Question

Secularization is often associated with the loss of what?

a. Religious freedom
b. Religious pluralism
c. Religious authority
d. All of the above

Answer 1

The correct answer to the question is c. Religious authority.

Step-by-step explanation:

Secularization is commonly understood to be associated with the reduction or loss of religious authority. This process reflects changes within societies where religious beliefs, practices, and institutions lose significance. In a sociological context, secularization does not necessarily relate to the loss of religious freedom or religious pluralism, which are conditions that enable individuals to practice any religion of their choice or the existence of multiple religions within a society, respectively. Instead, secularization particularly concerns how religion's influence in public and private life diminishes.

Historical sociologists like Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Karl Marx, as well as psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, anticipated that the modernization of society would incur a decline in the relevance of religion. The statistics and trends indicated by surveys reflect this phenomenon, showing a rising number of individuals who identify as non-religious or 'spiritual but not religious' (SBNR), thereby suggesting changes in religious affiliation and religious practice.