Secularization

Secularization is the sociological process by which religious beliefs, institutions, and practices lose social significance and influence in public and private life. It involves the decline of religious authority over social structures, such as law, education, and politics, and the rise of rational, scientific, and humanistic worldviews. In classical sociology, thinkers like Max Weber, Émile Durkheim, and Peter Berger viewed secularization as a key feature of modernization and societal differentiation. Contemporary sociological debates question the universality of secularization, noting its varied expressions across cultures and its coexistence with religious revival in some contexts. Secularization is often analyzed in relation to pluralism, individualization, and globalization. It is measured through indicators like declining church attendance, diminished clergy influence, and increasing religious disaffiliation. Sociologically, secularization highlights shifts in collective consciousness and authority, revealing how cultural and institutional domains are reorganized in post-religious or multi-faith societies.