Classical Secularisation Theories

About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about classical theories of secularisation, focusing in particular on: (i) Auguste Comte’s law of three stages and its role in shaping the basic premise of secularisation theory that as societies modernise, religion will necessarily decline; (ii) Émile Durkheim’s explanation for the decline of religion in modernity as a result of urbanisation and the decline of small-scale rural communities; (iii) Max Weber’s alternative account of secularisation based on the ideas of rationalisation and disenchantment in modern capitalist society.

About the lecturer

Professor Linda Woodhead is Distinguished Professor of Religion and Society at Lancaster University. She has written widely on religion in modern society. Her recent publications include That Was The Church That Was: How the Church of England Lost the English People (2016) (as co-author), Christianity: A Very Short Introduction (2014), and Everyday Lived Islam in Britain (2013) (as co-author).