The merits of theories of secularisation with regard to religion Essay Example

of religious institutions and symbols. For this essay, we will utilize Wilson's definition of secularisation to analyze transformations in participation and practices from pre-industrial Britain to the present day.

It is undeniable that our society is becoming less religious, evident in various ways. Firstly, there has been a decline in marriages compared to previous years. Moreover, Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter are no longer perceived as having religious importance; rather, they are seen as chances to unwind and have fun. Additionally, the Church's role and influence have experienced significant transformations over time. Previously, it possessed the ability to shape people's beliefs and govern their overall outlook.

In a society with limited education and communication, the Church provided a definitive explanation of social life. The Church leaders played a significant role in all facets of life, including economics, politics, military affairs, and culture, shaping Britain into a religiously oriented political dictatorship. However, this role has evolved in contemporary Britain. As political democracy expanded in the 20th century, the Church's power diminished due to the emergence of political parties.

The Church's loss of control over knowledge due to the growth of scientific ideologies has greatly weakened its ability to shape people's perceptions and thoughts about the world. While religion may still hold sway in society regarding matters of "religious questions" like the meaning of life, its judicial powers and political influence have been diminished, relegating it to the status of a pressure group.

According to Bryan Wilson (1966), the Church's disengagement from society can be considered a sign of secularisation, as it has lost several functions. On the other hand, David Martin emphasizes the decrease in power, wealth, influence,

control range, and prestige of the ecclesiastical institution. The Church's loss of functions like education and social welfare has led to its transformation into a social institution.

Since the implementation of the 1944 Education Act, the government has mandated the inclusion of Christian act of worship in a child's education. According to a Guardian news story in the appendix, state schools are no longer legally obliged to conduct a daily act of collective worship. This change in policy may have contributed to a decline in religious affiliation and Church attendance, as individuals no longer rely on the Church to fulfill non-religious requirements. Nonetheless, numerous sociologists argue that religion has undergone transformation in contemporary societies rather than simply diminishing.

Talcott Parsons (Social Structure and Personality, 1970) proposes that the evolution of society involves a process of structural differentiation. This results in specialized parts of the social system and a generalized approach to religious values. As a result, the Church has lost some formal functions but has gained strength by focusing on religious matters.

Now in modern society, religious institutions exert influence through the norms and values they promote, rather than through direct involvement in the country. According to Parsons, this transformation has changed the role of the Church, but it remains equally important. However, Steve Bruce (Religion in Modern Britain, 1985) refers to this process as 'social differentiation'. He argues that while the Church used to provide values and morals to individuals, society has become more individualistic and this is no longer the case.

Accordingly, religion and religious ethics are diminishing in significance within contemporary society. Berger (The Social Reality of Religion, 1969) has posited an alternate viewpoint, contending that

religion is the sole convincing explanation for social life in pre-industrial societies. Nevertheless, with the advent of scientific and rationalist ideologies such as the Theory of Evolution, the Church's position as the exclusive source of divine revelations will unavoidably wane, leading to a decline in its political power. Consequently, religious frameworks lose their pertinence, their credibility, and subsequently their sway.

According to Berger, the shift in the role of religious institutions signifies a change, but does not indicate secularization. Rather, religion has transitioned from explaining everyday meaning to explaining more profound aspects such as life and death. The evidence regarding the societal level of religious organization, in support or against secularization, is inconclusive. The cultural level pertains to religious institutions themselves and the extent to which individuals practice their religious beliefs.

Various techniques exist for assessing religious observance, such as attending Church, holding membership, and engaging in rituals like weddings and baptisms. While marriage can serve as a viable gauge of religious affiliation, it may not accurately reflect secularization. This is due to the Church of England's limitations on marriages within its walls for individuals who have been divorced, as well as the potential impact of societal norms and traditions on marriage rates. These factors could potentially outweigh the influence of deep-rooted religious convictions and commitments.

This perspective is also associated with the baptism of children. In Britain, the levels of membership in Christian organizations are a significant indicator of religious commitment. However, it's crucial to consider the data collection methods employed. Christian denominations maintain records of members who can vote on Church decisions, whereas the Roman Catholic Church regards anyone attending mass as a member.

The proportion of

adults associated with Churches has decreased significantly, falling from 30% to 12%. Specifically, membership in the Church of England has declined from 13.5% to 4%, although this decrease is relatively small when compared to the total adult population. Conversely, Roman Catholic membership has slightly risen. This could be due to potential inaccuracies in measuring or stricter member management practices implemented by the Catholic Church in contrast to non-Catholic Christian Churches.

It can be inferred from this information that the number of people associated with religious groups is decreasing over time, possibly because new members are not replacing those who have died. The English Church Census reveals that church attendance has been consistently declining for 150 years, with adult attendance dropping from 50% in the 1850s to just 10% in 1989. Furthermore, there has been a continuous decrease in overall church attendance over the past two decades. In the year 2000, only 7.5% of adults in Britain attended Sunday church services, which represents a decline of 22% since 1990.

