1. U73611 Issues in Contemporary Religion Week Six: Secularization and the New Atheism

2. Dont confuse: Secularization: the process by which religion can come to lose its relevance, power, influence and authority in the modern world Secularism: an active attempt to remove religion from the world Secularization: the process by which religion can come to lose its relevance, power, influence and authority in the modern world Secularism: an active attempt to remove religion from the world

3. Doubt in religion: Begins in the enlightenment Atheists such as Voltaire David Hume 1711-1776 Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion 1779 Begins in the enlightenment Atheists such as Voltaire David Hume 1711-1776 Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion 1779

4. David Hume 1779

5. Dialogues Published posthumously because controversial Polytheism > Monotheism Strong philosophical arguments against religion Published posthumously because controversial Polytheism > Monotheism Strong philosophical arguments against religion

6. Auguste Comte 1798-1857 Founder of sociology Society moves through three phases: theological, metaphysical, scientific Founder of sociology Society moves through three phases: theological, metaphysical, scientific

7. Karl Marx 1818-1883 Religion is the opium of the people It alienates people from the realities of their oppression by promising rewards in the never never Religion will simply disappear following a move to a communist mode of production Religion is the opium of the people It alienates people from the realities of their oppression by promising rewards in the never never Religion will simply disappear following a move to a communist mode of production

8. Friedrich Nietzsche 1844-90 God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it? The Gay Science, Section 125 God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it? The Gay Science, Section 125

9. Max Weber 1864-1920 The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism 1904/5 Protestantism lent itself to the formation of capitalism Science as a Vocation 1918 Science disenchants the world Modernity: calculation, rationalization, profit and loss etc The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism 1904/5 Protestantism lent itself to the formation of capitalism Science as a Vocation 1918 Science disenchants the world Modernity: calculation, rationalization, profit and loss etc

10. Secularization: The dominant view in European Sociology (of religion) since the 1960s Sec IS happening albeit at different rates Modernity is incompatible with religion Religion WILL disappear The dominant view in European Sociology (of religion) since the 1960s Sec IS happening albeit at different rates Modernity is incompatible with religion Religion WILL disappear

11. Peter Berger & Thomas Luckmann Religion is a social construction Offers a sacred canopy that protects against existential angst Competition brings danger - not all can be true Pluralism drives secularization Pluralism derives from modernity - allows free movement of people Religion is a social construction Offers a sacred canopy that protects against existential angst Competition brings danger - not all can be true Pluralism drives secularization Pluralism derives from modernity - allows free movement of people

12. Bryan Wilson Secularization is a fundamental part of modernity Religion does not necessarily disappear It loses its social significance Secularization is a fundamental part of modernity Religion does not necessarily disappear It loses its social significance

13. Why? Political power is freed from religious sanction Knowledge obtained through empirical enquiry - eg science We organize ourselves according to rational principles Political power is freed from religious sanction Knowledge obtained through empirical enquiry - eg science We organize ourselves according to rational principles

14. Evidence By every measure Church attendance in the UK is falling 1851 Victorian census Sunday March 30th 47-51% of British population attended Church that day 2000 Church attendance 9.55% (Brierley) By every measure Church attendance in the UK is falling 1851 Victorian census Sunday March 30th 47-51% of British population attended Church that day 2000 Church attendance 9.55% (Brierley)

15. What about America? Religion seems to be extremely healthy in terms of influence, diversity, attendance In surveys 40% say they attend church regularly Head-counts show number is nearer 20% Why do Americans inflate attendance? Religion seems to be extremely healthy in terms of influence, diversity, attendance In surveys 40% say they attend church regularly Head-counts show number is nearer 20% Why do Americans inflate attendance?

16. USA Is sec happening but slowly? Is sec not happening at all? Is sec, therefore, a European phenomenon? Is sec happening but slowly? Is sec not happening at all? Is sec, therefore, a European phenomenon?

17. What about: New Religious Movements, New Age, Alternative Spiritualities? Discourse of re-enchantment? Are we moving away from top-down religion to reflexively constructed religions of the self? New Religious Movements, New Age, Alternative Spiritualities? Discourse of re-enchantment? Are we moving away from top-down religion to reflexively constructed religions of the self?

18. The New Atheism

19. The New Atheism is: An aggressive form of secularism A loose agglomeration of scientists, philosophers, left-wing political commentators Regard theistic religion to be untenable in the light of modern science Regard religious certainty as an obstacle to the advance of knowledge and the cause of moralevils An aggressive form of secularism A loose agglomeration of scientists, philosophers, left-wing political commentators Regard theistic religion to be untenable in the light of modern science Regard religious certainty as an obstacle to the advance of knowledge and the cause of moralevils

20. New Atheists include: Richard Dawkins Christopher Hitchens A.C. Grayling John Humphries Derren Brown Philip Pullman Jonathan Miller Richard Dawkins Christopher Hitchens A.C. Grayling John Humphries Derren Brown Philip Pullman Jonathan Miller

21. In the God Delusion Dawkins ridicules philosophical arguments for the existence of God Argues that many atrocities have been caused by religionists Argues the case for reason and, in particular, for Darwinian evolution Regards religion as a meme - a virus of the mind Dawkins ridicules philosophical arguments for the existence of God Argues that many atrocities have been caused by religionists Argues the case for reason and, in particular, for Darwinian evolution Regards religion as a meme - a virus of the mind

22. However Dawkins never defines religion (his target is Evangelical Christianity) The existence of God cannot be proved experimentally - therefore atheism is a faith In a meaningless universe why is it meaningful to conduct science? Isnt science just a meme? Dawkins never defines religion (his target is Evangelical Christianity) The existence of God cannot be proved experimentally - therefore atheism is a faith In a meaningless universe why is it meaningful to conduct science? Isnt science just a meme?

23. Many scientists are religious From Newton to the present day Only an incompatibility between a literal reading of the Bible and science Religious affiliation is more often a matter of affect than a rationally arrived decision Thus, Dawkins should read more in the Study of Religion! From Newton to the present day Only an incompatibility between a literal reading of the Bible and science Religious affiliation is more often a matter of affect than a rationally arrived decision Thus, Dawkins should read more in the Study of Religion!