2. The European Story of Religion and Modernity

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this lecture, we think about the relationship between religion and modernity in the European context, focusing in particular on: (i) the emphasis of the Enlightenment on science and freedom from religious belief, as exemplified by eighteenth-century philosopher Voltaire; (ii) the impact of the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century on economic and social life, particular regarding urbanisation; (iii) how these factors produced a “downward spiral” towards secularisation, as the Enlightenment produced ideas critical of religion and urbanisation moved people away from the predominantly rural institutions of the church.

Course

In this course, Professor Grace Davie (University of Exeter) considers the relationship between religion and modernity. In the first lecture, we clarify the meaning of the term “modernity”. In the second lecture, we look at the trajectories of religion in Europe, noting that modernisation entailed secularisation. In the third lecture, we look at the trajectories of religion in the US, where religion and modernity have been mutually reinforcing. Next, we explore changes to modernity in the late-twentieth century, how they influenced religion, and whether the terms “late modernity” and “post modernity” are useful in characterising them. In the fifth lecture, we interrogate whether there is a universal narrative of religion and modernity through Shmuel Eisenstadt’s notion of “multiple modernities". In the sixth and final lecture, we conclude with Professor Davie’s thoughts on this question.

Lecturer

Professor Grace Davie is Professor Emeritus in Sociology at the University of Exeter. She is a leading sociologist of religion and has written widely on religion in the modern world. Her publications include Religion in Public Life: Levelling the Ground (2017), Religion in Britain: A Persistent Paradox (2015), and The Sociology of Religion: A Critical Agenda (2013).