secularisation

What does secularisation mean?

There being an increase in affairs of the world and a decline in religion/ spiritual matters
Laicite in France is an obvious example of this- in public spheres religious iconography e.g. headscarves and crosses should not be on display.

Examples of secularisation

Fewer people attending acts of worship/claiming to belong to a religion
More people claim to be an atheist, reject religion and lead moral lives on the basis of reason
Fewer features of life (education, healthcare) are organised by the church
Political and legal decision are made without reference to religious ideas
People are free to believe or not believe as they wish

Importance of religion in pre-Reformation Europe

-Religion played a big part in people's lives
-The Church controlled people's thinking as well as their lives
-The church claimed authority over nations and societies
-Those who dissented faced torture/death even after the Reformation

What change did the Reformation have on religion?

-The Reformation(16th C- started from 1517) encouraged a more individualist approach
-People were encouraged to study the Bible and interpret its meaning in the light of conscience, instead of just accepting what they are taught, challenging the church
-Religion became more personal

What happened in the 18th and 19th centuries? How did it affect religion?

-In the 18th c (the enlightenment) , there was an emphasis on reason, evidence and scientific thought which led to a more individualistic approach to religion. This drastic change can be linked to the Industrial Revolution from 1760-1840 where goods were no longer created by hand but by machines
-In the 18th C people could openly be atheist/agnostic
-In the 19th C, there were laws that permitted greater religious freedom- Religious Disabilities Act 1846 brought Catholic and Jewish residents of Great Britain closer to full citizenship status.
-In the 19th century, Darwin published the Theory of Evolution which made people question their religious beliefs and even made some surrender their religious views altogether

Religion in the 20th and 21st centuries

-In the 20th century, there were two World Wars and many people felt that the Church did not do enough during WW2
-There was a decrease in the number of practising Christians in the 20th century.
-In the late 20th century, there were scandals such as several sexual abuse cases in the US, Canada and Europe and squabbles within the Church which led more and more people to see Christianity in a different light.
-Fights for civil rights etc- in the 20th century, people were able to get change by their own means, didn't need to turn to religion, also Feminist movements
-People in the 20th and 21st century started turning to other forms of spirituality e.g. crystals, the hippie movement etc

The replacement of religion as the source of truth and moral values

-Aquinas argued that reason can grasp certain truths but scripture is needed to see the whole truth.
-In the Renaissance, classical thought, such as Aristotle's works, were rediscovered and the role of religion in society was reflected on
-Authority of the church was challenged during the protestant reformation
-17th and 18th C rise in science
-19th C faith is seen as a personal commitment
-Philosophers began to see religion as functional, Karl Marx believed it was to oppress the poor and Freud believed it was to satisfy a psychological need.

Ludwig Feuerbachs

-1804-1872
-German philosopher
-The Essence of Christianity 1841
-argued christianity was no more than the projection of human hopes and aspirations.
-God is no more than the highest aspiration for humans.

Humanism

The belief that people can live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs.
Ultimate belief is that humankind improves through reason and evidence
"Humanists make sense of the world using reason, experience and shared human values" British Humanist Association website

Individualisation

-5th C Augustine saw christian faith as a personal commitment
-Reformation, a personal interpretation of scriptures
-Historically, religion was not an individual choice. E.g conversion of the whole roman empire and citizens to Christianity after the conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine
-Augsburg Settlememt 1555, each prince has the right to decide on the religion of his own state
-Peace of Westphalia 1648, those whose religion is different to that of the state can practice it in private and to a limit extent in public
-21st C multi-faith society

The continuing public role of religion

-Preservation of church buildings and cathedrals
-Christian state ceremonies
-Religious contribution to culture
-The CofE remains the established religion in England
-The national anthem

What is 'Honest to God' and what influence did it have on the Church?

