Changing religiosity : secularisation and variation : data analysis of religious values in Spain

Abstract

The theory emerging from contemporary research in the sociology of religion posits a complex dynamic between the traditional notion of secularisation and an observed persistence, transformation or revival of religion. Just as secularisation is a multi-dimensional concept, so also religiosity has a plurality of meanings and manifestations. A nuanced understanding of secularisation requires the identification of the relevant religious factors, a consideration of the various social forces and an examination of the social significance of religious culture. In the operationalisation of the generalised concept of secularisation change in contemporary religious culture and its relation to society is often overlooked. While contemporary social theory tends to generalise the results from phenomenological fmdings, analytical research often delimits the scope of investigation to a single clearly defined and easily measurable religious variable, such as participation at religious services, and elaborates on a single dimension of religious change. Accordingly, there is a need for the identification of the various dimensions of religion at work in today's increasingly complex world. Earlier I have argued that research in the sociology of religion requires a post-secularisation approach concerned with the social significance of religion in a changing world (Abela 1993). Such an approach examines how specific traditional and post-traditional religious factors vary for different social groups in distinct social settings over time.