THE STRENGTH OF
RELIGION IN SOCIETY
The Secularisation Debate
Recap:
• What is meant by Secularisation?
The Secularisation Debate
Right or Wrong?
• Religion is becoming less prominent in the UK and its
institutions less influential in the lives of individuals.
• What signs are there for religious decline in the contemporary UK?
• What types of religion seem to be declining in the UK and which types
are thriving?
Learning Objectives
• Define secularisation.
• Identify and assess evidence for both sides of the
secularisation debate.
Extinction of Religion
• A 2011 meta-analysis of current and historic census data from all
over the world has shown that religion is set to become almost
completely extinct in 9 countries over the next few decades as,
year-on-year, the majority of young people reject the religious
beliefs of their parents and ancestors...
Australia
Austria
Canada
Czech Republic
Ireland (!)
The Netherlands
New Zealand
Switzerland
Finland
Recap: Different Definitions
• How we view the debate depends on whether we use an
inclusive (functional) or exclusive (substantive) definition
of religion.
What is the difference between these two types of
definition?
Different Definitions
• Those who use an exclusive definition will be more likely
to agree with the secularization thesis (Wilson; 1982)
• Those who use an inclusive definition will probably
disagree with the thesis, because even if religious belief is
declining, the functions that religion fulfils for people will
still be fulfilled by something else (e.g. football matches,
the media).
1. EVIDENCE FOR
SECULARISATION
(In the contemporary UK)
1. Church Attendance
Pairs: Study the church attendance worksheet and
answer the questions provided (5 mins)
In 1851, 40% of people in the UK attended church. By 1950
this was down to 20%, and in 2000 it was less than 7.5%
(Brierly; 1999)
Homework
Go to the Vexen Crabtree ‘Human Religions’ website
(link is on the NC Sociology website) and research some
up to date data on secularisation in the UK.
We will discuss your findings next lesson.
2. Age Bias of Church Members
• Hamilton (2001) identifies that fewer people are church
members – particularly in established churches…
• …and among those members, churchgoers are
considerably older than non-churchgoers (Brierly; 1999)
– with the exception of pentecostal churches.
• Fewer younger members attend church every year,
suggesting that congregations will eventually die out.
3. Reduced Moral Influence
• 30 years ago, 75% of people got married in churches.
Now, it’s down to 40% (Brierly; 2001).
• The divorce rate is rising, as is unmarried cohabitation
and the number of children born out of wedlock.
4. Lower Status of Clergy
• The number, pay and status of the clergy has
fallen. In 1900, there were over 45,000 clerics in
the UK; in 2000 it was down to 34,000, despite
population growth.
• The size of the clergy is a useful way of
measuring the power and popularity of religion
(Bruce; 2001).
Discuss:
a) In pre-modern
societies how may
religion have been
used to ‘control’ thing
like this…
b) How has science
changed this?
5. Modernisation
• Wilson (1966), Wallis (1984) and Bruce (1995) have
argued that secularisation is an inevitable development of
modernisation.
• They identify three key processes that cause
secularisation:
1. Rationalisation
2. Disengagement
3. Religious Pluralism
5a. Rationalisation
• Rational thinking (esp. science) has replaced religious
influence…
• …and people prefer it, because it has resulted in higher
living standards…
Discuss: In what ways has science resulted in higher
living standards?
5a. Rationalisation
• Science has now explained phenomena which people
used to turn to religion to explain – therefore, we no
longer need religion.
• Berger (1973) said “Christianity has been its own
gravedigger” – because Protestantism encourages
people to focus on the present, work and pursuit of wealth
and they have therefore gradually forgotten about God
(ref: Weber on Calvinism).
5b. Disengagement
The separation of church from wider society.
• Churches have secularized themselves to compromise
those who reject traditional beliefs (Hamilton; 2001) e.g.
CofE no longer accepts the virgin birth.
• People are more concerned with material welfare than
spiritual welfare.
5c. Religious Pluralism
• Industrialization has fragmented society into a
marketplace of religions (Bruce; 1995).
• Religion is no longer a unifying force in society (Wilson;
1966)
• Religions compete among each others for ‘spiritual
shoppers’, which harms their credibility.
Written Task (15 mins)
Identify and explain two reasons why religion may be
losing its influence in modern societies [17]
Pairs: Discuss
• Consider the growth of Scientology in the UK.
