Secularisation theory and its discontents: Recapturing decolonial and gendered narratives. Debate on Jörg Stolz’s article on Secularization theories in the 21st century: ideas, evidence, and problems

Abstract

Secularisation theory has been a central element of research and teaching in sociology since the middle of the twentieth century. This article discusses the current state of the art in secularisation research through the perspectives of decolonial theory, global sociology, feminist theory and the experiences of minority religions. Responding to Jörg Stolz, the article argues that current secularisation research suffers from conceptual shortcomings regarding the socio-political implications of secularism and the secular, that the parochial nature of secularisation theory has led to its entanglement in modernist, catching-up narratives, and that a feminist perspective is necessary to provide more detailed accounts of the gendered nature of processes of secularisation, particularly regarding new religious movements and the religious transformations within minority religious groups. The article concludes that secularisation theory needs to take into account minority religious experiences, the religiosity of women and religion beyond Euro-America in order to understand the significant shifts in religiosity that remain overlooked by methodologies operating solely at the level of nation-states.

Religion, Spirituality, and Mental Health Among Scientists During the Pandemic: A Four‐country Study

“…2021) or the supernatural (Jung 2020). These measurements, however, may not apply to those who are affiliated with non‐Christian religions (Müller 2020) or whose religiosity is “fuzzy” (Voas 2009). Across the globe, an increasing number of people maintain a casual loyalty to their faith traditions (Voas 2009; Brauer 2018; Müller 2020), and those who embody fuzzy religiosity may not necessarily engage in religious practices regularly or at all, even though religion plays a role in their lives (Voas 2009).…”

“…These measurements, however, may not apply to those who are affiliated with non‐Christian religions (Müller 2020) or whose religiosity is “fuzzy” (Voas 2009). Across the globe, an increasing number of people maintain a casual loyalty to their faith traditions (Voas 2009; Brauer 2018; Müller 2020), and those who embody fuzzy religiosity may not necessarily engage in religious practices regularly or at all, even though religion plays a role in their lives (Voas 2009). Furthermore, for those affiliated with non‐Christian religions, an understanding of God, gods, or the supernatural may differ from those affiliated with Christian religions (Müller 2020).…”

“…Across the globe, an increasing number of people maintain a casual loyalty to their faith traditions (Voas 2009; Brauer 2018; Müller 2020), and those who embody fuzzy religiosity may not necessarily engage in religious practices regularly or at all, even though religion plays a role in their lives (Voas 2009). Furthermore, for those affiliated with non‐Christian religions, an understanding of God, gods, or the supernatural may differ from those affiliated with Christian religions (Müller 2020). Hence, to understand the relationship between religiosity and well‐being among academic scientists in various national contexts, we used a more comparable measurement—the importance of religion—to capture their religious commitment (Voas and Doebler 2011).…”

“…In the analysis of the relationship between R/S and well-being, religiosity is commonly measured through religious practices such as church attendance (Strawbridge et al 2001;Speed and Lamont 2021;Kaushal et al 2022), prayer (Meisenhelder and Chandler 2000;Bartkowski, Acevedo, and Van Loggerenberg 2017), and belief, such as whether an individual believes in God (Magin et al 2021) or the supernatural (Jung 2020). These measurements, however, may not apply to those who are affiliated with non-Christian religions (Müller 2020) or whose religiosity is "fuzzy" (Voas 2009). Across the globe, an increasing number of people maintain a casual loyalty to their faith traditions (Voas 2009;Brauer 2018;Müller 2020), and those who embody fuzzy religiosity may not necessarily engage in religious practices regularly or at all, even though religion plays a role in their lives (Voas 2009).…”

Typologies of Secularism in China: Religion, Superstition, and Secularization

“…3 Taylor argues that, despite the interconnection between modernity and secularization, it is impossible to predict whether or not religion will become completely obsolete: the ultimate question is which religions are weakening, or strengthening. 4 This question requires a reflection beyond Western models and perspectives, which are sometimes theoretically untenable. Indeed, insofar as secularization theories derive largely from the modern transformation of Christianity, some scholars argue that secularism is incompatible with non-Western religions like Hinduism and Islam, since "neither India's indigenous religious tradition nor Islam recognize the sacred-secular dichotomy in the manner Christianity does so."…”