Unit 2. Sociology of Religion: Spirited Away?

Learning outcomes:

After working effectively at this unit you will be able to:

 outline modern tendencies in terms of sociology of religion, compare them with those taking place in Belarus, define their possible reasons;

 write survey reports and include into them your recommendations and suggestions from the point of view of a future sociologist;

 present your survey report in public using some practical tips to make your presentation effective;

SUB-UNIT 2.1. God and shopping

WARMING-UP:

 Task 1. Make up 2 groups and compare these pictures, find and discuss the following questions:

1. What events are pictured?

2. Can you find differences / similarities concerning the events?

3. With the help of those pictures try to give the definition of the term “religion”. What criteria have you used in making your definition?

Present the results of your discussion in class.

Picture A: Picture B:

Picture C: Picture D:

Picture E: Picture F:

 Task 2. In 1947, 1981, 2000 a special survey was conducted in Great Britain in order to get data about the religious behaviour in the society. Respondents had to choose among the following possible answers. Try to do the same, comment on your choice:

• There is a personal God

• There is some sort of spirits or life force

• There is something there

• I don’t know what to think

• I don’t really think there is any sort of God or life force

Compare your point of view with that of the group-mates, do they reflect any general tendencies taking place of your country? Then get acquainted with the results of the survey conducted in Great Britain:

Table 1 Belief in God in Great Britain, 1947-2000,%
	1947	1981	2000
There is a personal God	45	32	26
There is some sort of spirit or life force	39	41	21
There is something there	NA	NA	23
I don’t know what to think	16	15	12
I don’t really think there is any sort of God or life force	NA	10	15
Other	--	--	3
Note: NA=not asked
Source: S.Bruce (2001) God is Dead: Secularization in the West, Blackwell, p138

 Task 3. What conclusions can you draw? Do you consider the religious situation in Great Britain to be more or less similar with that in Belarus? Can it be characterised by:

• a growing/shrinking (=falling) number of people belonging to a certain church?

• a rise/decline of conventional religion?

• an increasing/decreasing number of atheists (people who believe there is no God) and agnostics (people who believe that it is not possible to know whether God exists or not)?

• a rise/fall in the interest in unconventional religion (not traditional)?

 Task 4. Read the first part of the article and try to anticipate the topic of its whole body:

a) a countervailing (=compensating) tendency of unconventional religions;

b) the role of alternative medical therapies;

c) reasons of the decline of the organized religion;

d) the establishment of Christianity in Great Britain.

In your opinion, what problems will be tackled there? What ideas mentioned in the first part make you think so?