Religion, Renewal and Choice - 1. Theories of Late Modernity & Post-Modernity

What are the two main alternative theories to secularisation?

1. Theories of late modernity and post-modernity - that religion is changing.

2. Religious Market Theory - secularisation is only one stage of a constant cycle of secularisation, revival and renewal.

What does Davie argue?

- She argues that in today's late modern society, religion is no longer inherited or imposed, but is now a matter of personal choice.

- She argues that religion is not declining but is taking a different, more privatised form. People are more reluctant to belong to organisations (churches, trade unions, political parties etc) but people do still hold religious beliefs. Davie calls this believing without belonging.

- Davie also believes in a trend towards Vicarious Religion. This means that religion is practised by an active minority (clergy/regular churchgoers) on behalf of the great majority.

What is an example of this?

- In Europe, the main nation churches are seen as public utilities - like a sort of 'Spiritual Health Service' - which is there for everyone to used when they need to.

- Religion is used for baptisms, weddings, funerals, major national occasions etc.

- In March of 2017, a vicar was at New Scotland Yard blessing police officers and remembering the death of PC Keith Palmer in the Westminster terrorist attack on the previous day.

What does Davie compare religion to?

- She compares vicarious religion to the tip of an iceberg and sees it as evidence of believing without belonging. Beneath the surface of what appears to be only a small commitment (very few attend church regularly) lies a much wider commitment.

What are contemporary examples of believing without belonging?

- Contemporary examples include: the outcry from Radio 4 listeners when it was proposed that 'Thought for the Day' (a message from a religious leader) would be cancelled, the public condemnation of primary schools not holding a traditional nativity play, Birmingham City Council not using the word Christmas in the late 1990s in their celebrations, choosing 'Winterval' instead.

What do Voas & Crockett say in response to Davie?

- They refute Davie's claim that there is more believing than belonging. They point to evidence from 5,750 respondents showing that both church attendance and belief in God are declining.

What does Hervieu-Leger argue about the decline of religion?

- Daniele Hervieu-Leger (2000; 2006) agrees that there has been a dramatic decline in institutional religion in Europe, with fewer people attending church.

- She argues that the decline in institutional religion in Europe is due to Cultural Amnesia - a loss of collective memory - and parents today let their children decide for themselves what to believe, rather than children being taught religion in the family and parish children.

What does Hervieu-Leger say about Spiritual Shopping?

- She stresses the idea of personal Choice and the decline of obligation. Whilst traditional institutional religion has declined religion itself has not disappeared.

- Instead, individual consumerism has replaced collective tradition. People today now feel that they have a choice as consumers of religion - they have become spiritual shoppers.

- Religion is now individualised - we now develop our own 'do-it-yourself' beliefs that give meaning to our lives and fit in with our interests and aspirations.

What is meant by spiritual shoppers?

Hervieu-Leger argues that two new religious types are emerging - pilgrims and converts.

1) Pilgrims - Pilgrims follow an individual path in searching for self-discovery (e.g. exploring NA spirituality). Emphasis on personal development. This like those that H&W identified in the Kendal Project.

2) Converts - join a religious groups that offer a strong sense of belonging e.g. evangelical movements and churches of ethnic minorities.

What does Post-modernist David Lyon (2000) say about traditional religion?

- Lyon (2000) agrees with Lyon. He believes that traditional religion is giving away to a variety of new religious forms that demonstrate its continuing strength.

- In Lyon's view, postmodern society has a number of features that are changing the nature of religion:

1. Globalisation

2. Increased importance of media and communications

3. Growth of consumerism

What changes has Globalisation had on religion?

- There is increased movement across national boundaries.

- The media saturate us with images and messages from around the globe, giving us instant access to ideas/beliefs of all sorts of religions.

- These ideas are 'disembedded' as the media lift then out of their local contexts and move them to a different place and time; e.g. televangelism - religion via the interest or the television - there is no need to attend church.

- So, religion becomes de-institutionalised - it's signs and images become detached from their place in religious institutions, floating and multiplying on TV and in cyber-space.

What is meant by Religious Consumerism

- Involves the idea that we now construct our identities through what we consume.

- Same for religion: we are 'spiritual shoppers'. We can choose beliefs and practices to meet our individual needs, from vast range on offer.

- We can 'pick and mix' elements of different faiths to suit their tastes and make them part of our identity.

- Religion is in the sphere of consumption. People don't belong to religious organisations but they've not abandoned religion. They have become religious consumers.

What did Nancy Ammerman's study (1987) show?

- It showed the American Christian fundamentalists made use of a number of churches without giving strong loyalty to any of them. One family attended services at a Methodist church and bereavement counselling at a Baptist church, while taking their children to another church for day care.

What impact does 'spiritual shopping' have on religious worldviews?

- All lead to a loss of faith in meta-narratives (world-view/authoritative truth etc). So religion and spirituality aren't disappearing; they are evolving, taking on new forms that fit the consumerist nature of postmodern society.

- These new forms of religion or spirituality are those such as the New Age beliefs and practices combined in detail in the religious organisations section.

What does David Lyon argue about religion?

- He also disagrees that religion is being replace by rationalism and science, and that disenchantment is occurring.

- He argues that we are in a period of re-enchantment, with the growth of unconventional beliefs, practices and spirituality.

What is an evaluation of the New Age?

- Numbers of NA forms don't balance out the loss from the traditional institutionalised religions.

- The NA isn't passed down to children/next generation. NA is also appealing to childless/free females.

- The commitment to any NA movement is weak - people 'dabble'.

- The structure of NA movements is also weak - no consensus about beliefs, lacks an external power etc.