Lecture notes
Christianity and the Challenge of Secularisation
Religious Studies AQA A Level. Complete Year 2 Christianity notes.
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
2 reviews
By: sydniferguson2006 • 5 months ago
By: ubhijasneet • 2 year ago
Content preview
Christianity and the challenge of secularisationSecularisation is the process by which a society becomes less religious.
The replacement of religion as a source of truth and moral values
- Until the Renaissance, Church teaching was considered to be the source of truth and the basis for all
moral values.
- As science developed in the middle ages, some thinkers saw religion as opposing rational thought.
- During the Protestant Reformation, it became possible to hold individual beliefs about religion,
challenging the idea of one universal truth.
- In the 17th and 18th Centuries, the rise of scientific thinking led some people to think that belief in
God was not necessary.
- By the 19th Century, faith had become a matter of personal commitment. Philosophers started
seeing religion as something functional.
- Basing arguments on reason alone removed the need for religion.
- However, secular morality was largely based on the Ten Commandments.
- Modern secular humanism takes the view that humankind improves through reason and evidence.
Relegation of religion to the personal sphere (individualisation)
Historically, religion was not a matter of individual choice.
In 1555, the Augsburg settlement ruled that each prince would decide on the religion of his own
state.
In 1648, the Peace of Westphalia allowed people to practise a religion different from the state
religion.
As society became more secular, religion became a set of ideas and values that individuals might
choose to follow.
Today, personal faith is a matter of individual choice, the number of people not belonging to a
religion is rising and some Christian traditions place a heavy emphasis on personal commitment.
Religion still does have a public role in civil occasions.
Many people value Christian culture, art and buildings, and treat clergy with respect.
The rise of militant atheism
o John Robinson’s 1963 book ‘Honest to God’ showed the view that God as ‘an old man in the sky’ did
not work intellectually or theologically in the secular 20 th Century.
o At the same time, liberation theory was being developed, the Catholic Church was becoming more
relaxed and the Church of England was concerned with new forms of worship, gender and sexuality.
o Militant atheists see religion as both intellectually flawed and morally flawed.
o They denounce literalist religious beliefs, equating belief in God with the tooth fairy.
o They blame religion for wars and cruelty to others.
o They want to remove religious influences from education and view a religious upbringing as child
abuse.
o However, militant atheists misrepresent mainstream Christianity, they assume all Christians are
fundamentalist literalists and at the same time ignore atrocities and cruelty caused by atheists.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller AB145. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £3.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
67474 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now