The Role of Religion in Contemporary Irish Society - Essay Example

? Studying Contemporary Religion Critically evaluate the strengths of the secularization thesis in accounting for the role of religion in contemporary Irish society. Name University Date: Critically evaluate the strengths of the secularization thesis in accounting for the role of religion in contemporary Irish society. Introduction. Throughout recorded history, and for many centuries before that, Ireland has been a place where religion has played a key role in society. From the Neolithic monuments to the medieval monasteries and the modern institution of the Catholic Church, there are visible traces on the Irish landscape that testify to this historical preoccupation with organised religious beliefs and practices. Contemporary sociologists have judged that “any sociological study of Ireland must reflect the importance of religion in the shaping of our contemporary society, its continuing relevance in terms of everyday social life and the still central role of religious institutions” (Tovey and Share, 2003, p. 384). This observation, however, runs counter to the belief that was a cultural shift in all Western societies which started in the period of the Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, which introduced a whole new set of scientific tools. Max Weber, Emile Durkheim and other early proponents of the new discipline of sociology described evidence of a shift away from religion and towards rationalisation. The term “secularization” is used to describe this change, and the “secularization thesis” is a belief that religion will slowly fade in the face of new scientific, and by implication better, ways of seeing the world. This paper shows, however, that there is evidence in the recent history and sociology of Ireland to prove that the secularization thesis does not hold, since contemporary Ireland fully reflects modern cultural trends and yet it is by no means an increasingly secular country. Origins of the secularization thesis. In the Middle Ages, a Christian world view dominated the whole of Europe, with close links being maintained between Church and State, and other religions such as Judaism and Islam being classed as outsiders. Secular monarchs reigned in the firm belief that they had a divine right to rule, and they often used their powers to enhance the dominance of the Christian Church, leading to the Crusades and the demonization of other faiths and other nation states. The reformation polarised Catholic and Protestant branches of Christianity so that in Europe, at least, religion became associated with conflict between factions within Europe. Ireland played a decisive role in the early stages of the Christian colonisation of Europe, and Ireland’s continual loyalty to Rome in the face of British rebellion is a reflection of political differences as much as it is a religious position. The relationship between Church and State remains close in Ireland, since there was no split between the monarch and Rome, and this explains the influence that religions continues to have at the present time on Irish political and social affairs. In Victorian Britain and Imperial Germany the protestant work ethic was credited with producing the beginnings of the capitalist system, and Karl Marx theorized religion in this context as a logical an necessary part of this culture of trade and industry. In the analyses of Marx, Engels and Lenin, religion was a thriving force to be reckoned with, and they very much supported the underlying motivations that led people to put their faith in it: “Religion is a many-faceted reflection of the real world, including deep-seated human needs for security, consolation, and beauty. They (Marx, Engels and Lenin) do not want to take away from people the solace, comfort of beauty that religion brings to their lives … religious beliefs are not merely illusory; they stand in the way of man’s mastering both nature and his social relations in the interests of a better and fuller life” ( Selsam and Martel, 1987, p. 225). A combination of these political ideas, the retreat of Catholicism and the rise of a materialistic new kind of Protestantism, and the increasing reliance on scientific methods led to the formation of what is known as the “secularization thesis” which can be defined as “the increasing separation of the profane and the sacred, and the gradual downgrading of the latter” (Tovey and Share, 2009, p. 403). Support for the Secularization Thesis. Another dimension of support for the secularization thesis came from some of the new sciences that emerged towards the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries. The work of Freud on the subconscious framed religious belief as an immature stage in human development that becomes a neurosis when healthy adults cannot shake it off in favour of a more rational world view (Palmer, 1997, p. 14). Protestant Christianity came to terms with many of these theories, using historical critical methods to frame the sacred Christian texts as part of human history, leading to a diversity of liberal factions which adopted large chunks of secular knowledge alongside religious dogma. In largely Catholic Ireland this kind of relative secularization has had a much weaker effect. In the UK, the twentieth century has also seen significant immigration from cultures with different religious backgrounds, notably Islam and Hinduism, which has brought greater tolerance of diversity in society and a greater need for social and legal frameworks that leave room for a spectrum of opinion on key issues. In Ireland and other Catholic Countries, however, the repeated endorsement of the doctrine of Papal infallibility ensured that religious principles were maintained even when they contradicted the latest discoveries and theories in modern science. Immigration has occurred in Ireland too, but the greater effect is that of emigration in search of employment, so that most areas of Ireland, with the exceptions of larger towns and cities have not been enriched by incomers bringing a greater mix of religious affiliations. Arguments against the Secularization thesis. If the secularization thesis were true, then sociologists would report a significant decrease in expressions of religious belief in Ireland. Attendance at Church meetings has been dropping in almost every European country throughout the twentieth century, which certainly indicates a level of disengagement from the traditional and formal institutions of major religions. Some other expressions of religious belief are, however, on the increase as is evidenced in the growth of house churches and informal groupings which often have a charismatic style. Since the 1960s eastern religions, including Buddhism and Hinduism have attracted many Irish adherents and the world of sport and leisure is full of quasi-religious overtones through the adoption of relaxation, meditation and healing techniques that involve ancient religious components. Part of the difficulty in examining the question of how far secularization has progressed, however, lies in the question of how to define religious belief. A survey