Secularisation in the UK (AQA A Level Sociology): Revision Note

Explanations for secularisation in the UK

• Some sociologists argue that statistics show the UK is becoming increasingly secular. They offer several explanations:

Rationalisation

• Max Weber (1905) argues that Western society has developed rational, scientific thinking that replaces religious explanations.

• He claims the Enlightenment led to disenchantment, where the world is no longer explained through magic or the supernatural but through science and technology

• Weber believes this weakens belief in the sacred, as religious claims lack evidence – a process he calls desacralisation

A technological worldview

• Bruce (2011) agrees with Weber and claims that people now turn to science and technology to explain natural and social problems

• He argues that although scientific explanations do not directly disprove religion, they reduce the scope for religious explanations

• According to Bruce, science does not necessarily make people atheists, but it encourages a worldview in which people take religion less seriously

Structural differentiation and disengagement

• Parsons (1951) explains that industrial society has developed specialised institutions, such as education, welfare and law, which have taken over many of religion’s former roles

• He argues that religion has become a smaller, specialised institution with less influence over wider society

• Parsons’ idea of structural differentiation leads to what he calls disengagement, meaning the church no longer performs key functions such as socialisation and social solidarity

• This may explain the decline in church attendance and affiliation

Privatised belief

• Bruce (2002) argues that religion has become separated from wider society and has lost many of its former functions

• He claims religion has become privatised, moving into the private sphere of the home and family

• According to Bruce, religious practice is now a matter of personal choice, while rituals and symbols have lost much of their wider social meaning

• He also suggests that modern states reinforce this by separating church and state, treating religion as a private matter

Social and cultural diversity

• Bruce argues that industrialisation and urbanisation have caused a decline in community, contributing to the decline of religion

• He explains that industrialisation broke up local religious communities whose shared values were expressed through collective rituals

• Bruce adds that small, close-knit communities have been replaced by large, loose-knit ones where people with diverse beliefs and lifestyles live side by side

• This diversity weakens the plausibility of one 'true' religion and reduces religion’s influence in a pluralist society

Religious pluralism and diversity

• Berger (1969) argues that secularisation has also been caused by the growth of religious diversity

• He explains that in the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church held a monopoly on truth, but this was challenged by the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, which created competing versions of Christianity

• Berger claims that since then, the number and variety of religious organisations have continued to grow, each offering a different version of the truth

• As a result, society is no longer unified under a single sacred canopy, creating what Berger calls a 'crisis of credibility', where no single faith seems absolutely true

• Bruce sees this trend towards religious diversity as the most important cause of secularisation

Believing in belonging

• Day (2007) argues that many people in the UK still claim to be Christian, not because of genuine belief, but because they see Christianity as part of their national or cultural identity

• She found that people often say they are Christian because they want to identify as 'British', even if they do not hold strong religious convictions

Explanations against secularisation in the UK

• Some sociologists argue that religion is not disappearing but changing form. They suggest that religious belief remains relevant in contemporary society

Believing without belonging

• Davie (1994) agrees with Bruce that religion has become privatised, but she argues that people still hold beliefs even if they do not attend church

• Religion is now individualised: people may 'believe' but do not feel the need to 'belong'

• Davie claims that vicarious religion is the norm – an active minority (clergy, regular attenders) worship on behalf of the wider community

• Evidence appears in times of crisis (e.g., natural disasters, the death of Princess Diana and the death of The Queen) when church attendance briefly spikes

• Davie criticises the use of attendance statistics as misleading because they do not capture personal beliefs

Online religion

• Helland (2000) argues that globalisation and mass media have transformed religion

• Religion is now shaped by consumer choice and has adapted to technology

• There are two forms of online religion:

  • Religion online: Established organisations use websites and social media to spread their message

  • Online religion: Individuals create virtual faith communities (e.g., forums, YouTube sermons)

• This shows religion has become disembedded from physical places of worship, but survives in digital spaces

• This challenges Bruce’s idea that the decline of physical community leads to secularisation, as online communities keep religion alive

Postmodernist critique

• Postmodernists argue that religion is not declining but evolving

• Hervieu-Léger (2000) argues that people act as 'spiritual shoppers', selecting beliefs and practices that fit their lifestyle

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

• She identifies two emerging types of believers:

  • Pilgrims: Seek self-discovery through New Age spirituality.

  • Converts: Join religious groups that provide belonging and identity (often linked to ethnicity or doctrine).

• Glock and Stark (1999) also argue that religion may be more vibrant today because of the rise of new religious movements (NRMs)

Cultural defence and transition

• Bruce (2002) argues that religion thrives when it provides identity and support in challenging contexts

• Cultural defence: Religion unites people against external threats (e.g., Poland’s Catholic Church resisting communism in the 1980s)

• Cultural transition: Religion helps migrants adjust to a new culture (e.g., Afro-Caribbean, South Asian, and Eastern European communities in the UK)

• However, Bruce notes religion tends to decline once threats fade or migrants integrate more fully

Religious pluralism and diversity

• Berger (1999) revised his earlier view, arguing that diversity can stimulate religious vitality rather than undermine it

  • E.g., the growth of evangelicalism in Latin America and the New Christian Right in the USA

• Beckford (2003) adds that religious conflict and opposition may actually strengthen group commitment, not weaken it

Internal secularisation

• Herberg (1960) describes how religions dilute or modify core beliefs to maintain their connection to wider society

• This process is known as internal secularisation

Examples

• Church of England (2015):

  • Voted to allow women bishops, responding to wider societal demands for gender equality

  • Without this change, the Church risked becoming irrelevant and out of touch

• Reform Judaism:

  • Adapted traditional Jewish practices to suit modern life

  • Examples include mixed seating in synagogues, ordination of women rabbis, and prayers in local languages rather than strictly in Hebrew

  • Shows how a religion can soften traditional rules while still keeping a sense of identity

Criticisms

• Some argue that by watering down core beliefs, religions risk losing their distinctiveness and spiritual authority

• Internal secularisation may make religions more acceptable to modern society, but it can also lead to declining commitment, as they no longer offer something unique compared to secular values