Religious market theory/rational choice theory

Stark and Bainbridge (1986) — 2 criticisms of secularisation theory

1. Euro-centric

2. Imposes time frames on religion

Stark and Bainbridge (1986) — 2 base assumptions of religious market theory (RMT)

1. People are naturally religious and religion meets human’s needs. This means the demand for religion is constant

2. HN = seek rewards; avoid costs

Stark and Bainbridge (1986) — compensators

• Religion = attractive because it provides us with compensators which are only possible by religion

  • E.g. humanism and communism don’t provide supernatural rewards

Stark and Bainbridge (1986) — supernatural rewards provided by religion

• Real rewards = scarce, unobtainable

  • Immortality = unattainable

  • Religion = life after death

Stark and Bainbridge (1986) — cycle of renewal (replacement for secularisation)

• Decline in established ⛪️ → gap for sects/cults to attract new members → more religiosity → return to ⛪️ → disillusionment

Religious competition

• ⛪️ = goods stalls in a market

• Competition increases quality as those who don’t make their product attractive will decline

• No competition leads to decrease in religion as ⛪️ has no incentive to provide what consumes want

Religious competition RMT v secularisation theory

• For sec theory, competition undermines religion as a concept

Religion in 🇺🇸

• Never had a religious monopoly (constitution also separates ⛪️ and state and ensures freedom of religion) → many religious denominations available

  • Therefore there’s a healthy religious market in which religions grow and fall with demand

Religion in Europe

• Most European countries are dominated by one state ⛪️ that causes less competition

  • This leads to a decline in ⛪️

Main factor influencing levels of religious participation RMT vs secularisation theory

• RMT = supply

• Sec theory = demand

Hadden and Shupe (1988) — supply-led religion

• Televangelism in 🇺🇸 shows supply-led basis of religious participation

  • Commercial funding of religious broadcasts began in ‘60s → more competition → evangelical ⛪️ thrived because it responded to consumer demands

Finke (1997)

• Asian immigration → 🇺🇸 allowed Hare Krishna/Transcendetial mediatation to permanently set up shop in 🇺🇸

  • Led to more competition

Miller (1997)

• Evangelical mega ⛪️ (population of 2,000+) = hypermarkets

• Found in 🇺🇸 and 🇰🇷

• Larger congreation = more resources = larger range of activities offered

Stark (1990) — 🇯🇵

• Until 1945 Shintoism = state religion and others suppressed

• Post-WW2 → deregulation of religion → creation of market → Soka Gakkai thrives

CRITICISM of RMT — Bruce (2011)

• Diversity and competition don’t increase religion

  • Europe and 🇺🇸 saw decrease in religion in response to increasing diversity

• Also misrepresents secularisation theory, as it doesn’t claim past/future/universality of religion, only that it’s declining long-term

CRITICISM of RMT — Norris and Inglehart (2011)

• Only applies to 🇺🇸:

  • Fails to explain increasing religious participation in Catholic countries (🇮🇹, 🇻🇪)

  • Fails to explain decreasing religious participation in religiously plural countries (🇳🇱, 🇦🇺)

CRITICISM of RMT — Beckford

• Unsociological

  • Assumes people are naturally religious

  • Fails to explain why people make choices