Religious practice is decreasing, particularly in larger Churches like Anglican and Roman Catholic. Both of these churches have experienced a consistent decline in attendance, with Anglican Churches having fewer attendees compared to Catholic ones because they possess more priests and churches. Smaller denominations vary in their situations, as some are declining while others are witnessing growth. However, even slight changes can result in substantial percentage increases for most denominations due to their smaller statistics. Additionally, the accuracy of counting attendance is questionable.

Although statistical evidence indicates that a small portion of individuals in current society actively engage in religious practices through attending and joining services, there is limited verification that

religious participation was substantially greater in previous times, excluding any social influences that may have inflated the number of practitioners. Brierley contends that the statistics demonstrate a general rise in religious involvement across various faiths over the past 25 years, as evidenced by attendance at services.

The active membership in the UK has risen by 16%, along with a 12% increase in buildings and groups. This indicates that different areas, including religion, are undergoing progressive expansion. The growth can be credited to the arrival of immigrants in Britain, which has considerably altered the religious makeup and enhanced diversity. Immigrants have brought their own religious customs, often practicing them more fervently. This is viewed as a way for them to maintain a collective sense of identity and principles beyond just religious devotion.

According to Callum G. Brown in his book "The Death of Christian Britain" published in 2001, the idea of 'ethic defence' plays a significant role in today's society. Additionally, the increase in settlement and family formation by first generation immigrants leads to a rise in their population. This, in turn, results in an increase in the number of original immigrant groups within the religious participation age group instead of a growth in religious practice itself. Besides non-Christian denominations, there has been a growth in sects and cults participation over the past 25 years. However, sects and cults are relatively small in size, and even slight changes have a significant impact on percentage fluctuations.

The measurement and tallying of religious participation present difficulties, rendering it highly unreliable. Nevertheless, this may indicate a trend towards secularization as devotees exhibit diminished commitment, resulting in religion playing a lesser role in

institutions. Conversely, traditional religious groups do not actively seek new members; however, sects are actively engaged in recruitment efforts. Furthermore, the emergence of sects and cults has coincided with substantial growth in New Religious Movements (NRM's), which have contributed to the growing popularity of practices such as astrology, yoga, tarot reading, and meditation.

In his book "The Persistence of Religion" published in 1973, Andrew Greely presents the concept of "resacralisation" as a counterpoint to secularization, suggesting that the rise of new religious movements is an example of this phenomenon. Greely challenges the notion that historical levels of religious involvement have been exaggerated.

In contrast, Martin's 1967 work "Sociology of English Religion" questions the reliability and validity of religious data. Martin expresses doubt regarding the accuracy of data collection methods and criticizes demographic information for its lack of validity. He argues that relying solely on statistics related to religious practices alone is insufficient when it comes to accurately measuring individuals' religious beliefs.

According to Demaroth and Hammond (Religion in Social Context, 1969), church membership does not always reflect strong personal religious beliefs or active participation in religious activities. Similarly, individuals without church affiliation should not be assumed as non-religious. Martin suggested that some people attend church mainly for social reasons rather than due to profound religious convictions.

The text questions the validity of interpreting decreasing attendances as an indication of society's waning religious faith, citing the inflation of Church attendance figures. It emphasizes the importance of examining whether secularization is also occurring in individual beliefs, despite challenges in measuring religious belief due to subjective responses. The 2001 British census reveals that 72% of the population identified as Christian, while 23%

either had no religion or did not specify their religious affiliation.

Despite the distortion caused by 390,000 participants in an Internet campaign who identified as 'Jedi Knight' in terms of religion, the majority of Britons still consider themselves Christian. However, a February 2004 opinion poll revealed that only 67% believe in a god or higher power, with 10% never having believed in god. Moreover, regular prayer is practiced by only 27% and attending organized religious services regularly is done by just 21%. These statistics suggest that although most people hold religious beliefs, only a small fraction actively engage with religious institutions.

In her book Religion in Britain Since 1945 (1994), Grace Davie introduced the term "believing without belonging" to describe the phenomenon discussed here. The shift from organized group identity to a more individualistic approach to spirituality has been observed. However, religious media programs such as Songs of praise continue to be popular. Based on opinion poll data, Davie notes that younger generations are less religious compared to older ones. She states, "Not only have young people left our Churches, they are also rejecting even nominal belief". If this trend continues into adulthood, it could be seen as evidence of secularization.

Despite the presence of fundamentalists in Britain, including Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, there is still a strong religious belief held in the country. These fundamentalisms have mainly emerged as a response to globalization, aiming to protect traditional beliefs against the rational demands imposed by globalization. Although religious beliefs persist in contemporary society, they now function as a moral guide for behavior and have become disconnected from their religious roots. Consequently, there is no longer an

immediate association between moral values such as "Thou shalt not kill" and the requirement to believe in God.

This enables us to embrace these values while not fully accepting the institutions, yet ethical and moral standards need to adapt to the changing modern society. The Guardian Newspaper article titled "Church in push for new priests to fight numbers crisis, May 2004" emphasizes the Catholic Church's consideration of relaxing celibacy rules for priests. Nowadays, no single ideology dominates as religious ideologies did in the past when scientific ideological advancements were lacking.

