Content provided in partnership with
Secularization: Europe—yes, United States—no: why has secularization occurred in Western Europe but not in the United States? An examination of the theories and research
Skeptical Inquirer, March-April, 2004 by Phil Zuckerman
A major concern for sociologists of religion--and a topic of heated debate--is secularization, the process of religious beliefs, symbols, and institutions becoming less influential and significant in society (Swatos and Olson 2000, Bruce 2002, Stark and Finke 2000, Berger 1967). The idea that religion is steadily dying has enjoyed widespread acceptance over the course of the last three centuries among social scientists, with prominent voices from within sociology, psychology, political science, economics, anthropology, history, and philosophy lending support. This is the gist of the theory: In the wake of the Enlightenment, with the rapid progress of scientific inquiry and industrial development, with emerging insights into the human mind and body, with the growth of broader and more accessible educational facilities, and amidst the mounting achievements of technology, irrational beliefs and superstitious rituals--the heart and soul of religion--will fade.
- Most Popular Articles in Reference
- The importance of understanding organizational culture
- Credit card attitudes and behaviors of college students
- What factors attract foreign direct investment?
- Libraries Need Relationship Marketing - mutual interest marketing concept, ...
- How to set performance goals: employee reviews are more than annual critiques
- More »
What the best available empirical research reveals is that secularization is unambiguously observable in most of Western Europe, but not in the United States. In fact, religion remains remarkably strong in the United States. For instance, more than 95 percent of Americans claim to believe in God or a universal spirit or lifeforce, compared to 61 percent of the British; nearly 80 percent of Americans claim to believe in heaven, compared to 50 percent of the British; 84 percent of Americans believe that Jesus is God or the son of God, compared to 46 percent of the British (Gallup and Lindsay 1999). Comparing additional traditional religious beliefs, over 70 percent of Americans believe in life after death, compared to 46 percent of Italians, 43 percent of the French, and 35 percent of Scandinavians (Gallup 1979). And over 70 percent of Americans believe in bell, compared to only 28 percent of the British (Greeley 1995). Concerning traditional religious participation, nearly 45 percent of Americans attend church more than once a week, compared to 23 percent of Belgians, 19 percent of West Germans, 13 percent of the British, 10 percent of the French, 3 percent of Danes, and only 2 percent of Icelanders (Verweij, Ester, and Nauta 1997).
Interestingly enough, Canada maintains a sort of middle ground between the United States and Western Europe concerning traditional religious belief: In 1995, 70 percent of Canadians claimed to believe in God or a universal spirit, standing between over 90 percent of Americans and 61 percent of Britons; 61 percent of Canadians claim to believe in heaven, standing between 78 percent of Americans and 50 percent Britons (Gallup and Lindsay 1999). Concerning church participation, 30 percent of Canadians attend church weekly (Bruce 1999), standing between 45 percent of Americans, 19 percent of West Germans, and 13 percent of Britons.
The dramatic weakening of religion in Western Europe--in terms of both belief and participation--alongside religions hearty resilience in the United States is the source of much ongoing speculation, theorizing, and research. Of course, gathering valid statistical data on religions belief and participation is always tricky; subjective meanings, ambiguous terminology, low response rates, and personal reluctance for honesty always hamper survey analyses of religiosity. However, granting the obvious limitations and shortcomings of quantitative analyses, we still must make due with the best data we have, and the picture that data paints is quite revealing.
Secularization in Western Europe
The last time I was in Europe, I was told by two different sets of friends that we would be "going out to the church" for the evening. In both cases (one in Oban, Scotland, and the other in Cologne, Germany) the churches turned out to be religious institutions in facade only; both were former churches that had been gutted and turned into popular pubs and night clubs. Indeed, throughout much of Western Europe--with the unique exception of Ireland--churches are being turned into bars, discos, warehouses, and laundromats. Not only is church attendance way down, but so is religious belief.
Consider the following data concerning Western European secularization:
* In Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1851, 60 percent of the adult population attended church; in 1995 that was down to 11 percent (Bruce 1999).
* In 1899, 98 percent of Dutch citizens claimed to belong to a particular church. In 2001, only 40 percent did so (Grotenhuis and Scheepers 2001).
* Only 34 percent of West Germans, 31 percent of Belgians, 24 percent of the British, 17 percent of the French, 11 percent of Finns, and 9 percent of Icelanders attend church at lease monthly (Inglehart, Basanez, and Moreno 1998).
* Only 6 percent of Danes, 7 percent of Swedes, and 9 percent of Norwegians attend church at least monthly (Bruce 2000).
* Only 2 percent of Danes, 2 percent of Swedes, and 2 percent of Norwegians attend church on an average Sunday (Bruce 2000).
* 12 percent of Danes claimed to "never attend church" in 1947; that was up to 34 percent in 1996 (Bruce 1999).
Find Research Guides for:
Find Featured Titles for: Arts
Most Popular Articles in Reference
- The importance of understanding organizational culture
- Credit card attitudes and behaviors of college students
- What factors attract foreign direct investment?
- Libraries Need Relationship Marketing - mutual interest marketing concept, ...
- How to set performance goals: employee reviews are more than annual critiques
- More »