-A book written by Bishop John Robinson (1963) critcising traditional Christian theology
-argued the conventional image of God would have to go as it did not address the religious needs of the time
-These ideas had long been explored by theologians such as Paul Tillich
-The Church felt it was undermining the basis of Christianity as it was an attack on God.
-Ultimately, the book further influenced people who already thought more negatively of the Church to ultimately conclude that they did not need the Church.
-Following the book, there were several church reforms and movements e.g. Liberation Theology, an increase in Evangelicalism. The Roman Church for example Latin liturgical rites could know use vernacular languages and there was more lay involvement.
The CofE focused increasingly on issues of liturgy, organisation, gender and sexuality

Issues with the changes to the Church

-Several changes to elements of the Church means that there were issues in the first place. If those elements can change, it means they can change again. Shows that the Church has flaws.

What is militant atheism?

-The view that all religion is bad and irrational. They also believe that religion needs to be actively fought against.
-Came about in the late 20th century as a result of people e.g. Peter Atkins, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry.

Difference between atheism and militant atheism

-Militant atheists believe that religion should be fought against, whereas atheism is just the rejection of God.

The God Delusion

-Written by Richard Dawkins 1941-
-Dawkins says that the God hypothesis is irrational and contrary to good science
-Religion is primitive, harmful and has spread like a virus
-Religion encourages discrimination
-Religion is the cause of many conflicts
-Teaching children religion is a form of mental abuse that threatens their development
-People can be moral w/ religion

McGrath's defence of Christianity in the Dawkin's Delusion

-The former atheist McGrath, who has expertise in both science and theology wrote a response to the 'God Delusion' to prove that Dawkin's arguments are fundamentally flawed.
-McGrath claims that Dawkins is wrong when he says that good science is bound to result in atheism for example, Francis Collin(director of the Human Genome Project) is a Christian.
-Challenges Dawkins' view that science disproves religion by discussing the relationship between the two- says that religion and science are 'partially overlapping magisteria'- they come at the world from two different and equally valid perspectives which sometimes intertwine.
-Criticises Dawkins for his assumption that all Christians adopt the same view of God from the Bible
-Says Dawkins deliberately chooses to oppose supernaturalist fundamentalism as an easy target and ignored liberal ideas
-Accuses Dawkins of being biased in supporting evidence that agrees with his position, he just accepts some atheists views - this is unscientific

Weaknesses to Mcgrath's argument

He suggest that atheism may be a response to the human need for 'moral autonomy' and that atheism is an excuse for immorality

Atheists argue humans should take responsibility for their own moral decisions

Responses to militant atheism

-Main criticism is that militant atheists tend to misrepresent mainstream Christianity. God being imaginary for example isn't a mainstream belief. It challenges minority views as mainstream Christianity
-Assumes that whenever people are angry/ want to go to war it is because of their religious beliefs. They believe that people should always be reasonable and nice and that religious believers oppose these elements of our human nature.
-Ignore instances of conflict caused by non-religious reasons
-Disregard the way religion has contributed to human flourishing e.g. food banks, charities which support those in need CAFOD for example

Dawkins billboard on bus

'Science flies you to the moon, religion flies you into buildings'

How have social sciences affected religion?

-Ideas of right and wrong are closely linked with religion and are objective
-The development of social sciences has weakened the notion of objective morality and the links with religion
-Anthropologists for example believe that concepts of right and wrong are affected by culture.
-Karl Marx believed that religion and its views on morality is a social and political tool to control the masses
-Freud believed that religion satisfies a psychological need
-Modern secular humanism includes the belief that people can live morally good lives without religion.

Is religion still prominent in Britian?

-To some extent
-The Church of England is the established Church in England and in Scotland it is the Church of Scotland
-The opening word of the national anthem is God, we have bank holidays for religious holidays e.g. Easter and Christmas
-However, for the most part, faith is seen as a personal choice and a private matter.

What is materialism?

-A worldview that regards material possessions, wealth and personal comfort as more important than any spiritual beliefs or practices.

Why has there been a growth of materialism?

-Post-Scientific Revolution, there was a reassessment of attitudes to wealth and possession. Secure family life depended on possessing worldly goods and having enough money to pay for them. e.g. people started to shop a lot as there were more shops because of advanced technology.
-The expansion of Britain's power in Africa, the Americas and the Far East created trading opportunities that led to the development of capitalism.
-Capitalism grew in the 19th C because of the Industrial Revolution

Materialism in modern society

-Can be seen at every level of British society- particularly on social media, people post expensive cars, expensive shoes etc
-Those who are wealthy generally see their continued well-being as being dependent on gaining more wealth
-Those who are poor see the acquisition of money and possessions as the key to happiness
-Many see material possessions as more important than spiritual qualities

What were the OT attitudes towards wealth and possessions?