Despite the advancement of science challenging certain forms of explanation, it has ultimately surpassed religious explanations in many regards. Nevertheless, there are still phenomena that science cannot fully account for, such as life after death. As these inquiries demand answers, religious ideologies offer the most credible explanations available. Consequently, while scientific ideologies dominate certain domains, religious ideologies continue to wield influence in others.

Many sociologists argue that the substitution of religion with science is leading to a process of desacralization, secularizing human consciousness. According to Berger (1969:117), rationality has replaced belief in the supernatural, resulting in what he calls the 'disenchantment' of the world. However, postmodernism theory suggests a departure from scientific rationality. In his book Religion in Modern Britain (1985), Bruce states that religious pluralism is caused by multiple factors that have weakened religious orthodoxy's communal foundation.

The incorporation of Scotland and Ireland into England brought about the introduction of diverse religious traditions, accompanied by an influx of immigrants that gave rise to a plethora of religious groups. According to Wilson (Religion in Secular Society, 1966), the presence of multiple religions has diminished religion's role as a unifying

force. The industrialization process has bridged the gap between social classes and led to the emergence of new forms of Christianity primarily followed by the working class, like Methodism. The modernization and industrialization of society have caused social fragmentation, resulting in a multitude of cultural and religious groups.

Therefore, it is no longer possible to support one religion without conflict. The presence of multiple religions reminds individuals that their beliefs are a personal choice and not mandatory for social affiliation. As a result, religion has become an individual quest for meaning rather than a communal act of worship. Bruce suggests that the existence of various religions has given rise to 'new voluntarism', allowing individuals the freedom to explore and determine their own ultimate purpose.

Religion has not diminished in significance, but rather transformed in its expression. This transformation allows individuals today greater autonomy in seeking and constructing their own personal definitions of meaning. Wilson suggests that the rise of pluralism has given rise to multiple religions within society, each claiming their own version of "truth," leading to a shift away from religious values as shared communal values. Consequently, religion no longer serves the traditional role of providing and reinforcing moral principles for society as a whole, thus undermining its capacity to promote social cohesion.

Both Berger (1967) and Luckmann (1969) argue similarly, stating that the concept of religion has transformed over time. They point out that instead of one dominant religious institution enforcing a singular, unquestioned belief in the supernatural, there are now multiple institutions with varying perspectives. The rise of scientific frameworks has challenged the traditional structure of religious ideologies. Additionally, religious pluralism has emerged, preventing

the Church from maintaining a monopoly on religion. Berger (1967: 133-138, 151-153), however, considers the evidence for secularization inconclusive because religion has adapted in its form. He views religion as an ideology that remains "alive and well".

In today's society, religion has undergone a transformation where it is now more privately practiced and individually chosen. As a result, there exists a diverse setting where religion is voluntary. This means that religious establishments must not only compete with one another but also with other ideologies to attract followers. According to Berger, this development can be seen as religious institutions taking on the role of marketing agencies and treating religious traditions as consumer products. Thompson adds that instead of being imposed, religious beliefs now need to be marketed and sold to potential consumers.

According to Wilson (1966), the ecumenical movement has emerged in response to the growing presence of religious diversity over the past thirty years. However, Wilson suggests that this movement could be seen as a form of secularization. He argues that weaker organizations merge and are compelled to modify their original principles through compromises. Consequently, after thoroughly analyzing three key indicators, there is still insufficient evidence to conclusively determine if contemporary Britain has experienced or is currently experiencing secularization.

Based on the 2001 census data, Britain is predominantly a religious nation, although only a small portion of the population actively engages in religious activities. Nonetheless, without considering societal influences that previously contributed to higher levels of religious practice, there is no substantial proof indicating a notable rise in religious participation. Rather, there has been a transition towards an individualized and self-driven manner of expressing faith, resulting in

the emergence of the New Age Movement.

Although the influence power of New Religious Movements is not significant, they do represent religious vitality. This has resulted in a continuous decline in their social importance. However, religious pluralism has brought about new voluntarism. The Church as an institution has lost many functions it used to have in pre-industrial societies. Wilson sees this as disengagement from society and evidence of secularization. On the other hand, Parson argues that society has undergone structural differentiation, resulting in increased specialization and fewer functions performed.

The Church's role has changed in modern society, but it remains important. Science has surpassed religion in some areas, but religious values still provide moral guidelines for people. Therefore, we may be witnessing a shift in ideology rather than a complete replacement. Scientific and religious ideologies have always coexisted, but in modern society, scientific explanations for life are more plausible than before.

The role of religion has changed from explaining everyday meaning to explaining deeper meaning such as life and death as scientific ideology takes its place. However, the theory of secularisation cannot be sufficiently tested for various reasons, primarily methodological. The term 'secularisation' is used differently by sociologists, causing confusion among writers who discuss the process as they may be referring to different aspects.