secularisation in America

• In 19___, W____ found that ___% of Americans attended church on Sundays.

• However, he argued that churchgoing in America was what.

• Wilson claimed that America was a s____ society, not because people had a___ the c___, but because r___ there had become s____.

• In 1962, Wilson found that 45% of Americans attended church on Sundays.

• However, he argued that churchgoing in America was more an expression of the 'American way of life' than of deeply held religious beliefs.

• Wilson claimed that America was a secular society, not because people had abandoned the churches, but because religion there had become superficial.

Bruce (2002; 2011) shares Wilson's view.

He uses three sources of evidence to support his claim that America is becoming increasingly secular:

• what are the three pieces of evidence

Bruce (2002; 2011) shares Wilson's view.

He uses three sources of evidence to support his claim that America is becoming increasingly secular:

• declining church attendance;

• 'secularisation from within'

• a trend towards religious diversity

America is becoming increasingly secular → declining church attendance;

• Opinion poll research asking people about church attendance suggests that it has been s____ at about ____% of the population since 19____.

• However, H___ (1993), working with a team of researchers employed by major churches, found that this figure did not match the c__' own attendance statistics.

• If ___% of Americans were going to church, the churches would be f____ - but they were not.

• To investigate their suspicion that opinion polls e____ a____ rates, H____ et al (1993) studied c____ a____ in A____ c____, O____. To estimate a____, they carried out h____ counts at services.

• Then in interviews, what did the6 ask people?. They found that the level of attendance claimed by the interviewees was ____% higher than the researchers' estimates of church attendance in the county.

• There is evidence that this tendency to e_____ c____ is a recent development. Until the 19___s, the findings of o_____ p_____ matched the churches' own estimates, but since then the 'attendance gap' has w____.

• For example, a study of a____ at Catholic mass in San Francisco found that in 19____, opinion polls exaggerated attendance by ____% but by 1996, the exaggeration had doubled to ___%.

• Thus Bruce concludes that a stable rate of self-reported attendance of about ___% has m____ a d____ in actual attendance in the United States. The widening gap may be due to the fact that it is still seen as s____ d____ or n____ to go to church, so people who have stopped going will still say they attend if asked in a survey.

America is becoming increasingly secular → declining church attendance;

• Opinion poll research asking people about church attendance suggests that it has been stable at about 40% of the population since 1940.

• However, Hadaway (1993), working with a team of researchers employed by major churches, found that this figure did not match the churches' own attendance statistics.

• If 40% of Americans were going to church, the churches would be full - but they were not.

• To investigate their suspicion that opinion polls exaggerate attendance rates, Hadaway et al (1993) studied church attendance in Ashtabula County, Ohio. To estimate attendance, they carried out head counts at services.

• Then in interviews, they asked people if they attended church. They found that the level of attendance claimed by the interviewees was 83% higher than the researchers' estimates of church attendance in the county.

• There is evidence that this tendency to exaggerate churchgoing is a recent development. Until the 1970s, the findings of opinion polls matched the churches' own estimates, but since then the 'attendance gap' has widened.

• For example, a study of attendance at Catholic mass in San Francisco found that in 1972, opinion polls exaggerated attendance by 47% but by 1996, the exaggeration had doubled to 101%.

• Thus Bruce concludes that a stable rate of self-reported attendance of about 40% has masked a decline in actual attendance in the United States. The widening gap may be due to the fact that it is still seen as socially desirable or normative to go to church, so people who have stopped going will still say they attend if asked in a survey.

America is becoming increasingly secular → Secularisation from within

• Bruce argues that the way American religion has a____ to the m___ w____ amounts to secularisation from within.

• This means that in America, religion is less about what, and more about what.

• Instead of focusing mainly on s____, s____, and the a____, religion has become more like e____ or p_____ s_____ — similar to t____.

• Because of this change, religion can still exist __ in a s___ (less religious) society.

• American religion has stayed popular not by being more t____, but by becoming less s____ and more pffff. The main purpose of religion has shifted from p____ for h____ to helping people i___ their l___ here on E____.

• This change can be seen in how people behave:Churchgoers are now much less s____ than previously in their adherence to traditional religious morality,

• H___ (1987) found that attitudes towards s_____, d____ a____, heavy petting and premarital sex also became significantly less strict over time, although many still viewed these behaviours as wrong.

America is becoming increasingly secular → Secularisation from within

• Bruce argues that the way American religion has adjusted to the modern world amounts to secularisation from within.

• This means that in America, religion is less about obeying strict traditional Christian teachings and glorifying God, and more about helping people feel better about themselves.

• Instead of focusing mainly on sin, salvation, and the afterlife, religion has become more like emotional or psychological support — similar to therapy.

• Because of this change, religion can still exist comfortably in a secular (less religious) society.

• American religion has stayed popular not by being more traditional, but by becoming less strict and more personal. The main purpose of religion has shifted from preparing for heaven to helping people improve their lives here on Earth.

• This change can be seen in how people behave:Churchgoers are now much less strict than previously in their adherence to traditional religious morality,

• Hunter (1987) found that attitudes towards smoking, drinking alcohol, heavy petting and premarital sex also became significantly less strict over time, although many still viewed these behaviours as wrong.

America is becoming increasingly secular → Religious diversity

• The growth of r_____ d____ has also contributed to secularisation from within.

• Churchgoers are becoming less d____ in their views.

• Bruce identifies a trend towards practical relativism among American Christians, _ what does this involve?

• This is shown in L___ and L____ (1929) study which found in 19___ that ___% of churchgoing young people a____ with the statement, 'Christianity is the one t____ religion and all people should be c____ to it'. However, by 19___ only ___% agreed.

• The counterpart to practical relativism is the erosion of absolutism - that - what does this mean

America is becoming increasingly secular → Religious diversity

• The growth of religious diversity has also contributed to secularisation from within.

• Churchgoers are becoming less dogmatic in their views.

• Bruce identifies a trend towards practical relativism among American Christians, involving acceptance of the view that others are entitled to hold beliefs that are different to one's own.

• This is shown in Lynd and Lynd's (1929) study which found in 1924 that 94% of churchgoing young people agreed with the statement, 'Christianity is the one true religion and all people should be converted to it'. However, by 1977 only 41% agreed.

• The counterpart to practical relativism is the erosion of absolutism - that is, we now live in a society where many people hold views that are completely different to ours, which undermines our assumption that our own views are absolutely true

Criticisms of secularisation theory - how has secularisation theory been criticised?

Criticisms of secularisation theory

Secularisation theorists put forward strong arguments and evidence to support their claim that religious beliefs, practices and institutions have declined both in Britain and America. :

• Religion is not declining but simply changing its form.
  Secularisation theory is one-sided. It focuses on decline and ignores religious revivals and the growth of new religions.

• Evidence of falling church attendance ignores people who believe but don't go to church.

• Religion may have declined in Europe but not globally, so
  secularisation is not universal.

• The past was not a 'golden age' of faith from which we have declined, and the future will not be an age of atheism.

• Far from causing decline, religious diversity increases participation because it offers choice. There is no overall downward trend. Religious trends point in different directions and people make use of religion in all sorts of different ways.