The Postmodernist View of Religion (AQA A Level Sociology): Revision Note

Postmodernism & religion

• Postmodernists argue that religion is not simply declining, but changing to reflect postmodern society

• Religion has lost its role in promoting social stability or large-scale change, but it continues in new, individualised forms

• People no longer follow religion out of obligation but instead choose beliefs that fit their lifestyle and identity

• This reflects broader postmodern trends of:

  • globalisation

  • consumerism

  • media influence

  • individual choice

Religion as a meta-narrative

• Traditional religion once claimed a monopoly on the truth and provided a single 'grand narrative' explaining the world

• In postmodern society, there is no absolute truth – religion is now just one of many competing truth claims

• People are less likely to accept institutional authority and more likely to choose beliefs that suit them

• Hervieu-Léger (2000) believes that religion’s reluctance to adapt has weakened it, as people now have access to many alternative worldviews

• This scrutiny has undermined mainstream religions, making them one option among many

Globalisation, media & religion

• In postmodern society, identities are fluid and constantly reconstructed

• Religion is shaped by consumer choice and amplified by the mass media

• Lyon (2000)

  • Religion has become a marketplace, where beliefs are advertised and consumed like products

• Religious ideas are 'disembedded'

  • Lifted out of local churches and relocated to media spaces such as TV or the internet

    • E.g., televangelism allows people to participate in religion without attending church

• Religion becomes privatised

  • Practised individually outside of institutions and adapted for personal use

• Davie (2013) calls this 'believing without belonging': people still hold beliefs, but without church attendance

Spiritual shopping and consumerism

• Hervieu-Léger (2000) believes that fewer people attend church due to cultural amnesia – parents no longer pass religion on to their children and instead let them decide for themselves what to believe

• Greater social equality has also weakened the Church’s authority; young people now choose their own religious identity

• However, religion has not disappeared but instead has been replaced by consumerism

• People act as 'spiritual shoppers', selecting elements from different faiths to fit their lifestyle

  • E.g., choosing yoga, meditation, or mindfulness instead of church attendance

• As a result, Hervieu-Léger believes two new religious types are emerging:

  • Pilgrims who seek self-discovery through New Age spirituality

  • Converts who join religious groups that offer belonging and identity (often linked to ethnicity or doctrine)

• This reflects a shift from obligation to consumption; people now choose religion as a matter of personal meaning, not duty

  • E.g., in England and France, infant baptism was once an obligatory rite of passage, but now only a minority of babies are baptised, and there is an increase in adults choosing to be baptised

The New Age

• Postmodernists such as Lyon (2000) argue that the decline of traditional churches does not mean the end of religion

• New Age movements allow people to 'sample' beliefs and create their own personal spirituality

• Therefore, religion and spirituality are evolving to fit a consumerist postmodern society

• Many of the new forms of religion or spirituality that Lyon refers to are New Age beliefs and practices

• Key features of New Age beliefs include:

  • a focus on individual fulfilment and self-discovery

  • a rejection of traditional authority

  • practices such as astrology, crystals, reiki, meditation, yoga and holistic healing

• New Age beliefs and practices have been called 'self-spirituality' or 'self-religion' because the individual decides what is true for them

Evaluation of the postmodernist view of religion

Strengths

• Changing nature of religion

  • Shows how religion has shifted from obligation to consumption, with people choosing beliefs that fit their lifestyles

  • Rejects the view that diversity undermines religion, instead suggesting that greater choice can increase engagement

• Impact of globalisation and media

  • Recognises how globalisation and the internet/media have transformed religion, spreading beliefs across cultures and making them more accessible

  • This can explain the growth of New Age movements and individualised spirituality

Criticisms

• Overstates the decline of traditional religions

  • Many world religions (e.g., Islam, Christianity) remain highly influential, with millions of active members and strong political, cultural, and social roles worldwide

  • Steve Bruce (2000) argues that most New Age movements are short-lived and lack the depth, commitment, and longevity of established world religions

• Overemphasises individual choice

  • People’s religious beliefs and practices are still shaped by structural factors such as class, gender, and ethnicity, not just personal consumer choice

  • This means religion is not entirely a 'pick and mix' marketplace — wider social inequalities continue to influence religious identity and participation