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oa Secularisatie als gezichtsbedrog
1Dit artikel is een grondige bewerking van een betoog dat ik in 1992 aan de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen heb gehouden als Paaslezing.
- Amsterdam University Press
- Source: NTT Journal for Theology and the Study of Religion, Volume 48, Issue 1, Jan 1994, p. 12 - 21
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- 01 Jan 1994
Abstract
Secularization, conceived as a process of growing social marginalization of religion, is one of the main topics of the sociology of religion. But how is this process possible, in the light of the many functions ascribed to religion by many classical sociologists? The usual answer is: by virtue of so called functional alternatives. But why are these alternatives so powerful? In this article, the thesis is presented, that the so called functional alternatives are themselves religious. Therefore, a sociological idea of religiosity is developed. According to this idea anything can be religious as it is charged with charismatic emotions. Religiosity is conceived as an anthropological category. Man is an animal religiosum. He needs religiosity in order to keep his worldview stable. When this idea of religiosity is accepted, secularization becomes partly a misconception. Religion and church as social and cultural manifestations of religiosity may fade away, religiosity itself will survive.