SECULARIZATION |
There are three basic positions in the secularization debate:
1. Secularization is occurring and is a progressive, continuing process
2. Religion persists but its form is changing
3. Secularization is a cyclical process in which there is always a
resurgence of religion
Thomas O'Dea
Secularization constitutes the decline of religion
The essence of religion is the experience of the mysterium tremendum
Secularization
involves rationalization of thought and desacralization of attitudes toward
persons and
things
There is a shift from myth to logic and mysteries to problems
The emphasis on rationality and causal logic leads to disbelief in a
transcendent God
Bryan Wilson
Secularization constitutes the decline of religion
Society is secular rather than sacred based
Transfer from ecclesiastical to civil authorities of real property and its management
Transfer from ecclesiastical to civil authorities of socializing influence (communities, schools, taxation)
Decline in popular
commitment (economic and moral) to agencies that specialize in supernatural
concerns
Decay of religious institutions
Shift from religious to technical criteria
Shift in consciousness
from a generally religious framework toward an empirical, rational and
instrumental orientation
Separation of
emotion and judgement from perception and analysis
Peter Berger
Secularization is the process by which sectors of society and culture are removed from the domination of religious institutions and symbols
The function of religion is providing unifying symbols because socially constructed reality is very fragile and requires protection with the aura of the sacred
A multiplicity of world views creates a sense of relativism
Choosing a religious
orientation rather than being compelled by it makes choices relative and
less
certain
Secularization threatens social integration and stability because it
may be necessary in times of crisis
Robert Bellah
Religion has evolved and continues to evolve, assuming different forms
What is termed secularization is a change in the form in which religion is organized. Religion as an institution has become increasingly differentiated from the rest of society
Differentiation and pluralization are indications of the progression of society
Historical stages of religious organization
Primitive ReligionThere is a mythic world that provides a model for understanding the everyday world
The mythic world is inhabited by spirits but they are not greater than humans. There are rituals for identifying with these spiritual beingsThere are no specific religious roles or religious organizations
Religion unifies and stabilizes the culture
Archaic ReligionSpiritual beings are attributed with power in their own right and are capable of influencing everyday lifePrayer and sacrifice are established to make contact with these superhuman beings
Differentiated religious roles and organizations emerge, but they are under the control of the political hierarchy
There is a close relationship between the religious and political systems, sometimes reflected in divine kingship
Historic Religion
The religious realm is entirely separate from the secular realm. There is tension between the religious and secular culture, with each competing for individual loyaltyThere is a sharp distinction between the sacred and profane
There is affirmation of a single God who is God of all peoples and tribes
The sacred realm is separate and independent and offers a model of what the world really is and what is expected of humans
The empirical world is rejected in favor of the divine realm
A separate religious institution emerges
Religion becomes a source of social change as it holds independent moral standards
Early Modern ReligionThis stage traces to the Protestant ReformationThe negative view of the everyday world is modified. Salvation is still a reward in another realm, but it is worked out individually with God based on faithfulness in this world
Modern Religion
This form is currently emergingThere is a breakdown in the concept of sacred and everyday realms
Religion is grounded in ethical life in this world
Secularization involves a cyclical process
Religion persists because it fulfills a basic human needThe resurgence of religionThe persistence of religion can be traced to humans pursuit of rewards and avoidance of costs
Rewards are scarce and unequally distributed or not available from society
The unavailability of rewards creates a search for compensators (belief that a reward will be obtained in the future or in another context)
Religion provides general compensators (meaning of life, fulfillment of the desire for rewards that are unobtainable)
Secularization is a self-limiting processSupernaturalism is the central element of religion
Secularization involves the decline of the supernatural
When there is a decline in the availability of the supernatural, a resurgence of religion will take place
Evidence of the self-limiting process of secularization
There are periodic religious renewals or the formation of new groupsIndividuals who profess no religious affiliation are not non-religious
Aetheism and agnosticism frequently do not cross generational lines
The decline of traditional churches is associated with the rise of new groups
1. There is a historical trend toward desacralization of the everyday world
2. Religion no longer provides unifying cultural symbolism for the social order
3. Institutional differentiation has reduced religion
from a central institution to one specialized
institution in a complex institutional
matrix
4. There is a historical trend toward an empirical, rational, instrumental orientation
5. There has been a succession of Protestant disestablishments
Legal disestablishment in the early 1800s. Protestantism became a cultural forceLoss of cultural authority in the 1920s and 1930s with religious diversity
Loss of close relationship between religious belonging and the American way of life beginning in the 1960s