Religion and post-modernity — common mistakes

When discussing postmodernity, always link the abstract concept of 'metanarratives' to a concrete example. Explain how the decline in the authority of the Church as a single source of truth allows for a plurality of spiritual beliefs to emerge, as seen in the 'spiritual marketplace'.

No, they are distinct concepts. Secularisation theory, in its classic form (e.g., Wilson), argues that religion is in a process of terminal decline. Postmodernists, like David Lyon, argue that religion is not disappearing but is being transformed. Belief is disembedded from traditional institutions and re-emerges in new, individualised forms. This is sometimes called 're-enchantment', a direct challenge to the secularisation thesis.

No, the term 'New Age Movement' is a broad umbrella for a highly diverse and diffuse collection of beliefs and practices. Unlike traditional religions, NAMs typically lack formal organisation, hierarchical structures, sacred texts, or collective worship. They are highly individualistic, centred on personal experience and self-development, making them more of a spiritual milieu or 'audience cult' (Stark and Bainbridge) than an organised religion.

No, it is a highly contested theory. Some sociologists, like Anthony Giddens, argue that we are not in a new 'postmodern' era but rather in 'late modernity' or 'high modernity'. They suggest that the features described by postmodernists, such as globalisation and individualism, are actually an intensification of modern trends, not a radical break from them. Therefore, you should always treat postmodernism as one perspective among several, not as an established fact.