Obituaries and predictions : a sociological perspective on the future of religion

dc.contributor.authorBeyers, Jaco
dc.contributor.emailjaco.beyers@up.ac.zaen_US
dc.date.accessioned2014-07-01T12:34:27Z
dc.date.available2014-07-01T12:34:27Z
dc.date.issued2013-06
dc.descriptionThis is an extension of a paper delivered on the EASR Annual Conference, IAHR Special Conference, Södertörn University, Stockholm, in August 23-26 2012.en_US
dc.description.abstractReligion is a social phenomenon. Society and, therefore, religion will continue to exist as long as human beings exist. This article explores this syllogism, by analysing two 19th-century social theories on the future of religion. Weber was not positive as to the future of religion and foresaw that religion would die out at the hands of rationality and modernisation. Durkheim predicted that religion would suffer at the hands of rationality and modernisation, but that it would not die out completely. It would disappear from the public domain and become a private matter. As private matter, religion might even grow, according to Durkheim. These theories became the framework for all theories on religion and secularisation. Berger, Luckmann and others followed along these lines. A new appraisal of where we currently stand with the effects of secularisation on religion is necessary. At present, religion is perceived as being vibrant and active. There are reasons why religion did not disappear or become invisible as was predicted. The article investigates certain key characteristics of current society in order to determine the nature of religion in the future. It examines the role of pluralism, individualism and the effect of uncertainty. The result as to the future of religion is a dichotomy of continuity and discontinuity.en_US
dc.description.librarianam2014en_US
dc.description.urihttp://www.ufs.ac.za/ActaTheologicaen_US
dc.identifier.citationBeyers, J 2013, 'Obituaries and predictions : a sociological perspective on the future of religion', Acta Theologica, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 1-28.en_US
dc.identifier.issn1015-8758
dc.identifier.other10.4314/actat.v33i1.1
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/40481
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherFaculty of Theology of the University of the Orange Free Stateen_US
dc.rights© UV/UFSen_US
dc.subjectSecularisationen_US
dc.subjectSociologyen_US
dc.subjectReligionen_US
dc.subjectSekularisasieen_US
dc.subjectSosiologieen_US
dc.subjectGodsdiensen_US
dc.titleObituaries and predictions : a sociological perspective on the future of religionen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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