Materialistic values are religious and good if wealth and possessions are thought to be given by God. Solomon for example was rewarded for his wisdom by being given riches- 2 Chronicles 2:12
Materialistic values are secular and may be seen as bad when wealth is not seen as a gift from God.

What were the NT attitudes towards wealth and possessions?

Jesus reversed the usual expectations of his day around wealth and poverty. People thought of wealth to be a good thing as it was a sign of God's approval but Jesus showed that wealth is something that should be shared with others and not just for ourselves

Scriptures of Jesus talking about wealth

In Mark 10:21, Jesus tells a rich man that in order for him to have eternal life, he has to sell all his possessions. This is because, money.> God for the man and in order to show his devotion, he had to give up his money.
-In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus tells the Parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The poor man had a difficult life but was rewarded with eternal life, whereas the rich man who had a good life was sent to Hell because he didn't help the poor.

Jesus' views on wealth in the NT

Jesus deals with rich and poor alike.
He applauds those who are charitable not because they are acting out of obligation to religious rules,but out of a free choice to share what they have e.g. the poor woman who gives everything she has to the poor.
He doesn't condemn wealth but does say that it is
extremely difficult for a rich man to enter heaven as they care more about their riches than relationship with God.

First Church's attitudes to wealth

-In parts of the earliest Church, Christians shared
everything they had with one another in community
-However, some of the biblical letters also show
communities divided by economic differences. This
shows that attitudes to the ownership of wealth
varied.
-There was never a time when all Christians rejected
materialistic values.

Early ways of the Church

In the 4th century, a monastic tradition developed.
Some men and women deliberately gave up their possessions and lived in communal solitary existence.
monasticism was seen as a superior
spiritual state to that of the householder and so were the associated practices e.g. getting rid of wealth
With the Reformation, the distinction between
priests and lay people was set aside. Living life in the secular
world involved using and owning money and property.
Voluntary poverty no longer offered moral superiority and there was no spiritual advantage to monastic life.

Church's attitudes to wealth in the 18th and 19th c

Capitalism and communism had a profound effect on Christianity
Many Christian business owners became rich.
Many of these wealthy Christians were influenced by being able to provide more generously for their workers.

Mark 10:21

'Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven'.

Riches in Christianity

-Riches aren't a bad thing, what matters is how important they are to individuals. If they are more important to believers than God, they become bad.
ECL 3:13 says "All of us should eat and drink and enjoy what we have worked for", but it is also important to not 'store up treasures on earth"- MAT 6:19
-From the Bible, we can see the importance of helping the poor/the less fortunate e.g. when there was a faminine in Jerusalem, Christians in Syria collected money to send to those in need·

What is Bruderhof?

-An evangelical movement where members live in communities after giving up all personal property.
-Those who follow this movement believe in living simply.
-The idea of Bruderhof comes from the ways of the Early Church who lived together in communities and shared everything.

what is the Prosperity Gospel?

a form of evangelical Christianity that views wealth, power and status as rewards from God for strong faith and good works. Whilst the concept is somewhat biblical, many vulnerable church goers have been exploited under the name of this movement e.g. a woman who was sick and did not spend the money on treatment but instead gave it to the church as she was waiting for her healing.
Joel Osteen is a famous preacher associated with prosperity gospel he takes scripture such as MAL 3:10 which talks ab God's overwhelming blessing and takes them out of context to tell people things that they want to hear.

MAL 3:10

'Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.'

what attitude should Christians have towards wealth?

-There is nothing intrinsically wrong with wealth, it does however, come with a responsibility to be stewards of their wealth.
-Christians therefore should share their wealth and give generously to those in need.
Can do this by:
-being involved in the running of food banks
-donating to charities

What is the Fresh Expressions movement?