conducted at the very end of the twentieth century reported astonishingly high levels of positive response to questions such as whether people believe in god, in miracles, and in an afterlife, which are key elements of religiosity: the percentage of respondents reporting belief in god was 96% in Cyprus, 95% in Ireland and 94% in Poland (for comparison Britain scored 69%, Sweden, 54%, Russia 52% and former East Germany 25%), (Greely, 2003, p. 3). These figures suggest that secularization does not mean loss of faith, but perhaps means a change in the way that faith is expressed, and however religious faith is defined, Ireland has a permanent position very near the top of the table. The Irish government’s attitudes to abortion and divorce run counter to the majority of other modern states, while at the same time Ireland has followed the same ultra-capitalist boom and bust cycles that protestant countries have seen. It would be a mistake to assume that the Catholic Church necessarily affects the culture and development of every country in the same way. In a comparison of the recent discourse on the abortion issue in Ireland, Poland, the United States and England & Wales, for example, it has been noted that although the Catholic Church categorically opposes abortion in all four contexts, it has chosen to use different argumentation styles (Dillon, 1996, p. 32). Legal and moral arguments are used in all four contexts, but national symbols are common in the United States and Poland, while these are avoided in Ireland, “because of their connotation with nationalist politics and its attendant violence as exemplified by the conflict in Northern Ireland” (Dillon, 1996, p. 34). The Irish cultural opposition to feminist views of women’s right to choose abortion sets this country against prevailing opinion in most Western liberal democracies, and creates considerable tension in relation to European Human Rights legislation. From the perspective of Weber, this is, despite the lack of overt, nationalistic rhetoric, nevertheless a mechanism by which Irish national identity is maintained: “In the sense of those using the term [nation] at a given time, the concept undoubtedly means, above all, that one may exact from certain groups of men a specific sentiment of solidarity in the face of other groups. Thus the concept belongs in the sphere of values” (Weber, 1946, p. 172). Religion still shapes Irish distinctiveness from other European countries, and this is an aspect which argues against the secularization thesis. More evidence of the dubious validity of the secularization thesis can be found in the way that Ireland has experienced the phenomenon known as “globalisation”. Some of the effects of modernity have been patently negative, as for example the supposed ease and convenience of McDonalds drive in restaurants which cause multiple problems like obesity, pollution, and a “de-humanisation” of customers who become part of a purely materialistic conveyer-belt like process that is ultimately harmful to them (Ritzer, 2011) This so called “McDonaldization” process extends to all aspects of modern life, through the commodification of everything, including areas such as the media, and all kinds of public and private services. Moral, sexual and religious beliefs and practices are also affected by Ritzer’s “four alluring dimensions” of efficiency, calculability, predictability and control through nonhuman technology. (Ritzer, 2011, pp. 16-19). Irish airline Ryanair is a perfect example of this process in the travel business, providing flights to popular European holiday destinations as well as to places of holy pilgrimage. Ritzer’s analysis questions the positivist march of history towards ever better technologies, and an ever more mature and wise human society. The evidence has shown that modern technology harms people and causes many negative effects. Against this background, religion is not an illusion constructed to protect people, or a method of control to keep people compliant, but in fact a form of resistance against the de-humanising effect of modernity. The present situation in Ireland is one of contradictory forces, pulling people in different directions. The monolithic grip of the Catholic Church has loosened somewhat in recent years but it is still very much part of the image that people have of their own personal, family and national culture. One of the effects of post-modern fragmentation is an increasing tendency for people to accommodate positions that previously would have been contradictory or mutually exclusive. Catholics in Ireland may not strictly hold to particular doctrines in practice, while retaining nominal allegiance to the Church. This flexibility is of course nothing new in itself, since the spectrum of adherence to dogma has always been very great, but in modern Ireland there is greater and more public acceptance of such a position. Even the state compromise on abortion that allows women to travel abroad in specific cases is an example of some accommodation with the secular world in practice, while retaining a moral absolute in principle. Conclusion This analysis has shown religious faith has not disappeared in Ireland, but has proved extraordinary resilient, emerging in new and hybrid forms, and reinvigorating old institutions by means of informal movements which have grass roots support. Irish society’s century old paradoxes, such as the gender segregation of a Catholic Church which reserves positions of authority solely for men, but is sustained and supported largely by the devotion of Irish women, are out of step with the political structures, as was clearly seen in the successful presidency of Mary Robinson between 1990 and 1997. Claims that Ireland is now an example of a secularized society cannot be proven (Tovey and Share, p. 405). The evidence appears to show an increasing level of postmodern disjunction, in which religion will continue to be a strong and positive force in Ireland, even though it constantly finds itself in a position of dialogue and opposition with other influential world views. References Dillon, M. (1996) Cultural Differences in the Abortion Discourse of the Catholic Church: Evidence from Four Countries. Sociology of Religion 57:1, 25-36. Durkheim, E., Cladis, M. and Cosman, C. (2001) The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Originally published in 1912]. Greely, A. (2003) Religion in Europe at the end of the second millennium: a sociological profile. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishing. Palmer, M. (1997) Freud and Jung on Religion. London: Routledge. Ritzer, G. (2011) The McDonaldization of Society. 6th edition. London and Thousand Oaks: Sage. Selsam, H. and Martel, H. (1987) Religion. In Reader in Marxist Philosophy: From the Writings of Marx, Engels and Lenin. New York: International Publishers Co., pp. 224-247. Tovey, H. and Share, P. (2009) A Sociology of Ireland. 2nd edition. Dublin: Gill & MacMillan. Weber, M. [1922] (1946) Structures of Power. In H.H. Gerth and C. Wright Mills, (Eds.) From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology. New York: Oxford University Press. Read More