- Having religious beliefs but not attending a church.
- Experiencing religion ‘second hand’ or at a distance. Attending church for rites of passage, but not on a regular basis.
- ‘Pilgrims’ focus on their own individual spirituality and development; ‘converts’ join religious groups for a sense of community and belonging.
- Religion provides us with supernatural compensation for things we cannot achieve in this life.
- There has never been a religious monopoly in America; America has a vast array of religions on offer; there is religious competition on television; religious groups are often very wealthy; religious adherence in America is more flexible – people change more often from one group to another; adherence to civil religion is required of politicians; American society is more unequal.
- It focuses on the decline of religion in Europe, and ignores other societies where religion still thrives.
- Diversity and supply do not necessarily increase the level of religiosity; some societies have high levels of religious participation despite a monopoly by one church; religious market theory misrepresents the idea of a religious ‘golden age’ in the past.
- The feeling that survival is secure and therefore there is less need for religion to provide reassurance.