-A cross denominational movement that has an evangelical aim as it seeks to share Christian thinking, however, it does this in non-traditional ways such as taking young people to the cinema and having coffee and cake mornings etc.
-Emerged from a report 'Mission-shaped Church' presented to the General Synod in 2004
-Works alongside traditional Churches, it doesn't replace them
-It is a way of engaging with the secular world in the hopes of then having conversations about their lives and how Jesus could help make a difference in someone's life, it is less about preaching traditional beliefs and ritual practices
-Threshold is an example of a Fresh Expressions church. They have cafes, sell free food and drink in children play areas and hold BBQs. The church spends most of their time living missionally in small communities or groups. They meet twice a month for worship
-A secular approach to religion dealing with religious values in secular situations.

Positives and negatives of FE(Fresh Expressions)

-(Some) participants of FX aren't trying to convince people that God exists. They are also less likely to speak about religion as a pattern of beliefs and worship. They instead focus more on how it is about putting the teachings of Jesus into practice.
-Arguably is too secular
-Can't guarantee that people will convert
-Good way of helping/supporting the community
-softer approach to evangelism

What is the House Church movement?

-this movement views secularisation as quite hostile to the Church and sees a parallel in the circumstances of the early Christians who suffered persecution by state authorities and by Roman society.
-Early Christians used to meet in private houses to avoid persecution and the HCM replicates this
-the idea of the HCM is for believers to be able to meet and worship without the conventional building and all that is associated with it.
-House Christians tend to have a Fundamentalist view of the Bible
-They also tend to focus on their individual experience of God calling them to a particular lifestyle/form of worship
-The British New Church Movement was developed- as the movement grew, meant that they could no longer meet in Churches, so they meet in other places such as school halls.
As well as meeting in House Churches, local and national events are organised to link members of House Churches with each other such as Spring Harvest, a national multi-conference: includes worship, Bible study and religiously themed activities for people of all ages.

Positives and negatives of the HCM

-Can be less intimidating for people who want to believe in God, may take some pressure off.
-Creates a closeness between believers
-How do atheists/ the average person find out about the House Church?- not necessarily helping with the spread of Christianity

What is Liberation Theology?

-a movement in Christian theology, developed mainly by Latin American Roman Catholics in the late 20th c. Believes that it is the role of the church to achieve liberation from social, political, and economic oppression as an anticipation of ultimate salvation.
-Some leaders of the Catholic Church joined forces with secular protest groups in order to force change for justice and for the poor(preferential option for the poor). This sometimes became violent.
-Some believe that Jesus would have been a Marxist revolutionary as a result of some of his actions such as fighting to end poverty, feeding and housing the needy and healing those in need.

Reactions to Liberation Theology?

-Pope John Paul II believed that by turning church into a secular political institution and to see salvation as the achievement of social justice completely undermined the power that faith in Jesus has to change lives.
-The church's aim was to bring about the Kingdom of God,not about creating a Marxist utopia.
-Also the violent nature does not really compliment the characteristics associated with Christians and is presenting a different form of Christianity

Óscar Romero

1917-1980
Archbishop of San Salvador
Assassinated during mass at a cancer hospice in March 1980
Regularly spoke out in favour of the poor and to stop the government's human rights violations.
His death gave worldwide publicity to the situation in El Salvador and thr position of poverty and injustice taken on by the church

what does preferential option for the poor mean?

-Refers to Catholic teaching on social justice

it is about giving the marginalised in society the justice that is due to them.
-Meeting their needs is a priority for Christians

Liberationist approaches in a British Context

-report 'Faith in the City' 1985 commissioned by archbishops of the CofE
-showed high levels of poverty in inner city areas,
saving communities feeling powerless.
-Poverty was measured on six factors: unemployment, overcrowding, basic amenities, pensioners, ethnicity and single parents.
-the report identified 'Urban Priority Areas' and parishes in these areas were given more clergy and training
-Churches were used more effectively for secular needs of the community
-Made specific recommendations to the government about employment law, housing and income support but had a negative response from the conservative government at the time.
-Led to the founding of the Church Urban Fund
-Led similar reports to be made such as 'Faith in the countryside' 1990 and 'The Cities' 1997