• Does this growth support or refute the secularisation
thesis? (Construct an argument of at least three
points)
“Britain is a Christian
country and we should
not be afraid to say so.”
EVIDENCE AGAINST
SECULARISATION
(In the contemporary UK)
Official statistics for religion in England & Wales:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXdZJoXuxC8
1. The Statistics are Flawed
• The statistics lack reliability, validity and
representativeness.
• They lack reliability because the methods of
measurement keep changing.
• They lack validity because they only show attendance –
they don’t give us any meaning or detail behind the
figures (e.g. going to church does not make someone
religious, or vice versa)
• They lack representativeness because they don’t cover
all religions. Measuring membership of NRMs, for
example, is almost impossible.
1. The Statistics are Flawed
• Stark (1999) argues that religion in the UK is not in
decline, because it was never very strong in the first
place.
• Historically, people went to church because they had to,
not because they were particularly religious.
• Davie (1994) argues for ‘believing without
belonging’; people don’t have to go to church
to be religious.
2. The Growth of Non-Traditional
Christianity
• Stark (1999) points out that in the USA, church
membership is growing, not declining – particularly among
fundamentalist movements…
• …Fundamentalism has also been (slowly) increasing in
the UK since the 1980s.
• In some parts of the UK – particularly ethnically diverse
areas – there is actually some growth in church
attendance (mainly in churches with predominantly black
congregations: 44% of London church-goers are black).
3. Religious Pluralism
• Some sociologists believe that religious pluralism is
actually a sign of religious revival.
• While the established churches are failing, NRMs and
NAMs are thriving – particularly among younger people.
• These movements offer more spontaneity and meet
people’s spiritual needs.
4. Impact of Religion on British Life
• Religious services are still held for special (national)
events.
• The Queen is the Head of the Church of England.
• Around a third of state schools in England are faith
schools.
SOCIOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVES ON
SECULARISATION
Functionalists like Durkheim use inclusive
definitions of religion, suggesting that it can never
disappear because it fulfils essential functions for
human societies. However, Durkheim did worry
that society would become more individualised,
leading to religion getting pushed aside… For
Durkheim, society is more important than
individuals, so this would be a bad thing!
For Marxists, secularisation is
inevitable, because religion is an
illusion that will disappear as
societies abandon capitalism in
favour of socialism.
Weber believed that the main
purpose of religion was to provide
theodicies. He predicted that
science would gradually take
over this role, and religion would
therefore no longer be required.
Group Activity (20 mins)
• Design a poster illustrating both sides of the
secularisation debate.
• You will present your poster to the class and we will vote
on the best one…
• …There may even be a prize.
Homework
Find (at least) one further piece of evidence online for
or against secularisation in the UK. Add or link it to
your blog/site.
The Global Perspective
The Global Perspective
“The world today, with some exceptions, is as furiously
religious as it ever was.” (Berger, 1997)
• There is a clear religious revival of Christians in the
USA, Jews in Israel and Muslims around the world.
• Leger (1993) suggests that religion is not declining, but it
is changing to adapt to the needs of modern societies.
THE POSTMODERN VIEW
The Holistic Milieu
• Heelas (2004) believes that the development of New Age
beliefs (the ‘holistic milieu’) proves that people are
rejecting science and modernity.
• Drane (1999) believes that the modern world cannot fulfil
people spiritually.
It is unclear whether or not the rise of the New Age is
evidence for or against secularisation. Some
sociologists argue it will be short-lived…
Glossary Check: How many can you
define? (5 mins)
• Disengagement
• Inclusive definitions
• Spiritual shoppers
• Holistic milieu
• Secularisation
• Rationalisation
• Religious revival
• Religious pluralism
Past Exam Questions
• Outline and evaluate the view that religion is no longer significant in
the contemporary UK [33]
• Outline and evaluate sociological views on the strength of religion in
society [33]
• Outline and evaluate the view that religion is important in the
contemporary UK [33]
• Outline and evaluate the view that the contemporary UK is a secular
society [33]
• Outline and evaluate the view that increased religious pluralism is
evidence that religion is strong in the contemporary UK [33]
Essay
Choose one of the previous 33 mark questions and
answer it! (35 mins)