Secularisation

Arguments for

1. Decline in religious thinking and belief

2. Decline in religious practice

3. Decline of power and influence

Arguments against

1. Religious beliefs is not in declined

2. Religious practices is not in decline

3. religious institution not in decline

A decline in religious thinking and beliefs

P: Weber argued ‘desacralisation of consciousness’ →loss of ability to experience a sense of sacredness → scientific growth

E: Science has given us knowledge about the origins of the universe, medical treatment → church no longer serves the function → do not think it’s real → BRUCE argues religion now acts as a last resort

L: Institutions hold less power over us today

E: This may be outdated. Only 4% of young adults went in 2018 compared to 16% in 2024.

A decline in religious practice

P: There is a decline of religious practice in the UK.

E: Bruce found that there is a decline in the clergy. Additionally, fewer people are choosing for religious ceremonies, like marriages and baptisms. Over half of children are born out of wedlock and fewer than a quarter of marriages were religious.

E: People place less importance in religion → no longer seen as necessary → many churches shut

Decline of power

P: Today, the Church holds little power compared to the past as it is no longer a priority.

E: Church attendance has significantly decreased over the last century → no longer hold importance → Church used for other purposes → slimming world

E: The Church has little power today in social policy → gay marriage 2015 → no longer holds stigma and shame → i post modern world doesn’t like tradition

L: Herberg SECULARISATION FROM WITHIN → trying to attract people → soften views, women priests → more people leave due to lack of tradition

Religious thinking not in decline

P: Heelas argued Resacralisation → World is going through a spiritual revolution

E: Post modernism → pick and mix spirituality → best suited to them → go in the arguement

E: Recently, resurgence of tradition → 4% vs 16% → shift to the right → rejection of water down

L: Religion still remains the basis of many society

Religious practice is not in decline

P: Lyon → december religion

E: Chirch attendance was higher as there was social pressure → respectable

Religious institutions

P: Religious economy Theory (Warner)

E: Greater bakery for religion → more effort is being put into it

Believing without belonging

P: Davie argues that religious belief has become probated but thus doesn’t mean that there’s been a decline in personal religious belief.

E: No longer havr to attebd a congregation

Online religion

P: Hellend developed the idea that people could be religious without having to attend places of worship.

E: Growth of the internet has changed the way people can interact with the religious community and religious belief has become disembedded

E: Religion online → when religious movement use the internet to communicate their message to followers → Pope Leo instagram

Online religion → Like minded people interact on forums

Stark and Brainbridge

1. Eurocentric secularisation → religious popularity has actually moved through cycles → revivals which create new religions but also traditions

2. Religiously market theory → all humans are naturally religious so there’ll always be a demand, lowest cost and biggest reward,

3. Lyon → Jesus in Disneyland