Explanations of secularisation

Explanations of secularisation

1. Rationalisation

   • Rational ways of thinking replace religious ones
   • Disenchantment
     • The protestant reformation saw god as existing outside of the world not in it
       • events couldn't be explained as an act of god
       • the development of science undermined the religious world view
   • Technological world view
     • replaced religious ways of thinking as events could be explained with technology

2. Structural differentiation

   • many different institutions develop to take on the roles previously performed by the church
   • religion has become separated from wider society and privatised in the home and family
   • religion has lost its powers of education to the state

3. Social and cultural diversity

   • Industrialisation has caused society to become more diverse
     • caused overall belief to fall

4. Religious diversity

   • The protestant refomation caused a number of different sects to appear from the catholic church
     • the variety if different beliefs on offer caused overall confident in religion to decline due to the multiple versions of the 'truth'

5. Contradictions of secularisation

   • Cultural defense
     • religion provides a focus for the defense of national/group identity against an external force
   • Cultural transition
     • religion provides a sense of community for ethnic groups living in a different culture

6. The Spiritual revolution

   • traditional religion is giving way to new age spirituality that emphasises personal development
     • The growth of the New Age was not equal to the fall in traditional religion, so it was not replacing it
     • traditional religion was in decline because of its demand for high discipline which does not correlate with a post modern society
       • P.M. emphasises personal development and fulfilment