Religious Market Theory

• Main advocates of religious market theory (also called rational choice theory) are Stark and Bainbridge (1985)​

• They are very critical of secularisation theory, calling it ‘Eurocentric’​

• There was no golden era of religion in the past and it is impossible to predict a period of complete secularisation​

Based on two assumptions:​

1. People are naturally religious and religion meets human needs – overall demand for religion remains constant although the form changes​

2. It is human nature to avoid costs and seek rewards – religion provides supernatural rewards when there are no real ones available​

• Stark and Bainbridge put forward the concept of a cycle of religious decline – when established churches decline they leave room for sects and cults to form​

America vs Europe:

• The demand for religion increases where there is religious diversity – where there is a monopoly, it leads to decline​

• Religion thrives in America because there has never been a religious monopoly there​

• Most European countries have been dominated by a religious monopoly, competition has been held back and the lack of choice has led to religious decline

Supply-led religion:

• Hadden and Schupe (1998) – the growth of televangelism in America has shown that the level of religion is supply-led ​

• Finke (1997) – the lifting of restrictions on Asian immigration into America led to a rise in participation of Asian religions such as Hare Krishna and Transcendental meditation​

• Mega churches – churches with 2000 or more members – have the resources to cater to a variety of needs​

Criticisms:

• Bruce rejects the view that diversity and competition increase the demand for religion – stats show that diversity has been accompanied by religious decline in both Europe and America​

• Norris and Inglehart (2004) show that high levels of religious participation exist in Catholic countries such as Ireland and Venezuela where near religious monopolies exist​

• Beckford criticises religious market theory as unsociological because it assumes people are ‘naturally’ religious​