Final answer:
The primary difference between religion pre-Enlightenment and secularisation post-Enlightenment is that the earlier period was marked by religion being deeply integrated into political and societal affairs, whereas the Enlightenment promoted the separation of church and state, leading to the rise of secularization.
Step-by-step explanation:
Difference Between Religion Pre-Enlightenment and Secularisation Post-Enlightenment
During the pre-Enlightenment period, religion was often intertwined with the political and social fabric of society. Enlightenment era religious commentary was largely a reaction against centuries of religious conflict in Europe, where thinkers sought to curtail the political power of organized religion. Ideas such as Deism and atheism began to take root, emphasizing a belief in a creator God without reference to holy texts or a divine being uninvolved in human affairs, respectively.
Post-Enlightenment, the concept of secularization emerged, entailing a pattern of change where religion's role in public and private life diminished. The Enlightenment encouraged scientific rationalism and anthropocentrism, leading to advancements and revolutions that shifted societies from rigid religiosity to frameworks centered on human reason and empirical knowledge. This period saw an increase in the separation between church and state, with religion becoming more of a personal than public institution.
The United States, while more religious than some other industrialized nations, has experienced both trends of increasing secularization and rising fundamentalism. Comparisons show a generational shift towards secularization, with younger generations placing less emphasis on religion in social and political spheres. Scholars like Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Karl Marx predicted such a decline of religious influence with the modernization of society.