Secularisation in Britain

Secularisation

Refers to the decline in the importance of religion. There is much disagreement among sociologists about whether or how far religion has declined.

Trend of Secularisation in Britain

Church attendance figures are declining, which has lead many sociologists to claim the 19th Century was the ‘golden age’ of religiosity. Whether this a fair description is open to much debate, but there has certainly been some changes in religion in the UK since then. FOR EXAMPLE:

• A decline in the proportion of the population going to church

• Fewer baptisms and church weddings

• Greater religious diversity, including more non-Christian religions

WILSON

WILSON argued that western societies had been undergoing a long term process of secularisation. Defines secularisation as the process whereby religious beliefs, institutions and practices lose social significance

Evidence of Secularisation

• Church attendance in England and Wales = 40% of people attended church in mid 19th century

• Fallen to 10-15% in the 1960s

• Only 6.3% of adult population attended church on Sundays in 2005.

Trend of Christianity in Britain

More people claim they hold Christian beliefs than actually belong or go to church.

Trends in religious institutions

• Not only have religious belief and practice declined, but so too has the influence of religions as a social institution.

• The state has taken over many areas previously run by the Church …

• For example, until the mid 19th century the churches provided education, but since then it has been provided mainly by the state. → Although there are still faith schools, these are mainly state funded and must conform to the state’s regulations.

BRUCE

a ‘steady and unremitting decline.’ If the current trends continue, the Methodist Church will fold around 2030, and the CofE will merely be a small voluntary organisation

How has modernisation affected secularisation

Common explanation is modernisation, involving the decline of traditional society religious ideas, being replaced by modern scientific and rational thought, leading to less religious belief and therefore meaning the church and religions on the whole now hold much less importance to individuals than it did before:

• Industrialisation has broken up small communities once held together by common religious beliefs.

How has Growth of social and religious diversity affected secularisation

Another major theme/factor could be considered the growth of social and religious diversity . Growth of diversity has undermined both the authority of religious institutions and the credibility of religious belief. AS A RESULT OF THESE CHANGES RELIGIOUS PRACTICE HAS ALSO DECLINED.

BRUCE- Explanations of Secularisation – a technological worldview

• BRUCE argues that the growth of a technological worldview has largely replaced religious or supernatural explanations as to why things happen.

• If a plane were to crash, instead of blaming it on ‘evil spirits’ or as God’s punishment of the wicked, instead we look for scientific and technological explanations.

• A technological worldview thus leaves little room for religious explanations in everyday life, which only survive in areas which science and technology is least effective (Link to God of the gaps theory).

• This worldview does not make people atheists, but encourages them to take religion less seriously.

Parsons- Structural differentiation

• Specialised institutions now carry out functions that were previously formed by a single institution.

• Structural differentiation has lead to the disengagement of religion. Religions functions are transferred to other state institutions and it becomes thus disconnected from wider society.

Social and Cultural Diversity as Explanations of Secularisation

• Diversity of religions, cultures and occupations undermines religion.

• Even when people continue to hold religious beliefs, they cannot avoid knowing that many of those around them hold very different view, has the potential to weaken beliefs.

BERGER- Religious Diversity

• BERGER: In the Middle Ages the Catholic Church held an absolute monopoly on faith, As a result, everyone lived under a single ‘sacred canopy’ or set beliefs shared by all. Greater plausibility because beliefs were left unquestioned.

• This all changed with the Protestant Reformation, when Protestant churches and sects broke away from the catholic Church in The 16th century.

• No longer living under shared ‘sacred canopy’ of values, leading to diversity of religious beliefs.

Spiritual Revolution

• Some sociologists argue that a ‘spiritual revolution’ is taking place today, in which traditional Christianity is giving way to ‘Holistic Spirituality’ or New Age Movements.

• Increased interest in spirituality can be seen through the growth of a ‘spiritual market’ i.e. Crystal healing to meditation.

• So are these spiritual alternatives a modern adaption of religion to suit our needs and the times we live in?

WILSON

• More part of American way of life now than of deeply held religious beliefs.

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

CRITICISMS of secularisation theory

• Secularisation theorists put forward strong arguments with compelling evidence, but can be criticised on several grounds:

• Religion is not declining but simply changing its form

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

• Religious diversity doesn’t cause decline, it simply increases choice for members of society.