The Impact of Modernization and Secularization on Religious Values
Abstract
“If our religion is fundamentally irrelevant to our politics, then we are recognizing political realm outside of the reign of God.” (Turner, 2011, p. 136)
In the changing world, all things are changing, where religion is not left. Religion also goes through several changes accordingly, where there are positive and negative sides. My intention is only to see the influences of contemporary situations such as modernization, secularization and their effects on religious/Christian values today in the modern societies, especially in the Nordic countries. This is my personal motivation after encountering different positive and negative attitudes towards religion in a liberal country like Norway.
To see the impact of the modernization coupled with secularization in the contemporary Nordic countries, especially in Finland, Norway and Sweden, we need to measure the results. Based on the results, it is possible to arrive at a conclusion. Therefore, quantitative research method is used to measure the impacts. On the contrary, collected data are from previously conducted surveys. The important to observable here that latest surveys are not available for three countries simultaneously, therefore, I have here utilized mostly the data of 2005-2009 of the World Values Survey. And other surveys are also used when and where they fit into concurrently.
Basically, the research argues predominantly based on the theory of existential security (Norris and Inglehart, 2011) which is associated with modernization, secularization and welfare. but other appropriate theoretical aspects are incorporated wherever they fit into the frame. Therefore, I don’t try defending that religious values already eroded but a minor attempt to picture that the religious values are on gradual decline in the Nordic countries, because of the several factors, which have been discussed in the 4th chapter with available data accordingly.
Description
Master's thesis in global studies. VID Specialized University, Stavanger, May 2019