A2 Sociology Belief Systems Explaining Secularization

The word secular means ?

• not sacred, not spiritual, not religious. 
• cultural, not spiritual
• cultural, political, historical
• here, and now, no god, atheist

The claim that religion is declining in importance is known as the 

• secularisation thesis
• cultural decline
• cultural ascendancy 
• secularisation decline

Who said.
"the process whereby religious thinking, practice and institutions lose social significance"

• Wilson 
• Armstrong
• Bruce
• Davie

Which one of these is not a measure  of  religious practice 

• Church membership 
• Attendance 
• Church marriage, Church funerals,Christenings 
• Church tax returns and bank balances

Who argued that:
"...by 2030 the Church of England will be a small voluntary organisation with lots of heritage property."

• Bruce 
• Wilson
• Armstrong
• Davie

Which of these is not evidence for secularization

• •Decline in church attendance
• •Decline in attendance of young people
• •Individualism – society no longer guided by collective moral codes and community emphasis. We are more interested in our personal needs
• The rise of New Religious Movements 

Who argued that "believing without belonging"

• Davie 
• Armstrong
• Bruce
• Wilson 

What does vicarious religion mean?

• Islam is growing fast in the UK
• The minority practice beliefs which is supported by the majority
• 'finding oneself’ - NAMs/NRMs. Importance has not declined, the expression has CHANGED.
• Use of religion during interruptions of normality 

 Evidence for Secularization. What is  Rationalization

• Rational ways of thinking and acting come to replace religious ones
• We now see events/tragedy in the world as being due to war/disease/nuclear war/global warming, rather than God’s work/the devil. Spirits
• Using reason and science, we can now discover the laws of nature, understand and predict how the world works and control it through technology.
• Everyone who is sane and rational knows there is no God without the need for proof.

Evidence for Secularization. What does disenchantment mean?

• Magic and religious ways of thinking have been ‘squeezed out’. 
• People are naturally dis-enchanted with religion
• People are dis-enchanted with our politicians 
• Magic and religion are prominent in peoples minds