Evidence For And Against Secularisation
Evidence for and against secularisation
For Secularisation
-evidence that religious practice is declining:
-in the UK membership of Christian Churches has declined since the 70s, however membership levels of Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim religions has increased
-attendances of services has declined in Christian Churches
-civil marriage services have increased, religious marriages and baptisms have declined.
Wilson looked at these figures and argues that secularisation is happening
-levels of disengagement- church moving away from the state- high levels of disengagement shows that secularisation is happening, in Britain there has been disengagement over the last 200 years, the Monarch is no longer the active leader of the Church of England, but not complete disengagement as there are Bishops in the House of Lords and the Queen is a symbolic leader of the CofE, and there is compulsory religious education in secondary state schools. However in France they are totally disengaged they are not even allowed to wear religious symbols to school and they are not taught R.S, could be argued that France is secularised. However in Iran there is a Theocracy- so total engagement and therefore they are not secularised.
-millions have dropped out of mainstream religions over the last few years, although people are joining NRM the net movement is decreasing.
Secularisation from within- Herberg religious organisation have become less religious and less spiritual for example Christian American groups do community work which is not religious and so their religion has become watered down.
The myth of the golden age of religion- we usually compare membership levels from now to what they used to be but Martin highlights those figures from the past are miss leading as lots of people attended church as it was sometimes the law to attend church and it was socially unacceptable not to go to church and therefore the figures are invalid.
Methodological evaluation if these
For Secularisation
-evidence that religious practice is declining:
-in the UK membership of Christian Churches has declined since the 70s, however membership levels of Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim religions has increased
-attendances of services has declined in Christian Churches
-civil marriage services have increased, religious marriages and baptisms have declined.
Wilson looked at these figures and argues that secularisation is happening
-levels of disengagement- church moving away from the state- high levels of disengagement shows that secularisation is happening, in Britain there has been disengagement over the last 200 years, the Monarch is no longer the active leader of the Church of England, but not complete disengagement as there are Bishops in the House of Lords and the Queen is a symbolic leader of the CofE, and there is compulsory religious education in secondary state schools. However in France they are totally disengaged they are not even allowed to wear religious symbols to school and they are not taught R.S, could be argued that France is secularised. However in Iran there is a Theocracy- so total engagement and therefore they are not secularised.
-millions have dropped out of mainstream religions over the last few years, although people are joining NRM the net movement is decreasing.
Secularisation from within- Herberg religious organisation have become less religious and less spiritual for example Christian American groups do community work which is not religious and so their religion has become watered down.
The myth of the golden age of religion- we usually compare membership levels from now to what they used to be but Martin highlights those figures from the past are miss leading as lots of people attended church as it was sometimes the law to attend church and it was socially unacceptable not to go to church and therefore the figures are invalid.
Methodological evaluation if these