (Heelas) – the rise of NRMs/NAMs
The rise of fundamentalism (see pomo powerpoint) – Giddens/Bauman

12. Critical Discussion Martin – reject term – meaningless term
Religion is changing not dying
Glock & Stark – need a clearer definition
Bruce – religion important to individuals – but losing social significance
Casanova – 3 aspects of secularisation
When was the golden age of religion?
Maybe religion just become individualised
International picture