religion, renewal, & choice

Postmodernism

Religion is changing, not disappearing

Globalisation, media, & consumer culture expose people to a wide range of beliefs from around the world, as a result individuals are no longer tied to one religious tradition & instead choose beliefs that suit their life style & identity

  • Davie

Obligation to consumption

Traditional societies - religion was a social obligation that was expected by family & community

Postmodern societies - shifted to religious consumption, individuals now:

  1. Choose if they want to be religious

  2. Decide how they practice

  3. Engage only when it suits their personal needs

Individualism, greater religious diversity, & the declining authority of religious institutions leads to religion operating more like a marketplace where people select what they want instead of committing fully

Since religion is no longer compulsory religious institutions must adapt to survive, they do this by appealing to consumers, e.g.:

. The Vatican running summer camps

. Scientology charging large sums for spiritual ‘progress’

Vicarious religion - situations where a small number of active believers practice on behalf of a much larger number of people

Even those who rarely attend church my still:

. Want baptisms

. Get married in a church

. Expect religious funerals

Churches act like a ‘spiritual health service’ - used when needed

Low attendance does not mean no religion

  • Lyon

Spiritual shopping - individuals ‘pick & mix’ beliefs, combining religion with lifestyle & wellbeing rather than following one religion, e.g.:

. Mixing Buddhism & New age beliefs

. Online spirituality

. Wellness tourism - retreats

Religion becomes more about self-development & identity, not tradition or authority

  • Heelas & Woodhead

The Kendal Project - study where researchers investigated whether spiritual beliefs were replacing traditional churchgoing by comparing traditional religions & holistic milieu

Findings: traditional church attendance was falling & holistic milieu was growing because spiritual practices focused on following your own individual path rather than obeying external authority which fits with postmodern societies values

  • Criticisms

~ For a belief system to survive it must be passed down to the next generation, spiritual believers are less likely to share those beliefs or have children

~ Glendinning & Bruce - many will ‘dabble’ in spiritual practices but wont commit long term

~ New age beliefs cannot achieve a consensus - everyone is free to believe whatever they want

  • Stark & Bainbridge

Religious market theory

Criticise the secularisation thesis & argue that religion is like a product - people are consumers looking for the best fit

Compensator - religious beliefs & practices that promise rewards, often in the afterlife e.g. heaven. These beliefs serve to provide a sense of hope & meaning in the face of struggle or social injustices

Where there is religious competition religious organisations must adapt to attract people by becoming more modern which improves the quality of religious experiences

Constant cycle - some churches will lose followers, others will gain

~ Religion thrives in America because there had never been a religious monopoly, the constitution gives freedom of religion & there has always been an array of denominations to choose from

~ Religion has declined in Europe because most countries have been dominated by an official state religion & so there has been a lack of competition & choice

Supply-led religion - America has around 200 types of Christianity, the most popular being evangelicalism known for their performance & entertainment factors that draw people in.

‘Tele-evangelism’ 1970’s - religious broadcasts to promote Christianity

  • Criticisms

~ Assumes people behave like rational consumers, carefully choosing religion based on its benefits. In reality beliefs are often emotional, social, or born into rather than calculated

~ Choice does not always increase participation, even where religious choice does exist many choose no religion at all

  • Norris & Inglehart

Existential security theory - religious belief is linked to how secure people feel in their lives

Religion is strongest in societies where people face high levels of insecurity, uncertainty, & risk. When people feel vulnerable religion provides comfort, meaning, & hope. Insecurity:

. Poverty

. Disease & poor healthcare

. War & conflict

. Unemployment

Examples for existential security:

~ Europe - secularisation - because they are more equal & secure with well developed welfare states with healthcare, pensions, social services

~ America - more religious - because it’s so unequal, has inadequate welfare support, & a ‘dog eat dog’ mentality. This creates high levels of insecurity & people turn to religion

  • Evaluation

~ Good for explaining global patterns of belief & non-belief

~ Some poor societies are not highly religious

~ They only see religion as a negative response to insecurity, ignoring the positive reasons people follow religion - cultural identity, community, personal growth