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

There are no specific religious roles or religious organizations

Religion unifies and stabilizes the culture

Archaic Religion

Spiritual beings are attributed with power in their own right and are capable of influencing everyday life

Prayer 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 loyalty

There 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 Religion

This stage traces to the Protestant Reformation

The 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 emerging

There 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

The 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)

Supernaturalism 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

 Individuals 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

Loss 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