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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 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 Decay of religious institutions Shift from religious to technical criteria Shift in consciousness from a generally religious framework toward an empirical, rational and 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 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
Rodney Stark and William Bainbridge Secularization involves a cyclical process Religion persists because it fulfills a basic human need
The resurgence of religion
Secularization is a self-limiting process
There are periodic religious renewals or the formation of new groups
CONCLUSIONS
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 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 force
6. The nature of the sacred is being relocated and transformed
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